[Z4-Pilot]

We rolled down the track in a group of three (Z4, 135i, and 535i) to start on the emergency stop (ABS) training with Andy. After a walk (drive) through and two demonstrations we took our spot and began our runs into the wet braking area at 40, 45, 50, and 55 mph. My wife took the wheel for another four passes and began to really like the car and our instructors!

Next up was the handling course with Tommy. My wife stayed at the wheel and timidly lapped with the other three drivers (she started to get in to it by her fourth lap ... she didn't expect to be driving, after all!). After a quick pit, I took to the course and had an absolute blast (my wife asked to be let out after my third lap). While I continued for the remainder of my laps my wife chatted with other spouses and Tommy ... who stated that we ought to be pushing the cars on the track (and that he would be disappointed if we didn't)!

Following the handling circuit was the stability control appreciation course on the wet skid pad ... I was lucky enough to be the first one out on the pad with Andy in a 335i. Andy asked for a "good" demonstration to the onlookers of stability control off and we got a full 720 degree spin right at show center. My wife's expression on the video is priceless, but not for young children's ears! Andy gave me another spin and then turned dynamic traction control on for a final lap around the wet pad. We picked up my wife and I climbed into the back seat with the camera ... I had the camera rolling when she did her first spin. She was caught so far off guard (thinking that stability control was on!) that we closed her eyes and held the spin until the engine stalled and her front tires were in the grass ... her second spin was much more timid. She was relieved when stability control returned!

Our last event on the track was a little bit of formation driving with Andy and Tommy ... in M5s ... with passengers ... and with as much drift and tire smoke as they could manage! We rode with Tommy right behind his father as they performed an absolutely beautiful ballet (minus the pit orchestra ... but with plenty of music nonetheless).

One more event occurred before lunch ... the most important one! My new Z4 was sitting in the last bay and all the shades where open (too bright, but oh, so beautiful!). We sat down for about an hour going through the function of every part of the car (under the hood, in the cabin, and out back in the trunk). Andy stressed the break-in period (good thing that home was 450 miles away ... I'm almost half-way there!) and even caught a broken spring in the pass-through door latch. We set up the BMW Assist and Sirrius radio and then pulled up front for some sunshine before heading in to lunch.

My wife and I ate lunch with Andy and spent a great hour chatting about the teen driving schools (we're only a year away from our oldest getting his permit!). Great food and even better company.

The afternoon was a bit of a blur (since I wanted to get back in to that beautiful Z!). My wife was totally sold with the off-road course and is now starting to look at X3s and X5s ... she wants one for her 40th birthday in a couple of years. We drove to the Zentrum museum for our tour and parked on the sidewalk (trying out the hands-free dialing in the process to alert our boys who where lounging in the cafe). The factory tour was very informative (my boys hopped in for a second tour!) ... the only sad part was when one of the employees stated that BMW may be opening up custom paint orders (any paint in the BMW inventory on any car, with only a few exceptions) ... I would have loved to have the bronze metallic from the X6 to match my canyon brown interior (though the Space Gray is probably a better mix ... not too overboard on the brown tint).

We ended our day by collecting my wife's vehicle from the visitor's lot and starting the long, wet trip home to Virginia. Of course my boys swapped seats in the Z at every stop!

Post Script ... my second son wanted to know today if he could borrow it for his junior prom (five years away) ... I told him that I would probably be on a road trip that day ...