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CONTENTS Welcome Independently written for real enthusiasts BMW Car, Kelsey Publishing Ltd, The Granary, Downs Court, Yalding Hill, Yalding, Kent, ME18 6AL EDITORIAL Editor: Simon Jackson Email: bmwcar.ed@kelsey.co.uk Tel: 07391 718134 Contributors Bob Harper, Andrew Everett, Guy Baker, John Glynn, Rob Richardson, Dan Bevis, Jason Dodd, Shane O’ Donoghue, Richard Holdsworth, Aaron Mordue, Bob Taylor, Art Editor Lorna Mansford ADVERTISEMENT SALES Laura Crawte / Liam Stone Tel: 01233 228754 / 01233 228751 Email: laura@tandemmedia.co.uk / liam@tandemmedia.co.uk PRODUCTION Tandem Media Bmw@tandemmedia.co.uk Production Manager: Andy Welch Artwork enquiries: 01233 220245 MANAGEMENT Chief executive: Steve Wright Chief Operating Officer: Phil Weeden Subscription marketing Director: Gill Lambert Retail Director: Steve Brown Print production manager: Georgina Harris Print production controller: Kelly Orriss, Hayley Brown Subs Marketing Executives: Dave Sage, Claire Aspinall Affiliate Marketing: Kate Chamberlain SUBSCRIPTIONS 12 issues of BMW Car are published per annum UK annual subscription price: £64.87 Europe annual subscription price: £78 USA annual subscription price: £78 Rest of World annual subscription price: £85 CONTACT US: UK subscription and back issue orderline: 0845 241 5159 Overseas subscription orderline: 0044 (0) 1959 543 747 Toll free USA subscription orderline: 1-888-777-0275 UK customer service team: 01959 543 747 For customer service support, please visit: https://help.kelsey.co.uk Customer service and subscription postal address: BMW Car Customer Service Team, Kelsey Publishing Ltd, The Granary, Downs Court, Yalding Hill, Yalding, Kent, ME18 6AL

BMWs don’t come much more iconic than the 2002. In 2021 the 2002tii reaches its 50th birthday so you’ll see much in the way of celebrations to mark the milestone occasion this year, including in this issue. With the help of The 02 Register, experts in everything 2002, we take look at the car that many consider to be a better all-rounder than the (equally iconic) 2002 Turbo, p18. And, sticking with the letters ‘t’ and ‘i’, we bring together the latest BMW to wear them, the F40 128ti, and the last car to carry the designation before it, the E46/5 Compact. It’s a bit of a ‘meet the family’ ti affair on page 10.

We are currently living through extraordinary, historical, times in motoring as the world shifts from traditional fuels to electric power. It wasn’t so long ago that we were all convinced (certainly in the UK) of the benefits of moving from petrol to diesel cars, and diesel BMWs were exceptionally popular. Leading that charge was the E46 330d, a car that could swallow huge distances between refills and which offered excellent performance too. If an E46 330d rocked up in your rear view mirror on the motorway you would likely get out of its way pretty sharpish. In light of the times in which we now live, where diesel is evil, does buying an older BMW oil burner still make sense? Even one as highly regarded as the E46 330d? Mike Evans did just that, we meet his sixteen-year-old example with over 200k on the clock to see if the model remains as desirable as it once was, p52.

Back in the land of high octane petrol, David Towe is an ex-pat living in Australia, known on both sides of the globe for his love of BMWs and racing. David currently competes in a beautiful E30 M3 down under and has quite a history with the brand and its cars on road and track, we meet the man and explore his ex-works JPS E30 M3 on page 41.

Naturally, you’ll also find our usual mix of new BMWs, old BMWs and everything in between elsewhere in this issue, together with our unrivalled technical advice and the latest news from the BMW world. Enjoy the issue.

Simon Jackson, Editor @retro_ jackson

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Kelsey Media 2021 © all rights reserved. Kelsey Media is a trading name of Kelsey Publishing Ltd. Reproduction in whole or in part is forbidden except with permission in writing from the publishers. Note to contributors: articles submitted for consideration by the editor must be the original work of the author and not previously published.

Where photographs are included, which are not the property of the contributor, permission to reproduce them must have been obtained from the owner of the copyright. The editor cannot guarantee a personal response to all letters and emails received. The views expressed in the magazine are not necessarily those of the Editor or the Publisher. Kelsey Publishing Ltd accepts no liability for products and services offered by third parties.

The 2002tii hits 50 this year, and it’s still looking fantastic, isn’t it?

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bmwcarmag JULY 2021 3

CONTENTS

18

Contents Independently written for real enthusiasts

Regulars Independently written for real enthusiasts

006 News Catch up with the latest BMW news

025 Comment: Bob Harper Our resident marque expert talks all things BMW

026 Comment: John Glynn John thinks back to the good old days.

028 New Products Shop for the latest and greatest products

032 Motorsport Month The latest BMW motorsport news

034 Letters Have your say

036 First Drives Behind the wheel of the latest BMWs

058 Market Watch BMW marketplace analysis 4 BMWcar

061 Workshop Wisdom Andrew Everett gets his hands dirty with a range of BMW technical issues

065 Our Cars The trials and tribulations of the BMW Car fleet

072 Subscriptions Subscribe to BMW Car and save money!

074 Trouble-Shooter Technical tips and fixes for common BMW problems

079 Reader’s Rides Your BMW’s five minites of fame – did your car make print?

080 Classifieds Find a bargain in our free classifieds

082 Next Month What’s in the next issue of BMW Car?

CONTENTS

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41

46

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July 2021

Features 010 128ti Meets Compact ti

052 E46 330Cd

The letters ‘T’ and ‘i’ were missing from BMWs for some time, we introduce the new F40 128ti to the last car to carry the name – the E46/5 Compact.

Would you take a punt on a sixteen-year-old diesel with over 200k on the clock? Mike Evans did, and he’s over the moon with it…

018 2002tii at 50 Launched in 1971, the 2002 tii celebrates its 50th birthday this year, we take a look at it with the help of The 02 Register.

041 David Towe If you have the BMW racing bug nothing stops you – not even a heart attack. That’s the view of David Towe, to prove the point he’s now scorching around Australian race tracks in his E30 M3.

046 E39 530i Rich in hedonistic pleasure and dripping with turn-of-the-millennium charm, the Champagne II is the E39 for the true connoisseur…

36 JULY 2021 5

NEWS

BMW News M XDRIVE MODELS UNLEASHED BMW is offering the M3 Competition Saloon and M4 Competition Coupé with xDrive for the first time...

Following hot on the heels of the launch of the new M3 Competition Saloon and M4 Competition Coupé in the UK (BMW Car 06/21) BMW has added two further variants to the model line-up – it is offering its xDrive all-wheel drive system for the two highperformance M sports cars for the very first time. The improvements in traction, handling stability and agility enable both models to reach 62mph in just 3.5-seconds, making them 0.4-seconds quicker on the sprint than their rear-wheel drive counterparts.

As you'd expect power comes from the very same 510hp straight-six engine as fitted to the rear-wheel-drive models, that's connected to an eight-speed M Steptronic transmission with Drivelogic. The M-specific all-wheel drive system then divides power between the front and rear wheels as required to enhance agility, directional stability, traction and track-focused dynamics. Happily, the all-wheel drive system has a rear-bias ensuring it is setup in the classic BMW M car style.

Production of the new models gets underway soon, the M3 Competition Saloon

6 BMWcar

M xDrive is priced from £77,015, the M4 Competition Coupé M xDrive from £78,315.

BMW M customers will enjoy even more choice later in the year when the new M3 and M4 models will be joined by the latest version of the M4 Convertible.

How does it work?

The Active M Differential ensures fully variable distribution of drive torque between the rear wheels as the situation under its wheels demands. This helps to transfer torque to the road without any loss of power, especially when the car is being pushed hard or has less grip on one side. The M xDrive system and the Active M Differential – complete with its integrated M-specific traction control – link up with the Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) system to ensure precisely judged interaction for the driving situation at hand.

The M xDrive system uses an electronically controlled multi-plate clutch in the transfer case for adjustable, fully variable distribution of drive torque between the front and rear wheels.

The multi-plate clutch’s oil supply has been

optimised for track use. The task of transmitting power to the front and rear differentials is handled by driveshafts engineered specifically for the new xDrive offerings. The output shafts that relay the drive torque to the wheels are also bespoke items. The all-wheel drive system's rear-biased set-up sends power entirely to the rear wheels, with the front wheels only being brought into play when the rears cannot feed any more power to the road.

The transfer case features a bespoke control unit and integrated wheel slip limitation. This enables it to compensate for any differences in rotational speed between the front and rear wheels exceptionally quickly without having to involve the central DSC management.

This results in enhanced all-wheel drive performance and supreme handling.

The all-wheel-drive technology is complemented by a double-joint spring strut front axle, redesigned for these models – it features a specially adapted front axle geometry and an individually tuned steering ratio. These extensive bespoke modifications for the all-wheel drive system ensure that both the existing pure rear-wheel drive variants, and their new M xDrive counterparts, stand out.

The all-wheel drive models additionally benefit from a specially adapted version of the engine oil supply system.

NEWS

4WD, 4WD Sport or 2WD mode M xDrive also allows the driver to tailor the all-wheel-drive system’s characteristics and performance to the driving situation and their individual preferences. The desired setting can be selected directly from the Setup menu, there's a choice of three different power transmission modes. In the default 4WD setting, the all-wheel drive system offers maximum traction and precision handling while always maintaining a distinctly rear-biased power split. Activating 4WD Sport mode directs an even greater proportion of the engine’s torque to the rear wheels. The linear buildup of lateral forces so characteristic of M models now also makes it possible to execute controlled drifts. Drivers can also switch off the DSC system altogether and engage 2WD mode, where drive power is relayed solely to the rear wheels.

With the standard-issue M Traction Control on UK models, traction can be finely adjusted through ten stages in the same way as on the rear-wheel drive models. This form of power transmission without any intervention from the chassis control systems to stabilise the vehicle allows seasoned drivers to enjoy what BMW calls a 'pure driving experience'.

JULY 2021 7

NEWS

BMW PROTECTION VEHICLE DIVISION BMW has granted behind the scenes access to its BMW X5 Protection VR6 for a new TV show on Dave.

Secrets of the Supercars is a TV show on Dave (Freeview: Channel 19) providing an inside look at some of the most exclusive car companies on earth, putting vehicles through their paces on the track, discovering gamechanging supercars of the past and revealing what happens when engineers push car design to extremes. A new episode offers viewers a behind the scenes look at manufacturing and testing of the BMW X5 Protection VR6. It's the first time BMW has allowed TV cameras access inside its secretive Protection Vehicle division

in Munich, which has set the standard in the design and development of armoured vehicles for 40 years. Viewers will get an exclusive look at the manufacturing and testing of the BMW X5 Protection VR6 – capable of withstanding attack from automatic weapons.

Barely distinguishable from the seriesproduction model both in terms of its appearance and driving dynamics, the X5 Protection VR6 shields occupants with a thick multi-layer safety glass (approximately 30mm) that features an internal polycarbonate splinter

protection layer. Combined with the armoured passenger compartment, post-blast-protection, leak-resistant fuel tank and run-flat tyres, the BMW X5 Protection VR6 can safeguard against attacks from short-range and long-range weapons, including the AK-47.

In the X5 Protection VR6 episode the vehicle will be put to the test on track and at the shooting range. First broadcast in May in the UK, repeats and international broadcast dates across Europe and other territories will follow.

Visit dave.uktv.co.uk to find out more.

LONGSTONE LIGHT CAR RACE The Longstone Light Car Race will take place at Oulton Park in July...

The Vintage Sports-Car Club (VSCC) is re-establishing the Light car race on 10th of July at its Oulton Park race meeting. Perhaps appropriately, the title sponsor of the event is Longstone Classic Tyres – the home of vintage tyres. This year's 40-minute endurance race will be contested by an array of weird and wonderful light cars and cycle cars – the likes of which has not been seen this century.

So, what's it all about?

In the early days of motoring, small capacity light-weight cars and cycle cars were the order of the day. Cotton and bobbin steering, aircooled engines, with just one or two-cylinders powering cars whose transmission was often dealt with via belt or chain drive. To qualify as a Light car, vehicles must have been built 8 BMWcar

before 1931 and have an engine capacity of less than 1500cc. They must also be standard and unmodified. The Longstone Light Car

Race promises to be a spectacle not to be missed – find out more about attending via the VSCC website: vscc.co.uk

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Contact your local BMW Centre to find out more or to book an Air Conditioning Service.

F40 128ti VS E46/5 COMPACT

ou could be forgiven for getting a trifle confused by BMW’s naming conventions – over the years different badges have been given to different models but they’re not always consistently applied which can lead to befuddlement. And we’re not just talking about the engine size bearing no relation to what it says on the car’s rump.

Some designations are pretty consistent though. If there’s a ‘d’ in the name then the car will undoubtedly sup from the black pump.

If it has an ‘x’ in its moniker then it will have all-wheel drive and if there’s an ‘i’ then it’s an injection model, although that latter example doesn’t always hold true. These day’s an ‘i’ means electrification so perhaps it’s more

Y

10 BMWcar

accurate to say that an ‘i’ used as a prefix means electric while if it’s used as a suffix it’s an injection. Unless it’s a ‘ti’ in which case that means something else… which we’ll come onto in a moment.

Among the sportier offerings the CS badge has been a mainstay ever since it was first used by BMW way back in 1962 on the 3200CS with the letters standing for Coupé Sport. Since then it was used on the E9 coupés, the E24 6 Series and the E31 8 Series, but it then seemed to fall from grace and wasn’t used on later generations of 6 or 8 Series. It’s now made a return and sits above the recently-introduced ‘Competition’ models but now the C doesn’t necessarily denote a coupé as both the F80 M3 and the latest M5

use that badging but are four-door models…

And you could argue that the ‘ti’ moniker has had a similarly confused journey with BMW. It stands for Turismo Internazionale and was originally a class for smaller-engined racing cars devised by the Italians to help their home-grown machinery when racing against larger-engined opposition. Fairly quickly it was used on several Alfa Romeo models during the 1950s and 1960s such as the Giulietta and Giulia models and BMW decided to jump on the Turismo Internazionale bandwagon with the Neue Klasse saloon in 1963 with the launch of the 1800Ti. The Neue Klasse saloon had been launched in 1961 to rave reviews at its debut at the Frankfurt motor show and was originally

F40 128ti VS E46/5 COMPACT

What’s in a name?

The Turismo Internazionale moniker is back with the arrival of the 128ti but where did the name come from, and how does today’s model stack up with its immediate predecessor – the E46 3 Series Compact? Words: Bob Harper Photography: Jason Dodd

powered by a 1500cc version of the classic M10 four-cylinder engine but it soon became apparent that it was crying out for more performance once the production models hit the road in 1962. A 1600 and an 1800 quickly followed and the ultimate performance variant joined the fray at the Frankfurt show in 1963, the 1800Ti. It was quite the performer and BMW reckoned it was a machine aimed at “an international clientele looking for an extremely fast car with luxurious fixtures and fittings.”

It featured a raised compression ratio, twin Solex carbs, larger valves and an uprated camshaft and developed a very healthy 110hp, impressive stuff for the time. It was mated to a close ratio manual gearbox and with a quicker steering rack and tweaked

suspension settings it was everything BMW wanted it to be. It even developed an 1800Ti/SA (SA meaning Sonderausfuehrung or special edition) aimed directly at those wanting to go racing and it proved to be a very effective track weapon indeed.

When the closely related ’02 models were launched it was no surprise that the Ti badging was used once again, firstly for the 1600Ti and then the 2002ti, BMW opting to drop the capitalisation of the T for some reason between the 1600Ti’s launch in 1967 and the debut of the 2002ti in 1968. The badge continued with the launch of the tii in 1971 with the second ‘i’ standing for injection. And so it would have seemed that BMW had hit on it a pretty foolproof naming convention –

CS/CSi for the coupés and ti/tii for the hotter saloon cars. But no, with the demise of the 2002tii in 1975 the Turismo Internazionale badge was quietly dropped and failed to make an appearance on the performance orientated 3 Series models that followed.

