Day ii began much the way day 1 ended: with a proper spanking over gloriously twisty mountain roads in the Austrian Alps.  Similar 2 baby sharks devouring a tasty scrap of asphalt, both BMW 1Ms impressed with their grip, power and brakes.  Lest we forget: on occasion, every babe needs a spanking.

Heading North Due west back to Munich, nosotros enjoyed another boom on the Autobahn before arriving at the next destination on our itinerary, BMW Thou headquarters.  Non a bad day so far, and it'southward non even dejeuner fourth dimension.

bmwblog 1m day2 31 655x434

Inside the BMW G studio, we saw an array of significant One thousand cars through the ages.  At our request, we were immune to dorsum one of our 1Ms into the studio to facilitate photos taken abreast the M1.  Information technology shares nothing more than than a number and a letter, merely seeing the starting time M car beside the latest M car was a very special sight to behold.  After photographing the E30 M3 Sport Evo (sporting only 11,000 original km!), E46 M3 CSL, slightly camouphlaged M5 and a few other models, nosotros moved on to speak with a group of M engineers about the new 1M and M5 design details.  Stay tuned for video coverage of both interviews in due time.  We wrapped upwardly our time at BMW Thou with dejeuner in their cafeteria, sitting alongside the engineers and designers who have fabricated every Chiliad car we've driven become a reality.  Needless to say, we passed on our very special thank you for their contribution to the automotive world.

bmwblog 1m day2 33 655x434

Afterwards tiffin our friend Justin and his Alpine White 1M departed for another destination, the BMW Museum every bit I remember.  We volition reunite after at the Nurburgring, but until then we're driving solo.

As it turned out, traffic atmospheric condition conspired against u.s., and upon returning to Munich proper, valuable time slipped away.  Such is the nature of road trips, they are unpredictable and evolve with fourth dimension – but they are always rewarding.  I notwithstanding tin can't get our morning romp through the mountains out of my mind.  I suspect such a sublime time backside the wheel will stick with me long beyond this road trip.  Did I mention I'm deeply impressed by the new 1M?

A moment of comic relief came while refueling our 1M.  While Horatiu was pumping the petrol, I pointed out a small sign on the handle that said, "Dieser" which looks an awful lot like 'Diesel' if chop-chop glancing.  Subsequently a few superlatives matched his wide open eyes, I conceded the joke and reassured him it was in fact 95 octane – the good stuff.  Thankfully, there was no need to remove our spark plugs…

Night fourth dimension is upon us and we've just arrived at our hotel in Karlsruhe, Germany, a metropolis not far from the Nurburgring – about a two and a half hour drive.  Tomorrow we will caput to the Nurburgring for Grand Festival where we will exist bringing you life coverage via Twitter, Facebook, and at bmwblog.com.  Stayed tuned!

While walking the M headquarters nosotros came across a few spicy development cars, still in varying stages of camouflage disguise.  Ane which caught my heart (though not my photographic camera'due south eye, as photos were not permitted) was a lightly camouflaged M6.  Merely sitting in the parking lot it looked menacing and muscular, we tin't wait to see it naked.  On 2nd thought, we tin't look to drive information technology!  During our travels in Munich and effectually BMW's headquarters, nosotros've as well seen an assortment of camouflaged BMW development cars; the highlight existence the new 3 Series, a very important car for BMW.

Special thanks to Manny Antunes at JMK BMW for setting u.s.a. up with the 1M.