It’s rare enough an opportunity to be able to thrash a Beemer, let alone do it off-road on a private island. Last week, it was simply a no-holds barred experience when we were whisked away by the good people at BMW to Lazarus island, a private enclave just off Sentosa for the BMW xDrive Island Adventure Drive media event. We had a go at the BMW X models for a chance to learn about their new and improved models.
The invite got us pretty excited and our hopes up high—with the caption “It’s time to experience adventure. Because asphalt is boring” set against a bird’s eye view of BMW cars drifting through vast open fields, who wouldn’t be? The whole event was closed door for selected media and company partners from Mar 13-16, including a private ferry from Quayside Isle.
We were offered the chance to test drive a range of Sport Activity Vehicles (SAV) such as the X3, X5 xDrive30d and X6. The highlight was the mid-range X5 xDrive 30d model that sports a six-cylinder in-line diesel engine, going against the grain of petrol-based engines.
We didn’t hold back once we were behind the wheels. Our favorite route on the off-road was the slalom section where we could completely floor the vehicle and go crazy across the dirt, aiming through designated gates to show the extreme stability and control the models offer. To be perfectly honest, the BMW X5 drove really well despite the all the bumps and slight drifting. We really kicked up a storm that day, going at it not once but twice each time. Where else would we—law-abiding, maintenance-friendly vehicle owners—ever get to do that?
The invite certainly lived up to its promise. With good food, good company and even better drives, the event organizers really nailed it this time.