Fast forward nearly 20-years to the middle of the E36 3 Series’ life and ti would return, but this time it wasn’t on what you’d call a particularly performance-orientated model, the three-door hatchback Compact. In truth BMW had been rather slow to react to the burgeoning hatchback market – VW had shown how popular it could be with its Golf that had launched way back when BMW was still manufacturing the ’02. Perhaps it was initially a segment of the market that lacked JULY 2021 11

F40 128ti VS E46/5 COMPACT

The Turismo Internazionale badging made a return on the E46 Compact

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TABLET • MOBILE the prestige now associated with the BMW brand but it eventually saw the light and entered the fray. Attracting new customers is the holy grail for manufacturers and nabbing them while they’re young with a relatively affordable machine tends to see those customers stick with a brand when they have more disposable income to spend.

Thus the E36 Compact was born and was available initially as a 316i or a 318ti with BMW hoping the latter car’s badging would perhaps tempt potential Golf GTI customers to the BMW fold. European buyers were luckier than UK customers though as they also had the choice of the 323ti Compact which was a far more enticing performance proposition.

While the E36 Compact was a good car it perhaps wasn’t a great one, seemingly cobbled together from the E30 and E36 parts bin to ensure its price tag was tempting to new customers.

The Turismo Internazionale badging made a return on the E46 Compact though, and this

12 BMWcar

time all versions received the ti moniker. It was a far better resolved machine than the E36 version and many pundits thought it was the best of the 3 Series models to drive thanks to it initially having a quicker steering rack than the rest of the 3 Series range. Three petrols – 316ti, 318ti and 325ti – were offered in the UK with a brace of diesels too, the 318td and 320td, and all used the same floorpan as the rest of the 3 Series range. The styling was initially a little controversial as unlike the E36 Compact it didn’t ape the saloon or coupé’s look, especially at the front, while at the rear the Lexus-style rear light clusters were a departure for the BMW brand.

Strong sales of the E46 Compact persuaded the top brass that a hatchback model definitely had a place in the BMW line up and thus the 1 Series was born in 2004. Initially just available as a three- or five-door hatch it soon went on to spawn a complete range of hatch, coupé and convertible, but unlike the Compacts that had gone before it the ti

From £2.31 pocketmags.com shop.kelsey.co.uk/bmc

F40 128ti VS E46/5 COMPACT

JULY 2021 13

F40 128ti VS E46/5 COMPACT

badging was once again dropped… until its reemergence on the new 128ti.

After a break of 16-years the Turismo Internazionale is back and this time BMW is making a fuss about its sporting credentials and quite rightly so. It’s a little crackerjack of a car and is perhaps rather a more convincing proposition that its more expensive M135i xDrive sibling. Dyed-in-the-wool BMW fans might bemoan its front-wheel drive architecture but get beyond that and there’s a superb driver’s car waiting to be discovered and one that most pundits would choose over its Golf GTI rival – an impressive feat given VW has had over four decades to perfect and hone the GTI. At its heart is the familiar 2.0-litre

14 BMWcar

TwinPower turbocharged four-cylinder that develops 265hp and 295lb ft of torque, good enough for a 6.1-second 0-62mph time and a 155mph top speed. There’s far more to it than just raw speed though as it features the firmer anti-roll bars and mountings from the M135i teamed with modified springs and dampers and a unique steering set up for the sharpest responses. A Torsen limited-slip differential ensures excellent traction and agility, especially when in combination with the 1 Series’ new ARB stability system which was originally developed for the i3.

Ensuring it stops as well as it goes are the same M Sport brakes used on the M135i while a set of sexy 18-inch alloys equipped with Michelin Pilot Sport 4 tyres ensures

there’s plenty of grip. All 128tis come with M Sport styling with plenty of highlights to show that this isn’t a run of the mill 1 Series M Sport. Inside the theme is continued with a number of bespoke items and red trim to enhance the interior ambiance.

But does the 128ti share much (or any) of its DNA with its immediate ti predecessor, the E46 Compact? To find out we brought together one of the finest examples of the E46/5 Compact together with the latest F40 to find out. While they’re both hatchbacks there’s not a huge amount of family DNA running through the two cars in terms of their styling and the Compact is visibly quite a bit smaller. Design changes are quite obvious, especially in profile where the F40’s longer

F40 128ti VS E46/5 COMPACT

Does the 128ti share much (or any) of its DNA with its immediate ti predecessor?

roof is quite apparent while the F40’s higher front end is a result of modern crash test legislation. Visually not similar perhaps, but both instantly recognisable as BMWs. The Compact is a 316ti from 2001 that’s owned by the Stears family and we spoke to Gareth Stears about the car. It was originally purchased by his father as a new car in 2001 but sadly shortly after he bought it he contracted an illness and passed away.

He was immensely proud of the Compact and for that reason the family decided to keep it as a way of remembering him and the Compact now remains in the garage being lovingly looked after with the family using it for trips out together.

You can tell just by looking at it that it’s

Who are

BimmerDeals?

BimmerDeals sells BMWs and MINIs online via social media platforms and forums working on behalf of Berry BMW, and can arrange delivery at four different BMW retailers or can deliver direct to its customers at home via its very own vehicle logistics company.

BimmerDeals tends to concentrate on the higher performance end of the market – M cars and M Performance models as well as Cooper S and MINI JCW machinery. The whole team at BimmerDeals are keen petrolheads and offer upgrades via Motech Performance for BMWs and Deutsch Tech for MINIs for those looking for a little bit of individualisation on their car.

BimmerDeals offers significant online discounts and can arrange finance too – it even fully details all the cars it sells before delivery free of charge, demonstrating the company’s efforts to go the extra mile.

Contact: bimmerdeals@outlook.com or @bimmerdeals on Instagram

JULY 2021 15

F40 128ti VS E46/5 COMPACT

“I think the M135i is perhaps the more capable car thanks to its xDrive system...”

Specifications Engine: Capacity: Max power: Max torque: 0-62mph: Top speed: Economy: Price (new):

E46/5 316ti SE N42 four-cylinder 1796cc 115hp @ 5500rpm 129lb ft @ 3500rpm 10.9-seconds 125mph 40.9mpg £17,775 (2002)

F40 128ti B48 four-cylinder turbo 1998cc 265hp @ 4750-6500rpm 295lb ft @ 1750-4500rpm 6.1-seconds 155mph 46.3mpg £32,995 (2020)

been well looked after and the underside is just as good as Gareth relates; “When it recently went into BMW they said it’s in better condition that some six-month old new cars that they see – perhaps the older ones were better put together! It’s a lovely little car and still drives very nicely. My sister and brother recently took it for a trip to Wales and returned saying how well it drives – it’s basically just run-in.”

Despite obviously being very enamoured with the family’s Compact Gareth could certainly see the attraction of the new 128ti; “It’s a fantastic looking car, they’ve done a really good job on it, I think it’ll be a really good seller and I’d certain prefer one of those to a Golf. They’ve kept some of the styling cues from the E46 ti but it’s great to have the ti name back in the range.”

The 128ti we have here was brought along to the shoot by David King from BimmerDeals, an online BMW sales company, and those with eagle eyes might notice that it’s had a couple of subtle upgrades from standard. David teams up with Motech Performance to offer a range of personalisation options on the cars he sells and this 128ti has a front splitter, sill extensions and a rear spoiler addition from Maxton Design along with mirror caps from AutoID. Eibach springs drop the suspension a little while some wheel spacers complete the look.

David’s very enthusiastic about the way the 128ti drives and is hard pushed to decide whether he prefers the 128ti or the M135i xDrive. “I love them both,” he says with a smile, “But I do think that the M135i is perhaps the more capable car thanks to its xDrive system while the 128ti is the more playful of the two. The M135i is the quicker car off the line with its xDrive traction but through the mid-range I don’t think there’s that mush difference between them – the 128ti might be 40 horsepower down but it’s also 80 kilos lighter so it does make up for that. The 128ti’s limited-slip diff on the front axle is excellent and to my mind it’s almost a throwback to those really entertaining hot hatches from years gone by. It’s a fantastic car to drive and an amazing achievement given it’s the first type of this car BMW’s made.”

Ultimately the new 128ti is perhaps much closer to the ethos of BMW’s original use of the ‘ti’ badge than the E46 Compact.

It’s firmly aimed at the sporting driver and while Neue Klasse 1800Ti drivers might not expect a front-wheel drive BMW to perform with typical BMW qualities we think they’d be pleasantly surprised. The Compact – especially one as lovely as this example – is still a great car and is a joy to drive offering a great blend of performance, handling and ride comfort along with excellent build quality, but looking back with hindsight it seems a little out of kilter with the original Turismo Internazionale theme l

THANKS Gareth Stears for the use of the 316ti Compact, David King for the 128ti.

16 BMWcar

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2002tii AT 50

50-Years Young Launched in 1971, the 2002tii celebrates its 50th birthday this year, we take a look at it with the help of The 02 Register. Words: Simon Jackson, Richard Stern Photography: BMW Classic, Richard Stern

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2002tii AT 50 ention the ‘2002’ and – for many BMW enthusiasts – the word ‘Turbo’ springs instantly to mind. The larger than life 2002 with big wings and an even bigger power output is undoubtedly a standout icon in the model range, but, arguably, it is not the thinking man’s 2002. That accolade goes to a “lesser” model, an all-rounder with linear power delivery and a tight little chassis – a generally more usable version, and one that is far cheaper to buy and run to boot. That model is the 2002tii and this year it turns 50.

The Turbo came late in the 2002 story, so too the tii which arrived in the UK in 1973.

It built on what the 1600ti brought to the table, not just with a second ‘i’ denoting its fuel injection system, but with a larger 1990cc version of the M10 engine too, in combination good for 130hp at 5800rpm with 130lb ft of

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torque at 4500rpm. This in a car that weighed only 1000kg. Richard Stern, Chairman 02 Register, ‘Friend of the Marque’ and Register Director BMW Car Club GB Ltd, takes over: “BMW certainly saved the best 2002 until last with the tii. When it first came out in the 1970s the tii was easier to live with than a Turbo, that is still true today. A good sorted tii take you across Europe with little drama,” Richard smiled. “Launched in 1971, the 2002tii used the same elegant bodyshell as its two-door relations. The differences to the regular 2002s were thicker rear trailing arms, bigger front brakes, different front suspension legs, bigger cylinder head exhaust valves and, obviously, the mechanical Kugelfischer fuel injection pump – the injectors were capable of delivering a healthy 130hp.

“A larger twin air filter cylinder box was fitted, and an uprated alternator which was relocated

lower on the engine – making it a pain to replace! The tii was available in both round rear light cluster and the later square lamp guise – including Lux trim models.”

BMW first attended to intentions to introduce the tii on US shores, though its hopes would be dashed thanks to strict US emissions controls, so it was 1973 before the UK market saw the car – just two years before the 2002 range was discontinued to make way for the arrival of the E21 3 Series.

British journalists raved about the tii, which was good because it was far from cheap. At £2300 it was almost double the price of some competitors. Autocar reported: ‘The tii is a fast car by any standards; not so much in its maximum speed as in mid-range acceleration.

It has few peers when it comes to hustling across country on mediocre roads; none at all, perhaps, if one considers the comfort and

JULY 2021 19

2002tii AT 50 Available 24/7

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The tii in numbers: LHD tii USA tii 2000 tii Touring RHD tii 2002 tii Touring Total built

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27,572 7,447 5,058 3,678 723 44,478

2002tii AT 50 quietness that go with it.’

So, just what was so special about it? Well, that engine for one, as Richard continues: “Power came from the (aforementioned) two-litre four-cylinder engine, with a top speed of 118mph and 0-60mph time of just 8.3-seconds. Economy was good too, even on a long run a tii could see better miles per galllon than its 2002 or ti (twin carb LHD) relations. In fact, a tii could eat a first generation Golf GTI for lunch in both performance and top speed, what’s more the GTI came out in the late 1970s – long after the tii ceased production. You could argue that the Touring tii was really the first ‘hot hatch’, not the Mk1 VW Golf GTI.” Where the 2002 Turbo left viewers in no doubt of its model type or inherent performance, the tii was subtle, very subtle with its latent talents almost concealed.

“On the exterior the only way you know it’s a tii is when it passes you and you see the badge on the rear panel! Otherwise externally there are no visual clues that it is something special.” Richard said. “On the interior the only obviously difference from a standard 2002 was the rev counter to back-up the theory that this was a proper driver’s car, and the clock was moved to the centre of the dash in an additional pod.”

The engine was mated to a four-speed manual gearbox while a 25 percent limited-

slip differential added to the recipe, the MacPherson struts up front and semi-trailing arms out back delivering a real driver’s car experience on the road.

When we last drove one we reported: ‘The tii is an absolute blast to drive. Much in the way that a modern icon like the 1 Series M Coupé demands that you get hold of it by the scruff of the neck, the ’02 begs to be given a thorough work out, seemingly coming alive the faster you go. As you’d expect grip isn’t up to modern levels but it still manages to cling on pretty tenaciously, but unlike in a modern machine, which will tend to grip and grip and then let go, the tii sends you plenty of warnings that it’s about to demand half an armful of opposite lock. There’s a nice degree of bodyroll and the steering gives plenty of feedback, as does the seat of your pants. It’s superbly adjustable and an absolute hoot to pedal along.

‘It might lack a little in the luxuries that we take for granted these days but the cabin is light and airy, there’s plenty of space for two in the back, three at a push, and the boot is decently sized, too. If you’re looking for a machine that’s not overly complicated, is fun to drive and shouldn’t break the bank then the ’02 really does take some beating.’

On driving pleasure, Richard seemingly agrees: “A good tii will still handle well even by today’s motoring standards, it’s still a quick, fun

car,” he enthused. “A well set-up tii rarely goes wrong, it has a relay to inject extra petrol via a separate valve during cold starting. On the side of the pump is a warm-up unit and once again when set-up properly these cars are pocket rockets. Don’t be put off by the complexity of a tii, as there are people who can help and plenty of videos online to help.”

It’s all sounding great, but at 50-years of age, even the youngest of examples is far from a spring chicken.

“Finding a good, clean 2002 tii these days is near impossible. Like many cars of the era, the ones still left fall into two distinct categories; they’re either completely clappedout, rusted and full of dents, or they’re meticulously maintained, and, by now, properly reconditioned and driven regularly by people who care,” Richard said. If that hasn’t put you off then read on!

“The tii Tourings were only officially made in left hand drive, though Sir Stirling Moss had the importer convert a standard Touring to tii specification from new when they came out!

“You’ll find restoration projects, or scruffy examples, can be had for around £10,000 or so, this is an awful lot of money to pay for a project that will cost you thousands more to fully restore. Better cars start at closer to £20,000, and £25,000 is not over the top for something that’s tidy and in reasonable mechanical shape, but check it out thoroughly

“Sir Stirling Moss had the importer convert a standard Touring to tii specification”

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2002tii AT 50 Period adverts played on the model’s performance, and rightly so – this was a quick little BMW!

as to ensure it’s not a shiny piece of rubbish that, in actual fact, needs that full restoration.”

With the values of good quality classic BMWs going only one way, what might one expect to pay for the very best condition examples, we wonder?

“Minters with service history – and not a blemish to be seen – are closer to £40,000 upwards, and these tend to change hands within BMW clubs. Values in the US are very strong too, a mint tii may change hands for just under $100k – really! But then a good tii really is scarce these days, I have several

people constantly looking to buy good cars and rarely do any come to market, so my advice is not to argue over £500 here or there or be too fussy over colour! It’s highly unlikely that you’ll find the exact car that you want, and it might take you years to find another one.”

The best advice to anyone buying a classic car fits here – always buy the very best example you can afford – or in this case, find! Restoring a basket case is not for the for the faint of heart and is likely to prove a good way to burn through pots of cash. But if you can find a good car then you’re in for a real treat. This is one 50-

“The 2002tii is in fact one of the very best classic BMWs”

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year old that’s not in need of a facelift.

