BMW Drivers' Club NSW News

Compliance for historic and classic vehicles

Andrew Green — Sun, 12 Apr 2026 00:14:53 GMT

The following is from communication from Transport NSW to all car clubs affiliated with TfNSW (e.g us) regarding conditional Rego.

Conditionally registered vehicles from five car clubs were recently inspected at Silverwater.

These inspections are part of series of compliance events directed at historic and classic vehicles, with more planned throughout 2026, explained Leigh Grant, Senior Manager – Vehicle Operations.

“I want to thank vehicle owners and clubs that have cooperated in conducting this ongoing operation. We have seen some well maintained, safe and compliant vehicles, however there are some concerning vehicle safety issues arising from our inspections,” said Leigh.

“We remind clubs and owners of the importance of complying with Transport’s lawful directions regarding vehicle inspections. For the clubs and vehicle owners who have not complied, Transport will be exercising its powers."

Transport directed 85 owners to present their vehicles for inspection to assess vehicle safety and confirm eligibility for historic and classic registration.

Key outcomes included:

46 vehicles inspected
25 vehicle defect notices issued
16 vehicles identified with major defects, including six deemed unsafe to drive from the inspection site
19 vehicles deemed ineligible for the Historic or Classic Vehicle Scheme.

Enforcement action is underway to cancel the registration of 39 vehicles that failed to comply with the inspection direction, including a vehicle registered to the responsible person of one club.

Two club officials who are also Authorised Examiners within the Authorised Inspection Scheme (AIS) have been referred for action against their AIS accreditation. The Motor Vehicle Tradesperson Certificate of one person was expired and the Motor Vehicle Repairer Licence of the other was expired.

As the first line of compliance, recognised clubs play a vital role in the historic and classic vehicle scheme. It is essential that the integrity of the scheme is protected.

BMW Clubs International Council Virtual Meeting

Bob Williams — Fri, 03 Apr 2026 01:29:27 GMT

As BMWCA International Delegate I attended the BCIC virtual meeting on 2 April. Here is my report on this meeting.

Here is BCIC Newsletter Issue 1 2026.

MotorKhana Program change in 2026

Bob Williams — Fri, 27 Mar 2026 22:53:58 GMT

MotorKhana MK.5 that was to be on Sunday 13 Dec has been moved to Sunday 6 Dec. This change was requested by Porsche Club NSW who wanted the 13 Dec for one of their events.

This means that we have Druitt Circuit and Skid Pan on the same day. Interesting challenge for our volunteer crew. We could make this a special end of year Christmas Party event.

BMW Clubs' World

Bob Williams — Tue, 20 Jan 2026 23:28:05 GMT

Hi Club Members,

I hope you enjoyed BMW Clubs and Community Management and BMW Clubs International Council newsletter Issue 1 BMW Club's World Newsletter.

There are now three Issues and there will be a new one early in 2026. You will find them all on

FROM CLASSIC TO VILLA ERBA - BMW Clubs International Council

Look at BMW Clubs International Council website. There are requests from Umbrellas and Delegates to update the information on the website. BMWCIC - BMW Clubs International Council

And look at BMW Group Classic

50 Years of Motorsport Magic: My Visit to the Petersen Museum's 'Vault'

Jim Haik — Wed, 10 Dec 2025 01:16:22 GMT

PHOTOS: https://photos.app.goo.gl/Vdy9fTRHrM1EMx5Q9

Fellow BMW Enthusiasts,

I recently had the opportunity to visit the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles, and let me tell you, if you are a fan of the Roundel, you must make the trip! While the entire museum is a spectacular journey through automotive history, the real highlight for me was the special 'Vault' exhibition celebrating 50 Years of BMW Motorsport.

This display is a phenomenal collection of super rare cars, many on loan directly from the BMW Classic Museum in Germany. Seeing these iconic machines up close was truly breathtaking.

Here are a few of the vehicles that absolutely stole the show, along with a few words on their significance:

Road-Going E46 M3 GTR V8: This car is a true unicorn. It is one of the most limited production M-cars ever made (only about 10 were required for homologation). Its significance lies in the fact that it was the first M3 to feature a V8 engine—the P60B40—a necessity for BMW to compete and ultimately dominate the GT class of the 2001 American Le Mans Series (ALMS). It’s a road-legal car that exists purely for the sake of racing rules, making it one of the most desirable and controversial homologation specials in BMW history.
E92 M3 GT2 IMSA Car: Based on the E92 generation M3 Coupe, this racer competed fiercely in the American Le Mans Series (ALMS) and the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup (ILMC) in the late 2000s and early 2010s. Its significance is rooted in its competition pedigree, specifically claiming an impressive sweep of the 2011 ALMS Class Championships (Drivers', Teams', and Manufacturers'). It represents a powerful era for the naturally aspirated V8 in BMW's GT racing program.

Beyond the Motorsport anniversary display, the main floor of the Petersen Museum also had some fantastic BMW models that are well worth noting:

Mint E36 M3 Lightweight (LWT): Created for the US market to homologate the M3 for IMSA GT racing in the mid-1990s, the M3 LWT is an exercise in focused performance. Its significance is its purity of purpose. Stripped of non-essentials like a radio and A/C, and featuring aluminum doors, a fixed wing, and a shorter final drive, it was lighter and more track-focused than the standard M3—a true "race car for the road."
E28 M5: The very first M5! Introduced in 1985, the E28 M5 founded the entire segment of the high-performance sedan, often dubbed the "super sedan" or "wolf in sheep's clothing." Its significance is historic, as it combined the practicality of a 5 Series sedan with a hand-built, race-derived engine (the M88/3 from the M1) to become the fastest production sedan in the world at the time of its launch.
BMW M1 Art Car: The M1, a legendary mid-engined supercar and BMW's first bespoke M-car, is significant enough on its own. However, the presence of an M1 Art Car elevates its status further, representing the intersection of high art and high performance. These cars, painted by world-renowned artists like Andy Warhol, showcase BMW's dedication to culture and design.

The entire visit was a profound celebration of BMW's racing heritage and engineering excellence. I encourage all members to check out the Petersen Museum if they find themselves in LA!

