It was like any other November morning as I drove to school- Traffic, radio, cold, snowy, running late, and half asleep. I get to the entrance to my school, and it was like seeing an angel. An Alpine White 3 Series sedan is pulling out. As if seeing a BMW leaving the school isn’t odd enough, something seemed different about it. Then as it got closer I noticed the front bumper looking a bit out of the ordinary. And then I saw the creases in the middle of the hood and I realized it was a brand new 2009 E90! And for the cherry on the top, when it passed, I saw in my mirror the dual exhaust telling me it was the 335i Sedan! I was awake now! I just saw a facelifted 335i sedan, pretty much as soon as it was released. And in my part of PA, I figured I’d not see one till a year later.
Anyway, I’m telling all my friends I saw it, even though they have no clue what I’m talking about, and they don’t understand how it’s special. Then comes science class and I tell my teacher, who is also a BMW enthusiast, and on his 4th Bimmer. And he says “oh yea, that’s Mrs. Vella’s.” And I was like who? And he said “she teaches 6th grade at Foot of Ten.” I said “is she nice, would she care if I stopped over and said I love your car?” My teacher laughed and said “yea shed nice. Stop over, and tell you Mr. Imler sent you.” I said ok. I couldn’t wait for school to be over… The next few classes went so slowly. I was thinking ooo wow, I’ll get to take a picture of it, maybe even sit in it if she’s really nice. So finally schools over and I drive over to the elementary school where she teaches. I see the 335 parked up front, right beside an E39 5 Series. I got a kick out of that, mainly cuz BMWs are kinda rare where I lived. I walk in and ask to visit Mrs Vella, Mr Imler sent me. The office lady said ok, sign in and I need to call her to make sure it’s ok. She hangs up and says where her room is. I’m walking to her room, hoping she’s cool and a nice lady.
I knock on the open door and say “Mrs Vella?” the teacher behind the desk says “Yes, Mr Imler sent you?” I said “yes, and your the one with the 2009 335i Sedan?” she said “Yep…” and what she said next knocked me off my feet. She continued “…you wanna drive it?” This was literally 20 seconds after talking to the lady for the first time. I didn’t even go to this elementary school, I went to the rival one. Haha. I was able to mutter out “We have to talk first…” We talked for about ten minutes about BMWs and my love for them. And that this was her 2nd 335i. And her brother works at a local BMW dealership. But then she asked “so are you gonna drive it or not?” I said “if you really want me to… I got a speeding ticket before…” she said “nah that’s ok” and she was getting her key out of her coat pocket. Then she said another thing that surprised me- “have it back by 4, and when you pull out turn right, there’s no cops on that road, and if you need to go, it GOES!” I was like “your not even going with me?” She said “nah, I trust you. I don’t know why, but I do.” I said “I don’t know why either, but ok.” so she gave me the key to her $40,000, 300hp twin turbo, brand spanking new BMW, told me I can floor it, and told me where the cops are not watching, and I could have it for a half hour… I believe once I started the car, I said “this lady is crazy!”
I had my video camera on the dash filming me as I drove down this back road. I wanted the engine to heat up before I did anything. Meanwhile I was calling friends to see if they were home so I could show them. There was one that was at his girl friends house that I decided to head to. And lucky me, I had to get on a 55mph road to get there. I get to the stop sign, and wait for a break in traffic so I can see what this mighty engine has… And my mom calls me. Blah blah blah, don’t come to work, it’s supposed to snow alot she says. I say “ok I have to go, I’m behind the wheel of a brand new BMW.” She yells “then get off the phone!” I said “I’m at a stop sign” Then she yells “go through it!” and hangs up. I laughed and put the phone down and waited for the upcoming break in traffic. The last car passes and I pull out on the road slowly, and straighten the wheels… And then do a 3/4 throttle…
Oh my God… 30mph, 50mph… 70MPH! And it took my ten times longer to type that it took the car to hit that 70mph mark. It was the first time a car accelerating made my cheeks on my face feel like they were being pushed back. The only thing I could say after I left off the gas was a deep, truly fitting, “WOW…”
To make a long story a little longer, I picked up my friend, we went around the block, and I gave him the camera and said get out, stand there, and film me speeding away. We did that and for once, when I watched that video, that sporty 335i exhaust note wasn’t coming from the Internet, but my camera, and for once, it was me behind the wheel making that noise! Anyway, even though time goes slower the faster you go, the fun made it go too fast. And it was time to start heading back to the school. I get back in Mrs Vella’s room and hand her the keys. She asked what I thought and I just said your crazy to let me have it. We talked a little more, and then she had to be somewhere. But not before she told me she just got the car the day before. I couldn’t and still can’t understand how she could be that generous. I have a hard time trying to trust people driving my Chevy Cavalier for crying out loud.
But that’s my story of seeing a brand new 335 on the way to school, and somehow driving it after school…