“The tii is in fact one of the very best classic BMWs,” Richard smiled. “So much so that, in 2006, BMW Mobile Tradition made a completely new tii from new parts in a glass-fronted workshop to celebrate the BMW marque, and to show that BMW in modern times is committed to helping keeping its history on the road, it was the tii that was chosen to represent that.” ●

THANKS Web: www.bmw2002.co.uk/the-02-register

2002tii AT 50

2002tii ENGINE: In-line four-cylinder, eight-valve, single overhead camshaft, Kugelfischer injection CAPACITY: 1990cc COMPRESSION RATIO: 9.5:1 MAX POWER: 130hp @ 5800rpm MAX TORQUE: 130lb ft @ 4500rpm TOP SPEED: 120mph 0-62MPH: 9.0-seconds ECONOMY: 25mpg WEIGHT: 1010kg TRANSMISSION: Four-speed manual, limited-slip differential SUSPENSION FRONT: MacPherson struts and anti-roll bar REAR: Trailing arms, coil springs and anti-roll bar STEERING: Worm and roller BRAKES: discs (front); drums (rear) WHEELS: 5x13-inch steel; 5.5x13-inch alloy option TYRES: 165/70 HR13 PRICE : £2300(1973), £1000+(today) NUMBER MADE: 44,478

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COMMENT

BOB HARPER This month Bob gets hot and bothered about exhausts...

Has the recent tailpipe trend gone too far?

erhaps it’s because I live in London and tend to sit in interminable traffic jams, but I can’t help but notice things about the other cars that are surrounding me in the gridlock (that’s been made worse by the day by random road closures to create what are known as Low Traffic Neighbourhoods). Yes, some roads are now mercifully free of traffic, but those surrounding these areas are ever more crowded.

Inevitably while sitting stationary one’s eyes are drawn to the cars around you. My first point of call is tyres – I love looking to see who’s put their trust in some Badabing Ditchfinders and make a mental note to give them a wide berth on the off chance the traffic starts to move.

Next up is a glance at the exhausts around me – there’s so much talk about emissions and particulates these days that you can’t help but glance at the pipes delivering these noxious fumes.

And I have to say that exhausts these days have got far too fancy for their own good. Except the vast majority of them aren’t actually exhausts, are they? Simply fake exhaust-shaped outlets through which you can often see the actual pea-shooter exhaust doing its best to hide out of sight. I’ve not got to the bottom of the reason behind this current ghastly trend but I’m almost certain it’s because it must be cheaper for manufacturers to do it like this – I mean, it can’t be because they look good! Couldn’t we just go back to the good old days when you could tell, more or less, where a car sat in any given range thanks to the size and number of exhausts it had.

Back in my dealership days it was pretty easy to spot what was what with a single pipe for lower-powered models and twin exhaust pipes

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for something a little more fruity. BMW did muddy the waters a bit with the E39 which in SE guise had no visible exhausts (something that was carried over to the E38 7 Series, too) while the Sport models sported an overly large single pipe. The late 1990s saw the arrival of quad pipes on M cars but even this now trademark fitting wasn’t always that well executed in later years with an ugly exhaust box visibly poking out from under the rear valance.

These days it seems like differentiation between models comes in various guises. Take the latest 3 Series for example. A 318i SE follows tradition by having one single pipe but up that to an M Sport and you get the coveted twin pipes – one on either side of the car. But if you remove the badging this then looks like a 320i M Sport or a 330i M Sport. Maybe they’re different diameters but I’m not wandering around the neighbourhood with a tape measure in my pocket to check. It’s only when you opt for the M Performance models that you get some further differentiation, but then its some of those desperately dodgy looking fake exits. And don’t get me started on the 8 Series – the normal models are saddled with ridiculously oversized fake exhausts and you have to buy an M8 just to get a halfway decent looking set of pipes poking through the rear valance.

But the worst of the worst in recent BMW history must go to the M Performance exhaust for the new M3 and M4. The expected quad pipes are still there but have been rearranged in a centre exit configuration that looks like some sort of demented isosceles trapezoid formation. Never has an exhaust looked so out of place on a BMW l JULY 2021 25

COMMENT

JOHN GLYNN Professional car valuer, John, reminisces about the old days...

Old cars, like old bars, should be enjoyed while they last says John...

s Ted the Jack Russell and I were on our usual walk last night, we were about a hundred metres from the local social club when I was suddenly hit by the smell of an old bar. Despite having lived in this village for over twenty years and walking a dog past this spot just about every single day during that time, it was the first time I ever really noticed the smell.

The club has been closed all through lockdown, but the back doors are now open and there is a marquee in the garden where people can meet, outdoors but under cover. I guess the breeze was just right for whatever aromatics were emanating from the club to be blown straight to my olfactory nerves. It was a surprisingly emotional experience.

Growing up in Ireland, I spent a lot of time in bars with my dad, as men did in the 1970s. My dad ran a chain of music shops and two in the centre of town were almost completely staffed by family: my granddad worked there, as did two of my uncles and two older cousins.

We would visit the bar up the street for lunch, and again after closing for an end-of-day debrief.

Speaking as someone who spent a lot of time in bars growing up, including many years playing music across the UK and Ireland, bars are not quite the same as pubs and pub culture is not bar culture. Irish bars are hubs; they may have a shop, and most will serve food. Bars often open early in the morning if close to a market and, when I was growing up, they were meeting points as much as they were centres for alcohol.

No doubt many of those in a bar were there to get alcohol, but the bar was more about meeting real people. There seemed to be plenty of fake people in churches, but no fake people in bars.

As my grandad had worked on the railways, his house was close to the train station and the bar at the end of his street was a railwaymans’ bar. This immaculate establishment was run by Peggy Slattery and there were no shenanigans there. The rough crowd went elsewhere.

My dad and grandad were both in a marching band that had its band room across the road from Slattery’s bar, plus my grandad ran the city’s musicians’ union and would meet to discuss business at Slattery’s. So, he was embedded in several communities, each of which centred on bars. I don’t remember him as a particularly big drinker, just a good man to be in a bar with, as all sorts of people would talk to him.

Bars are important to men is the lesson I took from all this. Behind those big wooden doors with polished handles and well-worn

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thresholds lay a welcoming aroma of porter and coffee, polished brass and smoky leather and a community of people who cared about you, who were glad to see you and who would look after you, either by feeding you or simply by listening to your troubles. I have experienced many unique moments of connection in bars with very special people and quite often with no alcohol involved.

As I strolled past the social club and was swathed in this familiar aroma, the warmth of community, childhood and thoughts of close family flooded in on a wave of humanity. It simultaneously occurred to me that I hadn’t experienced such an overwhelming awareness for decades and that, like all waves, it would come to the shore, sink into the sand and be gone. In another few steps, the spell would be broken: this sudden vivid rush of awareness, connection and emotional engagement would be over. As my stride continued, the wave retreated and my experience switched to processing the emotional flotsam.

We don’t always know when our last experience of something dear will be. I held each of my three daughters daily when they were children, but on three unknown days, I picked each of them up for the very last time. In those moments, I did not know they would be the last.

When I entered a bar and sat down with my father and grandfather for the very last time, I didn’t know it would be the last. Many years later, the memories of these moments – that were once normal life but will now never happen again – are incredibly special.

For those of us who love cars, our emotional responses to powerful engines have been formative: I left my family and country of birth to follow my passion for cars. While I don’t wish to keep a dying technology alive for old times, and I believe that whatever comes next will inspire new soul-stirring experiences, it will not be the same as what we grew up with and what our minds have enshrined as a cornerstone of our individual emotional programming.

So, to all who are still driving great cars with great engines. Every time you drive your car, remember that one day, it will be the last time.

There’s a chance that, on that last time, you won’t know it’s the last. Enjoy it, share your joy and remember that the experience of commanding internal combustion engineering for pleasure makes you part of a fortunate community whose future is finite. Look to the future with optimism, but embrace those moments remaining with a happy heart l

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PART FOUR: With the inlet manifold dramas sorted, it was now time to renew the cambelt, water pump and belt tensioners. Andrew Everett runs us through this job and finds it tricky but fairly straightforward.

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fter a fight to the death over the last two episodes with the inlet manifold to rid ourselves of the dreaded swirl flaps, we hoped the cambelt replacement would be a bit easier – and to some extent it was, although I tackled this job hot on the heels of the manifold saga. With the airbox out and cambelt cover off, it made sense to plough-on and get it done.

In most respects the Saab, Fiat and GM 1.9 and 2.0 diesel belt is a fairly simple one. Cambelt cover off, offside engine mounting out, auxiliary belt off and finally the lower alloy cover to expose everything. Even then they make it tricky – the lower belt cover will not come off unless the auxiliary belt tensioner is fully retracted and locked in place with a suitable pin. I used a small Allen key. I used a big pair of gas pliers to twist the tensioner clockwise and you don’t want your fingers anywhere near this thing!

CM project 2008 Saab 9-3 Sportwagon 1.9 TTiD

TTiD

New cambelt & water pump Do NOT try to do this job without a locking toolkit. They are less than £30 and essential. Also, whilst you must fit the belt with the direction arrows pointing forwards (so running clockwise), don’t get too hung-up on getting the white lines on some belts lined-up with the timing marks – it really doesn’t matter. Our new belt didn’t have them, some do. Always ensure the cam and crank pulleys are in position before slipping the old belt off.

Hints and tips As ever, patience is the key and a few tips you won’t find in the manuals. A trick I learned years ago was to press a bit of paper towel or similar into the gap between the cambelt and the lower timing cover when fitted to the crank sprocket – this presses the belt into the sprocket teeth and keeps it in position whilst you feed the belt around the rest of the

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✘ ✘ ✘ ✘

the mounting removed, we can 3 With now see two of the three long 16mm bolts that secure the upper section of the lower timing belt cover and engine mount to the block. There are two shorter ones down below that are just out of shot. Some engines use 15mm bolts here.

the crankshaft pulley and 4 Here’s vibration damper with the four Torx retaining bolts, T30 on this engine but take nothing for granted on GM stuff! Slacken the bolts and after you have drawn a good diagram of the auxiliary belt run, deflect and lock the tensioner with a thin steel pin.

crank pulley is already off here but 5 The it’s the centre pulley with the 16mm bolt we’re looking at. The tensioner needs to turn clockwise and you can see the two holes in the tensioner that need to align before a locking pin can be fitted. It’s not essential to remove the belt pulley.

RENEW SUMP O-RING OIL SEAL RENEW FRONT & REAR DAMPERS DERUST FRONT SUBFRAME ENGINE SERVICE

sprockets. It took me at least three goes to get the belt timing correct – the diesel pump isn’t ‘timed’ and can go on any way.

All-in-all not a horrendous job, yet slightly frustrating… And the 13mm bolt and captive nut for the belt tensioner really doesn’t look like it’s up to the job – you can tell they were short of money when they designed that.

Be aware that there are few belt run diagrams for the timing belt or the auxiliary belt so take plenty of photos and draw a detailed belt run diagram for each.

is our budget GM/Saab/Alfa timing tool set – £27.50 from 6 Here Amazon. You can see the various bits – the big crank locking ‘spanner’, the silver screw in cam locking plungers and on the far right, the screw-in stud that the crank locking tool fits to.

the crank locking tool has been fitted using one of the crank 7 Here, pulley Torx bolts. You can see the retaining stud that is screwed into the block once the most left-hand oil pump housing bolt has been removed. Remember to refit it before the crank pulley is refitted though!

Hotline open

Mon-Fri 8:30am5:30pm

CAMBELT & WATER PUMP SWAP We’ve already removed 1  the cambelt cover (six T30 Torx bolts) and the air filter box (just a single 7mm hose clip) which clips into rubber mounts.

This exposes the offside engine mounting which is a two-piece job. Here we can see the 17mm outer bolts and one 15mm inners.

February 2021

38 Car Mechanics

Alfa’s hot hatch Rob Hawkins visits Turin Motors of Leeds to follow a petrol-powered Alfa Romeo Giulietta being serviced.

A

lfa’s pocket rocket of the last decade and possibly the next has got to be the turbocharged 231-237bhp front-wheeldrive 1750cc Giulietta Quadrifoglio Verde (Italian for green four-leaf, or the Cloverleaf brand), which pulls an impressive 221lb ft (almost 300Nm) of torque that results in a 0-60mph time of around six seconds. Under the steel

Rob says  Alfa Romeo appears to have lived up to its reputation for making performance cars, especially with the 1750 turbocharged Giulietta, but if you intend to drive such a vehicle enthusiastically, keep on top of wheel alignment and suspension checks, fit the same brand and model of tyres all-round and be meticulous with maintenance. Corrosion doesn’t appear to be a major issue at present, but don’t ignore it if it emerges.

our car, the belt had already 8 On been replaced about 50,000 miles beforehand and was still in good order with no signs of wear of damage – no oil leaks either. You can see here the white timing belt alignment mark, but as we said, it’s nice to line them up but it’s not essential.

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cam locking tools now need to be 9 The fitted. This engine has one of these Allen plugs fitted to each cam but most mechanics just seem to use the inlet one – this is because the cambelt only drives the inlet cam, the exhaust cam being driven off the inlet cam inside the engine itself.

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access the Allen plug and to screw 10 To in the cam locking tool – particularly the inlet one – you will need to remove three or four 10mm bolts (again, in our case having just changed the manifold!) in order to move the engine loom and the steel coolant tube sideways and back.

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Car Mechanics

February 2021

39

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UNDERBONNET CHECKS & SPARK PLUGS

TOP TIP Don’t mix differentcoloured coolant.

It can congeal.

BROUGHT TO YOU WITH

PRINT & ONLINE MANUALS

1 CHECK COOLANT The engine coolant expansion tank can be checked by shining a torch at the side – look for MIN and MAX on the side. Alfa don’t offer a recommended renewal interval for the coolant, so test it with an antifreeze hydrometer and renew it if its freezing capacity is too high.

Overall difficulty rating

2 TOP-UP SCREENWASH The screenwash reservoir’s filler neck is located on the nearside front corner of the engine bay, close to the top of the wing and headlight. Prise off the cap and top-up with a mixture of screenwash and water or pour a sachet of concentrated screenwash in and dilute it with tap water.

3 CHECK BATTERY Make sure the battery is secure along with its terminals – and check the terminals are clean. Measure the battery’s voltage or, if you have a battery tester, check its condition.

There’s a fusebox next to the battery, so check inside to see if any fuses have blown or if there are traces of corrosion.

Equipment required

› Jack › axle stands (or ramp) › oil tray › oil filter strap › sockets/spanners 7-14mm › Torx T30-bit › screwdrivers › wheel brace › pry bars › battery tester › antifreeze hydrometer › hammers › wire brush › spray grease › dielectric grease › penetrating fluid › tyre pump › torch › torque wrench › rags for cleaning › disposable gloves

bodywork, there are MacPherson struts at the front with lower arms and an antiroll bar. At the rear, there’s another antiroll bar, along with trailing arms, single upper and lower arms and separate coil springs and dampers. The brakes consist of Brembo four-pots at the front and single-piston calipers at the rear.

Most of the involved work appears to be straightforward, with the exception of a few filters (pollen, air and oil), which are a little more awkward than most vehicles.

Some service components are not cheap.

Take the 14mm long-reach spark plugs, which need changing every four years or

36,000 miles. They cost around £25 each and there are four of them. On the plus side, some service components don’t exist, such as the for-life in-tank fuel filter and a lack of power steering fluid because of electric power steering.

We’ve looked at a 2016 model of the 1750cc Giulietta and listed the recommended servicing according to Alfa Romeo and Turin Motors. The 2010-2015 models have a different service schedule, which includes an oil and filter renewal every year (plus basic inspection), but a more major service every 18,000 miles or two years.

Underbonnet layout COOLANT RESERVOIR

4 CHECK BRAKE FLUID The brake and clutch fluid reservoir is located along the engine bulkhead, close to the nearside inner wing. The fluid level can be checked by looking at the outside of the transparent reservoir (MIN and MAX markers).

If necessary, top-up with DOT 4 brake fluid.

5 GREASE BONNET RELEASE Spray a light grease over the bonnet release mechanism on the top of the slam panel to help prevent it seizing. Open all four doors and the tailgate to apply more of this grease to the hinges, locks and check straps.

6 REMOVE ENGINE COVER The engine cover is clipped on to the top of the engine, so prise it off. Check that all breather, fuel and coolant hoses and pipes are secure with no signs of fluid leaks. Make sure the exhaust heat shield at the front of the engine bay is secure.