The very sad passing of Maureen Scerri

Bob Williams — Thu, 04 Dec 2025 00:58:19 GMT

Colin Scerri phoned to inform me to pass on to all of us that his mother, Maureen Scerri, passed away peacefully last night, 3 Dec, in her home with Arthur and family all present. Maureen, long member of our club and Club Secretary for many years, will be missed by all who knew her.

Maureen always made time to approach everyone who attended an event. She was so positive and made everyone feel welcome. We are all well aware of the work that Maureen has contributed to club life and it is very much appreciated.

Arthur and Maureen worked so well together.

Maureen, loving wife of Arthur, and most loved mother of Colin and Paul and their wives Sandra and Donna, 6 grandchildren, plus 11 Great grandchildren with another 2 on the way, is now at rest.

Funeral arrangements for Maureen’s farewell ceremony:

Funeral 12 noon Wednesday 10 Dec 2025

Forest Lawn Memorial Park

Camden Valley Way Leppington (North Chapel)

Afterwards Crossroads Hotel

2260 Camden Valley Way

Casula

Driver Coaches

Bob Williams — Tue, 25 Nov 2025 21:31:03 GMT

We owe it to our Club Members to provide quality driver training. Coaches play a pivotal role in the development of drivers across all levels and disciplines in motorsport. Thank you to our eleven expert drivers who have completed the Motorsport Australia Coaching qualification.

Drivers, please let me motorsport@bmwclubnsw.asn.au know when you are working on your online theory and have completed that official online course. Then you need a reference and as long as I know of your driver training capabilities I will be able to provide that reference. You will then have Officials-Coach, OFF-COH, and will join our Coach Team.

For those experts who haven't taken out this Coach qualification, please take a look at https://motorsport.org.au/officials/coaching/

A coach provides training and guidance to drivers, focusing on enhancing their driving techniques, safety knowledge, and overall performance. Get qualified. It is your time well spent. Motorsport Australia Coaching is a free program

It is worthwhile to setup your Motorsport Australia account then complete General Official Qualification.

1. Apply for a licence via your Member Portal, or submit an application form Coach Application

2. Apply for a Working With Children Check (WWCC) – Do that at Service NSW – application for WWCC is free for volunteers. https://ocg.nsw.gov.au/working-children-check

3. Complete the Online Coaching Module.

BMW Clubs International Council

Bob Williams — Fri, 14 Nov 2025 01:47:21 GMT

As BMW Clubs Australia International Delegate, I attended the BMW Clubs International Council Virtual Meeting on the evening of 14 Nov. I have the message from Trevor Dean, Chairman of BCIC to pass on to you.

This is an update of the BMW Clubs International Council meeting 2025

Support of BMW Group Classic

Thank you to all in BMW Club and Community Management for their tireless work to help deliver the best Council Meeting that the Council has experienced.

Matthias Neuer was responsible for the organisation and the management of the Council Meeting.

And to Helmut Käs, Head of BMW Group Classic, for his ongoing support and leadership.

Helmut introduced Ulrike von Mirbach, Head of BMW Group Customer Formats; BMW Brand Experience, as one of the 5 guest speakers for the Council Meeting.

We also had a presentation from Tatjana Otto, Head of BMW Group Archives.

Keynote address

For the first time, BMW Clubs International Council was invited to attend a major launch by BMW Group.

The development of the Neue Klasse was the result of the biggest investment by BMW AG in the history of the brand.

Oliver Zipse advised the new BMW iX3 is the start of a new era for BMW.

Farewell Dinner

To finish off a wonderful Council Meeting, BCCM still had some surprises in store.

All members of BCCM were at the entrance of the restaurant in traditional Bavarian clothes to welcome the Council.

Scott Blazey was presented with a scale model BMW i8 with SB plates as a parting gift.

Gerry Hodges advised he was attending his last Council Meeting and was presented with a BMW M3 E30 Jägermeister model.

BMW Clubs International Council Board

We welcome KK Wong to the Board of BMW Clubs International Council as the Vice Chair Motorcycles.

He joins Colin van Son, who is the Vice Chair Classic and Types and Martina Günter, Vice Chair Cars.

KK has a long history with BCIC and he will issue an introduction to all in his new role on the Council.

We farewell Scott Blazey as the outgoing Chair of BMW Clubs International Council.

We fondly acknowledge Scott’s time as Chair with his strong administrative and leadership skills and we value his friendship.

Scott will be welcome to attend any meeting of BMW Clubs International Council in the future.

Council Meeting 2026

BCIC would like to give certainty for the location and date of the next Council Meeting so that participants have plenty of time to plan for the CM and the pre-tour if they wish to participate.

There was one complete proposal from BMWCCA in conjunction with BMWMOA presented at the 2025 Council Meeting.

The submission was fully costed and detailed in the planned agenda and activities.

Council members requested the opportunity for other Umbrellas to forward submissions to hold the Council Meeting in 2026.

The Council agreed to this request and advised that any further proposals were required to be submitted by 30^th October 2025.

There is a full explanation of requirements available for holding a Council Meeting including a budget template from BCCM.

All submissions received for Council Meeting 2026 will be circulated to Delegates and Observers prior to the Virtual Meeting.

It is intended that there will be a brief presentation of the proposals to the Virtual Meeting by the proponents.

Voting for Council Meeting 2026 will be conducted by secret ballot by BCCM after the Virtual Meeting.

Virtual meeting

The Virtual Meeting was held at 11.00am CET on Thursday 13^th November.

Newsletter

The third edition of the BCIC newsletter was unveiled at the Council Meeting. Thank you to Colin van Son collating the contents and Scott Blazey for completing the editing and layout for the magazine.

Once again it is a very professional newsletter with articles from many BMW club members.

Please circulate the newsletter to your members.

BCIC Newsletter Edition 3 2025

As discussed at the Council Meeting the fourth edition will contain articles on the BCIC annual Council Meeting and the Neue Klasse, as well as articles from BMW club members.

We are fortunate to have 7 Delegates or Observers offer to submit an article at the Council Meeting.

The newsletter topics from the Council Meeting are attached. If anyone would like to volunteer, there are still 3 topics available.

The objective of this newsletter is to give an insight into the workings of the BMW Clubs International Council and what occurs during the year and at a Council Meeting.

Any further insights are most welcome. Martina Günter will be collating the articles for this edition.

It would be appreciated if these articles could be submitted to Martina in October, prior to the Virtual Meeting, so Martina can update the meeting on the progress of BCIC Newsletter edition 4.

