The Metea Valley German Club took an afterschool road trip this week to Bill Jacobs BMW in Naperville to learn about German cars and culture – complimented with lots of discussion about how fast cars can speed on the Bundesautobahn, the German “federal highway.” The Club meets regularly to learn about German language and culture.
Students learned about BMW history, its legacy and engineering as they explored the showroom guided by a BMW Genius, an expert trained in all things BMW. They hopped in several high-performance vehicles exploring high-tech options and features.
In addition, they learned about engine performance, tires, branding, the latest in BMW technology, aerodynamics, BMW product offerings and where BMW vehicles are produced and how they are distributed throughout the world.
Most BMW’s have batteries located in the rear of the vehicle for performance handling and weight distribution purposes to maintain a 50/50 weight distribution ratio, regardless of being front, rear or all-wheel drive. Every car on the road uses its front tires to carry some percentage of its weight, and the rear tires carry the rest of the weight. However, in a car with 50/50 weight distribution, the front and the back wheels bear the same amount of weight. This allows for optimal handling and safety while on the road.
BMW’s manufacturing plant in Spartanburg, South Carolina recently surpassed the Munich production facility in Germany, becoming the largest BMW production plant in the world. The 7 million square foot facility has produces 1,500 vehicles daily with 4.7 million vehicles produced since its opening in 1992.
After a showroom tour, students received a ride on the Naperville Auto Test Track, located at 1720 W Jefferson Ave, in a BMW X7. They got to experience firsthand how the 50/50 weight distribution allows for optimal handling and safety, and all the latest BMW technology.
The Naperville Auto Test Track provides a way for automobile customers to safely test drive vehicles in a closed environment. The track is designed to allow drivers to experience everyday road conditions during their test drive – such as asphalt roadway, a railroad crossing, cobblestone surface area, suburban driveway, high bank testing area, skid pad and an SUV testing area with a hill climb and rough road section.
Bill Jacobs BMW strives to give the “Ultimate Dealership Experience” to every customer that comes in its BMW dealership in Naperville, located at 2495 Aurora Ave. It is the No. 1 volume dealer in Illinois.
From finding a new vehicle to financing a used vehicle, they will be there to help with every step of the car buying experience, and to handle all service and maintenance needs.
For more info, visit www.billjacobsbmw.com.