TOP TIP Fit each new spark plug with a length of hose, then tighten with a spark plug spanner and the rubber insert removed.

BRAKE/CLUTCH FLUID RESERVOIR

ENGINE OIL FILLER CAP

ROB HAWKINS Special Contributor

 With the engine 2 supported on a trolley jack on the offside with a piece of wood to protect the alloy sump fins, remove the upper mounting bolts shown in Step 1. Then remove these three T50 Torx bolts securing the mount to both the engine and the inner wing chassis rail.

WWW.GSFCARPARTS.COM

DIY Servicing 2016 Alfa Romeo Giulietta 1750T

DIY Servicing Alfa Romeo Giulietta QV 1750 Turbo

FUSEBOX

SCREENWASH

THANKS GO TO Turin Motors Limited 0113 245 8787 turinmotors.co.uk Full service as shown here £415 Small service for 2010-2015 models £180 (oil/filter and inspection) Timing belt, aux belt and tensioners £430 Above with water pump £510 and new antifreeze Front lower arm supplied and fitted £245

7 REMOVE COIL PACKS ENGINE OIL DIPSTICK

IGNITION COILS WITH SPARK PLUGS UNDERNEATH x4

12v BATTERY

M A I N TA I N Y O U R C A R W I T H H AY N E S 64 Car Mechanics

April 2020

www.greatmagazines.co.uk/carmechanics

If the spark plugs are being replaced, start by removing the individual coil packs. Each one is secured with a 10mm bolt. Carefully prise out the coil pack. When refitting them, add a tiny drop of dielectric grease on to the top of the spark plug or inside the coil pack to achieve a good electrical contact and reduce the risk of corrosion.

8 REPLACE SPARK PLUGS Remove the four long-reach spark plugs using a 14mm spark plug socket. Check the replacement spark plugs are the same length, especially the length of the thread. Tighten them to 26Nm.

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Car Mechanics

April 2020

65

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MOTORSPORT MONTH

Motorsport Month Formula E

Dennis Wins In Spain Rounds 5 and 6 of the 2021 Formula E season took place in Spain where BMW i Andretti Motorsport secured victory with Briton Jake Dennis.

Maximilian Günther made a strong impression during the two practice sessions ahead of the Valencia E-Prix, the German BMW i Andretti Motorsport Team driver was consistently one of the fastest competitors in dry conditions. That translated to a strong qualifying result putting him in third to reach the Super Pole, there he benefited from penalties incurred by rivals to secure second spot on the grid for Round 5 of

32 BMWcar

the 2021 championship in Spain. Teammate, Briton Jake Dennis was further down the pecking order, he would start the first of the weekend's two races in 13th on the grid.

At the start of the race the rain in Spain fell mainly on the track. Early on Günther was unable to maintain the pace he'd shown in dry conditions during practice and qualifying – he fell back to sixth on the slippery circuit. Worse

was to come as towards the halfway point of the race, Günther slid into the gravel trap out of turn two. That triggered one of four full course yellow flag periods. The race restarted behind the Safety Car due to the wet conditions.

In what will surely go down as one of the most controversial ends to a Formula E race, a miscalculation on energy usage saw most cars run out of power on a tumultuous final lap.

Amongst them was the only remaining BMW iFE.21 driven by Dennis, who had battled for a top ten result throughout the race. He was initially classified in eleventh position but then moved up to eighth after numerous post-race disqualifications. The result saw Dennis score the first points of his Formula E career.

The second race at Valencia was a far more successful affair for BMW i Andretti Motorsport.

Dennis started in group four in qualifying, he took advantage of the improving grip on a drying track to set the fastest time and progress

MOTORSPORT MONTH

to Super Pole for the first time. From there, as the last man onto the track, he secured his first pole position by some margin. Günther was unlucky in qualifying. His flying lap was deleted for exceeding track limits meaning he had to start from the back of the field.

The track surface had dried completely by the start of the race, Dennis made a fine getaway to maintain the lead. Excellent energy management and clever use of Attack Mode, meant he was able to stay ahead throughout to claim a richly-deserved win – the maiden victory of his fledgling Formula E career. Meanwhile Günther fought back strongly from the back of the grid to finish P12 – just outside the points.

The win for Dennis was the fifth victory for BMW i Andretti Motorsport in its third year as a works team in Formula E. The next Formula E weekend takes place in Monaco on a circuit layout all but identical to that used by Formula One..

JULY 2021 33

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YOU WRITE

You Write...

Beauty Contest?

Having read your ‘First Drive’ of the latest M3 and M4 in the June 2021 issue I appreciate that these are fantastic cars to drive, dripping with performance and, somehow, raising the bar higher than ever before for BMW M cars. But, and this is a big “but”, I just can’t get over the styling...

I know this is ground covered quite a bit recently by BMW enthusiasts but both cars are simply hideous to look at – seriously, what is BMW thinking? German cars used to mostly be about understated looks, form and function. The only function the nose on those new M cars is performing is to make me not want to buy one, no matter how good they are to drive.

Mark Johns, via email

Sports Day I’ve been desperate to get into motorsport for years and, as a self confessed diehard BMW fan, the last issue did little to dampen my spirits! An E36 M3 track car has long been on my wish list, the closest I got was a 325i modified with a few fast road bits. I gave up on that project much like Ben Barry did with the car he was reunited with in the feature, so I sympathise with how hse feels.

The E36 in the feature is exactly how I would build mine, and as for the rally Compact – what a machine! I can’t quite believe it’s road legal, imagine turning up to the pub in that! Keep up the great work.

Lewis Parker, via email

E46 Rear Subframe I’ve bought myself a cheap E46 which I plan to use as the basis for a bit of a project, I want to raise the power north of 350hp, probably with a supercharger kit, but having read some horror stories online I’m worried that the rear subframe might break with that much power going through the car. I read that the rear subframes on the E46 were a weak point, is the problem as prevalent as the internet suggests and if so, what is your advice to me?

Dan Croft, via email This is a known problem on the E46 but we understand that it affected cars built before February 2000. You don’t state the year or model of your car but if it is a pre-2000 car then a rear subframe reinforcement kit is a wise investment. The parts shouldn’t cost the earth and an expert can weld it into place for you.

In terms of gaining power, a supercharger can give you the headline power figure you crave but keep in mind that installing one can get seriously expensive and, on a cheap E46, ask yourself if it is really worth it? Might it be wiser to invest that money in a newer, faster BMW to begin with? Depending on what you want to do with the car – road or track – consider making it as drivable and reliable as possible first and foremost, perhaps with breathing upgrades (exhaust, air filter) and suspension improvements. There are some exceptionally qualified experts advertising in these very pages so take a flick through for inspiration!

If you’ve got a point to make, a view to express or a burning, BMW-related bee in your bonnet, then we’d love to hear from you. Email us at: bmwcar.ed@kelsey.co.uk, contact us via social media or write to: BMW Car, Kelsey Publishing Ltd, The Granary, Downs Court, Yalding Hill, Yalding, Kent, ME18 6AL

BMW Car magazine and Kelsey Media do not necessarily share the views expressed within the letters on this page and accept no responsibility for any inaccuracies they may contain.

JUNE 2021 35

FIRST DRIVES ow exactly is the car you’re looking at here the most sensible choice in the entire BMW 5 Series line-up? It looks astoundingly good, the regular M Sport image improved upon further by the addition of the Pro Package. That brings with it darker sun protection glass for the rear, BMW Individual high-gloss Shadow Line extending to the grille and exhaust outlets, and a body-coloured M Sport spoiler on the boot lid. Small additions, perhaps, but effective in terms of highlighting the ‘LCI’ facelift that was introduced to the 5 Series last year.

Anyway, we’re not advocating for this model purely because it looks the bee’s knees. After all, you can marry the M Sport Pro image with any of BMW’s fine engines. This car, however, is the latest evolution of the 530e, the – for want of a better word – entry-level plug-in

H G30 530e

M Sport Pro Star of the revised BMW 5 Series range is the polished 530e, especially in desirable M Sport Pro specification.

Words: Shane O’ Donoghue Photographs: BMW

36 BMWcar

FIRST DRIVES hybrid model. Sure, in left-hand-drive markets, there’s a 520e or, if you have deep pockets, you can order the six-cylinder 545e in the UK, but ignore all that, as the 530e is the one you really want.

A glance at the BMW price list might not make that obvious at first. The lowest priced model is the 520i SE, at £39,275, closely followed by the venerable 520d, from £40,265. The equivalent 530e, meanwhile, is £48,825. Jump up to M Sport specification, and the starting prices are £44,105, £43,765 and £52,325, respectively. However, for company car buyers, which a large proportion of 5 Series drivers are, there’s another just as important number, the percentage benefitin-kind tax (BIK). For the 520i, it’s as high as 35 percent, but even for the previous fleet favourite, the 520d, it can rise as high as 32 percent. The 530e? Just 11 percent.

The thing is, while the BIK and the headlong rush toward electrification of the car might be the catalyst for a potential buyer to check the 530e out, once they do, they’ll realise what a superb car it has evolved into. The 530e first launched in 2017, bearing the ‘iPerformance’ tag to show that BMW was pairing its electric ‘i’ brand with, well, performance. Under the bonnet was a turbocharged 2.0-litre petrol engine making 184hp. Between it and the usual ZF eight-speed auto sat a 95hp electric motor, for system maximums of 252hp and 310lb ft of torque. It did 0-62mph in 6.2seconds and was officially capable of over 30-miles on purely electric power with zero nasties coming out of the exhaust.

Fast forward to today, and you’d be forgiven for initially questioning where the progress is.

BMW still quotes about the same electric-only range. Nonetheless, it’s more impressive when

you realise that the new car has been tested on the much more stringent WLTP regulations, which means that the quoted figures are more realistic. Though as with all plug-in hybrids, the ludicrous sounding mpg numbers are only achievable if you religiously plug the car in to charge up the battery pack whenever possible.

For the record, BMW has upgraded the electrical system in the 530e, adding a more powerful motor – now a 109hp unit for a total system maximum of 292hp – and upping the energy capacity of the lithiumion battery pack from 9.2kWh previously to 12kWh now. That explains the longer realworld electric range. That 292hp output, meanwhile, is available for up to 10-seconds as part of the standard ‘XtraBoost’ feature (you can’t criticise the Germans for coming up with imprecise descriptions, can you?).

Choose Sport from the Driving Experience

530e M Sport ENGINE: turbocharged inline four-cylinder petrol, longitudinally mounted CAPACITY: 1998cc MAX SYSYEM POWER: 292hp MAX SYSTEM TORQUE: 310lb ft 0-62MPH: 5.9-seconds TOP SPEED: 146mph ECONOMY: 156.9-201.8mpg EMISSIONS: 32-41g/km WEIGHT (EU): 1910kg PRICE (OTR): from £54,820 for 530e M Sport with Pro Pack

JULY 2021 37

FIRST DRIVES

Control system, slot the lever across into the M/S position, put your foot all the way down to activate the kickdown function and that’s where it comes into play, allowing the car to hit a sensational 0-62mph time of just 5.9- seconds.

Ten seconds of XtraBoost doesn’t sound like a lot, but how often on the public road can you really hold the throttle open fully for? It feels rapid whenever you want it to, like a proper sports saloon should. When you’re not testing that out, the 530e is wonderfully quiet and refined and, while the hybrid system does add weight to the car, BMW’s engineers have done a brilliant job of disguising it and ensuring that the suspension can comfortably cope with it.

The M Sport Pro package brings with it adaptive dampers, and the 530e is comfy and smooth by default, despite the presence of lush 20-inch alloy wheels and low-profile

It feels rapid, like a proper sports saloon should

38 BMWcar

FIRST DRIVES

tyres. Things firm up notably in the Sport setting, allowing you throw this big car around with no small amount of pleasure.

Thankfully, that is not lessened when you look at the car, as BMW has not grafted the huge radiator grille of the latest 7 Series, X5 and X7 onto the front of the 5 Series (never mind that of the 4 Series). Yes, the 5 does get an enlarged one-piece kidney grille, but we feel it works quite well with the redesigned front bumper and headlights. New wheels and colours are complemented by a restyled rear end, too, featuring new LED lights, new bumpers and snazzier looking exhaust outlets across the range. You can have red-painted callipers for your M Sport brakes for the first time, as well, instead of the standard blue.

Nothing drastic, then, but the newer model is certainly fresh looking, and more handsome than ever.

BMW has, arguably, done more obvious

work on the interior, where new materials and switchgear are hardly noticed as the focus is on drafting in the latest infotainment technology. To that end, the BMW Live Cockpit Professional system is standard, with its large digital instrumentation screen and a responsive centrally mounted touchscreen, too. As we’ve tested elsewhere in the range, the rotary controller remains, almost pointless gesture control is a feature and there’s a pretty decent voice control function, too. The latest BMW operating system upgrades include a cloud-based navigation system called BMW Maps, remote updates for the software and smartphone mirroring for both Apple and Android devices.

The passenger space is unaffected by the packaging of the 530e’s hybrid components, but one of the few drawbacks of the car is reduced boot space. Although the boot floor is flat, and even has space underneath that could

accommodate the car’s charging cables, the measuring tape shows that it holds 120-litres less than, for example, the 520d’s, meaning a reduction in capacity from 530-litres to 410-litres. Rather than look at that as a negative, think of it as all the excuse you need to go for the Touring alternative. As part of the LCI update, the 530e model range has been expanded to include the estate body style, and it’s also possible to pair the hybrid powertrain with xDrive all-wheel drive.

Start thinking like that and suddenly the 530e doesn’t appear to be the sensible option after all, with the price rising rapidly. And we’d be doing our readers a disservice if we didn’t point out that the 530e makes most financial sense as a rear-wheel-drive SE saloon. Still, think of the money you’re saving on BIK by going for the hybrid, and then spend it all on the M Sport Pro version. It’s the most sensible thing you could do l

JULY 2021 39

JPS E30 M3

Heart Racing If you have the BMW racing bug nothing stops you – not even a heart attack. That’s the view of David Towe, to prove the point he’s now scorching around Australian race tracks in his E30 M3.

Words: Richard Holdsworth Photography: Aaron Mordue, Bob Taylor, David Towe.

ou can’t blame David Towe, he’s not just enthusiastic about his car, he is highly successful behind its wheel too. Australian Historic Group A Touring Car Champion in 2004 and again 2018, David was leading the championship in 2019 when he suffered a heart attack. That wasn’t going to stop him.

David was born in Deal, Kent but immigrated to Australia with his parents when he was just

Y

40 BMWcar

seven. Always a motor racing fan, he was glued to every Formula One race and remembers vividly Emerson Fitipaldi in the JPS Lotus 72.

David was hooked.

Competitive sport runs in his veins, in Australia he turned out for a local Sydney soccer club, then several years in the NSW State League with Riverstone-Schofields FC. David was a central defender and good enough to be on the team payroll. Today,

David has been known to drive 70-miles to a pub in Sydney to join fellow Aussie Tottenham Hotspur fans in watching a match!

He also enjoys going fast on two wheels, in his garage is a Triumph Rocket 3, Triumph Sprint 1050cc and a Ducati 1098 Sportsbike.

Getting into motorsport came relatively late in life. “In 1977, my father and I set up E.S.S. Garage Doors, our business specialising in installation, service and repairs, and

JPS E30 M3

developing a business from scratch takes time.

It wasn’t until I was 40 that the business was running smoothly enough to enable me to take up the sport where I had previously only been a spectator. I had enough money to buy my first car.”

David found an ex-John Player Special BMW. It was a 323 that JPS Team BMW had been using as a development car (at the time the 635 programme was nearing its end) and he

competed at up to 12 race meetings a year to satisfy the racing bug that had taken hold.

David entered competitions organised by the New South Wales Road Racing Club and found himself on the grid among tough competitive cars of other makes. As there was nothing for Group A Touring Cars at that time, the events were for the NSW Sports Sedan Championship – soon he was showing that he wasn’t there just to make up numbers among

the seasoned racers.

In the 2000 racing season for Sports Sedans – his first in competition – he was third in his class in Rounds Two and Five and finished second overall in class in the championship that year, a feat he repeated a year later in the NSW Road Racing Club events. He then pipped the opposition to take the chequered flag in the NSW Sports Sedans 2000-3000cc class. That was Round One, he came home

JULY 2021 41

JPS E30 M3

third in Round Two and then a second outright. In 2001 it was a second in Round Four of the NSW Road Racing Club event and in the Sports Sedan Enduro.