Matthias Neuer will be able to supply any photos of the Council Meeting or activities to assist with the articles.

Scott Blazey has generously advised he will layout the newsletter once the articles are received.

BMW Server

The photographs taken by the professional photographer commissioned by BCCM have been uploaded to the Server.

The link to the server is : BMW Group Classic - Download server - Council meeting 2025

BCCM will send the password in a separate email.

Please use any of these photographs for your journals or for articles for the BCIC Newsletter.

BMW Clubs International Council website

The Council members advised they would proactively support the BMW Clubs International Council website.

This will be an agenda item for the Virtual Council Meeting.

BMW Clubs International Council is a positive, vibrant community.

It is the same as your local club. It thrives on the energy that each of you contributes.

Thank you to everyone for a very successful and enjoyable year.

Regards

Trevor Dean

Chairman

BMW Clubs International Council

Visiting BMW Welt - Munich ?

Bob Williams — Fri, 31 Oct 2025 21:15:20 GMT

Hi Club members,

Remember, if you are visiting Germany and intend dropping in to Munich, then as a BMW Club Members there are thing to see. You can visit BMW Museum, BMW Welt, BMW Group Classic then experience Plant Tours and there are special club member deals. Contact me, your Club Delegate to BMW Clubs Australia, for details and assistance with bookings and tours.

Take a look at BMW Group Classic

BMW Neue Klasse iX3

Bob Williams — Thu, 02 Oct 2025 22:17:15 GMT

BMW AG have made the massive announcement of the start of a new era. The new BMW iX3 that is a fully electric Sports Activity Vehicle (SAV). It gives customers their first on-the-road taste of a whole new era of Sheer Driving Pleasure. Download the Announcement

2025 Motorkhana Round 4 - 20/9/25

Alex Wong — Sun, 21 Sep 2025 23:39:19 GMT

What a fantastic day for Round 4 of our 2025 Motorkhana series!

This past Saturday, we descended on the skidpan at Sydney Motorsport Park for what was an incredible day of grassroots motorsport. We had a massive, full field of 40 entrants, and the weather gods were definitely smiling on us!

It was awesome to see the sheer variety of cars being pushed to their limits. Alongside a stunning lineup of BMWs from classic E36s to modern G87 M2s, we saw everything from nimble MX-5s and a Focus RS to a Subaru BRZ and even a classic Commodore. It’s this variety that makes our events so special!

Drivers battled it out across four challenging tests: Crazy Square, Plumb Crazy, Crossover, and Big Eyes, with some incredibly tight times being posted throughout the day.

A massive congratulations to our podium finishers who put on a masterclass in car control:

1st Place: Andrew Best in the Ford Focus RS

2nd Place: James Hughes in the Mazda NB MX-5

3rd Place: Alex Wong in the E82 135i

BMWs

1st Place: Alex Wong in the E82 135i

2nd Place: Chris Benny in the F87 M2

3rd Place: Philip Middlebrook in the F82 M4

Others

1st Place: Andrew in the Ford Focus RS

2nd Place: James in the Mazda NB MX-5

3rd Place: Patrick Kong in the Subaru BRZ

Shootout

1st Place: James in the Mazda NB MX-5

2nd Place: Alex in the E82 135i

3rd Place: Patrick Kong in the Subaru BRZ

A huge thank you to all the drivers for the great competition and sportsmanship, and of course, to our amazing volunteers who make these days happen. We couldn't do it without you!

We can't wait to see you all at the next one!

Conditional Registration - Compliance pathways for modifiers

Randall Lumbewe — Mon, 15 Sep 2025 23:58:56 GMT

Compliance pathways for modifiers

Transport for NSW offers pathways to show that a modified light vehicle meets the required standards. Compliance can be demonstrated by following either a compliance specification or the relevant provisions of Vehicle Standards Bulletin 14 (VSB 14).

Transport standard compliance specifications include:

VSCCS Bulletin 2
Brake Assessment Manual (BAM)
Interim NSW Vehicle Emissions Test Procedure
Suspension and Ride Height manual.

These documents outline how a modification can be carried out and assessed. Certifiers should only apply one compliance pathway per modification and must follow it in full.

This approach helps ensure consistency, clarity and safety when certifying modified vehicles.

For more information including links to the specifications, visit the standard compliance and specifications page on our website.

Disclaimer: This information is provided to support certifiers in understanding regulatory requirements. It does not replace the relevant legislation, and certifiers should always refer to the applicable legislation where clarification is required.

2025 Motorkhana Round 3 - 19/7/2025

Alex Wong — Mon, 21 Jul 2025 03:31:22 GMT

Round 3 of the 2025 Motorkhana Championship was held at Sydney Motorsport Park on Saturday. It was a quiet one compared to our usual attendance, possibly due to school holidays keeping some of our members away. As a result, the competitors got in quite a few extra runs of each test as well as an extended drifting session at the end of the day.

Thank you to Bob Williams (Clerk of Course), Victor Yee (Photographer), Dominique Oakes, Max Levesque and Paul Pettersen (Timing) who assisted with running this event.

At the next Motorkhana round, we'll be adding in Come and Try entries, perfect for those who are interested in trying Motorkhana for the first time and don't have an annual Motorsport Australia licence.

Enjoy the video of Alex Wong in his manual E60 M5 tackling Triple Loop in the most sideways way possible. Not the fastest way around but a Motorkhana Test but definitely fun.

https://www.facebook.com/bmwdcnsw/videos/754135826998374

Congratulations to the winners of this event!

Overall

1st James Hughes (NB MX5)

2nd Kim Hughes (NB MX5)

3rd Alex Wong (E60 M5)

BMWs

1st Alex Wong (E60 M5)

2nd Mark Daly (E86 Z4M)

3rd Philip Middlebrook(E92 335i)

Others

1st James Hughes (NB MX5)

2nd Kim Hughes (NB MX5)

3rd Patrick Kong (Subaru BRZ)

Shootout

1st James Hughes (NB MX5)

2nd Patrick Kong (Subaru BRZ)

3rd Kim Hughes (NB MX5)

Transport for NSW - Conditional Registration Schemes and compliance

Randall Lumbewe — Tue, 08 Jul 2025 05:14:11 GMT

Transport for NSW have released their DRIVE Lite Vehicle Safety Certificate of Compliance update.

