Out driving my daughter home from the beach on Saturday and we were being held up by a ridiculously slow Skoda up ahead on one of the favourite local back roads. It was obvious to anyone what was going on, that I was not the slow car and the traffic levels made an over-take impossible, but all the time I had a 1 series behind getting more and more impatient. with the roof down I could actually hear his turbo spooling up several times as he down changed to speed up closer to me having dropped back to just 3 feet off my bumper, lol
Eventually the chance came to over-take the Skoda on a nice derestricted straight, so I nailed it. Admittedly my car has an induction kit which perhaps is a bit of an attraction for any boy racers about (fitted by the previous owner, not me), but the BMW came over all “Nico Rosberg” and decided to roar up behind, up for a race, quite clearly, even after we went back into a 40 MPH section of road and I backed off.
When I am out driving its always the same, either BMW Minis or BMW 1 Series’ deciding to try and bully an old MX-5. Its all a bit silly really, because anyone knows any 1 series from the 120d upwards is faster than a 17 year old standard MX-5 1.8, so what they think they have to prove I don’t know,. heck even a 118d probably has the legs on my car on the motorway. I’ve no idea which model 1 series this was, but if it was a 123d or 135i its a bit sad really. Likely it was just another 120d.
Anyone else experience this with our BMW driving friends? I think Jeremy Clarkson was only half right when he said all the cocks had moved to Audis!!! Ironically the bigger engine Beemers tend to leave you alone. Have never been bothered by an M3!
Any idiot can drive any model of car, my other car as per my description is a BMW and I find some people are unnecessarily aggressive towards it for being a BMW, totally manufacturer neutral. Granted though as per your last bit most of the bigger more pricey stuff from said German manufacturers tends to be more sensible (I will admit I think my 6 series 3.0 litre falls into that category), where there is a lot more money at stake.
The major problem with the 1,2 and sometimes 3 is the low lease rates when new (and cheaper than buying used) which attracts some clowns trying to make up for a lack of poke in the context of the smaller engine models from BMW, Audi etc. (some of the worst ones is the BMW 2.0 diesels). Which naturally a 3.0 litre leaves pretty much standing, until I reach the speed limit and let off, usually the 2.0 lot do not.
Overall though as my first line it is all the me,me and me factor these days and people do not think about others in a majority, but tarring a “brand” with all drivers is not quite true as they can be in anything.
You’re right in much of what you say, there are also plenty of clowns in Fiestas and Corsas who always want a race, but perhaps thanks to being such great cars to drive, BMW have always attracted more than an average number of aggressive drivers. Audi are up there too, although in that case I am not sure why as my experience was that they give a very average drive! Its a real shame. I quite fancy a BMW myself, but my wife is against it, as she thinks it will bring out the worst in me!
But yes, the fact that the 116/118/120 seems to be the worst of the lot suggests that cheap lease deals are partly to blame in bringing BMWs more into the range of less mature drivers with a point to prove.
Perhaps I shouldn’t tar everyone with the same brush, but I’ve had two bad experiences recently on the receiving end of extremely aggressive driving whilst out in my MX-5 minding my own business, where the protaganists were driving a 2011 320d touring and Saturday’s 1 series, so in my experience then, it was 100% BMW driver! Sorry!
I had a similar experience Saturday. Once I cleared the slow car the BMW X3 behind me that had been trying to push me along also passed the slow car but for some reason couldn’t keep up around the bendy section of road that we’d reached. As soon as we reached a straight bit he roared past giving me the finger straight into a village where I know there is an active camera. I would guess him to be doing at least 60 through the 30 limit. How we laughed. I really, really hope he gets done.
It’s not always BMWs. Audis and for some reason Minis are pretty bad too. I had no aggro from the rather nice eType that we met at the weekend.