I asked David about the naming of these events. “Any races for Sports Sedans in Australia back in the early 2000s with a total distance of more than 40kms were called Enduro. Sports Sedans typically have very small fuel tanks and the large capacity engines chew through fuel at such a rate that they can’t normally do more than 40kms on a tank!”

David had raced the 323 for three years when the first of the ex-JPS M3s became available – he grabbed it in a heartbeat.

“The difference in power and handling was breathtaking”. Similar successes followed in

42 BMWcar

successive years; in 2004 David started to make his mark in Group A Touring Cars with a first in the Championship in The Touring Car Challenge Round Four. The list goes on through the years; wins at Sandown Park in Melbourne for Historic Cars in ‘06 and ‘07.

“I won the Heritage Touring Cars Trophy and the Murray Carter Cup at the Phillip Island Classic race weekend in 2009 – my first in the M3”.

In 2007 the ex-JPS 635 with in which Jim Richards won the 1985 ATCC became available and was added to the garage. David raced the 635 a few times but found his sixfoot-one-inch frame brought problems and not just on cornering – his head was hitting the roll cage!

Today his M3 – the cherished number 44 – suits him perfectly. It was the last of the M3s built by Frank Gardner’s John Player Special Team BMW in 1987, the log book was issued on September 10, 1987, and the M3’s first race a few weeks later was the James Hardie 1000 on the Mount Panorama, home of the iconic Bathurst 1000. Two Australian racing legends, Jim Richards and Tony Longhurst, shared the driving that weekend and brought the car home in fourth overall – first in class.

The following year, another top driver, Peter Brock shared the driving with Jim Richards under Mobil sponsorship to win the Pepsi 250 at the Oran Park track south-west of Sydney.

Then luck was out for the car at the Enzed 500 on Sandown race track in Victoria when

JPS E30 M3 When the ex-JPS M3 came up David jumped at the chance of owning it...

March 2021: If visits to the beautiful, yet challenging, track at Phillip Island – some 40 miles south of Melbourne – has been good for David and his ex-John Player Special BMW, March, 2021, was the cream on the top!

Practice on the Friday saw wheel vibration hampering efforts but a quick re-balance saw David put the car second on the grid for the weekend’s racing. The pole-sitting Ford Sierra took the first race but blew an engine in the process. From then on it was an allBMW front row with Bill Cutler’s ex-Schnitzer 1987 E30 M3 sitting alongside David in car 44. The two battled throughout the weekend with David gaining the upper hand.

Race three was void when a Mazda RX-7 caught fire on the warm-up lap and race four saw the fire-power of Mike Roddy’s ex-Walkinshaw Jaguar XJ-S grab the lead off the starting grid. But David used the better cornering of the BMW to get past at turn six – affectionately known as Siberia – and win again. It was left to Cutler to press David to the finish line but he and the E30 won again in the two remaining races to celebrate a great weekend, and put him on top of the Australian Historic Group A Touring Car Championship once more.

It was the last of the M3s built

by Frank Gardner’s John Player Special Team BMW in 1987

JULY 2021 43

JPS E30 M3 running in fifth overall, the oil filter split and the car failed to finish.

The car was sold and saw several owners including John Cotter who raced it successfully from 1989 to 1994, and Paul Nelson contested the new Under Two Litre Supertouring Championship in 1995 running in Faber Castell colours. “The BMW S14 engines also have a 2.0 litre optional crankshaft enabling it to compete in the 2.0 litre category,” we’re told.

In 1996 the car was sold to Nick Rahimtulla in Western Australia and raced for a number of years in packed fields of several other makes before David came on the scene.

“Nick brought the car all the way over the Nullabor Plain from Perth to compete at the 2007 Phillip Island Classic weekend where I was competing in my first M3. We got talking and when Nick decided to sell two years later, he rang me and we negotiated a price.”

Today the M3 competes against touring cars of a similar period – often taking victory...

44 BMWcar

Nick had restored the car to its original livery but not original mechanical specification.

David brought the car into his workshops in Sydney, here he discovered the engine had been re-worked and would no longer comply with Group A regs. “The engine had a 2.5litre bore with 2.3-litre stroke, it also had slide throttle bodies and 8 injectors which were not correct. I sourced the correct butterfly throttle bodies and genuine original air box and we built a new, correct, 2.3-litre engine.”

David also found that the original 110litre fuel cell was out of date, it was replaced with 45-litre well cell which is sufficient for the shorter sprint races he was aiming at. “I have retained the plumbing and returned the dry break fuel fillers to their original position between the tail lights instead of through the boot lid as was done when the car was raced

by Peter Brock in 1988.”

Most significant of all, David maintains the

car in its 1987 John Player Special livery and specification, the number 44 emblazoned on the car as in its former glory days of the late 1980s with Jim Richards at the wheel. But he doesn’t rule out one day returning to the Mobil colours used when Peter Brock was at the wheel in 1988.

The combination of David and the M3 has almost become unbeatable in its class: “I’ve had a few pole positions and outright race wins over the years and I’ve probably done more Group A races in an M3 than anyone else in Australia – I went three years without being beaten in my class.”

“I’ve won the 2000-3000cc class in the Heritage Touring Championship several times culminating in winning the title outright in 2018. But one of my proudest moments was finishing second outright on my first visit to Mount Panorama in 2010. Subsequently the winner was found to have illegal mods

JPS E30 M3

The car was raced in JPS colours by Jim Richards in 1987, and by Peter Brock in a Mobil livery in 1988...

“One of my proudest moments was finishing second on my first visit to Mount Panorama”

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meaning I was the first legal car across the line…” David repeated that in 2019.

Then came the heart attack. He was leading the Heritage Touring Car Championship at the time. He admits he was working too hard and not really looked after his health. He woke with serious chest and back pain, and toothache, and drove himself to hospital.

“Jenny, my wife, did get a shock when I rang from hospital and told her what had happened.” David now warns people to “listen to their bodies” and explains the symptoms he suffered in the hope it may prevent someone getting into the same predicament and not coming through the experience.

Incredibly, eight months later and he was on the grid at Phillip Island and that is where I met him and Jenny, his charming wife – Jenny being a vital part of his pit crew.

We stand in his garage at the great track overlooking the Southern Ocean and he tells me he just wanted to see if some of the “old magic” was there.

“I am not aiming to set lap records and not expecting a top three place when I cross the line. I just want to see if I could handle racing again.” In fact, David qualified sixth out of 37 in the Touring Cars Group A and C group and finished sixth in four out of the five races. Not bad in this company. But for the man who has won the 2000cc – 3000cc class in the Australian Heritage Touring Car Championship and his three-page list of successes, this would seem only a start.

David not only runs a successful garage

door business but builds his own engines, does his own paint and panel repairs and prepares his car for the next day’s racing often burning the midnight oil to a background music of Pink Floyd. We’re not sure how much the 1960s rock band contributes to on-track performance but it doesn’t seem to do him any harm at all!

One final message from the man who has come back from severe heart problems that would stop many in their tracks, this is for the budding drivers thinking of entering racing: “At the start, don’t aim too high. Get a car that is reliable because if you have to continually fix breakdowns it will sap your enthusiasm.

Step up to a more highly developed car later.”

David smiles, “And don’t take your racing too seriously – enjoy yourself at the end of the day with your pit crew! And that crew includes my wife Jenny who has been at my side through it all… I couldn’t ask for better!” ●

E30 M3 ENGINE: Four cylinder, 2300cc, twin overhead camshafts, normally aspirated, 300hp. Wossner pistons, Carillo rods, Supertech valves and valve springs, BMW Motorsport cams, 5-speed Getrag gearbox (a six-speed Prodrive box was used by Brock at Bathurst in 1988) CHASSIS: 9x17 inch Simmons wheels, Yokohama 230/620/17 tyres, 4-pot Brembo Racing brakes all round WEIGHT: 980Kg

JULY 2021 45

E39 530i

C Champagne

Socialite

Rich in hedonistic pleasure and dripping with turn-of-the-millennium charm, the Champagne II is the E39 for the true connoisseur…

Words: Dan Bevis Photography: Jason Dodd

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all it rose-tints, wistful nostalgia or simply the distorting power of hindsight, but the 1990s really were a golden age. Compare the national mood of present times with that of the nineties and it’s easy to get caught up in the sheer unfettered positivity of it all; Parklife, girl power, The Big Breakfast, New Labour, Pulp Fiction, velvet jackets, Max Power, Mr Blobby, Cigarettes & Alcohol, t-shirt dresses, Euro ’96… these were fluorescent and effervescent times, characterised by a general sense of goodwill and keenness to embrace the majesty of everyday life. A simpler yet bubblier age, long before the machinations of Twitter, Covid, Trump and the Kardashians.

Into this good-vibes arena, striding with ineffable Gallagher-esque swagger, came the E39-generation BMW 5 Series. Unveiled in 1995, this was a confident piece of design backed up by impeccable engineering; fit-andfinish was unimpeachable and equipment

E39 530i levels were positively decadent. Its appeal, unsurprisingly, endures to this day; in the eyes of a great many enthusiasts, the E39 was a high water mark of BMW’s long-running 5 Series. Beloved of collectors and drivers alike, it’s a model that BMW got really, really right: a smooth and comfortable ride, strong levels of standard kit (with plenty of options available), crisp design, solid and durable construction, feelsome steering, decent seats… the list of accolades goes on and on. And it’s not just the sporting halo models and the heavy-hitters that have won so many fans; sure, the M5 is a ballistic missile and the V8-engined 540i is a bit of a weapon too, but the frissons of magic within those models ripple down throughout the range. Even the E39s toward the base end of the spectrum are splendid things to enjoy every day while also being eminently sensible.

Ever tried an entry-level 520i? It’s a paragon of smoothness among its peers.

Perhaps the most nineties-esque variant of

all actually emerged in late-2002, continuing the ethos of that vivid decade in fine style by unashamedly labelling itself ‘Champagne’.

Stuffed with the sumptuous M50B30 3.0-litre straight-six, good for a solid 231hp, the 530i Champagne was a special edition built in a strictly limited run of 150 examples. Regular readers may remember one such car featured in our May 2021 issue; these specials came lavishly equipped with Champagne-coloured nappa leather seats (which were heated, electric units with memory function), their bodywork slathered in mile-deep Black Sapphire Metallic. The 530i Sport upon which it was based was already a very well-equipped entity, but Champagne spec upped the decadence yet further, adding the Communication Pack, brushed aluminium interior trim, and over £5000 of optional extras.

The example we have before Jason’s lens today is a Champagne II – the fabulous sequel to the special which, of course, is a very

nineties idea. Regular readers will recall that the aforementioned recent feature on an E39 530i Champagne, was also a Champagne II model, just like buses when one comes along another quickly follows. The example we have here was just too tasty not to include in these pages and we genuinely think these cars are having a bit of a “moment” in BMW history!

Launched in March 2003, the Champagne II (again, strictly limited to 150 cars) retained the elegance and luxury of its forebear, adding xenon headlights, sat-nav and folding mirrors as well as replacing the brushed aluminium trim with tasteful Light Maple wood. It’s a concatenation of specifications that caught Sam Pitchford’s eye: he’s the proud owner of this particular car, the acquisition of which represents the realisation of a long-held dream.

“I worked for a BMW main dealer group, Barrett’s of Canterbury, for around sixteen years,” he explains. “I started there toward the end of the E39 production run, and was

JULY 2021 47

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E39 530i This is an investment in time and emotion; buying the car was a fulfilment of a long-held dream

always impressed by the run-out specials, the Champagne and the Aegean, because they were visually different from other models and were loaded with all sorts of additional specification as standard. I always dreamed of owning one for these reasons.”

The Aegean is essentially the sister car to this one, boasting a similar spec but being finished in Aegean Blue; however, it was the sparkling counterpoint of sober black exterior and bubbly interior that pointed Sam’s aspirations squarely at the Champagne.

“During my time with BMW I always drove a 5 Series saloon,” he continues. “I probably had twenty different ones over my time there. The 3.0i petrol has always been a great engine, but petrols really weren’t that popular between 2005-2016, so my company cars were normally big-engine diesels like the 530d

and 535d.” The keenness for a well-specced 530i makes all sorts of sense in this context; Sam knows these cars inside-out having spent so much time in them, and when it came to ticking the right boxes when the time arrived to buy his very own, the choice was clear. But how to go about finding the right one? Well, as is always the case, history and provenance are key. Fortunately, with all his years in the BMW dealer network followed by his current position sitting in the boss’s chair at Elms Automotive in Faversham, Sam knows just how to seek out and acquire the very best examples.

“My Champagne II is completely original in every way,” he says. “It had been owned by the same family since new, and I bought it in early 2020 with approximately 120,000-miles on the clock. It had been well looked after, and much of its history was with BMW main

dealers which is what drew me to it in the first place – low ownership and good history.”

It’s interesting to note that this car now sits within an impressive collection of modern classics. Sharing honours in Sam’s personal fleet we also find an E46 M3 Coupé, an E36 Convertible, an E91 325i Touring, and two very low-mileage 635CSi Highlines. “I have always aspired to own an E39 M5,” he adds, “but haven’t quite managed to achieve this as prices have risen sharply in recent years!”

An impressive round-up indeed, and don’t go thinking that this is some static collection of show-ponies that get primped and polished but essentially left unused; no, they’re all driven as their Bavarian masterminds intended, and the 530i Champagne II is actually Sam’s regular everyday steer.

“I drive this E39 most days, and enjoy every

JULY 2021 49

E39 530i

E39 530I Champagne II ENGINE & TRANSMISSION: M50B30 3.0-litre straight-six, 5-speed Steptronic, 3.46 differential EXTERIOR: Black Sapphire Metallic, xenon headlights, 18” M Parallel whee INTERIOR: Leather heated electric memory seats, Communications Pack, Light Maple wood trim, sat-nav

single minute of it,” he assures us. And its outstanding condition as-bought is something he’s been very keen to build upon; daily duties don’t need to be equated with shabbiness, and Sam’s really taking pride in making his car the very best example that it can be.

“Although the car is in very good order, I have spent a fair amount of time and money on it during my ownership,” he explains.

“Prices appear to be on the rise, with lowmileage cars sometimes achieving £12,000 to £15,000, so I really don’t mind spending money on it to keep it tip-top. The biggest single expense has been the replacement of much of the cooling system, as plastic parts become brittle with age and can cause leaks.”

It’s a fastidious belt-and-braces approach typical to all proper enthusiasts. Passion fused with mechanical sympathy is the name of the game, with no penny-pinching and an eye on the long game; a pleasing blend of pampering and utility, because after all it’s a car and cars are built to be used. This is more than just keeping on top of the maintenance, this is also taking great strides into future-proofing,

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and as such the to-do list is always reasonably well populated.

“The car does require a few cosmetic repairs,” says Sam. “I am currently having the sills painted as models of that era do suffer with surface rust. I also plan to have the seats retrimmed by a company that I use in Essex – although this is an expensive job to have done, I think that the rarity of the car and the enjoyment that it gives me will mean it’s well worth the investment.”

That last word is, perhaps, the linchpin of the whole story. Not an investment in a sense of cynically buying for future profit, in the way that a moneyed collector may buy a new Ferrari, not drive it, then punt it on for profit in a year’s time. No, this is an investment in time and emotion; buying the car was a fulfilment of a long-held dream, and the money spent on the car is mirrored by the passion and enthusiasm that underpin the whole endeavour. There’s a whole cast of characters who have helped Sam to fulfil and maintain his E39 dream as well: “I’d like to thank Rob at DK Schweizer in Colchester for his

continued support in interior re-trimming,” he says, “and Martin at Trimline Systems for his amazing work with the car doing any cosmetic interior repairs for me. Further thanks must go to BMW Spares in Little Chart for supplying affordable used parts, as their knowledge of older BMWs is second to none.”

This really is the ethos of keeping nineties and early-noughties cars relevant as daily drivers in 2021: specific knowledge resides in the heads of specialists, and those who were there doing their thing at the time. The fella on the parts desk at your local BMW dealer may or may not know the ins-and-outs of an E39, it’s context-bound – but knowing the right people, and having been there yourself, is something for which there’s no substitute.

