To the Arctic Circle – 60 kilometers. And just a kilometer away from us, in a pine grove on which calmly strolling elk, hiding winter test center company BMW. We – in the north of Sweden, ironing ice courses BMW Ice Fascination.
Lake with not the most euphonious name for the Russian ear Kakel lies adjacent to the settlement Areplug. It is on this lake Bavarians and their “vassals” of the MINI and Rolls-Royse, teach their cars to drive in winter conditions. Taped rolled past us in camouflage test prototypes, the work does not stop until the darkness, and the “hot” test season, which lasts from November to April, a tiny Areplug swells considerably from the “come in large numbers” of engineers and testers.
Here in the next few days and will teach us to ride, “graduates” winter courses BMW Winter Challenge, which we had previously held on Lake Buzim near Krasnoyarsk. But what happened in Russia, and that here – heaven and earth! It’s not just that the Arepluge all winter and warmer on average hold 12 degrees. The big difference even in traces.
That built on the lake Buzim Russian school instructors BMW Driving Experience, was their enthusiasm and can easily be equated to the feat. I remember their story about overcoming bureaucratic mass “slingshots”, about how hard to find around serviceable tractor with a sober and sane tractor … And I remember in the 36-degree frost assistant instructors actually manually separate the fate of the track is frozen with a simple barrel water that is chained to this very tractor is working properly with sober tractor – a combination worthy of the Red Book!
In Sweden, a similar heroic initiative and not close. BMW Group with the preparation of test and training routes do not even bother – for her it makes specialized IceMakers Swedish company with 40 years of history. In “ledodelov” its fleet of vehicles with bulldozers, rotors, Sprinkle and machines for grinding, milling and ice giving enhanced “hook.” Coating prepared here no less carefully than training rink for skaters. Huge range for drift, long straight accelerating somewhat tortuous looped trails with soft parapets – when you see all this snow-white splendor, you know that he was in drayverskiy paradise!
By the way, on what we learn? In Krasnoyarsk, we dissected on inspirational and spirited M5 and M6, but Arepluge taught in more modest M3 coupe with a 420-horsepower V8 and atmospheric 6-step “robot” DCT dual clutch. Only modest – does not mean worse. Because the easy and short M3 fall in love with immediately. Instructors are right on the background of their “big brothers” she most driving and most balanced in weight, power and handling. In cornering – tenacious and clear, in response to the gas – more responsive and predictable. And how easy and fun it is set and controlled sideways drifting! Of course, pleased that last study was not in vain, remember the hands-what to do. But obedient “Emka” if accompanies by helping to slide into pleasure.
BMW Driving Experience Arjeplog
And we have a lot to slide and quickly. And it’s not just that the ring on the huge ice drift speed on the background of Krasnoyarsk much higher. In Arepluge we still will teach science proper cornering. If you do not get into the wilds of the theory, the instructors taught how to build a path of entry and exit of the corners, so that the arc could pass not only fast, but also stable. On a slippery road is particularly important, because most smoothed trajectory cornering reduces centrifugal force tending to “pull off” car demolition or skid.
By the way, one way to describe the cornering worth separately. The purpose of the reception – go turn with minimal loss of speed and smooth path, but not only in the aft sliding, and using … standard braking system! It sounds paradoxical, but it works effectively, allowing the course to tumble turns with a slope at 90 degrees or more, pass the whole arc in braking. Along the way, this method allows the sand feeling of sideslip and control machine speed on the arc.
Everything is done so. Approaching the turn, occupy the outer side and slightly turn the wheel, aiming at the top (apex) of rotation. And once the car is “adopted” maneuver actively begin to slow down, but not leading to wheel lock. Such a “peck” loads the front of the vehicle and allows you to turn the car, avoiding demolition steering wheels. If done correctly, and to steer and brake compatible, then decelerating the vehicle passes the arc in all sliding wheels, like twisting and turning in while maintaining control. Only need to maintain the direction and angle of the trajectory of the wheel. In sum obtained ideal entry speed into the next turn on the car and already “picked up” gas. Therefore, by the way, left foot brake taught not to waste time on the transfer of foot from gas to brake and back.
“And who does not fly in the parapet, that study did not see …” As you can see, the immersion in the learning process is underway. And the depth of “invasion” of snowplow is immediately evident that the people on courses not Philo, and goes the whole hog.
