Autocar is tackling the 2015 Mille Miglia in a BMW 328 Berlin-Rome Touring Roadster. Follow our live story here
Autocar is taking part in the Mille Miglia in a BMW 328 Berlin-Rome Touring Roadster - follow the updates from the event here:
Thursday 14 May, 11:55pm: It’s nearly midnight here in Italy, and after a day in the car on the Mille Miglia we’re just back to the hotel. After a leisurely lunch before the start the best I can do is grab a couple of ham sandwiches and try to write as many words as possible before first make some amendments to tomorrow’s route book and then fall in (hopefully) into a deep sleep.
No matter how long I had to write it down, it would be hard to capture all of the emotions of taking part in the Mille Miglia. I knew it would intense and I knew it would be exciting, but it’s on a scale many many times greater than I could ever have anticipated.
First up, the car. It’s sensational in so many ways, but the smoothness and pace really stand out. It revs from well down all the way to 4500rpm, and in fourth is good for 120mph Ian says. I must confess that I’m not that brave, but we’ve still seen some pretty good speeds when the police escorts are out and Ian’s at the wheel. Me? I’m good up to about 90mph and then it all gets a bit much for my heart. Actually, the buffeting becomes so bad that it starts to affect what I can see and hear, which isn’t much use on either count. In the co-driver’s seat I can duck a couple of centimetres lower, which provides some protection, but in the driver’s seat I need to sit higher so that I can pivot my legs that bit better.
Today’s highlight was undoubtedly the run from Ferrara to Rimini. Dusk was falling as we left and, although the time schedule was relaxed, a police bike picked us up and escorted us most of the route. It was as relaxed a moment as such an intense experience can be - enough for me to have a quiet word to myself and remember that relaxing in this car simply isn’t on the agenda.
A quick word on the regularity tests. They were, predictably, tough, but there’s no question we improved. The longest challenge was six tests one after the other over about six miles of road. It’s easy to start doubting yourself when other cars come past, but all being well we picked up a few scores on the way, even if we’re not remotely close to troubling the leaders.
In the towns - impressive enough on any random week night thanks to the towering church steeples and grandoise squares - people of all ages flocked to see the cars. Even as we got to parc ferme at 11pm there was everyone from two-year old children through to grandparents watching, waving and soaking up the party atmosphere. I guess once you’ve smelt unburnt petrol at a young age the lust for it never goes away. That’s certainly how it appeared as we drove through the walls of excitable, knowledgeable fans. This is not an event that could be run in any other country.
Now for that sleep. It’s short, but not too bad - six and a half hours if I can get the adrenaline switched off and my head down. I’m sorry that the updates aren’t more frequent, but in today’s eight hours of driving we have literally stopped to swap seats twice and to get fuel once. It’s full on, that’s for sure.
Thursday 14 May, 4:15pm: We’re off. Inevitably, my updates will get shorter now, but with the help of the hard working office (no week-long trips to Italy for them…) I’ll try to make them as regular and insightful as possible for the duration.
The crowds here in Brescia are huge, and I’m told that it’ll be a rare moment when there are no fans in sight across the entire 1761km route (1096 miles - which is close enough to a Mille Miglia in my book). If there’s anything you’d like to know about the car, crew or event, feel free to post in the comments section below.
Some of the regular Mille Miglia participants are slightly aghast at this year’s route, which has an extra day of competition tacked on.
Today’s seven hours in the cockpit are considered rather lightweight by the hardcore, but I’m told that a gruelling 20-hour day in 2014 did not go down well with some of the competitors more committed to the social side of the event than the competition. All being well, we’ll be in Rimini around 11.15pm and in bed by midnight. Sleep will be short.
Thursday 14 May, 11:45am: We’re counting down to the start now. Following this morning’s sealing ceremony in Brescia’s town square - the final stage of scrutineering, if you like, but really an excuse to bring all the cars out in the open for fans - the atmosphere and the number of spectators have been ramping up. Around where we’re staying, the streets are narrow and the buildings tall, so as the competition cars run around town getting warmed up or heading to and fro, the engine revs echo and the exhausts crackle constantly.
With these cars and these crowds it’s no surprise that the atmosphere is electric, but there’s an added twist that the main square was always designed to have presence. There are elderly locals who say they remember standing here when it was reopened by Mussolini following a makeover, and claim it is only the Mille Miglia that can recreate the atmosphere of one of his speeches here.
For a car fan - which you have to assume everyone here is - it’s nigh-on impossible to know which way to look next. The locals are inevitably in love with the field of modern Ferraris that will run up front, but the participants are more excited to see one another and one another’s cars. They come from all walks of life, but right now they are all focused on the upcoming run out to the Mille Miglia museum, where we’ll all have lunch before being taken in batches back in the the town square for the impending start.
Thursday 14 May, 8.20am: We’re all set for the off this afternoon - a ‘gentle’ 4hr 15min run from Brescia to Ferraro, and then a further three hours from Ferrara to Rimini - but I’m still awaiting the arrival of my team-mate Ian Robertson.