So with impeccable style, endless flair and no little panache, Sam has ticked the box he’s been angling towards for years. He hasn’t just bought an E39… he’s bought the E39. An impeccable example of the BMW model he always yearned for, the Champagne II – the rhythm of the 1990s, remixed for use in the twenty-first century l

E46 330Cd

Moon Miles Would you take a punt on a sixteen-year-old diesel with over 200k on the clock? Mike Evans did, and he’s over the moon with it…

Words: Dan Bevis Photography: Jason Dodd

he distance around the equator is 24,901-miles. Given that the average motorist probably covers around 12,000-miles per annum, we’re all lapping the globe once every couple of years, which really is a staggering feat when you think about it. Naturally these miles are most likely covered in day-to-day pursuits rather than epic globetrotting adventures (and you can’t actually drive fully around the equator without getting rather wet), but it still gives pause for thought, doesn't it.

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While we’re on the subject of distances, you may be interested to learn that it’s 238,900miles from the Earth to the Moon. That, of course, is another journey that you can’t physically drive; your BMW has neither a jet propulsion system nor the ability to maintain breathable pressure in space. The point is that distances are worthy of consideration – big numbers can be jaw-dropping, but every single one of them is happily broken up into bite-sized chunks. If you walk a mile down the road for a pint of milk, you’ll have made it 1/24901th of the way around the entire planet.

Mileage, then, is perhaps not necessarily something to fear, but instead be impressed by. It’s been drummed into us from time immemorial that buying a car with low mileage is the route to success, but this is actually something of a non sequitur. We know of a chap who bought a late-nineties Mercedes C-Class a few years ago that had just 10,000-miles on the clock. It lasted about a week before the engine disintegrated. This may or may not have simply been because it was a late-nineties Mercedes C-Class, we probably needn’t get tribal about it. Point is,

E46 330Cd

cars are machines built to function, and it’s an integral part of their design and make-up that they like to be used. Buyers can get really hung up on those little numbers on the milometer, but if you don’t take cars out and stretch their legs on a regular basis, things start to seize up. You know what it’s like when you’ve been slumped on the sofa all evening bingeing a box-set, and then all your joints click and creak when you stand up? Your car feels your pain.

Now, it is possible to take this line of thinking to extremes. There are some cars out there with truly (literally) astronomical mileage;

a Volvo P1800 in the States has covered over three million miles, and there are numerous Hondas, Saabs, Mercedes and assorted pickup trucks that have broken the magic million. That may be stretching the concept a bit, but let’s say you see a car advertised that’s showing over 200,000-miles on the dial. Should you immediately discount it on the grounds that everything will be worn out? If so, you may be missing a trick, as the E46 we have here proves. This 2005 330Cd came into Mike Evans’ possession with just such a pedigree (and you can see from the photos it’s now

showing a pleasingly rhythmic 222,225). Has it turned out to be a bag of bones? Absolutely not. In fact, having owned a couple of E46 M3s, he’s keen to highlight that this diesel coupé actually feels a lot tighter.

It’s certainly an interesting position, jumping into a leggy diesel in 2021. After all, the writing’s been on the wall for oil burners for some time; Volkswagen’s ‘dieselgate’, increased regulation and media scrutiny of NOx emissions, plus the real deal-breaker: the cessation of internal combustion of all types from 2030. Is it a bit mad to buy a car like this JULY 2021 53

E46 330Cd

54 BMWcar

E46 330Cd The diesel version was – completely surprisingly – the option in the model range that everyone really wanted

E46 330Cd ENGINE & TRANSMISSION: M57D30TÜ 3.0-litre straight-six turbo-diesel, decat and custom backbox, remapped to 270hp / 369lb. ft, 6-speed manual CHASSIS: OE 330Cd-spec wheels, brakes and suspension EXTERIOR: OE 330Cd specification INTERIOR: Full E46 M3 leather interior in Imola Red

now – in 2021?

Well, no, actually. There’s a strong environmental argument to be made for wringing a car out to this sort of mileage, even if it does burp out a relatively sizeable chunk of CO2. At 50mpg-odd it’s fairly supping its juice, and driving a car more than twice the distance that most would enjoy saves at least one other car having been built to replace it.

This argument is patchy, admittedly, but the principle is clear: the car’s already been built, so it makes environmental sense to use it as much as possible rather than throwing it away and getting another one.

The other point to consider here is that, once upon a time, the 330Cd was very much the diesel BMW to own. Before all of the gnashing of teeth that accompanies such a concept these days, in the early-2000s this was an intriguing proposition indeed. The idea of the diesel-powered performance/ luxury car was still rather novel. At time of launch, a desirable 150mph car with a derv under the hood seemed like a positively batty notion, which is precisely why this model sold like hot cakes. The novelty soon gave way to the reality: this was a car that was markedly cheaper to buy, tax, insure and run than an M3, but offered quite a lot of the thrills, thanks in no small part to the almighty torque available. A 0-62mph time of seven seconds put it squarely in hot hatch territory, and the fact that 300lb ft of torque was available from just 1,500rpm made the stablemate 325Ci’s

petrol engine seem a bit limp in comparison.

In terms of everyday performance, the diesel version was – completely surprisingly – suddenly the option in the model range that everyone really wanted.

It was refined too. Archaic notions of tractor-like clatter were brushed aside, with the silky-smooth M57 straight-six offering a whisper-quiet idle. And that wasn’t the last of its party tricks. Mated to a six-speed manual ’box with superbly judged ratios, the claimed extra-urban mpg figure was an exceptional 51.4mpg, while its comparatively low CO2 figures pitched the 330Cd at a taxation level that was supremely attractive as a company car option, these were seriously hot property in the office car park.

Perhaps the most fun part is that BMW really embraced the heavy oil format rather than trying to disguise it. Before this platform came along, diesels were something bought for frugality, and they certainly didn’t sound nice – they rattled and shuddered on start-up and sounded worryingly agricultural under stress. But what the engineers somehow managed here, presumably deploying some manner of sorcery and witchcraft, was to build a curve from whisper-quiet idle to genuinely attractive roar at high revs. As the M57 approaches its 4,700rpm rev limiter, it sounds properly sporty, and not at all like it should be hauling a plough across a bumpy field. The combination of a particularly whistly turbo and a snarling exhaust certainly doesn’t hurt either.

JULY 2021 55

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A quick scan of the classifieds throws up a few examples around the £2500 mark

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E46 330Cd

It was a compelling package twenty years ago, with its feelsome steering, taut handling, slick gearshift and decent levels of equipment.

And today? Yes, still equally compelling – particularly now that they’re starting to plunge into bargain-basement territory. A quick scan of the classifieds at time of writing throws up a few examples around the £2,500 mark.

For Mike, it represented a slice of cheap family transport following a long line of fast BMWs and assorted other performance cars.

Prior to this, he’d owned the aforementioned E46 M3s as well as an E39 M5, an E34 540i (which was apparently great fun to throw around the Nürburgring), and an E28 M535i; there was also a DC2 Honda Integra Type R and a 400bhp R34 Nissan Skyline GTS-t.

“The E39 M5 was my favourite car; in fact, in my opinion, that’s the perfect vehicle,” Mike says. “I bought the 330Cd because I needed something cheap to get around in, and having had a child my days of running crazy cars has come to an end (temporarily!).

But I still wanted a bit of fun and the 330Cd hit the mark – good mpg but still fantastic driving dynamics, plenty of power, torque, and comfort.” You can't argue with that.

The car was found for sale on a Facebook group, local to Mike’s home. “The mileage was crazy and because of that I really didn’t expect to buy it,” he recalls. “Upon viewing it, however, I could see that it had been properly

looked after – and despite having moon miles it drove incredibly; very tight, better than my E46 M3s I’d had. So I bought it!”

There are a couple of deviations from stock, most visibly in the cabin where everything has been swapped out for the full Imola Red interior from an M3. This adds a frisson of everyday luxury to family duties, along with looking pretty spectacular against the black bodywork. And the really exciting bit is under the bonnet, where the unexpected tuner prowess of the venerable M57 has been exploited to masterful effect: a healthy remap, working hand-in-hand with a decat pipe and custom backbox, has unleashed a full-fat 270hp and 369lb ft. So it’s everything a 330Cd should be, but reimagined in a current 2021 context.

What, then, of the concerns about buying an ageing diesel for reliable daily use when it’s got such large numbers on the dash? A recipe for disaster? No, of course not. “During my ownership I’ve only had to fix one thing, and that was the air-conditioning,” Mike grins. “It was just a pressure sensor on the condenser.”

You see, a high-mileage car doesn’t need to immediately have you clicking onward to the other options in your search of the classifieds.

Condition and history are the crucial bits, not how far it’s gone – after all, cars are meant to be driven. And the E46 330Cd? Even with moon miles, it’s still just as desirable as it was at the turn of the millennium l JULY 2021 57

MARKET WATCH

Market Watch F31 335d xDrive Touring Fast and functional, BMW’s F31 335d xDrive Touring F31 is a brilliant all-rounder... Words: Guy Baker Photography: Various If you’re looking for just one BMW that can do it all, then the F31 335d Touring xDrive has to be a serious contender. Boasting M3-baiting real-world performance in factory trim, BMW’s four-wheel drive twin-turbo diesel rangetopper also claims tenacious grip, impressive ride quality, plenty of load-lugging boot space and can top 50mpg. And despite its relatively understated, looks a simple ECU remap puts the car’s performance into supercar territory.

However, the F31 335d M Sport Touring xDrive was far too expensive when new, with loaded examples selling for well over £45,000.

But the passage of time – plus the recent

58 BMWcar

decline in used diesel values – mean it now represents far better value. Decent examples go for anything from £12,000 to £25,000.

Based on BMW’s sixth-generation F30 3 Series, the F31 335d Touring was produced between 2013 and 2019 and powered by BMW’s hi-tech N57D30T1 inline-six. Breathing through a pair of turbochargers it develops 309hp at 4400rpm and a thuggish 465lb ft slug of torque from just 1500rpm. Available only with xDrive all-wheel drive and an eightspeed automatic gearbox, 62mph is breached in just 4.8-seconds from a standing start.

And if you’re that way inclined then a simple

remap can provide an extra 70hp and 70lbft of torque – enough to cut the 0-62mph dash to just 3.9-seconds!

Factory cars are limited to 155mph of course, whilst the official combined economy figure is 49.6mpg. In normal conditions xDrive splits the torque 40:60 front to rear, but a multi-plate clutch on the gearbox can direct nearly all the power to either the front or the back axle, and to either wheel on that axle.

Impressive traction which, in combination with BMW’s swift-changing eight-speed auto and that massive torque, make driving quickly from A to B in all weathers as simple as possible.

Just watch that licence!

Facelifted in 2015 for the 2016 model year, all M Sport examples are well kitted out. Plenty of first owners specced their cars with a range of options including adaptive suspension, adaptive LED headlights, and a head-up display. Facelifted F31s come with

MARKET WATCH

revised headlights and tail-lights, with LEDs replacing Xenon, revised shock absorbers and front suspension mounts, tweaks to the DSC electronic stability control, enhanced transmission software, Bluetooth audio streaming and minor styling changes. And with prices falling you can pick up a great example for much less than £20,000.

Late-plate low-mileage main-dealer cars can fetch closer to £25,000 – which is still pretty good value – but do bear in mind that residual values on diesels aren’t what they used to be. Even for sought-after estates, like the F31 335d M Sport. So if residual value is important to you then you should seek out pre-facelifted examples instead.

If not, then something like the top-end 2018 Mineral Grey 335d M Sport Shadow Edition xDrive Touring at Spalding Car Sales (spaldingcars.co.uk) would take some beating.

A one-owner example with a full main-dealer service history and just 40,152-miles on the clock it looks as good as new – hence the £26,850 asking price. They’ll be a bit of wiggle room of course, but with 12-months MoT and a six-month comprehensive parts and labour warranty, you’ll likely struggle to find a much better example.

This car’s comprehensive spec includes Oyster Dakota leather, Professional sat-nav, a Harman Kardon stereo system, a panoramic tilt and slide roof, reversing camera, adaptive LED headlights, heated electric memory seats, Bluetooth, the Innovation Package, dual-zone climate control, cruise control, head-up display, comfort access, front and rear parking sensors with Park assist, an electric tailgate and 19inch M Sports alloys.

You can find low-mileage examples for a lot less however, with this 2015 Glacier Silver 40k-miler (left) advertised for sale for

just £20,995 at Yorkshire Vehicle Solutions in Harrogate (yourshirevehiclesolutions.co.uk).

Boasting a black Dakota leather interior, satellite navigation, and a full BMW service history, it also claims 20-inch Orbit Grey M Sport alloys, front and rear park distance control, digital dual-zone climate control, Bluetooth connectivity with media interface and BMW connected drive, cruise control, voice control, the Light Package, roof railings in black and an electronic tailgate.

And if you’re prepared to buy a car with a few more miles you could bag a newer 2017 example at a similar price, like this 79,000-mile White 335d M Sport xDrive Touring (above).

Stickered at £19,975 it’s another one-owner car and is currently for sale at the Horndean Motor Company (horndeanmotorcompany. com) in Hampshire. With a full BMW main dealer service history this car’s impressive spec includes the Media Package, Professional stereo with Harman Kardon speakers, Reversing Assist, High-Beam Assist, 19-inch M Star Spoke 403M alloys, heated memory front seating and cruise control.

Assuming your F31 packs a full service

Recent BMW 335d xDrive Touring F32 auction prices* Model Transmission Reg Year Mileage Sale Price BMW 335d xDrive Touring Auto 2014/14 48,453 £14,750 BMW 335d xDrive Touring Auto 2014/64 75,614 £16,000 BMW 335d xDrive Touring Auto 2015/15 37,692 £17,400 BMW 335d xDrive Touring Auto 2016/16 84,954 £14,900 BMW 335d xDrive Touring Auto 2017/67 36,492 £19,100 BMW 335d xDrive Touring Auto 2018/18 30,594 £18,800 *Sale prices of good-condition examples sold recently at classic car auctionsions

BMW Car retail price guide Poor: Under £12,000 Good: £12,000 to £25,000 Excellent: £25,000+ Special editions: None

history you should have little to worry about but watch out for clutch judder, failing air conditioning, scuffed alloys, misbehaving tyre pressure warnings (some cars have needed sensors replaced) and test every electrical item and the iDrive operation thoroughly.

Also check that any recall work has been carried out on the EGR cooler (your local BMW dealer can tell you with just the VIN number) and any oil leaks or creaking noises from the rear suspension should set alarm bells ringing.

DPFs can need changing (budget £2000) if the car isn’t given a good hustle on a regular basis and a new EGR valve is £500 fitted.

The eight-speed ZF ‘box is highly dependable – any issues selecting first or reverse gears may be down to a faulty mechatronic valve body, and some owners have fitted a Quaife limited-slip differential after having one of those aforementioned remaps for extra power l

WITH THANKS...

Grant Darling and Darren Parker at James Paul (www.jamespaul.co.uk), the BMW Car Club of Great Britain (www. bmwcarclubgb.uk), British Car Auctions (www.bca.com), Silverstone Auctions (www. silverstoneauctions.com), Bonhams (www. bonhams.com), Coys (www.coys.co.uk) Luzzago.com, Classic Car Auctions (www. classiccarauctions.co.uk), Glenmarch. com, www.bimmerforums.co.uk, Redish Motorsport (www.redish-motorsport.com) and Glass’s (www.glassbusiness.co.uk) their help with this feature

JULY 2021 59

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WORKSHOP WISDOM

Workshop Wisdom E39 Headlight Repair Pre-2001 E39 headlights got the wobbles? Pass an MoT with a simple headlight repair.

Whilst the good old E39 has proven quite a robust BMW, the spectre of broken headlight adjusters on the pre-facelift models is ever present. Back in the 2000s, the standard answer was to replace the complete headlight but it didn’t take too long for some enterprising soul to take one apart, find out what went wrong (the two white plastic adjuster pegs) and have them manufactured. Given that 50 percent of E39’s ever made must have had a repair like this, that’s a lot of adjusters.