Those members with conditionally registered vehicles please note.

There is an article relating to inspections of vehicles at an event conducted by the Chrysler Car Club and not unexpectedly, TfNSW and NSW Police were more than interested, ensuring vehicles were safe and that they passed muster in terms of the eligibility needed for either Historic or Classic Vehicle Registration.

Please check out this web link: Drive Lite VSCCS July 2025

Electric, Hybrid and Mild Hybrid vehicles

Bob Williams — Wed, 18 Jun 2025 10:42:14 GMT

Please note that due to the onerous requirements that have been imposed by Motorsport Australia (which are followed, as required, by the ARDC, the managers of Sydney Motorsport Park) on Electric, Hybrid or Mild-Hybrid vehicles and on the Club and its Officials if such vehicles were to be accepted by the Club, such vehicles cannot be accepted in Motorsport Australia events or at that venue.

As the Club cannot accept such vehicles for our events please don’t try to register in any of our Motorsport Events in an Electric, Hybrid or Mild-Hybrid vehicle.

2025 Motorkhana Round 2 - 1/6/2025

Alex Wong — Mon, 02 Jun 2025 00:23:14 GMT

After a few months hiatus since our first 2025 Motorkhana, Round 2 of our 2025 Motorkhana Championship was held at Sydney Motorsport Park. Mother nature put on a beautiful show for the 39 entrants. Enjoy a few videos of some of the runs from the day with photos of the event to come soon. The videos can be found on our Facebook page.

Thank you as always to the volunteers who helped us run the event so smoothly, Bob Williams (Clerk of Course), Victor Yee (Photography), Dominique Oakes, Matt Rosenthal, Ayan, Kim Hughes and James Hughes.

Congratulations to the top drivers of the day!

Overall

1st Andrew Best (Ford Focus RS)

2nd Alex Wong (E82 135i)

3rd James Hughes (Mazda NB MX-5)

BMWs

1st Alex Wong (E82 135i)

2nd Chris Benny (F87 M2)

3rd Philip Middlebrook (E92 335i)

Others

1st Andrew Best (Ford Focus RS)

2nd James Hughes (Mazda NB MX-5)

3rd John Driver (Toyota 86)

Shootout

1st Andrew Best (Ford Focus RS)

2nd Patrick Kong (Subaru BRZ)

3rd James Hughes (Mazda NB MX-5)

BMW Porsche Challenge

Bob Williams — Wed, 21 May 2025 02:07:00 GMT

BMW / Porsche Challenge at Gardner Circuit on 18 May was also our SS.2 and PCNSW's SS.4 Supersprints. We had 57 Drivers and PCNSW had 34 Drivers recording times.

To make a Challenge each club selected five drivers in each of five speed groups with points allocated for drivers closest to but not less than the set lap time for their group. This year the group times were set at no limit for Group 1, Group 2 1 minute 46 seconds, Group 3 1:51, Group 4 1:54 and Group 5 1:47.5. Porsche won Group 1 and 5 and we won groups 2, 3 and 4 with us winning a total of 115 points to Porsche’s 80 points. Congratulations to us this year.

History: PCNSW won in 2017, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024 and we won in 2018, 2019 2020 and now in 2025

BMW Clubs Australia Car Club Nationals

Bob Williams — Mon, 12 May 2025 00:34:20 GMT

BMW Clubs Australia runs a National event each year. This national event was a combined Motorrad and Car get-together up until 2005. Since then it is Motorrad (motorcycle) clubs on even numbered years and Car Clubs on odd numbered years. Clubs take it in turn to host this event.

Here is a bit of National history over the years:

We hosted at Bowral in 2009, with motorsport at Oran Park, hosted by Club Gold Coast and Qld on the Gold Coast in 2011, 2013 was Club Vic at Philip Island, we hosted in 2015 at Windsor and Sydney Motorsport Park, 2017 was in Brisbane and Lakeside, 2019 in St Kilda hosted by Car Club Victoria with Car Show and Motorsport at Sandown.

In 2021 the Car Nationals, with Covid-19 restrictions, was moved to 2022 and hosted in Canberra by Car Club Canberra and provided us with a fabulous National Capital experience. We won Champion Club.

In 2023 we all met in Coolangatta for a wonderful Nationals hosted by Car Club Gold Coast and we won Champion Club competition again.

On the Anzac Day long weekend, 24 - 27 April 2025 invited by hosts, Drivers Club Melbourne, to WestWaters Resort and Calder Park Car Race facility. on 24 April, 50 years of BMW 3 Series cocktail party evening at Melbourne BMW. Anzac day with the Anzac ceremony, then day of tourist drives and a 70's themed dinner on the night. Saturday was Car Show and Supersprints at Calder Raceway with parade laps around the circuit and thunder dome. Grand Presentation evening was at WestWaters with Club Championship presentation with all clubs represented and BMW Club Gold Coast wins.

2027 is not all that far away and we have presented our plans to host the event based at Bathurst and Mt Panorama.

Supersprint Regulations 2025

Bob Williams — Sat, 12 Apr 2025 22:21:51 GMT

For 2025 Supersprint Championship we have introduced on-line 2025 Annex C. All competitors in our Supersprints are to read the Supersprint Regulations for 2025 then complete the on-line 2025 Annex

Update of Motorsport Australia National Competition Rules

Bob Williams — Fri, 07 Mar 2025 03:06:26 GMT

For all members involved in our Motorsport there are some changes to National Competition Rules.

Schedule B of the National Competition Rules

q) display a blue triangle of sides 150mm indicating the location of the battery. A battery fitted in the cockpit must have an additional blue triangle not less than 60mm sides fitted on the cover of the battery or immediately adjacent to the battery if uncovered;

(r) be fitted with a visible towing point (capable of accepting a 40mm OD cylindrical test object) fitted forward of the front axle and rearward of the rear axle and capable of towing the Automobile on a sealed surface with its wheels locked. Where a tow point is obscured, each tow point must be marked with the word “TOW” of a contrasting colour marking the location of each tow point. A road registered series production Automobile fitted with any unmodified original equipment tow point will be exempt from these requirements, save for the requirement to identify an obscured front and/or rear tow point; and

(s) for each external door handle that is not easily distinguishable or visible from the surrounding bodywork, there must be fitted an arrow, a minimum of 50mm long, yellow or red in contrasting colour to the bodywork and the word ‘OPEN, LIFT, PUSH or PULL’, whichever is appropriate, marking the location and operation of each door

Invitation to Porsche Club's Supersprint Events.