Yeah, what is it with Minis? Every mini I meet wants a race. One tried to burn me off on the inside of a roundabout after I had kindly moved over to let her out of a side road joining the dual carriageway a few hundred yards earlier. I thought that was a bit rude…She (yes the young ladies can be as bad as the boys these days) came off the worst in that encounter as she understeered trying to keep up with me who had the tighter inside line and then couldnt keep up through the following roundabout (is there a faster car for threading through tight roundabouts than an MX5?!)…how I laughed before I backed off and let her past…
I recently took a trip into town on the bus. Not something I do often but it was going to be a heavy night and I wasn’t going to be in a fit state to drive home.
I noticed that whenever there were parked cars or other obstructions oncoming drivers who were giving way never seemd to give any extra clearance for a larger vehicle. It would have been fine for a car but all the way it took some expert manouvering for the bus driver. He was an expert and his positioning was superb. Didn’t matter what make of car we encountered, nobody really gave an extra few feet.
With a few hundred yards to go I finally saw the first bit of real consideration from another road user. We were approaching a tight right hand bend and the oncoming vehicle hung back well before the corner to allow the bus to swing around with ease. The vehicle in question was a 1 series BMW driven by a young woman.
Same experience here. On Saturday evening I was pushed over the north Yorks moors by a white VW van planted a few feet from my rear bumper, the driver seemingly determined to keep up with me (but wouldn’t overtake) no matter what the speed. This lead to him bearing down on me over the narrow country lanes for several miles. This became really tiresome until finally reaching a roundabout I did a full circle which then put me behind him.
I would just go for it if you want one, I wanted to dislike the BMW on test drive, but the diesel 6 pot and ZF gearbox are sublime, 0-60 in 5.4 seconds with decent MPG. For every day driving it makes sense, the only downside with the 6 is the sheer size and parking it can be a nightmare (1.8 metres wide, 5 metres long).
The van drivers are the worst with my 6, but honestly if someone is bothering you then just pull over when safe to do so (indicating your intention as well).
In my experience most of the plebs just do not get it, and many equally pull too close and have to reverse back…which just proves the point of travelling excessively close and not following tyres and tarmac.
One thing I have noticed is how much bigger everything looks in the rear view mirror when I’m in the MX5. Cars that I would ignore in my daily driver seem terrifyingly big. I did have a nice old gent pull in and wave me by yesterday so there are some nice people about, unlike the ignorant git who trailed a queue at 35 mph for about 20 miles between Salisbury and Marlborough in his huge camper van.
The most pointless job in the world is fitting indicators to BMW’s
Actually I own a 330d M Sport & it’s a fantastic car, but on the day my MX is more fun.
I have been bullied in the Mazda usually by white vans & on occasions while on the motorways in bad weather one can feel vunerable.
This doesn’t happen in the 330, sometimes I have been tailgated while driving in a 30 area, but it’s good to see the lesser cars disappear when the limit increases.
I own four cars, and have use of two others. They’re all different and I don’t drive them differently.
Yes, some folk tailgate me quite dangerously in the MX. Far more than in my other cars. I’ve no idea why, I don’t hang about, whatever I’m driving.
Yes, some folk act far more aggressively toward me when I drive my BMW 330D. The only driver to act courteously towards a BMW is another BMW driver. But not the lesser skilled ones in the 1 series, as already stated.
But as I said, I don’t drive any differently.
I’d say that Merc drivers don’t bother with indicators because they feel so superior that everyone else will surely let the Royal procession pull over suddenly, it’s their right and it’s up to the lower classes to keep out of their way.
VW Passat drivers … Highly aggressive company car drivers and not very skilled. Jason Plato wannabes, all of them.
I hate being behind taxi’s, they crawl along, well most do where I live, I think they are watching the meter register more £s.
Tailgaters seem to be young females maybe on a school run or white van man, I can’t keep up with the beemers or mercs and it’s the Audi’s that don’t seem to be fitted with indicators along with those cruising lowered Corsa driving mob.
I once had the audacity to overtake a Jag driven by an old fella, he stuck two fingers up at me as I went by. I think he was indicating he’d found second gear and was approaching 30mph in a 50mph zone.