Straight Six July 2020 Member Edition by BMW Car Club GB

Straight Six MEMBERS EDITION

JULY 2020 £5

New BMW 4 Series Breaks Cover… Causing uproar in BMW communities online with its ‘toothy’ front grille

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BMW CAR CLUB GB ARE THE ONLY CLUB ENDORSED BY BMW UK

Bespoke arrangements for your Motor, Home and Commercial insurance needs. COVER AVAILABLE CAN INCLUDE: Ÿ Classic and Modern Car Policies

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www.BMWCARCLUBINSURANCE.co.uk Call the dedicated members line on 0330 123 0197 and speak to one of the team for all your Motor, Home, and Commercial Insurance needs. This agreement has been designed specifically for BMW Car Club GB, who have become an Introducer Appointed Representative (IAR) of A-Plan Holdings. A-Plan Holdings is Authorised and Regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). Registered office: 2 Des Roches Square, Witney, OX28 4LE. Registration number: 750484. To confirm our registration on the FCA website, go to www.fca.org.uk/firms/systems-reporting/register/ or by contacting the FCA on 0800 111 6768.

Formed in 1952 as The BMW Car Club of Great Britain, incorporated in 1982 as BMW Car Club (GB) Ltd. A non-profit making club owned and run by and for its members. Combined One-Make Car Club Assoociated Club of RAC Motor Sports Association Ltd. The views and statements made in this publication do not necessarily reflect those of the BMW Car Club GB Founder The Late R.J.T Hewitt President John Safe Vice Presidents Chris Wadsley, Jeff Heywood, Len Oakshett Chairman Jamal Blanc Board of Directors Dave Evans Martyn Goodwin Neil McDonald Richard Stern Club Office Michelle Evans

inside this issue

Lisa Davies Anya Edwardes BMW Car Club Insurance Henry Francis

Patron Mike Wilds, The late Barrie Williams

MLife: The Boss

The E60/61 M5 when launched in 2003 was universally criticised for its exterior design, but was highly rated for its engine and performance.

Editing Team Jeff Heywood

Lost and Found!

Lisa Davies

Straight Six editor Jeff Heywood recalls the time he lost and found a brand new E60 M5 borrowed from BMW UK.

The 8 Series Register at Vanity BMW

We look back at the 2019 Vanity BMW show, attended by the 8 Series Register.

Andrew Coles Cover image: BMW Press Advertising Display Advertising

Hine Marketing 01452 730 770 nick@hinemarketing.co.uk Website advertising

Revisiting the Classics

No.6: BMW E9 CS. These new saloons, with their sporty, Italian styling were the company’s salvation, spawning the 02 range which started the company on the path to success.

office@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk Online classifieds - £4.95 bmwcarclubgb.uk Classifieds - £9.95 per issue Club Office 01970 267 989 office@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk BMW Car Club (GB) Ltd, Unit 5h, Glan Yr Afon, Aberystwyth, SY23 3JQ Website: www.bmwcarclubgb.uk Email: office@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk Tel: 01970 267989 Office Hours: 9:00am-5:00pm - Mon-Fri Published on behalf of BMW Car Club by Hine Marketing, Hill Farm Studios, Wainlodes Lane, Bishops Norton Glos, GL2 9LN. Tel: 01452 730770 sales@hinemarketing.co.uk

Three decades with my E30

Club member, Roger Taylor, reminisces over the three decades with his E30.

British thoroughbred, Bavarian heart

Straight Six editor Andrew Coles finds out the link between BMW and an obscure London manufacturer of sports and racing cars, Frazer Nash.

A glimpse into the world of BMW in 1982 with an E21

This month’s ‘Sharknose collection’ article delves into the E21. www.bmwcarclubgb.uk

Contents

from the editor Welcome to the July issue of Straight Six! Surely it’s not July already? The past few weeks have rolled by, so we hope this message finds you all safe and well. This month’s MLife: The Boss on page 20 focusses around the E60/61 M5, a car that was universally criticized for its exterior design, labelled as “ugly” and “flashy”, but ultimately won many awards for its engine design and performance every year for four years straight from its release. Straight Six editor, Jeff Heywood, also discusses the E60 M5, when he recalls the time he lost and found a brand new E60 M5 in Germany. Missing your monthly fix of event reports? We look back at the 2019 Vanity BMW, attended by the 8 Series Register. Vanity BMW hopes to return in 2021, after taking a hiatus this year. Read the report on page 31. The beautiful E9 CS with their sporty, Italian styling were the company’s salvation when they were launched, spawning the 02 range which started BMW on the path to success, read No.6 of Revisiting the Classics on page 34. Our members are true enthusiasts, as proven by Roger Taylor, who reminisces over the three decades he has shared with his E30, found on page 39. If you love vintage, head over to page 42 where Straight Six editor Andrew Coles finds out the link between BMW and an obscure London manufacturer of sports and racing cars, Frazer Nash.

