After spending an eventful Family Day Weekend at the Toronto AutoShow we can now happily report back on all of its surprises and highlights. First things first, BMW has done a marvelous job building a pavilion that not only does the exciting BMWs on hand justice, but also engages all of the visitors through car visualizers, informative touch pads, and numerous helpful booth professionals.

The first thing anyone notices when approaching the BMW pavilion is without a doubt the Vision EfficientDynamics Concept, which stands front and center welcoming curious guests onto the BMW platform. The concept is flanked by two striking all-new 3 Series that have already endured thousands of curious interior test pilots. While MINI and mostly BMW X Series occupy the left hand side of the pavilion, it is the M section that receives the bulk of the “aaah” and “ooohhh’s.” And we don’t blame you if you’d get a little bit giddy at the sight of the all-new F10 M5 with its mystical Frozen Grey exterior. Not only is it the 5th iteration of arguably BMW’s most iconic car, but it is also the very first time it has touched a tire on Canadian soil. Parked to the side of the M5 are an Alpine White M3 Convertible and a Melbourne Red X6 M, which together with the M5 remain locked at all times. That is until you spot one of the Endras BMW Client Advisors who won’t for one second hesitate to grab the keys and let you in on one of the world’s most magical places – an M car’s driver seat.

As a testament to the show’s irresistible spectacle we’ll soon head out once again, and this time we’ll be equipped with a proper video camera to bring home some of the magic to our loyal readers!

See you at the AutoShow!

To make sure no one misses out on the annual AutoShow, we’ve spent the past week running mini competitions on our Facebook and Twitter accounts. The competitions have enjoyed tremendous attention and we will continue to run them until the end of next week. The way the competitions work is one trivia question per day with one or two daily winners receiving a set of AutoShow tickets.

Here’s a run down of the questions we’ve asked and the people who’ve won.

Monday
Trivia: The first person to remember this 1M’s nickname wins two tickets to the Toronto AutoShow.
Tip: We’ve previously mentioned its nickname on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and our blog (http://www.endrasbmw.com/blog).
Winner: Alex Scott who wrote “Darth Vader!”

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Tuesday
Mission: Name your fantasy 3 car garage and whichever answer receives the most likes by 5:00PM ET wins two tickets to the Toronto AutoShow!
Winner: Rishi G who wrote “Ferrari 250 GTO, Ford GT40, E46 BMW M3 CSL” and collected 46 likes.

Wednesday
Trivia: The first person to guess this limited edition MINI’s complete name correctly wins two tickets to the Toronto AutoShow!
Winner: Axel Griesinger who wrote “The thing I got in my garage as Nr. 37: MINI JCW World Championship 50. Presented at MINI United 2009.”

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Thursday
Trivia: The first person to correctly guess this BMW’s official name wins two tickets to the Toronto AutoShow.
Tip: Think European and think racing.
Winner: Artūras Kundelis who wrote “Brabham Racing BT92.”

Friday
Trivia: Guess the Vehicle Price (Taxes Extra) of our showroom 2011 BMW M3 Coupe. The closest two guesses each win 2 tickets to The Official Canadian International AutoShow!
Tip: It’s fully optioned and it’s got the M Double Clutch Transmission.
Winners: Avery Levitt ($90,500) and Vince Teo ($90,100) who were closest to the actual before tax sales price of $90,195.

We’ve thoroughly enjoyed hosting the mini competitions this week and we look forward to another exciting week full of trivia and giveaways! But for now, we’re heading to the AutoShow and we hope to see you there!

To participate in next week’s competitions all you have to do is LIKE us on Facebook & Follow us on Twitter.

Modestly described as ‘hard to handle,’ it was Bernard Beguin who wrestled the godly sounding beast around Europe’s dirt clad hairpins. The footage below shows the 430 bhp M1 terrorizing the island of Corsica. The Tour de Corse, as it was called, was in many ways a continuation of the old road races such as the Mille Miglia and Targa Floria. Nicknamed ‘The Rally of 1000 Corners,’ spectators would often shovel gravel onto the road to cause an even greater spectacle.