As I mentioned in my introductory piece, Ian is the BMW board member responsible for sales and marketing. That, you will need no telling, is quite a big job, hence his last-minute departure from his desk.
But before he arrives, I reckon it’s worth a word or two in support of his participation in this event. A lot of car company bosses either talk about their subject as if they are reading from a spreadsheet, or claim to link motoring and motorsport heritage to their brand’s DNA without appearing to have a scooby-doo about what that heritage actually is.
I don’t doubt that you can be a successful sales and marketing boss of a car company without taking part in events such as the Mille Miglia, but I’m delighted that Ian makes the effort to put himself at the heart of his company’s history.
When ‘history’ and ‘authenticity’ are such a large part of a brand, it helps to know that the people steering it have as much respect for what’s gone before as what they might hope to achieve tomorrow.
In fact, the time I spent at our test day with Ian has already been instructive. He not only knows his company history, but also talks with a passion about driving its cars and meeting enthusiasts who collect them.
He’s pretty handy, too, by all accounts, having been top Brit on the Mille several times (from six entries, I believe) and battled well into the top 100 finishers on occasion. To put that into perspective, the BMW Classic squad has already told me that, as a rookie, I’ll be doing exceptionally well if I can help get Ian and I into the top 150.
Quite honestly, I’m not sure I’d want to spend four days in close proximity with myself, driving hard for 16 hours a day in a cockpit heated to 40 degrees come rain or shine - so kudos to Ian for both making the time to fit the Mille into his gruelling schedule once again, and for agreeing to take me with him so that I can share my experiences with Autocar’s readers.
In past years his partners have ranged from acting legend Rowan Atkinson to champion golfer Ian Woosnam. My only brush with fame was when I refused Damon Hill admission to an awards ceremony while working as a rather weedy bouncer for an event at which he was guest of honour... But I’ll save that story for another time (perhaps if we break the top 150!).
Wednesday 13 May, 5.30pm: As the build up in Brescia continues, I’ve been immersed in a full-on programme of events to ensure I’m au fait with all that’s required from a navigator on a regularity event such as the Mille Miglia.
As far as I can work out, it’s partly about speed, partly about fine judgement and partly about good luck. Except, of course, the very best don’t need luck.
In particular, it’s the time and average speed tests that intrigue me. In simple terms you have a set distance to cover in a set amount of time, or to a set average speed.
To help, the car is fitted with a pre-programmed computer (pre-programmed by me, because if I don’t know how to adjust it I won’t be able to react to any late changes) that counts you either up or down according to what’s required.
That’s all very well, but progress is measured to the thousandth of a second, and penalty points imposed accordingly. To get close requires seamless communication between driver and co-driver; what’s staggering is that the very best crews will, I’m told, amass less than a second in penalties over the course of the four-day event.
Out in Germany, Ian and I practised and practised one such test, set out over a simple rectangular course, and at best we got to within three-tenths of the target.
More mind-bogglingly, these tests are often run two or three at a time, so a finish line for one becomes the start of the next and so on. To keep your wits about you when the challenges are coming so thick and fast is going to require some serious concentration.
To do these and then switch into maximum attack mode to get through the towns and cities in the required time for the next time control will also require a mental switch that I’m not certain you can prepare for.
Wednesday 13 May, 4pm: The last thing I expected when I got to scrutineering was to find myself half-naked with a variety of wires attached to my chest (don't worry, there aren't any photos).
However, to compete in the Mille Miglia you must, first, have a race licence, but to get a race licence you must first join an Italian ASN, and to join an Italian ASN you must first have a medical...
So there's been a lot of queuing, but nobody seems to mind because every step of the way is officiated by an army of unreasonably good natured, and good looking, men and women, seemingly there to steer you along each of its very many steps.
This, I suspect, may be the start of entering a Mille Miglia bubble where reality shifts a bit to the left of my normal humdrum life.
Still, I passed the blood pressure test, so my concentration is clearly in the right place. Already, the car has passed scrutineering, which is carried out in a vast, modern hall and which today contains hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of pounds' worth of cars. However, the thing about being surrounded by so many 'beautiful' people, is that the value of the cars doesn't matter. In this company, someone can always be one up on someone else, so everyone is just getting on with admiring the beauty, engineering and history of the cars. That, it seems, is the real beauty of events like this.
Wednesday 13 May, 1pm: Before the serious preparations get under way, I thought it might be worth reflecting on my first chance to test the €20 million (lest I forget) BMW 328 Berlin-Rome Touring Roadster that we’ll be driving in anger on the Mille Miglia in just over 24 hours from now.
I arrived in Germany last week already conscious of the scale of the task that lay ahead, and was greeted by fierce rain and hail just to make the challenge that bit greater.
To be quite honest I was amazed when they wheeled this sort-of priceless open-top car out into the storm - and even more surprised when they handed me the key and told me to drive it.
Initial testing was on a BMW-owned airfield, so I guess it was unlikely that I’d hit anything, but even so I was amazed by the BMW Classic team’s nonchalance.
After a thorough talking through all of the controls, dials and equipment, I was told to climb aboard and go. I’ll put my hand up here and now and admit that I asked if one of the crew fancied hopping into the passenger seat alongside me.