Bob Williams — Thu, 06 Mar 2025 22:00:00 GMT

Our Drivers have been invited to Porsche Club NSW's Supersprint Events. Registration is on their website and password is visitor.

Porsche SS.2 on 15 Mar at Pheasant Wood Circuit, https://bmwclubnsw.asn.au/event-6100906

Porsche SS.3 at Gardner on Thursday Night 23 Apr, https://bmwclubnsw.asn.au/event-6101018

Our SS.2 and Porsche SS.4 at Gardner 18 May – This is BMW Porsche Challenge and we register on our website.

SS.5 at Druitt on Sunday Night 14 Sep, https://bmwclubnsw.asn.au/event-6101034

They expect to have their SS.6 at One Raceway with date still to be announced.

Welcome to BMW Drivers Club NSW Inc Supersprint with Come & Try Track Days

Bob Williams — Tue, 18 Feb 2025 10:17:58 GMT

On 1 Feb 2025 the Club's Motorsport Department ran a combined Track Day event at Sydney Motorsport Park Druitt Circuit. The aim was to provide an event just right for those club members wanting to Supersprint and also for those who just want to have a drive in their road registered daily driver on a fast and flowing car race circuit. With this combination we had 60 Supersprint Drivers and 20 Track Day drivers and this resulted in a financially viable day. Thanks to all the drivers who participated and to the volunteers who made the day happen.

Members of our Motorsport Management Team have produced a Welcome to Supersprint and Track Day Information brief. If you are interested in these events please check out this brief.

Motorsport Program for 2025

Bob Williams — Sun, 24 Nov 2024 20:51:15 GMT

18 Jan DX.1 – Skid Pan night

1 Feb SS.1 – Druitt circuit day

9 Feb MK.1 – Skid Pan day

18 May SS.2 – GP circuit (BMW/Porsche challenge) day

1Jun MK.2 – skid pan day

5 Jul DX.2 - Amaroo night

19 Jul MK.3 – skid pan day

10 Aug SS.3 – Amaroo day

20 Sep MK.4 – skid pan day

12 Oct DX.3 – skid pan night

26 Oct SS.4 – SuperFest 2025 - GP circuit, Skid Pan, Drift circuit day,

16 Nov MK.5 - skid pan day

Events will open for registration 1 month before each event with a closing date 2 or 3 days before the event. Your registration is acknowledged when you register.

2024 Motorkhana Round 5

Alex Wong — Mon, 11 Nov 2024 09:39:01 GMT

We held our 5th and final Motorkhana round on the skidpan at Sydney Motorsport Park on Saturday. The event was fully sold out with several on the waiting list with 39 of the 40 entrants turning up on the day for the last skidpan event of the year. There was a good mixture of attendees from regulars to juniors to members just getting into motorsport for the first time.

A big thank you needs to go out to all of the volunteers who have helped run our Motorkhana championship this year including Clerk of Course, timing/setup and photographers.

Overall

1st Alex Wong (E82 135i)

2nd James Hughes (Mazda NB MX-5)

3rd Chris Benny (F87 M2)

BMWs

1st Alex Wong (E82 135i)

2nd Chris Benny (F87 M2)

3rd Philip Middlebrook (E92 335i)

Others

1st James Hughes (Mazda NB MX-5)

2nd Patrick Kong (Subaru BRZ)

3rd Kim Hughes (Mazda NB MX-5)

Shootout

1st James Hughes (Mazda NB MX-5)

2nd Alex Wong (E82 135i)

3rd Adam Laura (G81 M3)

2024 Motorkhana Round 4

Alex Wong — Tue, 17 Sep 2024 10:35:39 GMT

Our 2024 Motorkhana Round 4 was run on Sunday. It was a quieter day with 32 entrants rather than our usual full field of 40 however this meant a lot of time to practice motorkhana techniques and oversteer control at the end of the day! The sun stayed out but the wind picked up meaning the timing tent had to be taken down as during lunch it decided to move itself several metres. Thank you to Jake for stopping it completely running away! Thank you to all of the volunteers for helping out on the day (Bob, Victor, Mat, Ayanav, Kim and James) and to all of the competitors for helping make it another successful event.

Overall

1st Andrew Best (Ford Focus RS)

2nd James Hughes (Mazda NB MX-5)

3rd Alex Wong (E60 M5)

BMWs

1st Alex Wong (E60 M5)

2nd Chris Benny (F87 M2)

3rd Philip Middlebrook (E92 335i)

Others

1st Andrew Best (Ford Focus RS)

2nd James Hughes (Mazda NB MX-5)

3rd Patrick Kong (Subaru BRZ)

Shootout

1st Philip Middlebrook (E92 335i)

2nd Patrick Kong (Subaru BRZ)

3rd Alex Wong (E60 M5)

Club AGM Summary

Bob Williams — Wed, 21 Aug 2024 00:49:02 GMT

Thanks to those who attended the AGM last week, and to all those who voted by proxy.

The incoming Committee is as follows;

President John Cotter

Vice President David Gillies

Club Secretary and conditional registrar Randall Lumbewe

Treasurer Ian McLachlan

Motorsport Manager and Club Delegate Bob Williams

Social Events Manager Ashleigh Sherry

General Committee – Member Secretary David Hogg

General Committee – Merchandise Freya Hogg

General Committee – IT Philip Middlebrook

General Committee – Motorsport Nick Hanania

General Committee Peter Quinlan

General Committee Stephen Page

The financial statements for the year ended 30 June 2024, which had been scrutinised by a certified professional, were presented to the meeting by David Gillies, with attendees noting the losses experienced from SuperSprint events. This year has seen a decline in participation in supersprints, and this is the same experience with other car clubs. The Committee has acted to reduce any losses going forward, including reducing the number of events to be held each year and combining our events with other clubs to share costs and improve the total number of participants. Additionally, a brief additional verbal report was given by the reviewer of the accounts. The financial statements were accepted by the meeting.

