And finally, it was now time to get into our cars.
BMW techs had devised a simple round robin scheme, such that everyone gets to try each of the cars.
So there were two people in each car, and there were total of four cars. At the end of every odd lap, the left and right would change places, and then at every even lap you would go to the car in front.
I decided to take the very first lap.
The X3 was parked in the end of the convoy, so I could easily get it, my co-pilot was okay with me taking the plunge first.
Now the X3, is usually called the Baby X5, but this baby is seriously overgrown. Unless you look carefully, the differences between the X5 and X3 are actually pretty subtle. The X3 is not significantly smaller either.
At the other end of the spectrum sits the X6, which... looks different. You cannot confuse it with either X3, or X6, or anything else. Infact, its so different, that even if one came to you in pitch dark with lights off, you would know its an X6.
Coming back to our "lap", the first thing I noticed was that the tires were highway spec on all the SUVs. Sure, the challenges also looked pretty tame, and there was no "real slush" section either, so it should be okay.
So it was time to forget the exterior and get into the X3 for now.
After pressing a million buttons, I was able to get a very comfortable driving position.
The controls are spot on, the auto shifter is sharp and slick, and the best thing of all, it had the latest Xdrive package. So you get a HOLD button, a hill descent control and hill ascent control as well.
Hold means if you press the brakes on incline, and then release them, the car will not roll. The wheels will be held in position.
Hill descent and ascent assist are the regular stuff. Having hold means you do not really need hill ascent assist, but this had both, and I am not sure what it accomplished.
Hill descent control means, you do not have to lock transmission in first gear manually.
And I am sure it works on the brakes too.
As soon as the radio blared instructions, it was time to move. We were asked to take it slowly, and surprisingly everybody took it slowly. And it made sense too. Only if you do it real slow, you feel the wheels lifting one by one.
Ditto for the rollers.
Coming to the track, it was a simple affair, with various sections designed to showcase the offroad prowess of the Xdrive system.
The list of challenges
1. Wheel slip
Two sets of rollers. You align your car in a way that the right two wheels have no traction. The system will transfer power to left wheels. Something like on demand diff locks.
2. Mogul course - Basically an articulation challenge
3. Dry river bed - Stony surface
4. Hill - Steep hill to demonstrate HOLD, Ascent and descent
5. Water bed - Driving in 2 inches of water? OR was it 4 inches. Frankly speaking went over my head
6. Side slop - 30 degree side slope to show the low CG
7. Rumblers - Two speed breakers to demonstrate what you get on our state highways(only slightly lower I think)
8. Vertical limit - A small hill, I could not figure out what
9. Sand bed - A bed of hard sand, which was supposed to be soft sand, but became hard, and then was totally useless from Xdrive purpose
10. Not on the map, but another articulation challenge.
The first lap, was nice. Nice in a way that you feel that the car can actually do a lot lot more. For example the two rollers. Why not put and entire line of them?
And the dry river bed. Why not put some real rocks here and there.
The hill looked okay, it was steep, but not heart in your mouth kind of steep. The articulation challenges were nice, but softer sand would have made things interesting.
So all in all, a decent setup, but not really pushing the machine to its limits.
Anyways, driving the beemer was a hoot. Torque literally on demand, with no turbo lag, and effortless steering and speed control.
And the way the machines did everything was a delight. In a regular 4WD you think a lot. Low ratio, high ratio? 1st gear high or 3rd low, diffs locked or open, front locked or rear locked.... blah blah
However, in the X3, I just had the hold and hill ascent/descent activated. Thats it. When she lifted her wheels, I did not have to sweat about which wheel lost traction. At the Mogul section, I let go of the accelerator, pressed brake and then released it. The hold function working, she is hanging with FRH wheel in the air. Then I shake myself in the seat, and the FRH wheel comes down and the rear left goes up.
Give the throttle, and you go forward.
A total hoot.
I am very sure, offroad purists are now staring at the screens with anger and disgust. Something like a machine should not have such decision making power.
But trust me, give a set of proper A/T tires, and a moderately experienced driver, this machine can truly go places. What it lacks in terms of articulation(which is actually nill), it makes up for with its Xdrive system.
Unfortunately, its not a high speed track, so I cannot really comment how this system will behave on a high speed twisty dirt track(think RAID-D-Himalaya), but as far as off roading is concerned, its pretty much on the spot.
After the lap is over, I decide not to jump out immediately, but sit as a co driver and experience it all from a passenger standpoint.
This means I can actually take some in car pics.
The three legged dance of another BMW, shot from the side window
At the top of the hill in the ascent/descent challenge.
The "30 degree" incline. According to BMW, you can actually go at 40 degree climb, but this course is more like a kindergarten course.
At the completion of the lap, its time for the X6. Now X6, is a truly different animal. You either love it or hate it. That said, with its ultra wide low profile tires, and the low set stance, it was really looking out of place among its SUVish siblings.
And the way it drove was also quite different. Suspension was "Hard", and unlike the X3, it just sort of "slammed" into the ditches, rather than enter them with tender love and care.
And it just had a "hold" button. No Hill descent control, or ascent control. Now if those settings were hidden in the menus, I am not sure, but we managed quite well with the hold button.
After one lap, and a sore back, I decided to walk the the co-pilot lap, and take pictures from outside!
More on that later. I have quite a few videos, and pictures, showing the machines in action, but let me cover the last machine.
The big daddy X5. Now BMW says its not a SUV. What is it? Minivan? MUV. No not that either before you faint in horror. Its actually a SAV, or sports activity vehicle. IT has a hold button, with no obvious hill descent or hill ascent button.
And as I drove it I decided to test something. I put the tranny in 1st gear, rather than automatic "D".
And guess what, I go the exact same experience. This means, the Xdrive system knows which gear to engage, and when to engage.
But whats an event without some excitement. And as I was driving the X5, panic mayday calls came over the radio. Our X3, the one we had driven before, had started giving warnings of failures. Xdrive failure, transmission failure, TCS failure, and maybe even the cup holders failed.
Our "handlers" were quite unfazed. Just switch it off and on. And that was it.
Everything back to normal.
So I guess, BMW may have some gremlins under the hood which require sorting, esp with the new X3 system.
And so ended our drive. And now its time for the action pics.
I ate a lot of dust trying to get these, but it was as much fun shooting, as it was fun driving!