Singapore. Mid-year school holidays are often about escaping the hustle and bustle of the city and spending quality time with the entire family. From 9 – 11 June, Performance Motors and more than 200 people, including customers and their families, took advantage of the holiday season to participate in the “Escape the City 2017”, the first ever joint drive and ride with the BMW 2 Series Gran Tourer and BMW Motorrad motorcycles. The convoy consisted of 18 BMW motorcycles and over 45 all-diesel BMW cars including BMW 5 Series Diesel and X5 Diesel support vehicles.

Fuelled with excitement, the participants set off to Malaysia on a Friday morning blessed with good weather. The participants, ranging from young families and first-time BMW owners for the BMW 2 Series Gran Tourer to pure adventurists who chose to ride a BMW motorcycle, had the same goal in mind – a weekend retreat at Lexis Hibiscus, Port Dickson, Malaysia's iconic beach resort.

The participants did not have to worry about getting lost, thanks to the BMW navigation system with Real Time Traffic Information, a standard feature on the BMW 2 Series Gran Tourer. It only took them a call through the car’s BMW ConnectedDrive Concierge Services to preload all the key stops along the route into the navigation system.

The BMW motorcyclists effortlessly tackled the thrilling and winding roads in Malaysia, while the BMW 2 Series Gran Tourer drivers and their families cruised along in the comfort of their spacious seven-seater on expressways that stretched across the horizon. The drive was a good showcase of the efficiency and prowess of the BMW TwinPower Turbo diesel engine. Thanks to it, the 2 Series Gran Tourer along with the diesel support cars were able to pull away from traffic with ease and covered the entire distance of the trip, from Singapore to Port Dickson and back with just one full tank.

The first pit stop of the day was at Layang-layang, a small town located in Johore, where participants enjoyed handmade wantan mee coupled with yong tau foo and dumplings. Three hours later, they sat back and enjoyed a nine course seafood lunch in a restaurant overlooking the Straits of Malacca.

After nine hours, two meal stops and covering more than 300 kilometres, the participants finally arrived at Lexis Hibiscus, home to 522 stunning water villas perfectly aligned in the shape of a hibiscus standing over the turquoise Straits of Malacca. Each villa was lavishly furnished and equipped with its own private dip pool and steam room. Nestled in the tranquil beach and lush greenery of Port Dickson, the resort was an ideal getaway from the city.

At the welcome dinner, Mr. Horst Herdtle, Managing Director of Performance Motors, thanked the participants for joining the Escape the City 2017 drive and ride away. He said:”I hope you enjoy this time to relax, spend quality time with your family, and of course, enjoy the sheer driving and riding pleasure of your BMW cars or motorcycles. As you can see, we aim to go beyond selling and servicing vehicles. We want to develop a strong and engaging community so you can experience what BMW can offer throughout your journey as our customer. This is only the beginning of what we hope to do for you, and with you.”

On the second day, some enjoyed family activities within the resort such as archery, kayaking and banana boat rides, while others indulged in spa treatments or embarked on helicopter joyrides to enjoy a bird’s eye view of the beach and the straits. For families who felt like venturing out of the resort, kids had the chance to enjoy the PD Ostrich Farm and get up close and personal to a variety of animals at its petting zoo.

As cliché as it sounds, all good things must come to an end. On the third and final day, participants departed for Singapore, with a stopover for lunch and a final gathering at Gelang Patah to bid farewell before heading home.