At first, as usual, taking turns not so hot. It lacks the courage, the speed, the coherence movements. However, instructors knowingly joke that with each new knowledge necessary to “sleep.” Laugh laugh, but every day this “throw” getting better synchronization action steering and braking are all accurate, and by the end of this method of training is starting to get itself “on the machine.” Here it is, the power of practice!
Next on the training agenda – rotation. Please move forward 360 degrees, then “police turn” back to 180 degrees. How to Flip a gymnast, and the driver all these “Waltzes” – a means of sharpening the orientation in space, flair “body” of the car and hone coordination between the hands and legs during rotation. In appearance, as usual, it’s simple. But when he … Few rulish dispersed and soon began – and “police turn” is not enough inertia. Rudder pulled sharply and turned smoothly – and the car just rolled away to the side. Not just back wheel to its original position – and received either nedovorot or “torsion”.
With a turn of 360 degrees, too, their troubles, because there must first shake machine rhythmic skid stern, then just throw the gas and turn the steering wheel from one extreme position to another … In short, while work – one sweats come! And something else we rode a simplified program: for example, the same police, intelligence services and drivers and VIP-persons taught to fabricate all these feints strictly within the limits marked out by cones strip. In general, there is still a lot to learn.
The course includes BMW Ice Fascination “pokatushki” on the BMW M3 coupe (right) and M6 equipped with safety cages and “shod” in the narrow winter sport tires with 4.5-millimeter spikes. Behind the wheel of “three rubles” cadets are allowed, but on the ferocious “Six” you can ride only passenger. Incidentally, this M6 – with a manual transmission, which is offered as an option!
But for us riding “on cones” ends on the last day of school, when we were finally released into the wild. Ahead – the longest high-speed track with turns and “Moves” bundles varying degrees of steepness and insidious. Dovoroty braking, braking slip, rudder from one “drift-tack” on the other, the game with the trajectories of cornering – and here are just starting to work all they taught us.
And while we squirm around the track periodically rihtuya breastworks, instructors prepare our nail curriculum. And the “nail” – in the truest sense of the word. This jet black BMW M3 Ice Racer, serial “Emka” but with a protective bumper, safety cage, Recaro bucket seat and partially removed skin salon. But most importantly, this M3 Ice Racer “shod” in Swedish sports tires Black Rocket BR 90. Do not see what wheels are narrow, and that the machine looks at them funny. It’s not just tires. This is a real cutter, armed zubopodobnymi 4.5-millimeter spikes – among athletes and their name is “nails”!
Tires with “combat” 4.5-mm spine allow openly “lawlessness” on the ice. That’s just in this century wheels bright but short: about 100 km, if worn on the ice “with all the money.” Then spike “lies” and stops working fully and tire itself costs about 400 Euro.
Each of us three laps behind the wheel, but the BMW M3 on the “battle” spike “rips tower” in a couple of hundred meters. All my driver’s life that day was divided into “before and after”. Ice Racer rides noisy and tough body rattles and vibrates with narrow tires with “oak” sidewalls. But that “nails” allow to do on the ice – that’s something! Atrocious “hook” gives the acceleration up and the outputs of the bends that bursting out enthusiastic “go nuts!” hammered back into the lungs. All reactions of the car radically aggravated with gas no longer ceremony, rulish sharper, brake later and harder. Journeying turns not, as before, and literally flies “fan” at speeds on conventional spikes seem unreal. In general, “valish” in every sense of the word greasy! Sorry little something I just came to talk. It is necessary to know whether the BMW winter courses on “nails” …
After reading all this, the reader, of course, can ask a reasonable question: how the above relate to real life? Where to use all these skills, and what is the use of them? School BMW and other similar courses – is not just a get-together active outdoors with the sea drive and adrenaline. Student in the classroom of his pardon, the fifth point learns physics driving on a slippery surface. And it not only pushes the boundaries of feeling machine. Slipping (demolition, skid, reverse) on public roads – it is always the stress and fear for any driver. And the courses are taught how to not freeze of fear and act. And only enough naskolzivshis and having departed a dozen times in the snow, you can understand the nature of these demolitions, drifts, stop being afraid, learn how to manage them and, most importantly, do not give them occur on normal roads. Here, as in the philosophy of oriental martial arts: the best skid one that managed to escape! So if after learning the driver became calmer and more confident behind the wheel, then a few days after learning of the “party” he was sweating for good reason.
Ice and nails: continue to learn in school BMW Driving Experienc
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