My heart skipped a beat as I awoke from my slumber and stared out the plane window. I was descending over the dreamy, vast snow-capped Southern Alps of Queenstown, New Zealand, where I would be driving some of the meanest BMW machines in a dance of fire on snow and ice.
On the Southern Hemisphere Proving Grounds (SHPG), an award-winning automotive winter testing facility located in the mountains of the South Island of New Zealand hidden high on the Pisa Range between Queenstown and Wanaka, we would learn to appreciate the stability and control that BMW xDrive vehicles deliver.
On the other hand, the available BMW M cars mean we would be going sideways in high-performance rear-wheel drives on studded tyres, gripping the track and kicking up a rooster tail of snow.
Normally, this is where I would begin telling you how I managed to execute a drift in a BMW M4 after 98 attempts, or how I manhandled a BMW X5 through a slalom course, taking out several safety cones in the process.
These Eurocopter AS350 helicopters, which fly participants to the SHPG, are a staple of the BMW Alpine xDrive Experience
There was a sick feeling of disappointment coursing through my veins as I sipped on my cappuccino, awaiting news from BMW on what we'd be doing. From my seat at the breakfast table, I had a good view of the icy peaks, where I should've been freezing my ears off, but I comforted myself with the fact that there are worse ways to spend the day.
In order to pacify the many customers who had paid good money to attend the Alpine xDrive Experience, BMW staff scrambled to put together Plan B which, after two hours of conceptualising, was announced. It was going to be a helicopter tour over the Southern Alps and a post-lunch scenic drive that was guaranteed to put a smile on our faces.
A bird's-eye view of epic proportions
I found myself waiting in a huge grass field and in the distance was the distinct sound of mechanised blades breaking the wintry air. Five Eurocopter AS350 helicopters appeared from the skies, ready to show us the most spectacular alpine scenery in the South Island.
But once we flew over an impossibly beautiful cocaine-white sea of mountain tops, I felt a sense of peace and calm not even a bottle of Xanax and a bottle of whiskey could offer. It was the most amazing natural beauty I had ever witnessed in my life.
To sweeten the experience, our pilots made a pit stop at Lake Lochnagar, a natural dam that was formed by a whole mountain top that slid into the valley probably around 900 years ago, where we enjoyed glasses of champagne by its pristine clear blue lake.
Gentlemen, start your engines
The helicopter ride ended in Kinloch, just 26km from Glenorchy, a perfect place to go on one of New Zealand's great walks.
A lineup of BMW models greeted us as we landed by the shore, comprising of the BMW X5 xDrive 30d, the BMW X5 M, the BMW X6 M50d, the BMW 5 Series 530d xDrive Touring, the BMW 7 Series M760Li xDrive and the BMW M6 Coupe. These were just some of the models available at the BMW Alpine xDrive Experience. It was a well thought out lineup, as there was something for everyone and every part of the journey.
The BMW X5 and X6 models, for example, were perfect for forging ahead on gravel roads, ensuring both grip and unmatched comfort. Whichever powertrain variant of the X5 we drove, from the xDrive 30d to the X5 M, there was always enough power and torque to muscle on.
Just as powerful is the exceptional-looking BMW 5 Series 530d xDrive Touring. With its long and wide load base, the estate is the perfect family car for long-distance driving. Synonymous to any BMW 5 Series model, the BMW 5 Series 530d xDrive Touring is a very refined, great-to-drive and high-tech work of art.
We've tested a BMW 5 Series 520d on a drive up to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and it's rarely strained and superbly quiet for a four-banger diesel. The more powerful 3.0-litre, six-cylinder BMW 5 Series 530d xDrive Touring, which takes just 5.6 seconds from start to 100km/h, is tremendously better. It's a versatile all-rounder that offers plenty of space for all manner of activities, and a guarantee of driving pleasure that raises leisure and business to a new level. It's a pity we won't get this in Singapore.
For a car as big and substantial as the BMW M6, you'd think it's heavy and somewhat cumbersome around an apex, but it's anything but. BMW's engineers have applied a sophisticated active M differential system, which allows the M6 to accelerate out of corners with ease.
Get on the right pedal out of corners in the right gear and the M6 will respond fantastically without fail. But a lack of respect and pushing it too hard will earn you a hell of a fright as the tail gets loose, as I did briefly over some wet roads. Thankfully, while my heartbeat hit the rev limiter, I didn't need a change of underwear.
Admittedly, while missing the actual BMW Alpine xDrive Experience was an immense bummer, especially after watching videos of what goes down online, we had an adrenaline-pumping good time nonetheless. After all, with roads, sceneries and weather as beautiful as the ones Queenstown provides, how bad can it be when you're behind the wheel of some of the world's best cars?