20 regulars 6

Board Torque

Thoughts from the Boardroom

10 Club News 12 BMW News 16 Products

Do you have an interesting article for Straight Six? Whether it’s a restoration project, technical information, Club event, or simply why you love your ultimate driving machine – please don’t keep your BMW adventures to yourself, we want to read about them! Remember, Straight Six is a magazine for members, written by members. Want to help the Club? We are always looking for volunteers with knowledge in BMW models to fill our vacant registers. To find out what roles need filling or to show your interest, email officeadmin@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk. Part-time photographer or just love taking pictures? Send us high quality images of your BMW along with a caption to officeadmin@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk to be in for the chance to win FREE Meguiar’s products! Below is this month’s winner by Ieuan Evans! Happy reading! Jeff, Lisa & Andrew Straight Six editorial team.

18 Dan Norris 48 Pirelli 49 Your Letters 50 Crossword 51 Regions 61 Registers 72 Your Photos 74 Club Pub Meets www.bmwcarclubgb.uk www.bmwcarclubgb.uk

BMW Car Club Magazine June 2020

chairmanschat Pirelli P Zero . Custom-made performance since 1986. TM

For more than 30 years, P ZeroTM tyres have been the choice of the most prominent carmakers, for the best vehicles in the world. Today, based on this experience and on its cutting-edge technology, Pirelli launches the new P ZeroTM, the custom-made tyre for the next generation of cars, designed to draw out an even greater range of driving emotions. For custom-made performance, look no further than P ZeroTM. Discover more on Pirelli.com

The new P ZeroTM tyres are now available. The coloured limited edition version shown in the image will be available to order from September 2016, in selected sizes only.

For further- information, contact us at limitededition@pirelli.com BMW Car Club Chairman Jamalplease Blanc

2019 Financial Results March 31st saw the 2019 financial year come to a close, and it couldn’t have ended under more extraordinary circumstances if it tried. Our financial reports, which have been compiled by Club accountants Davies Lewis Baker in Aberystwyth, are in, and typically we would present these to members ahead of our AGM and open the floor for questions. This year will be different for obvious reasons. We’ve set a provisional August date for our AGM in the event that we are allowed to meet in person, but are aware we may need to be more creative and explore an alternative medium. Accordingly, the full accounts will be made available on the Club’s website for members to view, but they make for rather heavy reading so I bring a summary to share here in Straight Six. In the 2019 financial year we delivered another strong financial performance, and we are beginning to realise the benefits from investments made in improving operational efficiencies and processes. We achieved our strategic priorities of creating a better member experience, targeting simplification savings, mitigating a number of business liability risks and becoming a simpler and more efficient team to do business with. Our significantly improved customer service has received positive support from across the board, we’ve ring-fenced our most important asset, Straight Six, by restructuring the team to form a dynamic new editorial section, and delivery of a new marketleading Membership Management System is in progress which will bring further efficiencies when it launches later this year. This has been the single largest project in terms of size and expense that the Club has invested in. Provisional computations show that the non-mutual trading income for the year to December 31st 2019 generated a loss of £726, after deducting a proportion of related costs and overheads based on an estimate of income split between members and others. Crucially, this loss is aligned to an increased investment over the period which indicates that our business is still run purely on turnover, and we are taking actions to put ourselves in good stead by further exploiting the split between member and non-member income, which is taxed differently. Mutual trading income and expenditure relating to full members of the Club is not taxable, however income

BMW Car Club Magazine July 2020

and expenditure relating to temporary or non-members is classed as normal trading income and as such is liable to corporation tax, so we are continually exploring ways to convert any nonmember streams into full subscriptions. In summary: - Turnover was down by 0.3% as cost of sales increased 8% - Mutual trading income remains at 8% - Administration costs are down 7.1% through restructuring and cost saving initiatives - Membership renewals are up 9%, due to the fantastic efforts of our Office team - Merchandise sales up 41% to over £13k, as we introduce new designs and cost-effective suppliers - Our income statement shows subscriptions are down 2.5%, taking into account the unexpired portion at year-end is carried over - Operating income dropped 11% but we are still posting impressive returns since becoming an IAR - Trackday income remains the same, costs are expectedly higher due to new evening sessions and increased hire fees - Our ongoing commitment to Prostate Cancer continues, with all member contributions going to this great cause - Regional and Series Register income is now cost neutral, as normal trading was moved to the organiser’s control - Event sales are down 9% but cost of sales also dropped 18% as cost saving initiatives take effect - Silverstone Classic was the standout performer with sales up 27% There were several ongoing projects throughout the year, many of which continued into 2020 and will deliver increased member benefits and efficiencies to the Club. - Renegotiation of all third-party service contracts - Review of all IAR commercial agreements - Ongoing validation of member benefits and discount deals - Establishment of a second-tier valuation service for members and non-members, motivated by taxation on non-standard trading - All AAT accounting requirements are now managed in-house - Restructuring the team to its strengths and expertise, investing

- - - - - - - - -

in staff wellbeing and personal development Agile working policies for staff work/ life balance A new dynamic editorial team, ringfencing our most valuable asset, Straight Six Acquisition of a Box trailer, with a positive gain valued over £5k Ongoing disposal of unused assets, consolidation of storage and transportation Engage HR consultants mitigating employer’s liability Overhaul expenses policy Analysis of event expenditure for maximum member benefit Switching to more cost effective software packages Staff remuneration and contracts