Group B rallying happened in a four-year span when the world briefly went mad. In 1982 all manufacturers were in a race to build the most powerful rally cars in the hopes of catching up to the dominant Quattros. The results were twitchy turbo charged rally cars with virtual suicidal drivers sprinting through rally stages at time travel speeds. In eerie similarity to the killer 50’s when F1 racing was discontinued for a number of years, the unrestricted Group B class was banned in 1986 due to too many fatalities. In its darkest days the sport was said to cause more deaths than finishers. Today, let’s enjoy the footage for what it was and silently pay our respects to the drivers and spectators who paid the ultimate price in the name of motorsport.

More jaw-dropping rally footage: here, here, and here.

Hence the title of this blog post, ‘World’s Longest Competition.’ With no obvious finish line, the race to the highest mileage has been going on for decades with one man way ahead of the pack.

The undeniable leader of the endless race is Irv Gordon and his red 1966 Volvo P1800. He purchased the Volvo from a neighbourhood dealership in June 1966 for $4,150 and immediately fell in love with it, driving 1500 miles in the first 48 hours of ownership. A gorgeous automobile that the 71-year-old man from East Patchogue, N.Y. has taken all over the continent covering a mind boggling 2.9 million miles! On doctor’s orders he’s had to slow down the pace to 80,000 miles a year, which means by next year he’ll have broken the monumental barrier of 3 million miles in a non-commercial vehicle.

While no other car has come close, we’ve configured a list of the BMWs attempting to overtake Irv Gordon and his red Volvo. From highest mileage to lowest, here’s our list of the most resilient active BMWs in the world.

1. The Mobil One E30 with a tad over 1,000,000 miles. This stock 1990 325is was used by Exxon Mobil who put the BMW on a rolling road and gave it all of the scheduled oil changes and services as they accumulated the kilometres. The story goes that after 250,000 miles the 325is showed so little engine wear that they decided to double the mileage to 500,000 and eventually 1,000,000. Today, the BMW still drives like a peach, after having driven the equivalent of twice to the moon and back, or 40 times around the world.

2. The abandoned dealership owner’s 535iM with 735,503 kilometres on the odometer. I personally stumbled upon this gem this summer, which is rumoured to have been the personal car to the owner of the abandoned dealership in question. The rare 535iM was the M5 of its day and still stands as a fantastic driving machine. Therefore putting 735,503 kilometres on the dial would have been a absolute joy! Using his fast saloon BMW the way it was intended to puts the rather private owner of the mysterious dealership into our good books! [Mysterious Oakville dealership Information]

3. The yellow E12 BMW with 425,000 miles. Little is known about this classic 1977 BMW 530i aside from the fact that it still drives and looks flawless. It’s a proper stick shift with all the correct parts aside from the later generation 5 Series seats. Even the tool set on the inside of the trunk lid is still complete! Needless to say we’d love to have a go in this lovely E12 530i.

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4. The Belgian collector’s 316i with over 630,000 kilometres on the dial. He’s owned, and still owns, every generation of 3 Series and he’s just bought himself a 2012 F30 328i 320d.* When asked which one of his BMWs laid closest to his heart he said “the original, because it has been everywhere, it’s incredible to drive, and it has always brought me home.” This very 316i will be put on display at the BMW Experience Centre in Belgium alongside the new F30 3 Series during its launch. [Video of the arrival]

Undoubtedly we’ll have many of you come forth and tell us we’ve missed dozens of worthy competitors. If that’s the case, we’ll be happy to add them to the list. But for now, go out an tack some miles on that Bimmer of yours!

* Thanks to Joachim Sas, BMW Group Belgium Luxembourg for straightening out some details!

We figured this week was as good a time as ever to profile Jason Kwan as he’s just become a Client Advisor for both the BMW and MINI new car divisions. Jason first started out with a career in MINI and before long was awarded the elite status of MINI Ace, as one of Canada’s top MINI Client Advisors in 2010. Soon after, he joined us at Endras BMW and was granted the opportunity to develop his repertoire further with BMW products in addition to MINI. Taking on both will make a very exciting 2012 for him as he enjoys facing challenges head on.