The headlight we’re using for this guide is from a 1998 – non-Xenon – model, these were made up until September 2000 when the E39 facelift included new lights. Those units are sealed and are a whole different ballgame, but if you’re running an early E39 and want to fix your headlights for less than a fiver, read on. One thing you will need is a magnetic screwdriver to remove and refit the beam adjuster motor screws. And, be aware that this procedure is different for Xenon headlights as the lens is bonded into place.

JUNE 2021 61

WORKSHOP WISDOM

1

2

The headlight is secured by four 8mm bolts after which the connectors for bulbs and any adjuster motors can be disconnected – it literally takes ten minutes to remove one of these.

To take the plastic headlight lens off the main unit, use a flat blade screwdriver as shown and ease the lens cover off. On reassembly you can use a thin bead of sealant if you want to.

3 These are the two main parts separated. There is a rubber seal

4 Both lamp units have a rubber dust boot like this that is easy to

between the two which this needs to be in good order to prevent condensation. Vaseline is preferable to sealant on reassembly.

remove but it can be quite fiddly to refit. With broken adjusters the inner lamp will be wobbling in and out affecting the beam.

5 Here is the first fiddly bit. There are no access holes so you

6 With that done, use a screwdriver here to pop it off the remaining

need to aim a magnetic Torx screwdriver in here to locate and remove the two T20 screws for the electric beam adjust motor.

adjuster, assuming of course that they aren’t both broken – it can happen. The inner assembly can now be removed.

62 BMWcar

WORKSHOP WISDOM

7

Here, the inner lamp assembly has been removed from the plastic outer casing and you can see the electric beam adjuster and the blue wires going to it – just disconnect the wiring plug.

9

Here is our £3.50 (including postage) adjuster kit from eBay along with the other half of the broken original. They look identical to the originals but are slightly different in one respect…

8 Here is one of the broken plastic adjuster pegs. These are pretty strong but 23-years of getting hot and cold means that the plastic becomes very brittle. The other one snapped like a carrot.

10

Well, we aren’t sure if the originals had threads cut in but these didn’t. Therefore you have to guide the new adjusters onto the threaded adjuster screw and wind them in – that’s fine unless….

11

…in our case, the black adjuster knob reverted to form and came loose from the rusty steel screw.

However, you can use grips to fit the screw and cut the thread, Aralditing the knob on after.

Reverse your steps for reassembly...

JULY 2021 63

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OUR CARS

Our Cars

In association with

Welcome to BMW Car magazine’s fleet of vehicles... Here we share the trials and tribulations – both good and bad – of running a range of BMWs in the real world...

Elliott Stiling

2003 E46 325Ci Sport

Bob Harper

2006 E61 530i SE Touring

1976 E3 3.0L

Matt Robinson

Jason Dodd

2007 E61 M5 Touring

2017 F87 M2

1983 E28 Alpina B9

Patty Harper

2014 F25 X3 xDrive20d SE

1989 E30 318i SE

Rob Richardson

1973 2002

68

JULY 2021 65

OUR CARS Jason Dodd F87 M2

Track Test The latest addition to our BMW fleet gets on track at Goodwood...

As I write this we have just crept out of lockdown number three and I can’t think of a better way of enjoying the first day than driving down to Goodwood to take part in its first track day of the year.

The day also presented a chance to meet up with fellow BMW M owner, Iain Hughes, and his Yas Marina Blue 2015 M4. The last time we met was four months ago, so a chance to catch up and enjoy some spring sunshine, make conversation with fellow petrol heads, all at one of the most iconic tracks in the UK, was a great start to an easing of restrictions (hopefully for good).

I initially booked this track day back in November when I still owned my V8 Mustang, so to have the chance – just a couple of weeks after taking ownership – of putting my M2 through its paces was a good opportunity to see how the car responds to a circuit.

66 BMWcar

This is the eighth time I’ve driven the fast and flowing Goodwood track, my old 135i, 435i and Mustang have been three very different cars that I’ve tested on the picturesque and historic West Sussex circuit.

As you would expect a few other BMWs were present, including an M2 Competition set up for racing, the current car of the moment – the GR Yaris, and a McLaren 720s, plus I almost forgot the Ford GT40 too!

I love Goodwood for its relaxed environment, beautiful setting (where you have the addition of planes flying over head) and the period feel of the place.

After a briefing and some lunch, mini hampers each and some al fresco dining in the paddock area, it was time to test the M cars. One thing you really get to understand about your car on track is how it is set up, an M car has a superb

suspension set up as default, and fine brakes, grip and of course speed to boot. For me the M2’s chassis is perfect on track with minimal roll, the DCT paddle shift is spot on and so quick through the changes, for a track I know well I felt confident in pushing the car more during each subsequent session as the day rolled on.

At the end of the day my only concern was brake feel, so my next stop is to upgrade the brake pads, hoses and fluids so they can operate at a higher work rate.

Looking at the challenging Brands Hatch circuit as my next track day, it should be a perfect venue for the M2 – and one I haven’t tackled for many years.

After modifying the Mustang heavily over a three year period I don’t feel I need to do too much to the M2, as I mentioned before the car’s set up from scratch is almost perfect, so I’m just looking

to do some cosmetic tweaks.

My first stop was to Mulgari in Wokingham (mulgari.com), it has a reputation for its Icon cars, which include modern Mini upgrades.

It has also developed BMWs over the years, and I spotted on the website that steering wheel exchanges – with a thinner, alcantara wrapped rim – were on offer. Stitching can be offered in various colours, but I opted for blue as it ties in with the car’s interior. For me the standard M leather steering wheel is far too chunky, having a thinner set up makes the car feel just right now.

I’ll point out that it’s not a two minute job, Darren at Mulgari did a great job of swapping the steering wheels over and making sure all was well once installed.

This is my sixth BMW following a break from the brand and it’s good to have the intuitive iDrive system back, it’s so easy to use and with

OUR CARS In association with

the connected app it makes life easier in terms of sending map locations to the car. The sports gauges are also a nice touch, when you’re on track the wide screen has the option to split which is my default preference. I’ve spent several days detailing the car ready for a few socially distanced car meets. The first was at the brand new B Road Hunting cafe, situated at the Bentley Wildfowl museum in Lewis, East Sussex. This venue is going to be massive and owners, Edd, Roger and Jason have put a lot of time, effort and money into making it the best car venue of the South for coffee, meets and automotive events.

I’m planning the next stage of what will be spent on the M2, it could be some styling, wheel or exhaust upgrades, but first I need to get those brakes sorted. Watch this space! I hope to see you at a car show soon...

Jason Dodd

Jason’s visit to Mulgari saw the M2’s steering wheel swapped

F87 M2 YEAR: 2017 TOTAL MILEAGE: 12,658 MILEAGE THIS MONTH: 1308 MPG THIS MONTH: 26.7 (10.7 at Goodwood) COST THIS MONTH: £420 (steering wheel) plus much more in fuel!

Jason tested the M2 on track at Goodwood this month

JULY 2021 67

OUR CARS Rob Richardson 1973 2002

Electric Avenue It is a new electric fuel pump and rear brake drums for the 2002...

Rob has kept the install as clean and tidy as possible so that the M10 looks ace

I’m going to have to start this by climbing down from my great big analogue high horse. The ink is barely dry on the recent issue where I fitted an M30 mechanical fuel pump to my 2002, stating all the pros of simplicity, not wanting to add in wiring, switches and other paraphernalia and how I wanted to stay true to the mechanical nature of the car.

And yet here we are with the 68 BMWcar

install of an electric fuel pump.

So, what changed my mind and made me give up my morals so quickly? A few things. The first and most frustrating one being that while the car started much better, it still whirred on a bit while people looked on wondering if it was going to fire or not. There is no good reason for this that I can ascertain with all bases covered: no leaks, fuel pump was good,

float bowl level correct, ignition system top notch and yet still the eternal cranking continued. Not helped by periods of standing I know, but also an issue when hot and recently used. Secondly, I educated myself on installs of electric fuel pumps and found a unit that negated the need for me to run extras like a pressure regulator, adding more “stuff” into the car. I’ve been able to install it

and stay true my personal mantra of simplification.

The pump is a Facet Posi-Flow which delivers 1.5-4psi (good for 150hp) so exactly what the carb needs while, being mounted at the rear of the car by the fuel tank, has enough performance to overcome the pressure drop, but still without needing a regulator. It also features a built-in non-return valve helping with drain-back when standing or vaporisation when hot. To keep the wiring clean and avoid the need for a visible switch I wired in a fused relay taking an ignition feed and a battery feed from the diagnostic port, meaning the wiring to provide the power was kept short in the engine bay (as it was already close to the bulkhead) and could be hidden behind the dash.

The pump earths locally in the boot with the other loom earths so required only one wire running to the relay which I fed through the car following the fuel line under the carpet, clipped in and out the way, but totally hidden.

This means the pump now runs when the ignition is turned on adding safety and meaning it doesn’t need a switch. I’ve added a hidden switch on the earth side of the relay for both security and to allow me to have the ignition on without the pump running if I’m diagnosing an issue and need the ignition left on for example.

The pump features a built-in filter, but I added a replaceable one into the line by the tank. Having removed the one I had fitted with the mechanical pump and seen how much dirt was in it, it seemed like a wise investment. Belt and braces I know but it doesn’t take much to kill a pump or block a carb and I don’t like walking home. The final flourish and aesthetic update was the removal of the mechanical pump and the fitting of a blanking plate (which are readily available off the shelf as VWs use the same Pierburg footprint as the BMW pumps)

OUR CARS In association with

which further cleans up the engine and makes a big improvement to the look of the M10.

Having ran it for a while it’s been a dream come true. Turn the ignition on, hot or cold, and listen for the gentle thrum of the pump running; tickle the accelerator jets and turn the key.

Instant life and no more whirring shame. I’ve put the horse back in the stable on this one.

This of course wouldn’t be an update on my ’02 without some work on the brakes. This is the last one… I mean, please 2002, let this be the last one. As part of my final set up I adjusted the rear drum shoes and handbrake to make sure there was as little travel as possible before the shoes made contact, but without dragging. In doing this it became clear the rear drums had ovalised slightly so I was having to run a much bigger clearance than I wanted or was ideal. On removing them it was also clear there was some damage too; like so much of this car they’d been a victim of standing so new Brembo replacements were ordered. I gave them a coat of paint to dissuade any corrosion and put them on. Shoes and handbrake adjusted the brakes are now perfect. Hopefully all this work and my constant tweaking can now come to end while I enjoy them for the summer.

Fuel pump wiring runs though the car but is completely hidden

Yes, Rob is still playing with the brake setup believe it or not...

2002 YEAR: 1973 MILEAGE THIS MONTH: 150 TOTAL MILEAGE: 1950 MPG THIS MONTH: Still not counting COST THIS MONTH: Facet Posi-flow fuel pump £35, Blanking plate £7, Relay £6, Brembo rear drums £53

JULY 2021 69

OUR CARS Bob harper E61, E3, F25

Time Trial It’s been a sad and difficult month in the Harper household as Mrs H’s mother was taken ill and sadly passed away after a brief illness.

Mucking about with cars has therefore very much taken a back seat over the last few weeks but the four-wheeled fleet has still been through its ups and downs.

Prior to her mother being taken ill Mrs H was dashing about having socially distanced meetings with some of her clients – showing a new collection of fabrics over Zoom meetings really doesn’t cut it – so the X3 was 70 BMWcar

getting plenty of exercise after its service and recall last month.

One of these meetings was a little north of Nottingham, Junction 28 on the M1 I think, which is quite a long day in the saddle from South London, especially as it entails crossing London during rush hour in both directions.

I waved her off as I took the lunatic Labrador for his morning perambulation and once I’d tired him out and fed him his breakfast I disappeared off to my office to try and get some work done. All was going well until my phone

There’s not enough hours in the day for Bob and his trio of BMWs. rang with Mrs H on the other end of the line saying her car was making an odd noise. So odd in fact that I could hardly hear what she was saying.

Apparently it started as a bit of a whistling noise which she initially thought was a bit of radio interference – she’s still an FM listener and doesn’t seem to use this new-fangled DAB malarkey – but it increased in volume as she drove and finally thought she should give me a call. As her X3 is fitted with the delightfully robust N47 diesel I immediately

thought it had lunched its timing chain or ingested half of its turbo so advised her that she should probably stop and get it checked over. As she was just 10 minutes away from her destination she decided to plough on and call me again once she’d, hopefully, arrived at her destination.

This she duly did and any thoughts that it might be something road speed related were blown out of the water when she could replicate the noise with the car stationary in Park. It was increasingly sounding

OUR CARS like a blown turbo bearing from my end of the phone so I told her to give the BMW Emergency Service a call who would hopefully get someone out to her while she was in her meeting.

Now, when we renewed the warranty we elected not to take the full BMW Emergency Service cover as Mrs H has one of these all-singing, all-dancing bank accounts that gives you things like roadside assistance and recovery.

But, and I’m not sure how many folk know this, even if you don’t take out BMW Emergency Service you’re still entitled to roadside assistance – if it can’t be fixed by the roadside you’ll get towed to the nearest dealer and that’s it.

The first call to the Emergency Service didn’t go well as she was advised that she might have a stone caught between a brake disc and the backplate… decidedly dodgy advice given the noise was apparent when stationary. Mrs H decided the best course of action was to hang up and call back and the second person she spoke to was far more helpful and agreed to send a technician out to see if it could be repaired.

To cut a long story short it turns out that one of the securing screws for the Exhaust Gas Recirculation valve had worked its way loose causing an air leak which was the high pitched whining noise. Efficiently and quickly repaired by top tech Andrew and Mrs H was able to drive home. Of course, it did seem a little odd that it had just been in for an EGR recall and the car chose just that moment for one of its retaining screws to come loose…

By way of comparison it’s been

a pretty quiet month for the E61 with a few work trips and dog walking outings when we get bored of the local park. It has started coming up with a coolant low warning when first started in the morning, but only if it’s been parked in one particular spot in the street. The curvature of the road is quite pronounced and when parked the nearside of the car sits a lot lower than the driver’s side but when checked on a level surface the coolant level appears to be absolutely spot on!

It’s also picked up another scrape on its front bumper – why can’t my neighbours learn how

to park? The car’s still incredibly dirty, but even with its layers of accumulated road filth you can see the damage – I’ll do my level best to give it a bath in the coming month. I’ve also extracted the 18-inch wheels from storage and if I get a minute I might pop them back on the car too – they’re so much more attractive than the winter wheels and tyres even if the 18s will no doubt add a little unwelcome harshness to the ride quality.

I did manage to give the E3 a quick wash this month and it sorely needed it after having been languishing under the same

cherry tree for weeks on end.

After a period of inactivity it did start without resorting to jump leads which was good – less good was the 3000rpm idle speed. It didn’t take long to realise that this was due to the throttle linkage sticking and once I’d doused it in WD40 it returned to normal and has also made small applications of throttle far easier.

All I need to do now is to deliver it over to BM Sport so the engine replacement can get underway – there just simply haven’t been enough hours in the day over the past month.

Bob Harper

The E61 has an odd low coolant warning, and it has acquired a scrape

F25 X3 xDrive20d SE YEAR: 2014 MILEAGE THIS MONTH: 677 TOTAL MILEAGE: 56,210 MPG THIS MONTH: 34.6 COST THIS MONTH: £ Nil

E3 3.0L

E61 530i SE Touring

YEAR: 1976 MILEAGE THIS MONTH: 2 TOTAL MILEAGE: 11,689 MPG THIS MONTH: 0 COST THIS MONTH: £ Nil

YEAR: 2006 MILEAGE THIS MONTH: 154 TOTAL MILEAGE: 69,378 MPG THIS MONTH: 21.3 COST THIS MONTH: £ Nil

Winter wheels and tyres will soon make way for 18-inch summer affairs

JULY 2021 71

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TROUBLE SHOOTER

Trouble Shooter

This month we look at electric coolant pumps, E28 bumpers and post-Brexit salvage prices...

Words & Photography: Andrew Everett

Electric Water Pumps The electric coolant pump as first seen on the 2005 N52 engine is now something that BMW have abandoned, reverting to a cheap and reliable belt driven pump. The electric pump seemed like a good idea at the time but the fact that it’s been dropped likely means that there were better ways of saving power and increasing fuel economy.

