Big boys and their gleaming toys
As regional president of one of the world's most famous luxury manufacturers one would expect Erich Papke to indulge himself with a ride in keeping with his position. In fact the head of BMW Poland's day-to-day transport is so exclusive that it is not currently available here and had to be sourced from his German homeland.
His dark blue 7 Series, with its cream-colored interior and classic wooden dashboard, makes a great impression at first sight, but there's much more to the 750i than just its majestic appearance. Papke eulogizes over his vehicle: "It has incredible suspension, is very safe and can be driven in a really sporty fashion."
Performance guaranteed
The car's 4,799 cc engine and 367 horsepower guarantee the sporty performance he enjoys. However, Papke adds that he considers the rational things in the car the most important, such as fuel consumption and safety.
The president appreciates his car, as well as other 7 Series models, for their "incredibly good" performance and the relaxing drive they offer when cruising at high speeds. "The car must be fun to drive and you must really enjoy driving it," adds Papke.
Sounds good
Apart from the engine performance, Papke enjoys the 14-speaker sound system: "It operates on 'prologic', which accommodates the volume and sound quality to the speed of the car and engine noise level."
Although Papke has had BMWs since the early 1980s, when he started working for the company, he and his family have great memories associated with the Land Rover brand too.
The family has a passion for safari excursions and for many years, every six months or so, the Papke clan trekked through remote places in Africa with their Land Rover Defender. "We always went to places where there were very few people," Papke reminisces.
Wild times
He credits the Defender with great off-road performances, as well as a large fuel tank, a 60-litre water container, and other luxuries, "which guaranteed that I could serve my wife cool wine every evening," Papke recalls.
They had many adventures during those numerous safari rides, but one in particular has stayed with the BMW CEO. "During a trip in Botswana we camped with another family next to a fire and suddenly we were surrounded by a group of six or more lions. The lions were walking around, roaring, but they would not come closer because of the fire. We knew the animals' behavior, but still it was very unnerving," Papke says.
Jensen's jewel
The president of AIG Polska Towarzystwo Ubezpieczeń, Michael Jensen on the other hand relies on Swedish luxury and precision, the latest Saab 9-5 estate. Jensen has only owned the car since October and his use has been limited to traveling to and from work. For this reason Jensen particularly appreciates the automatic transmission. "It's a great thing when stuck in the Warsaw traffic jams," he said. Jensen also appreciates the car's engine and its torque, however, he sees "the small car feel" as one of its very few weak points.
Previously Jensen has had several company and private cars, including an Audi A6, Peugeot 406, and Ford Focus. When working in Kazakhstan he owned a Nissan Patrol 4X4, which was indispensable given driving conditions in the country. "The roads in the cities are a bit worse than in Poland, but outside of the cities the conditions are basically off-road," he recalls.
Road trip
He made a few trips to the mountains in Kazakhstan with the car. However, Jensen's most memorable automobile adventure was an unplanned two-week tour of the north-eastern United States. "I drove with a good friend in a Lincoln Towncar. We started in New York taking in Washington D.C. before driving to Niagara Falls and crossing the Canadian border to see Toronto, then heading across to Boston and returning to New York. Every day was spontaneous and unplanned, we didn't know where we would sleep and what point we would reach," he reminisced. Another favorite car memory is the 2000 VIP Tour with BMW in Romania. "It was one full day of driving almost all the cars within the BMW range," Jensen said.
Golden oldies
While Papke and Jensen enjoy the newest gems from the BMW and Saab factories, the general manager of Warsaw's Skancar Volvo dealership, Joergen Hansen, is keener on the cars of yesteryear. For everyday driving he uses a Volvo S60, however, it is the older 1962 Volvo PV 544 that he is most fond of. "It is extremely reliable, it virtually lasts forever and can drive a million kilometers," he said.
At the moment Hansen uses the car during the summer months and it has so far clocked up more than 400,000 km. Hansen is a member of the Danish Volvo PV 544 Club and takes part in old-car shows and events, like the annual Goodwood Festival of Speed. He admits that his dream vehicle is Volvo's 1960's sports model made famous by The Saint television series, the low-slung P1800. "This is the model I plan to buy next," Hansen said.
European haul
When asked about special automobile adventures and memories, Hansen recalls the days when he worked in a car-rental company picking up cars all around Europe. "We had to leave Copenhagen on Friday, pick up the cars somewhere in Europe and be back by Monday," he says. One shattering trip has stayed in his mind that involved he and his workmates driving cars from both Munich then Paris. "We didn't realize that the distance from Munich to Paris is not so much shorter than the one from Copenhagen to Munich. We drove 4,000 km in two days and came back home exhausted very late on Sunday. I remember I was driving an Opel Record," Hansen recalls.