There are a handful of investments that I foresee will pay off in 2020, and a major one was a shift towards agile working procedures and working from home strategies, that were designed to contribute to a more efficient member experience and work/life balance improvements for our staff, but have been particularly useful over the past months when the office has been able to continue working from home during the coronavirus lockdown. With many businesses forced to adapt, there has been a sizable shift in attitudes, with employers and employees alike, embracing this modern way of working. Would it work for us going forward, is it more cost effective, are Office staff enjoying it? With Microsoft Teams, Zoom and other virtual collaboration tools available, we certainly have the technology and our industry is certainly conducive to the idea. Only time will tell. In conclusion, our commitment to deliver on our promises continues, our capital returns have not been impacted and our business continues to be run purely on turnover. Our losses have increased but this is aligned to investment, and subscription fees remain unchanged for over 15 years, I am proud to say that our Club is financially stable, and is going into what will undoubtedly be a challenging 2020 in a healthy position. To access the full report, please login to the members area of the website. Sincerely, Jamal Blanc Chairman www.bmwcarclubgb.uk

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www.classiclineinsurance.co.uk BMW Car Club Magazine July 2020

thoughts from the boardroom F

Graeme Grieve, CEO BMW (UK) Ltd.

or a month or two it felt as if the world had hit the pause button but behind the scenes things at BMW have been moving on at quite a pace and the last month has seen a plethora of new model announcements. I touched on one of those in my last column – the debut of the 4 Series – and now you’ll no doubt have seen the allnew model in all of its glory. Due for launch in the UK in October this year it’s going to be an absolute cracker with stunning performance, sublime handling and a cosseting ride. It’s all wrapped up in an elegant package complete with our new take on the iconic kidney grille which draws inspiration from our icons of yesteryear with a distinctly modern twist. The 4 Series isn’t the only new model we’ve revealed since my last missive though, and I’d like to have a look at the 5 Series that has been fully refreshed with revised styling, refined engines and thoroughly updated technology including a larger Central Information Display and our latest operating system. Already a class leader, the updates to the 5 Series will certainly keep it ahead of the competition. Ever since the first 5 Series, the E12, made its debut back in 1972 – the first of our ‘Series’ cars – it’s offered an unbeatable combination of performance, luxury and refinement and has been a hugely popular model. Since its launch almost 50 years ago the 5 Series has found over 8.5 million happy owners and has always been at the forefront of the executive sector.

BMW Car Club Magazine July 2020

The latest model will continue this tradition with a host of updates, the most obvious being its fresh new look which is even sharper than before. Under the skin mild hybrid technology has been added across the range of four and six-cylinder models for enhanced performance and lower fuel consumption. The PHEV 530e receives our latest battery technology and towards the end of this year will also be available as a Touring for the first time. Saloon buyers will also have the choice of a six-cylinder plug-in hybrid when the 545e makes its debut in November. It’s a thoroughly impressive line-up and I’m also delighted that we will now offer our customers in the UK a new range-topping model, the M550i xDrive. With the E12 5 Series all those years ago we introduced the concept of the super saloon with the M535i, so it seems fitting that with our latest generation we are continuing this with our newest M Performance model. With a 530bhp V8 it’s a phenomenally rapid machine, recording a zero to 62mph time of just 3.8 seconds – the M535i wouldn’t see which way it went!

And talking of fast cars… it shouldn’t be too much longer before we finally get to see some motorsport this year, although it will have a very different feel to previous seasons. As I write it looks like the DTM will be going ahead with its first rounds behind closed doors in mid-July while my favourite series – the BTCC – will (hopefully, fingers crossed) be starting at the beginning of August. I can’t wait to see our 330i M Sports in action with their gorgeous new livery – the only question that remains is whether I’ll be able to see it in person or whether it’ll be an afternoon of cheering (or shouting!) at the television. There’s a long time between now and the beginning of August and it’s still hard to plan for every contingency, but I’m hopeful the worst of the year is behind us. The world might have been stuck on pause but rest assured we’re looking forward to a time when we can press the play button again.

www.bmwcarclubgb.uk

A STATEMENT OF STYLE. BMW Lifestyle

The iconic style of BMW extends well beyond our cars. From travel accessories to the latest fashion, find what you need at your local BMW Retailer â&#x20AC;&#x201C; or visit shop.bmw.co.uk

clubnews National Concours 2020 Announcement After careful consideration of the factors, including Government and Public Health guidance and with the safety of everyone involved being of paramount importance, it is with much regret that due to the current situation, the National Concours 2020 has been cancelled. The event was due to be held at Stone Manor in Kidderminster on Sunday 16th August. My sincere apologies to all who were looking forward to it; the National Concours really has become an event to look forward to with many members using it as the perfect opportunity to catch up with friends and acquaintances, whilst at the same time taking part in a very enjoyable event. Options for next year are already being considered with the intention of making our National Concours bigger and better than ever in 2021, offering everyone in the Club a clear opportunity to take part. We have an inclusive approach to Concours – this means that any member can join in whatever BMW, Alpina or MINI they drive, and everyone will be made to feel welcome and be recognised for their efforts in preparing their car for the event. As such, we have a solid approach in place which provides a great foundation for our Concours events - in other words, we are extremely well placed to make decisions about venues, dates

