How many times have you been on a nice stretch of highway or toll road with no traffic, driving a wonderfully capable automobile at the posted limit and wanted to travel at Autobahn speed? Some of us can barely count the times, and it’s more than unfair when nearly every automaker offers everything from sports cars to sedans that can travel 150 mph in relative safety with a skilled driver.
So when I received an invitation from BMW to travel to Paris for the Auto Show, then zip up to Dresden, Germany to test the new 7-Series before flying to Munich for Oktoberfest, after which I would take delivery of the new 3-Series diesel and drive it to Meran, Italy before heading home, I signed right up. After all, my mother didn’t raise a fool.
The logical way to fly to Paris is non-stop from LAX via Air France or your Gulfstream 550. I’m afraid my Gulfstream was getting detailed, so commercial travel got the vote. BMW suggested Lufthansa through Munich or Frankfurt, and it’s a fine airline with professional, punctual people. But I’ve done that trip and I reasoned that as long as I didn’t go direct to Paris, why not have some fun? For the same cost as a business class ticket on Lufthansa and most other large carriers, I acquired an upper class seat on Virgin Atlantic to London. Then the plan was to train to Paris under the Channel on Eurostar, a journey that sounded like a lot more fun than airline connections.
My voyage began at Virgin Atlantic’s departure lounge at LAX, which they share with Air New Zealand. The lounge is lovely and the staff genuinely friendly, a phenomenon that I would discover throughout my experience in their hands. My mother worked for Pan Am back when there was romance and glamour attached to commercial air travel and I can recall my early days of frequent flying when both passengers and crew enjoyed the trip. That’s the kind of camaraderie I found during my entire Virgin Atlantic experience.
The Eurostar from London to Paris is a fast, fun voyage that connects passengers from city center to city center in a way no airline can. Quite often there are special fares that make the trip even more affordable than discount airfare and the experience is great fun with smooth, fast travel. If you have the chance to upgrade at a reasonable cost, Eurostar’s Leisure Select includes a festive glass of Champagne before lunch or dinner and spacious, comfortable seating. Feel like splurging a bit? Business Premier adds dedicated check in, a lovely lounge, and pampering in your own carriage.
The Paris Auto Show was not as flamboyant as in previous years, with energy prices up and global car sales then beginning their slide. The European Union had scolded its automakers about fuel economy and not meeting the Kyoto Accord on greenhouse gas emissions, even though their cars seem pretty fuel efficient to people on this side of the Atlantic. So there were lots of green offerings, from vehicles the size of a motorcycle with covering to intriguing extended-range electric vehicles. My two show favorites were Alfa Romeo’s MiTo, a subcompact that looked like as much fun as a Mini, and Peugeot’s RC concept — an electric that looked like it could cook the road.
My stopover in Paris was just two nights and I stayed at Marriott’s Rive Gauche, a large comfortable hotel for business travel. When I have more time in this marvelous city, I’ll rent a nice apartment near the Champs-Elysées for a week. It’s both more cost effective and fun. Of course the food in Paris is wonderful and I found the fare at Petit Pergolese the first evening followed by dinner at La Coupole after the show’s second long day quite satisfying.
By now the body clock was properly reset, and it was time for some serious roadwork. I headed to Dresden where BMW’s all-new 7-Series awaited my thorough testing. In Europe, BMW’s flagship is available with a powerful yet frugal six-cylinder diesel in a 730d offering. Although there were not yet plans to make a North American version, I had the opportunity to drive the 730d along with the 750i, the twin-turbocharged V8 version that is available here. Both big luxury sedans devoured the Autobahn with little effort and it’s safe to say that most Americans would be more than satisfied with BMW’s clean diesel power.
On the portions of Germany’s Autobahn that have no speed limit, the careful observer will notice that not only is the road smooth, the gentle curves have just enough camber to keep control at high speed and there’s wind baffling where needed, especially on overpass and canyon areas. If you’re traveling at over 100 mph, a sudden crosswind turns a nuisance into possible trauma. When I pushed the big 7 to its potential, about 155 mph (250 kph), the car was rock solid and amazingly quiet at speed. The big brakes were more than adequate to bring things back down to normal after my speed spurt. It also helps to have new high performance tires at the correct inflation for speed before that kind of test, so that’s something to remember if you want to push that rental car deep into its limits.
Aside from its prodigious power, the new 750i has improved in every category. The quirky style of the original 745i has now matured into an elegant luxury sedan with nice proportions. And inside, the electronics are friendlier to operate and a new high-definition screen displays information in sharp detail.
After the Autobahn workout, I had a chance to get around Dresden, a city that endured the Allied campaign during WWII followed by communist rule. Today, the city has been rebuilt and revitalized without losing its historical persona. The Kempinski Taschenbergpalais is a great place to stay in the heart of Dresden. This 300-year-old palace was built by August the Strong for his favorite mistress in 1705 and has been lovingly restored. It’s a wonderful blend of stately design with large, modern rooms and elegant service.
The weather in mid-October was perfect for walking around Dresden to admire the baroque architecture, but it was time to head to Munich for the last few days of Oktoberfest and drive BMW’s new 3-Series diesel. If you haven’t experienced Germany’s celebration in October, it’s quite an experience in over-indulgence. In a few weeks before the event, an entire village on the scale of Disney World is erected in Munich and thousands of visitors, along with locals, descend on the area for the sole purpose of reveling in food and lots of great beer. One high-spirited evening in the Lowenbrau Hall was enough for me.
The next morning, BMW provided a unique delivery experience at its Welt, a marvelous new glass and steel structure constructed across the street from BMW’s contemporary twin-tower head office and new museum. This remarkable venue is the perfect place to experience European delivery, where BMW customers can immerse themselves in the history of the company while coddled by their own concierge from the time they arrive until their car is presented on a turntable, ready to drive out of the building. The Welt has become a destination for 2.2 million visitors in its first year of operation and 16,000 customers have picked up their new BMWs at this one-of-a-kind venue.
My 330d, a clean, twin-turbocharged diesel model that is available stateside, was ready for a quick trip south through Austria to Meran, Italy in the Alps. That’s the benefit of Munich’s location. You can tour a historic big city, then escape to the nearby marvelous mountains where the breathtaking landscape is discovered on fun-to-drive roads. Meran is a destination for German visitors and the little city is an interesting blend of Italian and German culture. In fact, my evening and next morning at the Hotel Steigenberger was quite Germanic, including dinner at its Wolkenstein restaurant. BMW has teamed with Airtours to provide every visitor their own unique experience and the adventuresome can always make their own arrangements.
The 330d is a marvelous new addition to the 3-Series lineup, offering all the performance of its gas-powered cousins with great fuel economy. The athletic Bimmer made quick work of the mountain roads and on short stretches of the German Autobahn, traveled easily at 136 mph (220 kph) with room for more. During one of those speed spurts on the drive back to Munich, I moved to the right lane to allow a CL600 AMG coupe, modified by Barabus, to pass at what was near 200 mph. It sounded like a low flying aircraft at that speed. But I’m sure he didn’t try that stunt in nearby Austria, where he might be fitted for an unfashionable jumpsuit.
Finally, I took a short Lufthansa flight from Munich to London where I had a little over an hour to relax in Virgin’s flagship lounge. I was served a perfect cappuccino while I glanced at a breakfast menu that boasted brunch fare seldom encountered in airline clubs. But when’s the last time you found a barber, manicure, or massage in the typical club? And when I asked the server if it was possible to get a bowl of oatmeal, he said he would ask the chef to prepare it, even though there was no such listing on the menu. Now that’s what I call first class. BRIAN DOUGLAS