For now though, life is more sedate - and rewarding - with his weekends devoted to preparing and enjoying his PV 544.
His dark blue 7 Series, with its cream-colored interior and classic wooden dashboard, makes a great impression at first sight, but there's much more to the 750i than just its majestic appearance. Papke eulogizes over his vehicle: "It has incredible suspension, is very safe and can be driven in a really sporty fashion."
Performance guaranteed
The car's 4,799 cc engine and 367 horsepower guarantee the sporty performance he enjoys. However, Papke adds that he considers the rational things in the car the most important, such as fuel consumption and safety.
The president appreciates his car, as well as other 7 Series models, for their "incredibly good" performance and the relaxing drive they offer when cruising at high speeds. "The car must be fun to drive and you must really enjoy driving it," adds Papke.
Sounds good
Apart from the engine performance, Papke enjoys the 14-speaker sound system: "It operates on 'prologic', which accommodates the volume and sound quality to the speed of the car and engine noise level."
Although Papke has had BMWs since the early 1980s, when he started working for the company, he and his family have great memories associated with the Land Rover brand too.
The family has a passion for safari excursions and for many years, every six months or so, the Papke clan trekked through remote places in Africa with their Land Rover Defender. "We always went to places where there were very few people," Papke reminisces.
Wild times
He credits the Defender with great off-road performances, as well as a large fuel tank, a 60-litre water container, and other luxuries, "which guaranteed that I could serve my wife cool wine every evening," Papke recalls.
They had many adventures during those numerous safari rides, but one in particular has stayed with the BMW CEO. "During a trip in Botswana we camped with another family next to a fire and suddenly we were surrounded by a group of six or more lions. The lions were walking around, roaring, but they would not come closer because of the fire. We knew the animals' behavior, but still it was very unnerving," Papke says.
Jensen's jewel
The president of AIG Polska Towarzystwo Ubezpieczeń, Michael Jensen on the other hand relies on Swedish luxury and precision, the latest Saab 9-5 estate. Jensen has only owned the car since October and his use has been limited to traveling to and from work. For this reason Jensen particularly appreciates the automatic transmission. "It's a great thing when stuck in the Warsaw traffic jams," he said. Jensen also appreciates the car's engine and its torque, however, he sees "the small car feel" as one of its very few weak points.
Previously Jensen has had several company and private cars, including an Audi A6, Peugeot 406, and Ford Focus. When working in Kazakhstan he owned a Nissan Patrol 4X4, which was indispensable given driving conditions in the country. "The roads in the cities are a bit worse than in Poland, but outside of the cities the conditions are basically off-road," he recalls.
Road trip
He made a few trips to the mountains in Kazakhstan with the car. However, Jensen's most memorable automobile adventure was an unplanned two-week tour of the north-eastern United States. "I drove with a good friend in a Lincoln Towncar. We started in New York taking in Washington D.C. before driving to Niagara Falls and crossing the Canadian border to see Toronto, then heading across to Boston and returning to New York. Every day was spontaneous and unplanned, we didn't know where we would sleep and what point we would reach," he reminisced. Another favorite car memory is the 2000 VIP Tour with BMW in Romania. "It was one full day of driving almost all the cars within the BMW range," Jensen said.
Golden oldies
While Papke and Jensen enjoy the newest gems from the BMW and Saab factories, the general manager of Warsaw's Skancar Volvo dealership, Joergen Hansen, is keener on the cars of yesteryear. For everyday driving he uses a Volvo S60, however, it is the older 1962 Volvo PV 544 that he is most fond of. "It is extremely reliable, it virtually lasts forever and can drive a million kilometers," he said.
At the moment Hansen uses the car during the summer months and it has so far clocked up more than 400,000 km. Hansen is a member of the Danish Volvo PV 544 Club and takes part in old-car shows and events, like the annual Goodwood Festival of Speed. He admits that his dream vehicle is Volvo's 1960's sports model made famous by The Saint television series, the low-slung P1800. "This is the model I plan to buy next," Hansen said.
European haul
When asked about special automobile adventures and memories, Hansen recalls the days when he worked in a car-rental company picking up cars all around Europe. "We had to leave Copenhagen on Friday, pick up the cars somewhere in Europe and be back by Monday," he says. One shattering trip has stayed in his mind that involved he and his workmates driving cars from both Munich then Paris. "We didn't realize that the distance from Munich to Paris is not so much shorter than the one from Copenhagen to Munich. We drove 4,000 km in two days and came back home exhausted very late on Sunday. I remember I was driving an Opel Record," Hansen recalls.
For now though, life is more sedate - and rewarding - with his weekends devoted to preparing and enjoying his PV 544.