BMW Car Club Magazine July 2020

etc. as the running of events is well established. You may have seen our Concours 2020 Project on the Club’s YouTube channel where we are taking an E88 120i Convertible and covering the wide range of valeting and detailing tasks we are taking to bring it up to a standard to be entered into a Regional Concours event. This series of videos has paused for now due to social distancing measures, however, we will be taking this up again as soon as possible as a way of promoting Concours to all Club members by demonstrating how you too

can get involved. This will involve a trip to the Meguiar’s HQ to capture some good tips and footage which I am sure will be of interest to you! So, once again, please accept my apologies; I am especially disappointed this year after all the work that went into making the arrangements. However, 2021 here we come! If you have any ideas or feedback that you would like to discuss in respect of any aspect of Concours, please do not hesitate to contact me on concours@ bmwcarclubgb.co.uk.

www.bmwcarclubgb.uk

New Members CENTRAL Ian Jiggins Gary Hann Nick Harris Carlton Tomlin Daniel Roper Lee Deanus

CENTRAL WEST Graham Prosser Kamil Golda Rizwan Safdar Emanuel Lakatosz Yakoob Ravat Emon Muktadir

CHANNEL ISLANDS Gordon Stevenson

CHESHIRE & STAFFS Scott Mowat Radoslaw Malkowski

CORNWALL Timothy Haynes COTSWOLD Mathew Sheldon Gary Whitehouse CUMBRIA John Rawsthorne Neil Bowen EAST ANGLIA Stephen McEvoy Philip Regan Mark Thompson Angus Doe Simon French Trevor Day

Steven Jaye Cameron Dale Leeanda Parker Michael Coley Alan Spencer Malcolm Bradley Stuart Greenhow Steven Cooke George Gregory Mark Dawson Ganan Radhakrishnan Wayne Stone EASTERN Stefan Maddock John Payne George Bell Mick Woodhouse Richard Littlewood David Trolley Errol Mcleary Elliot Lowndes Zach King Peter Croft Tony Porter

IRELAND Killian Kirby John Donaldson Joseph Hourican

LONDON Marco Attanasio Patrick Agada Ross Schloeffel Sam Fansa Ravinder Kandola Simon Cosgrove Pawel Glowacki Graham Taylor Jon Crossland Duncan Otridge Charlie Aitchison

Ruslan Zavacky Klaudia Rasinska Denis Rose Durmus Safer Iblal Fiaz Neil Tucker Patrick Todd Thomas Nash Andrew Midzio Henry Webb Brian Stecking Andrzej Cielecki Nicholas Wilkins Manojh Sivagnanasangar Saami Waheedy Bronislaw Glowacki Nick Search Rushi Patel NORTH EAST Alex Mills Ben Nicholls Richard Long Gary Smithson Christopher Lowe Michael Howe

NORTH WALES Mark Roberts Simon Buckley Peter Nigel Murphy NORTH WEST Derek Ferguson Bugrahan Aytac Derek Midgley Michael Turner Amanda Butterworth Andrew Squires

Amjad Ali Alasdair Downing Ian Elder Jock Bryce SOUTH EAST Eugene Petzer Barry Chandler Tom Singleton Steve Howell I Qureshi Robert Line Nicholas aconelli SOUTH WALES Jon Phipps Anthony McAuliffe

THAMES Rodolphe Arnoult

WESTERN David Groves Will Hauhe Lyndon Henly Peter Haigh-Lumby Piotr Maszewski Jozsef Kiss

WESSEX James Mcfiggins Jamie Treadwell Richard Powell Joseph Vickers Tom Murray Thomas Atkins Anthony Naya Nikolay Kerchev Nigel Coole Simon Harfield Jonathan Young Andrew Wilson

National Events Calendar 2020 July 31-2

Silverstone Classic -

CANCELLED

Aug

30th anniversary of

Silverstone Classic.

Club code: 2020CCD057

August 7-9:

Practical Classics Classic

Car & Restoration Show -

CANCELLED

New dates announced for the

popular show at the

NEC, Birmingham.

16:

National Concours

d’Elegance - CANCELLED

Stone Manor Hotel, Kidderminster.

Pre-book entry either with Club Office

01970 267 989 or through Club

Shop shop.bmwcarclubgb.uk.

October 4:

Bicester Heritage Sunday

Scramble

June’s postponed Sunday Scramble.

All bookings from June’s Sunday

Scramble will be valid on this day. Full

refunds are available if you cannot

attend.

November 13-15: Lancaster Insurance

Classic Motor Show

NEC Birmingham

SCOTLAND Jamie Simpson

July Membership Promotion We are pleased to announce that we have extended our May and June Membership Promotion through to July. Once again members who join or renew through the month of July will receive a discount of £5.00 off their membership fee*, and the Club will make a donation of £2.50 to the NHS Charity on every renewal or new member sign up. Renewing early guarantees you don’t miss out on your monthly copy of Straight Six, so check the expiry date on your card to be sure you don’t miss out. If you pay your renewal fee by Direct Debit the discount will be automatically applied. *Valid on UK memberships only www.bmwcarclubgb.uk

Trackday Calendar 2020 28 Sep: 6 Nov:

