“Don’t hold back.”
Three words I’ve never heard before at a press event and three words that are running through my mind as I tramp down on the throttle and wheelspin my way towards the gray horizon.
Don’t hold back.
Ahead of me lies a three-quarter-mile stretch of perfectly groomed snow sitting atop a thick layer of ice, with over 300 feet of desolation on either side.
Don’t hold back.
From a standing start, the well-worn BMW X6 grapples with a lack of traction and then finally grips through the slush to propel me past 20… 30… 40… 50 mph. Then I slam on the stoppers. The ABS system pulses through the brake pedal and the coupe-shaped ‘ute grinds to a squeaky, squawky halt. Let’s try that again.
Don’t hold back.
This time I get up to 60 mph, lay on the brakes and it’s the same result. Now I’m bored, so it’s time to experiment with a few emergency lane change maneuvers. I get up to 30 mph, stab at the brake, yank the wheel to the right, then back to the left and straighten up. Nothing. No drama. No hesitation. No tail wagging. I do it again, this time at 40 mph with the traction control off. Same result. Then 50 mph. Same result. Then 60 mph. And then I promptly stuff myself into an six-foot-tall snow bank.
Didn’t hold back.