The electric pump was fitted to various engines: it started with the 2005 N52 (and its 2008 N53 replacement) as fitted to the E90 325i and 330i as well as 2.5 and 3.0 E60 cars, X3s and Z4s, the N43 direct injection1.6 and 2.0 from 2007 and the N20 turbo fours in the F30 3 Series and so on.

By and large the electric pumps were pretty reliable but they are all at the age now where an original pump – as well as replacements – can be failing. I was recently at a BMW specialist (Parkside Garage in Worksop - 01909 506555) when a 335i was brought in on the back of an AA truck having started overheating. These cars don’t have temperature gauges of course. The problem was a failed pump and upon removal it was found to be seized solid. A new pump was fitted and away it went. I took the old pump home, opened it up and was surprised to discover it was a genuine BMW branded pump, made by Continental who branched out from tyres years ago. Even more disappointing was that it was manufactured in 2016 and had done four years before coolant got into the rear bearing causing seizure. A BMW, Continental, VDO or Pierburg water pump costs around £350-400 and generally, 80,000-miles is the life of one. There are various pumps on eBay however for just over £100 and with early N52 engined E90 and E60 cars being worth about £1500, you wonder if it’s worth fitting one when the genuine thing represents 25 percent of the car’s total current value.

74 BMWcar

TROUBLE SHOOTER

E28 Stainless Bumpers Great news for E28 owners everywhere is the recent introduction of stainless steel E28 front and rear bumpers

by US based Blunt Tech (www.blunttech.com). The originals were chromed mild steel and although of very high quality, the last E28 was built over 33-years ago now and they rust through from the inside out. Back in the day, the more impecunious owner would buy aftermarket bumper sections that were not as well made but cost a lot less. The chrome would often be a bit iffy and needed regular cleaning but at £150 for all six sections? Well, those were the days.

Blunt Tech bumpers are polished to a chrome shine and they do look good. At $1200 (£850) for both bumpers with the joint trims but not the rubber buffer strips, they are not cheap and probably comparable to genuine BMW parts but one will last forever and the others won’t. Blunt Tech do say that some ‘fitting’ is required but even with the real ones you had to build them up ‘loose’, bolt them to the car to get the adjustment correct before tightening everything. At the moment it looks like it are selling complete bumper kits only – with the US cars having those awful ‘diving board’ impact bumpers there will be a large demand there. In time it may well start selling individual sections.

JULY 2021 75

TROUBLE SHOOTER Post-Brexit Salvage Prices Now that Brexit’s been "got done" it would be interesting to see if the price of damaged cars has dropped. Over the last year or three, damaged cars and especially German stuff has been very pricey due to so much of it going to Eastern Europe where cars are worth more and labour is cheaper. But now?

A running and driving 2005 X5 E53 (facelift) M Sport in Le Mans Blue made £1000 plus fees (£1320 all in) with 187,000-miles and a warning for low brake fluid. This car was category U so not a write-off, rather a private entry car with problems – still worth a lot more in bits but only £3000 as a good example. A category U 2015 118i SE with the B38 3-cylinder engine, leather, navigation and 93,000-miles fetched £4900, most likely with a mechanical problem. It’s about £7800 to buy one straight so there’s not much left in profit.

A non-running M235i Auto from 2014 in black with red leather and 63,000miles showing went for £8200 (they retail at about £14,000) and assuming it needed an engine (at least £5500 secondhand) it was only worth doing if you could rebuild the existing engine. A 2008 Z4 Coupé 3.0Si with 99,000-miles, incorrect wheels and a smashed rear wing (bolt on so category N for nonstructural) didn’t seem too dear at £4400. Straight, it’s an £7500 car.

For those on smaller budgets, it’s rarely worth the bother. A category U 2007 118d with all the problems it might have wasn’t worth a carrot, never mind the £650 plus fees it made – that’s about £825 all in and it’s only worth £1800 fixed.

Last but not least, a 2014 520d SE Touring in black with 80,000-miles and some light to medium front corner damage made £4000. It visibly needed a bonnet, wing, bumper and headlight but neither the airbags nor the bonnet safety hinges had blown – pity it was a category S meaning the V5 would show it had been a write-off. Straight, it’s a £10,000 car but as a Cat S, maybe £7500. You’d need to have that car owing you £5000 fixed for it to be worth the bother.

Covid-19 means that there is no physical viewing of cars at salvage auctions so you bid and pray. Buy a car that’s direct from the insurance company and you should be alright but you need to be paying the right money (i.e well under half retail) and as for the Category U stuff, an undamaged car is sat there for a reason.

All in all through, the margins are still very tight for something that might be far worse than you thought and that requires a lot of work.

76 BMWcar

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Back Issues JUNE/JULY 2020

NOVEMBER 2020 Cover Story: Z3 versus Z4 Inside: 840Ci versus 850CSi, E70 X5 M, E46 330i, E93 335i, F32 435i, 545e xDrive driven

MARCH 2021 Cover Story: E46 M3 vs E92 335i Inside: 3.0 CSL, Z1 trio, E34 5 Series, E39 5 Series, X1 drive

AUGUST 2020 Cover Story: 850 CSi Inside: Stunning classic Pietro Frua designs, E24 racer, E36 vs Audi Coupé, £15k BMW Buys

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Cover Story: E46 Compacts Inside: Buying: Z4 M Coupé, E30 M3, E36 329i Touring, 218i Gran Coupé drive, E90 335d

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SEPTEMBER 2020 Cover Story: 2002 Turbo tribute Inside: E36 Ultimate Guide, suspension guide, Z3 M Coupé, Hartge E39 528i

JANUARY 2021 Cover Story: E30 325i Inside: Birds 340i Touring, E93 M3 Convertible, BMW 1M coupé, 128ti driven

OCTOBER 2020 Cover Story: E36 and E46 M3 Cabriolets go head-to-head Inside: M535i, E61 545i/550i Touring, G12 740Li, E70 X5

FEBRUARY 2021 Cover Story: 2002tii Inside: Alpina B3 Touring drive, E36/5 Compact, Classic buys: 850 Vs M3, M440i drive

APRIL 2021

MAY 2021

JUNE 2021

Cover Story: E30 M3 Inside: E30 M3 collection: race, rally and road, £5k BMW Buys, E38 7 Series, 4 Series driven

Cover Story: E36 at 30 Inside: F15 X5 vs F16 X6, Frank Sytner interview, E39 5 Series Champagne, E30 325i Sport

Cover Story: E36 M3 track car & Compact rally car driven Inside: E39 M5 vs M635CSi, E30 325i Touring, Z4 3.0

TO ORDER YOUR BACK ISSUES CALL 01959 543 747 TODAY! OR VISIT shop.kelsey.co.uk/issue/BMC

READER’S RIDES

Reader’s Rides Bailey Taylor’s E36/5 318ti Club Sport MW Car reader, Bailey, has been a subscriber to the magazine since 1995!

“I ordered my Club Sport in August 1995 and took delivery on November 16 that years,” we’re told. “Over the next several years I added a BMW M Technic rear spoiler and a few other BMW accessories. It served as my track day instructor car from 1996 to 2012, and consequently I eventually added a Conforti/Turner power chip as well as a UUC Motorwerks clutch stop, clutch bushings, and a RK II shift knob.

“The car has proven to be extremely reliable, repairs consisting of a couple of pairs of lower control arm bushings, a thermostat, brake pads and discs, and a few miscellaneous bulbs (last year it did require a pinion seal and a new air-conditioning compressor), I still don’t think that’s a bad record for 147,000-miles of enthusiastic use!” We have to agree, Bailey!

In 2018 the car was invited to be displayed at the Keeneland Concours d’Elegance- where BMW was the Featured Marque.

“Driving my Club Sport is always a pleasure; the communicative steering and well-sorted suspension makes you want to seek out twisting lanes every chance you get – but it’s still comfortable enough to drive all day long.

Will I ever sell it?”

Don’t bet on it.”

B

We want your car!

Want to see your BMW in print? Email us a handful of high resolution images of your car alongside a 100-200 description in your own words – we want to know why you bought it and what you think of it! We’ll do the rest in our Reader’s Rides page.

Email your entry to: bmwcar.ed@kelsey.co.uk

JULY 2021 79

107585

BMW 1 SERIES

BMW 530

BMW 318TI

2013, £13,495. 125i sport plus edition 2dr automatic. Please call 0161 476 5915, North West.

BMW 1 SERIES

2005, 54000 miles, £5,495. 2.0 318TI Sport, 3 door, manual, petrol, mystic blue metallic exterior, air con, BMW 18" MV MKII alloy wheels, sport seats, sports suspensions, cruise control, rear park distance control, electric heated mirrors, spare wheel. Please call 0161 476 5915, North West.

1999, Offers. 530D (E39). Manual, two owners from new, full service history, MoT Feb 2022.

Sensible offers considered. Please call 07546 712761, Scotland.

107294

107434

BMW 323

BMW CONVERTIBLE

2008, 18000 miles, £9,995. 3.0 125L SE, two door, automatic, petrol, convertible. Cashmere silver metallic exterior. Please call 0161 476 5915, North West.

107289

BMW 1 SERIES

1996, 115000 miles, £1,500. Beautiful original condition. One previous owner, one hundred percent reliable. Full service history, well maintained, appreciating modern classic, reluctant sale due to bereavement. Please call 07817 780273, North West.

2005, 38000 miles, £4,495. 1.6 116I ES, five door, manual, petrol, quartz blue metallic, air con, Bluetooth, ABS and DTC. Please call 0161 476 5915, North West.

2003, £2,200. E46 Convertible 330ci Sport – petrol. Unmarked silver paint blue hood with new roof lining. Unmarked grey leather, automatic. Previous owner BMW mechanic.

M3 style wheels and excellent tyres. Harman Kardon hifi system. No service history . 5 owners. Please call 07828 637991, East of England.

104273

BMW ISETTA

107029

BMW 330D

107295

BMW 2800

1970, £45,995. 2800 Coupe Sports automatic.

A beautiful looking car that is equally impressive to drive. The attention to detail on this car is excellent throughout. A fantastic car that will not disappoint. Please call 01944 758000, Yorkshire and the Humber.

2013, 58051 miles, £15,495. XDrive MSport Auto is truly in exceptional condition. Having had only the 1 owner from new and a Full main dealer service history no expense has been spared. with an already excellent specification the car was ordered with £3285.00 worth of extra’s so please read the add carefully. Not only is the car in such great condition it drives as you’d expect it to, Superbly!! Please call 01480 463850, South West.

1961, £13,500. I have owned this car for roughly 25 years but do not get to use it enough. White with new tartan seat covering as original. Very tidy car and runs well. I reconditioned the engine 20 years ago and have done less than 1,000 miles since. Please call 07745 318246, South East.

106823

BMW M25

BMW Z3

£41,995. factory specifications include:6-speed manual transmission, metallic paint, electric glass sunroof, leather seats with electrical adjustment and driver memory, lumbar support, professional communications package, telephone, hifi speaker system, climate control, electric windows, electrically adjustable folding mirrors, servotronic power steering, brushed aluminium interior trim, individual sunshade glazing, xenon headlamps, and more. Please call 02083485151, London.

1997, 93000 miles, £1,695. Bmw Z3 1.9.

Power steering, leather seats, electric windows and books. Race team colour. MoT 16/10/21.

Excellent condition. Tel Jim 07751147634. , North West.

106678

BMW Z3

BMW Z3

2001, 60800 miles, POA. 2.2 Z3 Sport Roadster, two door, manual, petrol, Dakar yellow II, BMW 17" X spoke bolted alloys, power hood, sport seats, sports suspension, brushed aluminium trim, electric front seats, electric mirrors, leather upholstery, wind deflector, chrome line interior package, heated seats.

Please call 0161 476 5915, North West.

107296

BMW M25

BMW Z3

2000, 62000 miles, £5,995. 2.0 Roadster, two door, manual, petrol, steel grey metallic exterior, BMW 16" V spoke alloys, electric front seats, electric mirrors, M Tech gear knob and steering wheel.

Please call 0161 476 5915, North West.

£109,995. specification includes:- m-twin clutch transmission, m-carbon ceramic brakes, carbon fibre bonnet, bucket seats, roof, rear spoiler and instrument panel, navigation system professional with connected drive, online entertainment, dab, heads up display, bmw organic light, blue shadow accent high gloss, park distance control, adaptive led headlights, m drivers package, light package, rain sensor, cruise control with brake function, bmw 666m alloys in fern grey, double flow sports exhaust, sun protection glass, velour floor mats. Please call 02083485151, London.

107293

BMW Z3

1998, £11,995. ROADSTER 2.8 Z3 ROADSTER 2DR. Please call 0161 476 5915, North West.

BMW Z3

1999, £65,000. Roadster, 2.0, two door, manual, petrol, Oxford green II metallic exterior. Electric front seats, power hood, BMW 16" radial style alloys, leather upholstery, roll over protection. Please call 0161 476 5915, North West.

107292

BMW Z4

BMW M6

£57,995. Specification includes :- 5-speed manual gearbox, leather interior, electric front seat adjustment, limited slip differential, air conditioning, electric sunroof, electric windows, central locking, bmw 2-piece crossspoke alloys with michelin trx tyres, tinted glass, blaupunkt new york sqr 205 stereo, electric aerial. Please call 02083485151, London.

2001, 62000 miles, £4,795. Metallic Titan Silver with Black leather interior. Facelift 6 cylinder model with 5-speed manual gearbox, PAS, air-bag, ABS, ASC, electric windows, electric mirrors, electric seats, factory 5-spoke alloy wheels, BMW stereo with CD multichanger.

Please call 01277365415, South East. (T)

2006, 64000 miles, £7,999. Grey metallic paintowrk / black mohair roof / red leather trim, 6 speed manual, Service History. MOT 09/21 next service due 09/21. An amazingly fast car with a classic BMW look. Please call 07595 218406, South West.

104536

103945

NEXT ISSUE ON SALE: 25 JUNE 2021 Pre-order your copy at shop.kelsey.co.uk

WHAT’S INSIDE THE AUGUST 2021 ISSUE? ● We celebrate the 60th anniversary of the

Neue Klasse – the car that saved BMW. ● The E38 7 Series offers the ultimate in

1990s luxury and style, we get under the skin of a long wheelbase 740iL. ● Not many F80 M3s have more presence

than this modified example which has received a few choice upgrades. Is it prettier than a new G80 M3? ● The E36 has become a usable modern

classic, but with M3 prices rocketing what other options are out there? Something from the Alpina stable, perhaps? ● The E53 X5 has aged nicely and is

now available for peanuts. What does the ownership prospect have to offer BMW enthusiasts?

SINGLE PRINT ISSUES ONLY £5.50 Receive the print version of BMW Car magazine for just £5.50 per issue.

Including free delivery and a free digital version!

Visit: shop.kelsey.co.uk/issue/BMC

FREE DELIVERY!

Can’t get to the shops? Have single issues of BMW Car delivered to your door free! Visit: shop.kelsey.co.uk

*Please note that cover may alter slightly*

#GODO

Spelunkers: Indomitable.

Incomparable. Unpronounceable.

Let’s hear it for the ‘spelunkers’. The subterranean explorers of the 1970s who did for caving what Mallory did for mountaineering.

And the inspiration behind ‘GMT-explorer’ watches, which provided 24-hour timekeeping for light-starved cavers. Now we’ve resurrected the genre with the new C63 Sealander GMT. Not only does it boast a twin timezone movement, a hi-vis 24-hour hand and a dial that’s as legible as it is beautiful, but, happily, you don’t have to be a spelunker to wear one.

Sealander.

Go anywhere, do everything. christopherward.com

90 MINUTES, DONE. FAST LANE SERVICE. BMW Service

Your BMW belongs on the road. Book a Fast Lane Service and we’ll make sure it gets back there as soon as possible.

Service benefits: • We’ll give you the earliest appointment date and there will be no need for a hire car

• With you on hand, any queries can be answered immediately

• You can sit back and relax as you enjoy complimentary coffee and snacks in our customer lounge

• Our BMW Trained Technicians will carry out a range of service and maintenance tasks in 90 minutes or less

For more information, contact your local BMW Centre or visit bmw.co.uk/fastlane