The Socialite recently experienced the Ultimate Springbok Experience with BMW South Africa complete with race cars, test drives and a suite at the rugby so we thought we’d share a sneak peek on what went down…

Our adventure first began when our team flew into Jozi for the weekend. We stayed at the Park Inn, a delightfully contemporary and playful hotel in the heart of Sandton. Here you will find any reason to indulge in a long cocktail as you take in the lights of the city and unwind in the hotel lounge.

Our day began early Saturday morning when make-up artist Anja Louw arrived for hair and make-up for Socialite presenter Chia Kougianos at 6:30am on the dot. A few cappuccinos and prepping later we were ready to get picked up by our personal BMW driver Mac. He arrived in style and his knowledge of the cars and amusing quips on the city lifestyle made the drive to Red Star Raceway in Delmas fly by.

Guests were then taken onto the track to experience the M4 and M3 first hand as well as be driven by championship race car drivers Gavin Cronje and Roman de Beer in a BMW 335 which can get up to 310km’s/hour!

The Socialite’s Chia Kougianos experienced the drive with Springbok Pierre Spies and cameraman Neil and had it not been for witnesses we wouldn’t believe it ourselves. A day of high heels, fast wheels and an experience of a lifetime!

One of the absolute joys yet absolute stresses of being in such a fast car is the unbelievable speed and power. “Gavin had our safety in mind and handled the car like the pro he is but when achieving such incredible speed you’d be forgiven for being a little overwhelmed” said Chia.

Our cameraman Neil was on form and ready to capture an exclusive when it was time for the unveiling of the BMW i8. It could be argued it is the most significant and forward thinking car on the road today and after seeing it for yourself you can see why. “The BMW i8 unites the best of both worlds and offers a fast sporty driving performance with low consumption and emission output” said Deena Govender BMW I Project Manager.

The i8 truly embodies all the qualities of a modern and sustainable sports car whilst still offering style and efficiency.

The day then followed with lunch at The Grand in Melrose Arch followed with complimentary Springbok jerseys for all the guests and a chauffeur driven trip to Ellis Park to watch the rugby unfold in the BMW suite.

It’s not every day one gets to experience such a day and The Socialite looks forward to sharing the unforgettable experience with you our dear readers in an exclusive two-part Video Showcase coming soon to The Socialite.

We just need to do a little work on the audio as our Socialite presenter Chia reveals “try going 300km’s an hour around a bend in a race car with a dashing Springbok and not let out a few unmentionable words. I dare ya”

Exclusive Video Showcase featuring an interview with Springbok player Pierre Spies, test drives in the BMW 335 race car with Gavin Cronje and the Springbok Experience is due out soon but in the meantime check out the latest addition to the BMW family in the i8….

A special word of thanks to BMW South Africa for hosting The Socialite as well as to the staff at the Park Inn Sandton, Mac our personal chauffeur and bodyguard and  to Neil Human for his crazy shooting skills when going over 300 km’s an hour in a race car.

Until next time…Ciao for now