Usain Bolt, the 100m and 200m Olympic Champion at Beijing 2008, fulfilled his dream driving a F430 Spider in Monte Carlo. He drove on a section of the famous Formula One city circuit. Bolt is in Monaco for the World Athletics Gala, promoted by the International Association of Athletics Federations, where he will receive the "Athlete of the Year" award.
The Olympic Champion was also in Munich to experience the outstanding driving characteristics of his future BMW M3 while driving it to its limits at the BMW Vehicle Test Facility in Aschheim near Munich.
"It was a fascinating experience", commented the athlete following almost three hours of BMW Driver Training.
Apparently, he was impressed by the power and the sound of the engine. Usain Bolt had obviously enjoyed driving the 414hp sports car around the handling course in wintry road conditions, aware he was taking the vehicle to its physical limits under the guidance of a BMW driving instructor.
The world record holder described his first encounter with a BMW M3 Coupe in Jamaica as "love at first sight". Even as a young boy he never missed an opportunity to join his uncle for a ride in his BMW. The passion remained, and so did the dream of owning his own BMW M3 - a dream his chief sponsor Puma finally fulfilled in recognition of three gold medals at the Beijing Olympics.
The black BMW M3 Coupe, destined for the fastest man in the world, is currently on its way to Kingston, Jamaica and will be handed over to Usain Bolt before Christmas.
Usain Bolt, who stands 6'5" tall, won the 100 meters at the Beijing Olympic Games in the record-breaking time of 9.69sec, beating his own previous world record from May 2008. The athlete was also unsurpassed in the 200 meters, in which he set a new world record of 19.30sec. He seized his third gold medal by winning the 4x100-meter relay together with the Jamaican team, likewise in a new world record time of 37.10sec. The Jamaican quartet improved on the previous world record set by the USA in 1993 by 0.3sec.