What do you do when you’re in the midst of a coronavirus lockdown and cabin fever has taken hold? 

For Andreas Vorwerk the answer was clear: plan your next road trip – along winding Alpine roads to Lake Garda, down through the string of tunnels on the lake’s western shores to Saló. Then a brief pause for a slice of focaccia and a refreshing cappuccino before embarking on the journey back home. So the route is sorted, all that needs deciding now is the right carriage for the job at hand. 

An Alpina B6 and a BMW E30 Convertible are ready and waiting in the garage. But this is lockdown, after all, so why not use the time to research some other options.

A Holland-based M Roadster, for example – a re-import from the US. Yes, its engine is only a 240 hp example, but it looks to be in stunning condition. This was the car Andreas bought sight unseen towards the end of 2020, and the 39-year-old has yet to have any regrets. Although the American versions of the car are somewhat lower-maintenance, this is still a complex piece of engineering requiring TLC to match. So fortunately there were no hidden demons below the surface. 

Fast forward to July 2021, and Lake Garda has been successfully navigated without a motorway toll paid – evidence of a route planned exclusively over back roads and mountain passes. So it turns out some lockdown dreams do come true. And should the situation re-occur, Andreas has a new project in his garage awaiting some finishing touches: an E30 M3.