Snetterton – £200 Oulton Park – £170

BMW Car Club Magazine July 2020

bmwnews bmwnews

New BMW 4 Series breaks cover… And we have to ask what is all the fuss about with the 4 Series’ new kidney grilles? BMW have gone to pains to explain the connection between the new 4 Series and past icons, sharing Bavarian DNA with the revered 328 sports roadster. The new grilles came from the BMW Concept 4, whose front end styling was met with a hefty amount of criticism. And now the 4 Series is here, it doesn’t look anywhere near as bad a lot of fans were expecting. There are split camps formed over the frontal styling, a vociferous group who hate the new grilles and an appreciative group who recognise that BMW are trying to distinguish the 4 Series from the 3, so it becomes a totally separate model in its own right. We think that the grilles will be forgotten about after they have been seen on the road for a few months

BMW Car Club Magazine July 2020

– everyone will then wonder what all the fuss was! What we do know is there’s a lot of good car underneath the skin of this new BMW 4 Series. Styling-wise, the new grilles dominate the front, but certainly in M Sport form the large intakes either side of the grilles and sportier bumper help to balance it out somewhat. The slinky LED headlights are very sexy and are fitted as standard to all 4 Series models, and the rest of the design is very stylish, with a smooth curvy design with muscular haunches, while at the rear the taillights are equally slim and attractive. Inside, you’ll find a cabin very similar to that of a 3 Series, which is no surprise. The 3 is well screwed together and built

from quality materials so the 4 Series interior should be a nice place to relax in and drive. If you select the optional Live Cockpit Professional upgrade the displays are a 10.25-inch centre touchscreen control display and a fully digital 12.3-inch instrument display, which is very sexy. Practicality hasn’t been overlooked either; all 4 Series models feature a 40:20:40 split backrest, an array of larger storage areas and boot space has been increased to 440 litres. Underneath the skin, the new 4 Series has been given unique kinematics, suspension tuning, camber, steering, steering tuning and even braking to make the 4 feel sharper, more dynamic and, overall, different from the 3 Series. Compared to the 3 Series Saloon, the new 4 Series is 2.2-inches longer, 1.0inch wider, 2.2-inches lower and with a

www.bmwcarclubgb.uk

bmwnews

1.0-inch wider rear track while sharing the same wheelbase. BMW have worked hard to incorporate as much technology into the new Coupe without increasing weight, with aluminium and carbon fibre used extensively; the 420i weighs in at 1525kgs and the 430i has a kerb weight of 1545kgs, which is quite

impressive for a car of this size. The drag coefficient has also been reduced from the previous model’s 0.29 to a Cd of 0.25 for the new 430i, whilst the new 4 Series is 5.2-inches longer, 1.0-inch wider, 0.4-inches taller, and features a wheelbase that is 1.6-inches longer than the F32, with a 1.4-inch front and 1.2inch rear wider wheelbase.

Powering the new 4 Series will be a wide selection of engines. The entry level 420i is powered by an 184bhp 2.0-litre four, which gives 0-60mph in 7.3 seconds, while the diesel powered 420d has 190bhp and 400Nm of torque, allowing it to sprint to 60mph in 7.2 seconds. The 430i is also powered by the same 2.0-litre petrol engine as found in the 420i, tweaked to produce 258bhp and sprinting to 60mph in a brisk 5.5 seconds. Top of the range for now is the M440i xDrive, whose 3.0-litre twin-turbo engine pumps out 374bhp and 500Nm of torque, which storms to 60mph from rest in 4.2 seconds! A 430d xDrive (286bhp) and an M440d xDrive (340bhp/700Nm) will be launched in March 2021. xDrive is available on all diesel models and standard on the 430d and 440d, whilst being standard only on the M440i petrol model. We are only scratching the surface here with regards to the information available on all the new features and technology packed into the new 4 Series - BMW’s press release ran to eleven pages alone! So for more details we suggest that you either visit bmw.co.uk or call in to your local dealer. No prices were available as we went to press, but the worldwide launch commences in October 2020.

BMW G30 5 Series LCI

BMW announced details of their LCI (Life Cycle Impulse, or mid-life facelift) which includes a refreshed exterior design highlighted at the front with new slimline headlights and (ahem) larger kidney grills, while at the rear there have been more subtle changes including new LED tail lights. Many models will now be equipped with mild hybrid 48V technology. www.bmwcarclubgb.uk

The updated 5 Series also promises increased refinement with additions like a new 12.3-inch Central Information Display, plus improved connectivity and efficiency. Touring models will be available with a plug-in hybrid drive system from November 2020, and all four and six-cylinder models will feature mild-hybrid technology, except PHEV and M550i xDrive models.

Prices start at £42,500 for a 520d M Sport and rise to £67,595 for the new 530bhp M550i xDrive that can hit 60mph from rest in an eye watering 3.6 seconds! The new LCI 5 Series can be ordered now via your local BMW dealer. Again, there is far too much info for us to list here, so for more details on the G30 5 Series LCI visit bmw.co.uk BMW Car Club Magazine July 2020

bmwnews bmwnews Alpina launches a plethora of new models…

The 5 Series LCI suits the Alpina B5 and D5S perfectly. The sharp styling, especially around the front end, gives both cars real presence. The XB7 will be the perfect tool for those who like their uber-sized SUV’s quick, capacious and exclusive

