[bmtespar]

I had the pleasure of attending an event hosted by BMW to drive the new 330i m sport in an autocross setting. I was hoping they would have the M340i as well but no such luck. I'm happy to report the new 3 series handles a lot better than the f30 model it replaces however even as I was getting the car to rotate in some the turns, it just didn't feel as rewarding to drive as the 2 series. They definitely set up a tight turn track for such a big car to show off its agility. I placed second for my group of 18 and had fun tossing the new car around. They also had about 15 models to take on test drives on a pre-determined route. Lots of people were scrambling to drive the M240i as well as the new z4 which looked great in blue (I'm biased to the blue). I took the x7 for a test drive and although even if I could afford that price I wouldn't buy one, it was really nice with a marine inspired interior and multi contour seats with massage. It even handled a few aggressive turns really well for its gargantuan size.

If you get a chance, attend is possible. It's not too often you get keys to a new car, gas, brakes and tires provided all by the manufacturer for your torturous pleasure. Here are a few pics.

[harma24]

I attended the same event when they were in the Boston area last month. I agree, it was a blast! I took the Z4 out for a test drive and was not terribly impressed; I thought my M240 had better acceleration and corners just as well. But the new iDrive is pretty nice!