His current vehicle of choice is a Le Mans Blue with a hint of black. We’re talking about a stunning 2011 BMW 135i M Sport pictured off to the side. Instead of opting for an uninspiring set of steel wheels as winter tires, Jason has opted for a custom 18” matte black sport originally taken from a 335d. Take it from us that it looks absolutely beautiful in the flesh. As far as modifications go, Jason loves the bellow of an exhaust and thus has disabled the Active Exhaust leaving the 135i’s 300 horses bellowing at maximum capacity at all times. However, Jason will soon be going the full mile as a full BMW performance exhaust install lurks on the horizon.

When asked about his favourite memories in the little blue coupe he told us about roaring up and down some of Ontario’s country roads near his family home in London, Ontario. He doesn’t make it out to the track often, but visiting friends and family in the countryside are great when they have extra long driveways. Thanks to the Dual Clutch Transmission equipped in his 135i, he can fully enjoy launch control on private property. But here in the city, cruising from Yonge Street via Rosedale Valley all the way to the Don Valley Parkway is one of his favourite local spots. “It’s beautiful there at any time of the year. Especially in the fall when the leaves are changing colours and starting to pile up at the side of the road, gentle curves through a hilly neighbourhood that lead to a dip under an overpass, only to put the power down on Bayview Ave, and thrust yourself into very tight multiple turns and ramps that lead onto Don Valley Parkway North…”

When Jason finds a sliver of time between selling BMWs and MINI’s, he spends his time trying to come up with solutions to everyday’s most common problems. You see, Jason has had an inconsolable urge to invent a lasting product that can one day change the world. What drives Jason to success is the enjoyment he receives from “being a part of the most dynamic company in the automotive industry in addition to selling products designed to be the best machine it can be as opposed to merely functional.” Looking ahead, Jason says he’ll continue to enjoy “working with customers to successfully find their perfect vehicle not just for now, but in their future as well.” Don’t worry Jason, as a result of your hard work, you may just be living your dream: changing the world, one customer at a time. We wish Jason the best of luck and another successful year of sales!

What you need to know:

• The new 2012 BMW M6 Convertible will be the first to arrive in BMW Center showrooms in June 2012. The BMW M6 Coupe will arrive at BMW Centers in the late Summer of 2012 as a 2013 model.
• The M6 will be powered by the same powerplant that’s seen in the M5 Sedan, a 4.4L twin-turbo V8 with 560-hp and 500 lb-ft of torque. The engine is coupled to a high-torque, seven-speed M-Double Clutch Transmission.
• The new engine produces around 10% higher output than the V10 engine of its predecessors and torque is up by over 30%. At the same time, fuel consumption and CO2 are expected to be reduced by approximately 30%.
• Coupe: 0-100km in 4.2 seconds (F10 M5 takes 4.4 seconds); 0-200km in 12.6 seconds. Convertible: 0-100km in 4.3 seconds; 0-200km in 13.1 seconds. Top speed: 250kmh.
• M-Drivers-Package increases top speed from 250km/h to 305km/h.
• Coupe average fuel consumption: 9.9 liters/100 km. Convertible average fuel consumption: 10.3 liters/100km.
• CFRP roof (carbon fiber reinforced plastic) for M6 coupe
• Optional M carbon-ceramic brakes reduce weight by 19.4 kg (42.8 lb) and increase fade resistance – calipers gold-colored.

If you’d like to place an order or inquire about the 2013 BMW M6 please call (905) 619-5522 or send an email to info@endrasbmw.com to be put in touch with a sales advisor.

Yesterday, the winning design of BMW’s Olympic Pavilion was announced. From the six architecture firms that submitted proposals, the British firm ‘Serie Architects’ was selected based on their cutting-edge design, focus on sustainability, and UK based nature.** The pavilion will be situated between the Olympic Stadium and the Aquatics Centre. Most notable will be the water curtain that helps cool the building in the utmost sustainable way. On top will be a number of individual displays showcasing the latest in BMW technology while the lower floor will house interactive visitor exhibits. Over 8,000 visitors are expected to visit the BMW pavilion each day during the Games.