The special resolutions were read and explained by John Cotter. After discussion, some minor amendments were made to a couple of the resolutions. All resolutions were passed by the required greater than 75% majority, without the need for Chairman proxies.

The member motion calling for the Club to appoint an auditor went to a vote, even though the accounts had already been reviewed. The motion was defeated, without the need for Chairman proxies.

For the Committee election, Edward Forgacs and Gary Speechly withdrew their nominations. A vote proceeded for the position of Club Secretary. Randall Lumbewe was the clear preference for this position, without the need for Chairman proxies.

Congratulations and thank you to those making up the Committee, and committing to the significant volunteer work involved, for the next 12 months or so.

Meet & learn from one of BMW's visionaries

Bob Williams — Tue, 20 Aug 2024 08:00:00 GMT

Dear BMW Club members,

Innovation has played a central role in the BMW Group strategy throughout its 108-year history, defining its products and position as a world leader in the automotive industry.

The company’s people are the driving force behind this success, developing pioneering industry-first technologies and solutions that set BMW apart from its competitors.

One of those innovators is Sydney-born engineer, Dr. Stella Clarke. For the past two decades, Stella has been based in Munich, responsible for a variety of advanced concepts for BMW. Her impressive work includes development of haptic cockpit control systems – such as the intuitive switchgear found in modern BMW interiors – and the groundbreaking ‘e-ink’ technology, which allows a vehicle’s exterior colour to change with a simple swipe of a smartphone touchscreen.

Stella has been captivating audiences around the world with insights to her work, and now she is set to do the same in her home country.

We would invite BMW Club members to our upcoming online event via the Microsoft Teams platform to hear from Stella about her career and the exciting initiatives she is currently working on.

The session will include a presentation from Stella and ample opportunities to ask questions.

When: Monday, August 26th, 2024

Time: 6-7pm

Link: MS Teams Link

RSVP: August 16, to Bailey Gifford, chair@bmwclubsaustralia.org.au

We look forward to providing you all with insights from one of BMW’s true innovators.

Warm regards,

Corporate Communications
BMW Group Australia

Member Survey Results

Ian McLachlan — Mon, 12 Aug 2024 06:55:48 GMT

We've been going through the results of the Member survey conducted recently. In summary;

- Members prefer not to attend the current number of Supersprint events each year.

- Members consider that the entry fee is the biggest cost component when deciding whether to enter an event, however, cost of living pressure is not the main reason.

- The current Supersprint format is preferred, and the favourite track is SMSP GP Circuit.

- Weekend day is the slightly favoured time for a Supersprint, however, almost half said that it didn't matter if it was day or night, or weekend or weekday.

Consequently, the Committee has taken action to limit the BMW Club Supersprints to 4 for 2025, and look to join other Clubs where appropriate. It is also one of the drivers behind the cancellation of two events this year.

- For social events, weekend day drives and cars and coffee events were the favourite, with no clear preference regarding which day to hold them.

- The preferred medium through which Torque of the Town is available was quite evenly split, with a preference for an online version being available.

Thank you all who responded to the survey and congratulations to Max Levesque, Rod Minetti, and Peter Pengilley who are the lucky winners of an item of merchandise. I will contact each of you separately to arrange your prize.

More details of the survey results will be published in the next edition of Torque of the Town.

BMW Club's Content in BMW Museum Munich

Bob Williams — Tue, 30 Jul 2024 22:15:39 GMT

Note from BCCM Munich

We have exciting news to share with you! Starting next year, there will be a special room in the BMW Museum in Munich dedicated to our club’s content. To make this project a success, we need your support.

What We're Looking For:
We are seeking high-resolution images of club members with their BMWs. These photos will be displayed on a wall in the "Encounters" room at the BMW Museum.

What Makes a Great Photo:
We especially love photos that capture spontaneous moments.
However, pictures where you are proudly posing in front of your BMW are also welcome.

Important Notice:
Please note that the images will be visible to all visitors throughout the exhibition. By providing us with your photos, you agree to their public display in accordance with the GDPR.
Send us your pictures at: bccm@bmwgroup-classic.com.

How You Can Help:
Please share this call with all club members and help us make this special exhibition a success!

Thank you for your support, and we look forward to your submissions!

Best regards,
Your BMW Club & Community Management Team

2024 Motorkhana Round 3 - 28/7/24

Alex Wong — Mon, 29 Jul 2024 00:26:14 GMT

Our 2024 Motorkhana Round 3 was held yesterday on the skidpan at Sydney Motorsport Park. The sun was out but so was the wind, keeping the volunteers busy with drifting cones and flying marquees but we got there in the end.

The event was fully sold out with 40 drivers entered with a good mixture of cars all round. The event started a little slow with competitors trickling in, no thanks to the million Fords taking part in the show and shine next door at the drag strip. Competition was tight with the top order changing every round. Thank you to all of the volunteers for assisting with running the event, those who stayed to the end to help pack up and to all of the competitors to making it another fantastic event. Special mention to Andrew Best's CV joint for sacrificing itself for the win. Worth it!

Overall

1st Andrew Best (Ford Focus RS)

2nd Alex Wong (E82 135i)

3rd Chris Benny (F87 M2)

BMWs

1st Alex Wong (E82 135i)

2nd Chris Benny (F87 M2)

3rd Adam Fish (F20 M140i)

Others

1st Andrew Best (Ford Focus RS)

2nd James Hughes (Mazda NB MX-5)

3rd John Driver (Toyota 86)

Shootout

1st James Hughes (Mazda NB MX-5)

2nd John Driver (Toyota 86)

3rd Paul Pettersen (Toyota Yaris GR)

SuperSprint costs

Ian McLachlan — Sun, 30 Jun 2024 05:45:40 GMT

Attendance at the Club's SuperSprint events has been down all year, while the cost of events has risen. We have heard from other clubs that run track days that attendance at their events has also been lower than previous. This has an impact on the ability of the Club to fund SuperSprints going forward.

Yesterday's event at Eastern Creek cost the Club $22,800 including track hire of around $18,000. Attendance by 48 drivers equated to income of only $12,270 meaning a potential loss of over $10,000 on this event. The ARDC (managers of the Eastern Creek venue) graciously provided a rebate on the track hire cost of around $5,400 to lessen the loss. Note: if we were able to have a full field of 60 drivers, we would need to charge $380 per entry to cover the costs.

