We’ve touched on Jeremy Walton’s stunning book in our December 2011 products pages but since then we have been lucky enough to receive our very own copy and thought it deserved a more thorough evaluation.
This is volume one of a two-part, 80,000 word project that may just be renowned motoring writer Jeremy Walton’s magnum opus, which takes the reader from 315 to M1 but rather than just telling you the history of every car and leaving it at that as so many other has done, Walton lets you know exactly what it’s like to drive what are arguably the most iconic BMWs ever assembled. And, going one step further than that, the book has been compiled using only archive images and original photographs taken specifically for the project by Colorado-based photographer William Taylor. No corner has been cut and no stone has been left unturned in the creation of the project and the end result is nothing short of stunning.
Before you’ve turned a single page things get off to a great start. Covering 144 square inches of area and packing in over 200 pages, Ultimate Drives requires the sturdiest of coffee tables for support and feels wonderfully satisfying to hold. The cover is stunning, an image of a CSL racer broken up into gloss dots that sit on a matt black background, the back of the book’s sleeve mirroring this with the image of a road going E9. Walton and Taylor provide an introduction and after a foreword by ex-BMW NA CEO Tom Purves we’re into the meat of the thing. The contents page displays 16 circles that represent the 16 sections of the book, each one featuring a roundel or badge from the most important car in each section – it’s colourful and fun for a BMW enthusiast, a welcome break from a simple contents layout.
Each section is introduced by a larger version of these images along with a comprehensive specification table relating to one of the models within. Each section provides you with the history and evolution of the models covered before moving onto the driving experiences and here Walton excels in conveying what it is like to get behind the wheel of some of these incredible machines, making you feel like you’re there with him and the list of cars driven in this book is long and lust-worthy: 328, 507, 3.0CSi, 2002 Turbo, CSL Racecar, Alpina B6 2.8 and M1 to name but a few.
With stunning photography and a fantastically clear layout that makes reading a pleasure, Ultimate Drives is a magnificent book that is an essential purchase for any BMW enthusiast. We can’t wait for Volume Two.
Price: £39.95
Contact: www.coteriepress.com - available from all good motoring bookshops
