The 25th of April Bridge makes a peculiar loud hum when cars passed through it as two of six lanes are metallic platforms instead of asphalt.

Even after 44 years, the 2.3km bridge remains an amazing piece of human engineering, towering high and stretching as far as the eye could see across the Tagus river that flows between Lisbon and the city of Almada.

Not San Francisco, folks, but Lisbon.

Both the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge, near the Golden Gate, and 25th of April Bridge were in fact built by the same US company – the American Bridge Company.

Interestingly, the bridge was so called because that day in 1974 marked the start of a leftist military coup that effectively changed the Portuguese regime from an authoritarian dictatorship to a democracy.

As motorists speed across, they would also catch sight of Cristo-Rei (Christ the King), a massive Catholic monument that overlooks Lisbon, that was itself inspired by Rio de Janeiro’s Christ the Redeemer.

Such Portuguese outtakes were made possible from a trip that came courtesy of BMW.

The luxury car company was having its international media launch of the latest 5 Series in Portugal. It was a logistical challenge organising a major event that drew over 700 journalists from around the world but BMW held it with typical German efficiency. Eight from Malaysia attended the launch in the first week of February.

How's this for a great view? Houses perched on a cliffside facing the Atlantic Ocean north of Cascais.

Journalists have free rein in how they angled their stories, even if they are highly critical.

But they are often a gracious lot, publishing write-ups that are generally positive, with some tactfully pointing out flaws, if any.

And then there are a few that reads like press releases straight from the media kit issued.

The assignment could be to cover the launch of a new car or tyre, or a factory visit coupled with a drive criss-crossing the country.

From the writer’s perspective, it’s like killing two birds with one stone – experiencing the latest the car makers have to offer while visiting new locales that he might not otherwise go to.

For the longest time, the automotive industry has wooed and feted the mainstream media as part of its marketing campaign in selling products and services.

The arrangement has worked well for years. Until the Internet phenomenon came along to open the eyes of all and sundry of the broader dimensions from exploiting the electronic ether.

A lot has changed since the worldwide web took off from the mid 1990s, and spawned a new way of connecting with the public.

Established bloggers are seen as a new avenue for car companies to extend their marketing, with at least one in Malaysia actively courting them because it believes it makes sound business sense to do so.

Tyre demos

The usual drill for passenger car tyre demonstrations are, across the board, similar.

Slaloms, wet and dry testing and comparative trials with rival brands occur every now and then in Malaysia or abroad.

Those who have covered a number of tyre shows are quickly led to understand that not all tyres are created equal, as each maker declares its latest tyres offer a combination of compounds, tread pattern and technological innovations that make them safer, grippier and superior than the competition.

It’s only through track tests that one gets an inkling of how true such claims are and daily usage over months to get a better picture of a tyre’s actual characteristics.

For motoring hacks, however, the most exciting are the car launches, where they get to try out the cars in strange new places and file reports in the field or on their return home.

Cascais, an idyllic oceanside resort town outside Lisbon.

The Hyundai Getz, for example, was introduced to the world media at Barcelona in 2005. When not enjoying the sights and sounds of downtown Barcelona while keeping an eye out for pickpockets, the small group of Malaysian writers who were invited over were gallivanting across the Spanish hinterland.

Not everyone knows how to read tulips correctly, leaving some drivers befuddled and lost. They had to fumble and ask around before they got on the right track in their preset course. Still, it was quite an adventure into some of the most beautiful and rustic parts of Spain that many tourists don’t get to see. The experience was heightened by dinner at a castle overlooking acres of vineyards.

And then there are trips that do not give enough room for writers to make an informed assessment of a car other than that what its designers or public relations people want them to know at the time. Such was the case with the Kia Forte, now on sale in Malaysia.

One writer quibbled last year that “it was hard to deliver a true judgment of the Forte as I only took it for a short spin on the factory premises in South Korea.” She nonetheless was able to give an initial impression of the ride, engine responsiveness and build quality.

Patience a virtue

The occasional long waits at airports and security checks have to count as an annoying but necessary routine travellers have to put up with.

The airport wait is made more tolerable if the trips are sponsored by big names like Lexus, Mercedes, or BMW, where they fly their charges business class all the way. Part of the perks of business class travel is the ability to enjoy airport lounges where food and drinks are free, and shower facilities are optionally offered.

If you have clocked enough flyer miles, you will begin to find that European trips are generally “clinical” as the hosts only will entertain you during official events. At other times, they leave you to your own devices.

“But for Asian car makers, the hosts can go the extra mile to make you more comfortable,” says an industry veteran, who has had eight years on the beat.

Small world

The 5 Series looks so right in front of this imposing museum, which is located not far from the 25th of April Bridge.

What makes for a memorable or a forgettable trip depends very much on who is tagging along.

 According to the veteran: “It's more about the people you are with. If you are stuck with a lousy bunch of petrolheads or PR managers who want you to angle your story to their liking, it’s too bad.

“Food is usually a non-issue, unless you only want halal stuff.

“Sometimes, the media convoy is non-stop and you can’t pull over by that nice backdrop for a photo shoot as it’s not allowed.”

Back to Iberia

On the contrary, the BMW 5 Series launch in Portugal afforded writers plenty of photo-ops as they were free to stop anywhere they like. They were assigned two to a car and they could swap places at any point in the preset driving course.

This Portuguese man is a big Bimmer fan. He pulled up when he saw the 5 Series on a mountain road and asked permission to do a videoshoot of it.

Cascais has for centuries charmed Portuguese nobles and exiled European royalty.

The former fishing village on the Estoril coast offers a splendid view of the Atlantic, complemented by a mild Mediterranean weather, sandy beaches and a lovely countryside dotted with pine trees and houses, sweeping down to the ocean.

Old palatial villas lined the waterfront, co-existing with village homes.

During Portugal’s great maritime era of discovering new territories – Malacca included – Cascais became a lookout for Lisbon. It was the first place the navigators saw when they returned from long voyages seeking their homeland, and the last when they set out on trips looking for African treasures, oriental spices, sugar and later gold from Brazil.

Premium all the way

As a luxury brand, BMW has always uphold that image. Flights to anywhere in the world are always business class and the press delegation are always booked into top-notch hotels.

At the launch of the 7 Series in Dresden two years ago, the media were put up in a grand hotel that was once a palace.

Similarly at the Cascais event, they were pampered with a two nights’ stay at the five-star Grande Real Villa Italia Hotel, once the home of exiled Italian King Umberto II, who was the last king of Italy.

Equally impressive was the “sensurround” launch of the 5 Series at the hotel where a conference hall had been transformed into a 360-degree screen, enveloping the audience as the 5 Series history and current innovations were played back. So anywhere a person rotates on his seat, he will be totally immersed in the 5 Series experience.

The fancy hotel in Cascais where the world's media were housed during the 5 Series launch.

Thanks to satellite navigation, which is standard in the 5 Series, getting lost was not an option, giving any first-time visitor absolute confidence to travel deep into a foreign country, with the assurance that he will be able to find his way back to base.

How was the car then?

There’s no doubt that it will continue to be a big seller for the BMW Group once it  reaches Malaysia in May.

It looks sharp, is bigger and more powerful than the outgoing model. It drives and handles as well as it looks, while cutting down on emissions.

With such a commanding carriage in hand, the journey across scenic Portugal was nothing if not sheer pleasure.

Update: BMW Malaysia held a ceremony at its Kulim assembly plant in Kedah on April 21 to mark the rollout of the last fifth-generation 5 Series unit. This paves the way for the Malaysian launch of the new 5 Series on May 7.