Live Blog - Day 3: morning

It's funny what difference a few hours makes.

The day began with car allocation for the road loop north, where the 18-man crew hope that the car they're given to start off in is one on their bucket list.

Of course, it's our judges who have the ultimate choice, and once we've split into groups and been given a set of keys each, we depart Phillip Island, with yesterday afternoon's excellent weather in tow.

It's plain sailing on the relatively straight roads, and a mix of road works spoils any fun there's to be had in the windier sections. The fun began, though, when the 1-Series M Coupe I'm driving flaunts a 'Tyre Puncture' warning on the dash. I immediately pull over, calling the Cleary in the leading Audi TT RS to let him know. Inspecting each of those stunning 19-inch alloys, the BMW appears fine (apart from minor evidence of yesterday afternoon’s track time).

Delving further into the tyre-pressure monitoring system reveals that it has simply picked up a 'drop in pressure'; most likely a result of us returning its pressures back to placard for the road loop. All is well. Until the other BMW in this group – the rag-top 650i – hits a deep, deep pot-hole. There's no doubting that its 19-inch run-flat's a goner. It's shame, because the V8 convertible was meant for these long-distance drives, and it was proving its credentials as a Grand Tourer.

The rest of the crew have travelled on through the Yarra, while the 650i awaits a new front left, with Torrens continually falling behind in the A1 Sport after taking a wrong turn, while Amac's lapping some of the greatest roads in the Victorian high country at the wheel of the impressive C63 AMG Coupe.

And the roads are only going to get windier this afternoon...