The recent Member survey attempted to find out why attendance has been lower than usual, and to gage preferences for the number of events and event formats. These results will inform the planning for the SuperSprint calendar for next year and likely result in fewer BMW Club only events, with participation in multi-club events to supplement event numbers. Hopefully these changes will continue to provide valuable benefits to Members while eliminating financial losses on events next year.

Wild Apricot update

Ian McLachlan — Fri, 21 Jun 2024 00:26:46 GMT

I am pleased to provide the update that our external consultant has been reviewing the content and format of the Club's website, and also the Membership migration data. We are working closely with him to prioritise the work items and will keep you all updated on the progress.

2024 Motorkhana Round 2 - 11/5/2024

Alex Wong — Mon, 13 May 2024 02:49:49 GMT

On Saturday we held our 2024 Motorkhana Round 2 event at Sydney Motorsport Park. It was a wet one with rain on (mostly) and off throughout the day but this didn't dampen any of the fun. In fact the rain kept the skidpan probably more consistently wet than with the sprinklers and arguably kept the cars a bit cleaner too! The event was fully sold out with 38 out of 40 drivers turning up. There was a good mix of cars from from an E30 to a couple of brand new G87 M2s as well as a bunch of interesting non-BMWs including a Yaris GR, a turbo 86 and the Robinson's diff welded Ford Falcon. Thank you as always to the volunteers who helped out on the day (Bob Williams, Victor Yee, Matt, Dominique, Rod and Andrew)

Congratulations to the top drivers of the day!

Overall
1st Andrew Best (Ford Focus RS)
2nd James Hughes (Maxda NB MX-5)
3rd Alex Wong (Maxda NB MX-5)

BMWs
1st Phlip Middlebrook (E92 335i)
2nd Benjamin Benny (F87 M2)
3rd Rod Minetti (F20 M140i)

Others
1st Andrew Best (Ford Focus RS)
2nd James Hughes (Maxda NB MX-5)
3rd Alex Wong (Maxda NB MX-5)

Shootout
1st James Hughes (Maxnda NB MX-5)
2nd Philip Middlebrook (E92 335i)
3rd Paul Pettersen (Toyota Yaris GR)

Club Member App

Ian McLachlan — Mon, 08 Apr 2024 07:43:16 GMT

Have you downloaded the Wild Apricot app to your smartphone yet? See what events are coming, register for the events, check what you have registered for, see your Membership information, access your Membership card, and much more. Search Wild Apricot member app in your app store and use your website login details to set up access.

Wild Apricot update

Ian McLachlan — Mon, 08 Apr 2024 07:36:42 GMT

I am pleased to report that since the AGM, the Committee has been working to prioritise items for enhancement on the Club's website. We have engaged an external consultant to review the enhancements. A further update will be given once the external consultant provides feedback on our items, and any other enhancements that may be desirable to implement.

New activities in Motorsport

Bob Williams — Sat, 30 Mar 2024 01:00:00 GMT

New Fill-in online paperwork for Supersprints. Club Member Winston Loke has produced three Motorsport Forms that are to be filled-in online.

We have had online registration for years but it included forms that were pieces of paper. We have now progressed to online fill-in and submit forms. No more of that old download, print, fill in and bring those forms as pieces of paper with you to the sign-on desk at the track on the day. Instead of that now, once you have registered and paid on the familiar registration, come back to these three forms. This process is simple. You click on the link, it opens the form, you fill it in and click on Submit.

Risk, Disclaimer and Indemnity Form

Self-Scrutiny Statement of Vehicle Compliance

BMW Drivers Club - Scrutineering Form

The new Process: Your Disclaimer and Compliance go directly to the Sign-on desk with all your usual information that you supplied on your Registration as entries on the Event Spreadsheet. The Sign-on desk staff mark you present, issue your driver's wrist band and present you with your "Entered sticker". That sticker has your Car Number, Starting Grid, Stating Place and a box to be signed by the scrutineer.

Next is Scrutineering. The Scrutineer has your submitted scrutiny form on a giant spreadsheet. Don't take your car to Scrutineering unless it is ready as described in the Supp. Regs. or you will be simply waved away to come back later. If you and your car are ready then you, your car and your "Entered sticker" go to the scrutineer who checks your car, if your car passes, signs your sticker, then attaches your signed sticker to your car.

If you are to be involved in Familiarisation Laps or Appreciation Laps for Flag Marshals, then there is the Motorsport Australia Passenger Ride Form for driver and passenger to fill in and submit to Sign-on Desk.

We are looking at combining the normal Registration for a Motorsport Event with the Fill-in online forms built into the registration. All in one process rather than the four as it is now. Expect to see this development later in the year.

ALSO

Qualified Motorsport Australia Officials. We must have Motorsport Australia qualified officials. Please be involved. All the information on qualifications and training is on the Motorsport Australia website. https://motorsport.org.au/officials . Firstly, get your General Official qualification. It is an online short course.

Then look the https://motorsport.org.au/officials/structure for information on officials and https://motorsport.org.au/membership/officials/training

We need these officials and there are training modules for Bronze Circuit Official (available online), Bronze Event Administration (available online), Bronze Event Command (available online) Bronze Scrutineer and Steward.

The best way to get a Motorsport Australia Speed licence is to go to https://portal.motorsport.org.au/octozy/login "Sign up now", create your account, sign-in, click "My licence Applications" and purchase you licence on-line.

Motorsport Program, Supersprint Rules and Annex-C for 2024s are all on the Website in https://bmwclubnsw.asn.au/Motorsport. The call is for all competitors to complete their 2024 Annex-C now. We must have all the Supersprint cars in their correct 2024 Championship class. No Annex-C for your car then no entry to any Supersprint.

Motorsport Flag Marshal Group. We call for club members to form a group of Flag Marshals to look after providing Flag Marshal services for our Supersprints at Sydney Motorsport Park. It is very involving with transceivers, flags and MyLap controllers assisting with the safety of our Supersprints. If you can help, please contact Motorsport@bmwclubnsw.asn.au

Registration for Volunteers & Officials. For each Supersprint event we now have a separate entry for all the officials to register so we know who is going to be at the event to make it possible to run. All drivers who can, please register to assist with Sign-on Desk, Scrutineering, event management, and most importantly, Flag Marshals. Event Management includes Clerk of the Course, Steward, Chief Scrutineer, Race Control, Starting Grid Official and Driver training instructors for Driver Experience events. As we have included in the Supersprint Rules Point 6.4, we must have volunteer officials. Please register whenever you can to make running event possible.