Alpina’s latest additions to the Buchloe family, the XB7 SAV, the LCI B5 and D5 have been launched online because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Based on BMW’s X7, the Alpina XB7 adds Alpina’s trademark refinements and performance DNA to the mix to provide a vehicle capable of taking on the highestperforming Sports Activity Vehicles in the world. Performance is provided by a twin-turbo 4.4-litre V8 petrol engine that develops 621bhp and 800Nm of torque, available from 2000 all the way to 5000rpm. The XB7 accelerates to 60mph from rest in an astonishing 3.9 seconds, a figure readily accessible thanks to the traction provided by the 4WD system. Maximum speed is limited to 180mph. The Alpina 5 Series based models have been revised due to the 5 Series LCI update to both saloon and Touring models. Styling-wise, the B5 has received the same LCI improvements

BMW to end European M2 production Production of the M2 Competition and M2 CS will cease for European customers in the Autumn of 2020. The reason for the early end of the M2 production is due to the increasingly stringent European emissions standards. The BMW M760i with its V12 engine is another victim of these new emission rules. After production of the current M4 Coupe and Convertible was recently discontinued in Europe, as planned, the M2C/M2CS are the final models to utilise BMW’s S55 3.0-litre twin turbo engine. Therefore, adapting the 2014-born engine to stricter emission requirements simply makes no economic sense. Customers outside of Europe will continue to receive allocations of both the M2C and M2 CS until 2021.

The UK & Europe is to lose the M2C and M2 CS later this year, mainly due to stringent emissions regulations

BMW Car Club Magazine July 2020

as the BMW G30 5 Series model. The B5’s engine remains the same, being the 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8 pushing out 625bhp, which allows the B5 to cover the 0-60mph time in an astonishing 3.2 seconds, thanks to the traction provided by the xDrive system. Top speed is a remarkable 205mph. Alpina’s D5 now becomes the D5S with the LCI update, and is now equipped with the same 48V mild hybrid technology as its BMW 5 Series cousin. This increases horsepower to 408bhp and 800Nm of torque from the triple-turbo, 3.0-litre straight six engine. Performance has also improved, with the sprint to 60mph from rest now taking 4.2 seconds – maximum speed is 178mph. All models are available to order immediately, with both the B5 and D5S seeing deliveries start in October 2020, whilst deliveries of the new Alpina XB7 start in December 2020. No UK prices had been confirmed before we went to press,

BMW 6 Series GT dropped from UK market

One of the most unloved vehicles in the BMW range has been axed from the UK. Only 233 customers were found for the 6 Series GT since its launch in the UK, making it a bit of a no-brainer for BMW. It has also been dropped from the US and Australian markets where it has proven to be equally as unpopular, although it can still be purchased in Europe and the rest of the world, where a facelift LCI version has just gone on sale. BMW also confirmed that the LCI model will be the 6 Series GT’s last hurrah, as they announced that there won’t be a second generation 6 Series GT.

Five Millionth BMW Built in the US

BMW Manufacturing achieved another milestone on June 4th with production of the five millionth BMW built at the Spartanburg, South Carolina, plant. The historic vehicle was a Toronto Red Metallic BMW X5 M Competition. The plant employs more than 11,000 people who build X3, X4, X5, X6 and X7 models for the U.S. market and the rest of the world, with nearly 70 percent of production exported.

The five millionth BMW, a Toronto Red Metallic X5 M Competition, prepares to leave the Spartanburg production line www.bmwcarclubgb.uk

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BMW Car Club Magazine July 2020

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dannorris Whatever you do, don’t say the C-word So, the… er… chaps in the BMW design department have done it again. The release of the new 4 Series has, as we say in polite journalistic circles, polarised opinion. Not for the first time, a startling new look has met with, again politely put, mixed reactions. Less politely, it’s hard to find anyone with a positive comment to make – let’s be honest, ‘polarised’ and ‘mixed’ at least imply a variety of feelings – in this case it would appear to be a unanimous gasp of horror. As we all know, BMW has plenty of form on this one, but history shows us that these things are rarely as they seem at first gasp. I’ve always had a theory – mentioned in this column before – that new BMW designs have to shock to be valid. After all, you wouldn’t expect a manufacturer the size of BMW to stay still in the design department, and whilst we all wish for more of the same – designs that please our currently tuned senses – BMW have a desperate need to reinvent themselves. What they want is to make a statement, to stand out, to innovate. Therefore, my argument is that for any new design to tick the right boxes for the BMW management team - and let’s be honest, they sort of do know what they’re doing – it is going to have to shock. Left to us lot, we’d still be producing E30 era styling, with the iconic quad light and 80’s kidney grill ‘look’ we all revere – and that probably wouldn’t work in the competitive world of the modern motor manufacturer. Looking back, the last decade and a half is full of shocking designs that caused controversy when launched, from the E39 5 Series (was jelly mould, is now one of the most favoured shapes) to the bangle era M6 (was universally

The new 4 Series. Possibly.

