As the Celebrate BMW Tour Presented by Michelin has made its way across the continent, first out from the East Coast and through the Midwest, the Southwest, and up into Colorado, our days have been varied between long-hour highway runs and action-packed mornings at interesting locations. Our second day in Colorado was one of the latter, and an awesome (in the truest sense of the word) way to check some items off our respective bucket lists.
Driving Pikes Peak is an experience every car enthusiast should have. The mountain itself is a spectacle of natural beauty and road construction, but the drive up is particularly poignant for anyone who’s followed the record-setting and physics-twisting Pikes Peak hillclimb. Even on the newly full-tarmac course, the idea that anyone would drive this road at eleven tenths is nothing short of lunacy. The surface and curve placement, it must be said, makes for an amazing track and amazing drive. The 640i was impressive as always, running between second and third in sport mode, turbocharged straight-six crackling the exhaust of the sheer walls.
After reaching the famous 14,114-ft summit, we made our way carefully down the hill and rolled up to Denver, Colorado, where we had a more relaxed appointment—a meet-up with good friends from the Rocky Mountain Chapter. Still recovering from our two long days on Route 66, through unfamiliar and abstract terrain, it was great to see some familiar faces and talk cars—including Bruce’s freshly-restored 2002.
This 1973 car was one of the most impeccable 2002s I’ve ever come across, but for the last thirty years, it was a different type of car. Bruce actually bought this car new in 1972 while stationed in Germany, and for 17 years after he returned to the US drove it everywhere. It currently has 330,000 single-owner miles, and—following a years-long restoration—is unimaginably clean inside, outside, and underneath. Every nook is pristine, and we can’t wait to see how Bruce’s car performs at Legends of the Autobahn.
As the sun wound down, we said goodbye to our friends at the Rocky Mountain Chapter and made our way to the first gathering of the BMW Vintage & Classic Car Club of America (BMW VCCCA) Roads to Monterey drive. As we pulled into Niwot, Colorado and parked amongst prestigious BMWs of all kinds, it was a melancholy moment; the Roads to Monterey drive lay ahead, but behind us were 3,000 miles of the United States. New states, new friends, and new experiences behind the wheel of magnificent 640i Convertible were all things we were not soon to forget.
But we can’t wait for the next few days. We’re reunited with BMW enthusiast friends from across the country, and will be joining the group of exquisite classic cars as we make our way through Salt Lake City, South Lake Tahoe, Sonoma, and Monterey. See you on the road! —David Rose