BMW is also proud to provide individual support to numerous UK based athletes through the BMW London 2012 Performance Team programme.

*BMW won the bid to become the Official Automotive Partner of the London 2012 Games in part because BMW Group has been ranked the world’s most sustainable automobile company in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index for the past 7 consecutive years.

**Serie Architects is winner of the BD Young Architect of the Year Award for 2010. With offices in London, Mumbai and Beijing, Serie Architects provides full architecture and urban design services for the private and public sectors.

In our favourite clip a man narrowly avoids disaster thanks to an email read to him by his all-new BMW 3 Series.

The driver seat’s memory function is shown by use of a rather odd couple sharing the all-new BMW 3 Series.

Created especially for all Ontario residents, a heated steering wheel saves the day when a group of freezing friends hop into an all-new 3 Series.

One of the more playful clips highlights the side view cameras on the all-new 3 Series that keep an animated youngster in view for his own safety and his family’s amusement.

Keyless entry saves the day when an overloaded dad with precious cargo can open the doors of his all-new BMW 3 Series.

A little known feature to most, BMW’s hands-free trunk opening on the all-new BMW 3 Series makes for a fun clip.

If you’d like to place an order or inquire about the all-new 3 Series please call (905) 619-5522 or send an email to info@endrasbmw.com to be put in touch with a sales advisor.

Living in nearby Markham with his lovely wife and two kids, Steve spends his downtime shuttling his kids to soccer and hockey practices. Once an avid hockey player himself, a recent severely broken leg unfortunately had Steve throwing in the proverbial towel. When he’s not acting as a chauffeur to his kids, Steve spends his free time watching his favourite sport – Formula 1. Ask him about Senna’s legendary qualifying laps in the rain or youngster Sebastian Vettel’s current dominance and he’ll happily indulge you with a passionately technical rant on anything F1. As a testament to his passion for the sport he admits to having shed a few tears of sadness during the famous 1991 incident at Imola. Of course we’re talking about the passing of the Brazilian, great Ayrton Senna.

Ask Steve to pick the daily driver of his dreams and he’ll give you one letter and one number. For those of you who guessed M5, Z8, X6 or 1M, good guess, but we’re talking about the M3. The E92 M3 Coupe with a proper manual gearbox to be more exact. Even though Steve contradicts himself as being both a lover of ‘the latest and greatest’ and ‘raw simplicity,’ he finds both in the M3. Steve finds many similarities between the current M3 and the race bred E30 M3 of the late 1980’s, a car which introduced him to the brand way back in high school when his friend took him for a hormone-fuelled blast across town.

Talking about racing, Steve remembers the days when hundreds of import cars would line up at nearby Taunton Road and dare each other to drag race. Back then, Steve’s modified 1993 Civic Si Hatch was very much a part of the scene. This was of course when much of the area was farm land and mass residential developments were a thing of the future. Steve remembers the most exhilarating ride of his life to be one inside a turbocharged Porsche 930 Turbo Koenig Special, an extremely rare car of which only a handful exist in North America. Steve was hesitant to admit it, but he had kept his eyes shut when the 480 turbocharged horses propelled the featherweight Porsche to gut wrenching speeds.

Shifting gears to Steve’s experience as a Sales Advisor, he says his favourite part of the job is taking the time to educate customers about the brand. More specifically, showing what exactly makes a BMW the Ultimate Driving Machine. “All cars have bells and whistles,” Steve says, “but it’s the drive that really sets them apart.The reason so many people swear by their old and new BMWs is because they drive like nothing else out there. Often times we’ll have people come in who are bored of driving their current car and look to BMW to put the excitement and dynamics back into driving.” Steve further comments that “a car is more than a means of getting from A to B, it’s all about what happens between A and B, and there’s no better car to enjoy the journey in than a BMW.”

Steve Choi
New Car Client Advisor
Telephone: (905) 619-5522 ext.5555
Email stevechoi@endrasbmw.com