BMW Car Club Magazine July 2020

unpopular and now looks cool) and even the Gran Coupe shapes (pilloried for being a pointless design – but now look again at the recent M6 GC and tell me it isn’t gorgeous). All these cars have been welcomed into the BMW Hall of Fame, and have had their hand prints firmly planted in the sidewalk. But that 4 Series. Will it ever look good? Can something that universally derided ever come back? Well, yes. Probably. First of all, let’s wait for the M4 – our friends at M will have a wealth of spoilers and skirts and vents and arch extenders and fancy badges and… of course enough muscle to assuage our fears – and I have a feeling it could look rather good. Or totally sick, as some of their new audience might say. BMW themselves are very quick to point out, I should add, that this new look is far from overly futuristic. They suggest it is in fact on a direct line back to the 1930’s classic, the 328 roadster. I’ll let you chew on that one. BMW clearly have their sights set on global domination. The geniuses over in Munich have also decided now is the moment to redesign the roundel, and the senior management’s obsession with Apple has clearly rubbed off on their design ethos. You could describe it as ‘whited-out’ – or you could say it’s gone all wishy-washy. I’m going with the latter. But fear not! BMW aren’t just going to flood the world with their new logo – they have a plan. And, dare I say it, it’s a very German sort of plan. You’ve heard it before - big on the detail, thorough to the point of obsessional, and most importantly, its being imposed on their retail network with, how can I say – a fairly dictatorial approach. Upon a recent

visit to my friends at a local main dealer, I was treated to an excellent coffee from what looked like around 30 grand’s worth of coffee machine. Spotting the now previous logo on the 50 inch screen decorating the front of said vending device, I smugly pointed out that they’d dropped the ball. Actually, no. BMW doesn’t just throw these logos around, you know. There’s a roll out – new models first (the ones that are being sold to the Apple crowd) then gradually across the showroom, clothing, branded goods and then onto the full range of cars. How naïve of me to think the coffee machine was in the first wave. Somewhat stunned, I mentioned how comparatively free we were at Munich Legends, being an independent specialist. Apparently, the coffee machine thing is nothing. BMW instructs their dealers not only on the exact layout of the showroom, but the exact distance to be left between the cars. I understand that if you pass a main dealer, a quick peep into the showroom tells you if anyone is due to visit from head office that week. Otherwise it’ll be TWo series Active Tourers in the corner by the loos, and plenty of space to move around. Perhaps most dealers feel they understand how to lay out their own showrooms better than some retail design specialist from Germany, but I’d be guessing. I can tell you things are pretty different down our way. On a final note – I’m determined not to say the C-word in this piece by the way – I’m pleased to announce that classic and performance BMW sales are back with a bang, cars selling in 24 hours from being advertised, several clients competing over one car – general levels of activity not seen since before the Brexit vote. I can’t tell you why, but I can tell you I’m relieved. It turns out there is life after COVID-19 after all. Damn. I said the C-word again. Images: BMW Press

Classic 1930’s BMW design www.bmwcarclubgb.uk

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Power Feature - BMW E60 M5 Feature

LIFE

THE BOSS

Words by Steve Carter Photographs by Dean Grossmith

here was a time, not that long ago, where the big reveal of a new M Car was a treat for which patience was key. There was no instant gratification via a GoPro stuck on the end of a stick talked at by an influencer on YouTube, the big

BMW Car Club Magazine July 2020

reveal would nearly always be from a printed monthly magazine. And occasionally, if you were really lucky, some of those rare M car reveals even made it onto the nationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s favourite car programme, BBC 2â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Top Gear. It was on one such Sunday evening back in 2005 that an episode of Top Gear

was shown that made quite an impact on me, and for a couple of reasons, not all of them pleasant. For it was a night that the gregarious Mr Clarkson performed a review on an M Car that I was beside myself to see and hear, and that was the video of the brand spanking new 5-litre V10 M5. www.bmwcarclubgb.uk

I mean this was a totally crazy thing to do, to place an engine that big and with that many cylinders in a family saloon car; the only other car manufacturer in the world to do something that crazy at that time was Lamborghini, and they made high end supercar exotica. And even more amazing, especially for BMW, you could buy an Estate version too, and that hadn’t happened since they launched the lefthand drive only E34 M5 Touring way back in 1992. And so, as the Top Gear episode began and part one of the M5 review was broadcast, my great excitement was immediately replaced by a sinking heart, Clarkson was slating the hell out of the car. He called it “shouty”, “ugly”, “flashy”, and “a massive disappointment”. I recall being www.bmwcarclubgb.uk

so offended, after all, I had read the positive print reviews already, that I openly shared my foul-mouthed displeasure with no one in particular other than Clarkson on the telly. I was devastated. But then, thankfully, part two started and after a few more moans and groans Clarkson pushed that little button on the steering wheel, simply marked with the letter “M”. Clarkson’s overly dramatic negativity was immediately replaced with his overly dramatic positivity. Phew, he does like it! One of his best lines from that film just has to be, “You want to take it on? Don’t bother. This is quicker, it’s faster, it’s more astonishing... it’s motoring perfection!”. To quote James Brown, I guess the M5 had “paid the cost to be the boss”.