Given the storm outside nobody jumped at the opportunity, but one was kind enough to take pity.
The amazing thing is just how driveable the 328 Touring Roadster is. The engine pulls smoothly, the gearbox is manageable, the steering is feelsome and the car is agile. In fact it’s so unintimidating that early on I spent a lot of time reminding myself of the car’s history and value. While I intend to enjoy the event, I know the responsibility of being allowed in such a car means I must never relax.
Anyway, those that know say the tail end can get a bit lively when you press on, and that the brakes - good for their day but about half as good as today’s - can cook under hard use.
Given the rain and hail that lashed down, I never got near that, but out on the open road there were other obstacles to consider, from parked cars to huge lorries sending up roosters of spray as they thundered the other way.
At times, the hail was so hard that it stung my face like a swarm of bees, to the extent that I caught myself driving one-handed at around 60mph, using my free hand to extend the peak on my period helmet a shield my face. Driving a €20 million car one-handed… whatever next?
My final piece of acclimatisation was supposed to be a run on the autobahn to get used to some top-speed running, which I’m told we’ll do a lot of on the Mille Miglia. Weedy though it is, I’ll confess to huge relief when this was cancelled because of the conditions.
Driving a car of this value and history, and with so few safety features, fast is one thing, but doing so in biblical conditions would have tested my nerves to breaking point.
Still, it never rains in Italy in May, right?
Wednesday 13 May, 9am: If you like cars (and given your current choice of website, you probably should), the chances are you’ll be reading a lot about the Mille Miglia this week, as the reinvented event makes its way around 1000 miles of Italy with upwards of 100 Ferraris at the head of the field, followed by a selection of more than 450 vintage and historic cars.
The event was originally made famous between 1927 and 1957 as an open-road endurance race, and it was reputedly watched by upwards of five million people. Standing alongside the likes of the Targa Florio and the Carrera Panamericana as a headline-grabbing road race, it was seen as a perfect showcase for grand touring cars from the likes of Alfa Romeo, BMW, Ferrari, Maserati, Mercedes-Benz and Porsche.
In Britain, of course, it became scorched forever into the national consciousness 60 years ago this month, when Stirling Moss and Denis Jenkinson took victory at the wheel of a Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR, averaging 98.53mph over the course of 10 hours, 7 minutes and 48 seconds of driving. Contemporary motorsport magazines described it as the greatest drive in history – and there are commentators who feel no need to update that assessment today.
Like every other road race, bar perhaps some of the Dakar Rally-style cross-country events, the Mille Miglia became too dangerous for modern sensibilities.
In 1977 it was reborn as a regularity event for classic and vintage machinery that took part in the original, and it found popularity among manufacturers keen to emphasise their heritage. As a result, many journalists join the ranks of wealthy collectors and keen enthusiasts as manufacturers seek to promote their involvement and reassert their place in history - something the younger, more upstart companies can never match (did anyone mention Audi?).
And that, of course, is how I find myself in Brescia, Italy, sharing driving and navigating duties of a BMW 328 Berlin-Rome Touring Roadster with the firm’s board member responsible for sales and marketing, Ian Robertson. While my pictures (above) from a recent test day in Germany are not first-rate, the beauty of the car still shines through, I hope.
Built on the instruction of the German national sporting authority in 1940 by coachbuilder Carrozzeria Touring, it was one of three 328s streamlined to take part in the Berlin to Rome race of 1941, an event subsequently cancelled for obvious reasons. Powered by a 1971cc in-line six-cylinder engine linked to a four-speed gearbox, it has 118bhp at 5500rpm and weighs just 700kg. Top speed is rated at 120mph or so, while stopping power comes from a combination of drum brakes and ventilated anchor plates.
The car’s value is rated at “somewhere between €15 and €20 million”. When you are in the business of giving or taking five million, I’ve decided it’s best not to worry too much...
Today, the Mille Miglia is not as fast nor as tough as it once was - but it is still fast and tough. I’m told to expect flat-out driving, often under police escort but still on open, public roads, and at least three of the four days to involve 16 hours or more in the cockpit.
We will run east down to Rome and then back up west to Brescia again, taking in 16 time controls, 17 passage controls, and 76 regularity tests and eight regularity tests at an imposed average speed.
The complexity of these challenges is mind-boggling - and the ability of some of the crews to achieve them more so. As the week unfolds, I hope to go into much more detail on that.
So, too, I hope to share some of the excitement and trepidation of being in such an incredible car on such a historic event over such a long distance. Both Ian and I are tall at around 190cm, but we fit well in the cockpit.
Even so, the absence of seatbelts or a roll-hoop is an attack on my conservative senses, as are the near 40deg C cabin temperatures, which are enhanced by the heat soaked up by the lightweight bodywork. Ian’s done the event before with much success, so there’s a certain pressure not to let him down, either.
For now, that’s probably enough of a history lesson and overview of what lies ahead, but I’ll be posting as many updates as I can before and during the event, so do please ask questions as well as following this story over the next five days.
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