2024 Motorkhana Round 1

Alex Wong — Mon, 18 Mar 2024 04:59:45 GMT

Our first motorkhana event for 2024 was held on Sunday at Sydney Motorsport Park. It started off a little rainy but the weather cleared up nicely. The event was fully sold out and there a few interesting cars that showed up including a couple of new G81 M3 Tourings and a V8 swapped Toyota 86.

Thank you all of the volunteers, Clerk of Course Bob Williams, and those on timing and cones, Max, Matt and Dominique.

Congratulations to the top drivers!

Overall

1st - James Hughes (NB MX-5)

2nd - Alex Wong (E82 135i)

3rd - Chris Benny (F87 M2)

BMWs

1st - Alex Wong (E82 135i)

2nd - Chris Benny (F87 M2)

3rd - Adam Laura (G81 M3 Touring)

Others

1st - James Hughes (NB MX-5)

2nd - Patrick Kong (Subaru BRZ)

3rd - John Driver (Toyota 86)

Shootout

1st - Alex Wong (E82 135i)

2nd - James Hughes (NB MX-5)

3rd - Kim Hughes (NB MX-5)

BMW Clubs Information from Munich

Bob Williams — Wed, 06 Mar 2024 20:39:16 GMT

BMW Clubs and Community Management in Munich are arranging Club Events for members usually at BMW Group Classic, in Munich.

Have you discovered their BMW CLUB HUB? Expect content from BMW clubs worldwide as well as exciting insights into events by and for BMW clubs. Don't forget to check out announcements for future events on the Club Hub. Visit the following link: https://www.facebook.com/bmwclubhub/

BMW Group
BMW Club Community Management
Web: http://www.bmwgroup.com

2024_Amici and Automobili_Wheels and Weisswuerscht_ENG.pdf

Cars & Coffee at ASV on 15 Oct

Bob Williams — Mon, 16 Oct 2023 03:15:46 GMT

Our thanks to our Club Supporter ASV who hosted a fabulous Cars & Coffee at their Euro Car Parts Establishment on Woodville Road Villawood.

Take a look at ASV's Video of the day

ASV has an amazing car dismantling business and giant warehouse of new and used car part. They opened their doors and invited us in for coffee and a guided tour.

There was more than 100 car turn up. Mostly BMWs from our club as well as visitors and a few others like Mercedes Benz, Ferrari, a Lamborghini and a couple of Drag stars.

Take a look at the article in Torque of the Town Issue 4 2023 Pages 32 - 35

Supersprint Results

Bob Williams — Sun, 24 Sep 2023 02:46:33 GMT

The Results of each round and the 2024 Points table are all published on the website in https://bmwclubnsw.asn.au/Results

The Points Table after all 8 rounds or our 2023 Supersprint Championship and the past rounds of that championship are published on the website in https://bmwclubnsw.asn.au/Results

Competitors are reminded of the requirement to submit their Annex-C form for their car only once each year or whenever the Car's modification status is changed. With your Annex-C form you receive points in the championship for each event you enter, towards winning one of those terrific trophies in the Supersprint Championship. The points for your best 6 rounds are calculated towards the 10 Championships Class and the Trophies will be awarded at the Annual Dinner in February.

Communication with BMW

Bob Williams — Thu, 14 Sep 2023 22:20:44 GMT

Hi all Club Members,

We have a communications protocol when we need to contact BMW Group Australia (BMW GA) or BMW World. Each official BMW club has a club delegate who represents our club at BMW Clubs Australia (BMW CA) and from there onto BMW GA or BMW Clubs and / or Communication Management (BCCM) at BMW Classic in Germany. delegate@bmwclubnsw.asn.au

Your club delegate will pass any communications onto BMW via BMW Clubs Australia. If it is a question for BMW GA then your question is passed to the appropriate member of the BMW CA executive. BMW CA Executive will contact the correct person at BMW CA or BCCM.

If you are going to be visiting BMW World in Munich and would like to visit BMW Welt, Classic, Museum or Plant in Munich or Dinglofing then please let your Club Delegate know and he will pass you arrangements to BMW CA International Delegate who is in contact with BCCM and can arrange visits for you. Club members are welcomed and receive preferential treatment at BMW Welt.

We have received an invitation for us to visit BMW Motorrad Welt in Berlin for a special event later in September.

Dear Club Member,

We are delighted to extend a warm invitation to the grand opening of the BMW Motorrad Welt in Berlin.
Immerse yourself in a world brimming with passion for motorcycles and experience firsthand the history and an exclusive selection of both vintage and current BMW Motorrad models.

Date & Time: September 30^th (10:00 AM to 9:00 PM) & October 1^st (10:00 AM to 7:00 PM)
Location: BMW Motorrad Welt, Am Juliusturm 32, 13599 Berlin

The opening celebration offers you a vibrant program of live music, culinary highlights, product experts, and plenty of entertainment.
For additional information and updates, please visit www.bmw-motorrad-welt.com.

Berlin is always worth a visit.

Warm regards,
Your BCCM Team

Our New Website

Bob Williams — Thu, 31 Aug 2023 23:39:11 GMT

As we build it, our website is continuing to develop with most of the club's information.

Refer to your club journal "Torque of the Town" Issue 4 2023 pages 10 and 11 for the article "Unlocked and Loaded". Understand the consistent evolution and smart device app. Use the QR codes.

Please load up the App on your mobile device. Go to the App Store. The app is called "Wild Apricot for Members". If you search Wild Apricot it should come up with 2 apps. One for Members and one for admin.

Members of the Club now have access to a “Member Portal” which is a “container” with member contact details for the Club’s relational database.
To have access to the Portal, go to https://bmwclubnsw.asn.au and Click on LOG IN.
You will know that you do not have a password, however, enter your email address, and click on Forgot Password.
The system shall prompt you for your email address again and in a matter of seconds you will receive a link in your email to enter password of your choice.
Once you have done this, you can log in and check your details and amend if necessary to ensure our database is correct and than you receive future editions of the quarterly Club Journal.