30 Jul 08
Miramas, South of France: In the sweltering heat of a Provencal summer's afternoon, a crocodile of new-generation BMW 7-Series saloons is tail-sliding, tyre-squealing and swerving its way around a tight, twisting track.
This circuit - part of BMW's 473-hectare Miramas Test Centre facility near Marseille, which even replicates a section of the Nurburgring's Nordschlieffe - is liberally irrigated by sprinklers to replicate wet road-driving conditions.
And yes, a car or two (but not mine) spins off into the surrounding marshland, driver over-enthusiasm and the basic laws of physics in perfect - mud-splattered - partnership.
It's not just about hooning around, however. We're actually here to test out the new electronic systems in the upcoming 7-Series, which goes on sale in the UK in November. The aquaplaning is to show off the ICM (Integrated Chassis Management) network, which combines the stability control, suspension damping control, cornering brake control and four-mode Dynamic Driving Control (DDC) systems. DDC, operated via a button in the centre console, sets the car up in Comfort, Normal, Sport and Sport+ modes, remapping the threshold for the stability and traction control intervention, the suspension damping, throttle pedal response, gear changes and steering assistance.