It’s a review that I have never forgotten to this day, and if you haven’t seen it already, then look it up on YouTube, it’s worth nine minutes of your time if only to see Clarkson at his most, (choose one), annoying / animated. Of course, it wasn’t just Clarkson’s review that was somewhat difficult for the E60 (Saloon) and E61 (Touring) models, it had already taken a fair amount of criticism for the way it looked too. It was and still is one of the most distinctive looking 5 Series in the near 50 production years of the model. When launched in 2003, its design was, it’s fair to say, universally criticised. Davide Arcangeli penned the finished bold design under BMW’s infamous Design Director, Chris Bangle. Bangle had arrived at BMW in 1992 under Product Development Chief Wolfgang Reitzle. It was a time when models had a safe family look, one model leveraged from the next. The E60/61 5 Series was therefore a huge step change both design wise and dynamically compared to the previous E39 model; the flame surfacing design strategy played out to its maximum effect with almost no smooth edges to be seen anywhere. Right from the eyebrowed headlights at the front, the strong high shoulder crease carries along its length, leading round to the almost afterthought looking boot lid placement, but with those original angular rear lights somehow softening everything through their long lashed eyeballs, clearly feline in their execution. Despite this sharp-suited design, the car was labelled “ugly” and “fat” from some less reserved sections of the motoring press. I myself had a base Touring version at the time and tellingly, although I really liked that car as it was just perfect with the two toddlers we had at the time, I never recall giving it that telling last “look back” as I stepped away. But time has been kind to the E60, and I think particularly so for both of the M5 models. These two models were given a significant exterior and muscular design overhaul versus the standard cars by English designer Karl Elmitt, he of M3 CSL fame. The larger dished 19” wheels under the bulging arches, along with the front wing side vents, four rear exhausts, boot spoiler (E60) and diffuser, all add up to what I think is without doubt one of the best looking three box car designs BMW have ever produced, and certainly one of the Bangle era’s finest hours. Of course, looking the part is always important for any BMW, not alone an M Car. But it’s what’s under the skin that makes this particular M Car totally unique, and particularly under that big piece of aluminium skin up front, “This car was always going to have 500 bhp, nothing less”, said Gerhard Richter, head of BMW’s BMW Car Club Magazine July 2020

Power Feature - BMW E60 M5 Feature

M division at the time. For those that like the technical stuff, here you go: The S85 engine was 5.0-litres, had an aluminiumalloy engine block cast at the BMW light alloy foundry in Landshut, Germany (of F1 fame), a 90-degree V to join two identical five-cylinder banks for its low vibration and comfort characteristics, 10 individual electronic controlled throttle bodies and bi-VANOS variable valve timing. And at the time, this M5 had the most powerful ECU ever used in production car history. Now how the output of this engine was deployed was via a unique series of power settings not seen on any BMW before, or since. There are three driver-selectable engine modes: P400, P500 and P500 S. At startup, the car defaults to P400 with 394 bhp, P500 increases the power to the full 500 bhp (507 PS), and then the P500 S mode keeps the engine at the same power output but adds more aggressive throttle response. The maximum RPM? Well this was a race car like, being way up at 8,250rpm, and remember, this is in an executive saloon.

The engine design and performance were so highly rated across the industry that it impressively won awards every year for four years straight from its release: • 2005 International Engine of the Year, Best Performance Engine, Best Above 4.0-litre, Best New Engine • 2006 International Engine of the Year, Best Performance Engine, Best Above 4.0-litre • 2007 Best Performance Engine, Best Above 4.0-litre • 2008 Best Above 4.0-litre Arguably less highly rated was the Getrag SMG (Sequential Manual Gearbox) III 7 speed, single clutch gearbox that was fitted. Interestingly the US market also benefited from a 6-speed manual gearbox a year after launch in 2006, but that was never offered anywhere else. The SMG III was the last hurrah of SMG being fitted to a BMW, and although shift times were as quick as 65 milliseconds in its most aggressive setting, the SMG technology was eventually replaced with the Dual Clutch Transmissions technology in the

MLife: My E60 M5 I’ve had my M5 saloon for almost four years; however, I had been looking into buying one since it first came into production. The car has always amazed me that it was the most powerful naturally aspirated four door saloon when launched, and yet how luxurious it feels at the same time. I’ve driven it in all weather, all types of roads all over the UK, and it still amazes me how enjoyable it is to drive. Most of my friends admire my car and we spend hours talking about it and driving it. I regularly get strangers giving me their thumbs up in recognition of what the great car it is. I try to use the car regularly to go on weekend drives and short breaks around the country. Since I’ve owned the car I’ve not had any major repairs. But as any car of that class it needs looking after, just general service and minor repairs, for example sensors, brakes, disks and a fuel pump. If you are thinking of buying this car, have a healthy wallet as any basic repair can put you back a few quid. And before you go ahead and buy one, make sure you drive it first to its full potential so it doesn’t put you off at the later date when you learn how quick and powerful this car really is. I own other cars such as a BMW E28, a two-seater convertible and a sevenseater 4x4, however my M5 is by far the most enjoyable to drive. Jim Butler

BMW Car Club Magazine July 2020

next M Car generation, the E9X. Another production first on the E60/61 M5 was the M button on the steering wheel and the ability to program it within the iDrive system. Through a multiplechoice set-up, the driver could control everything from the Electronic Dampers, through to its DSC traction control, power, throttle mapping and SMG shift change timings. Whilst at the time it was criticised for being over complicated, it started a trend in programmable M driving modes which remains on the higher specified M cars to this day. In fact, the latest F90 M5 does not have one but two M buttons sitting either side and atop of the steering wheel boss, there’s progress for you. So, with all of this impressive drive train and technology employed, how did this translate to performance figures when coupled with the not insignificant kerb weight of 1855Kg, and 1955Kg for the Touring version? It was a simple answer, easily. The E60 M5 was the world’s fastest four door saloon at the time of its release, with the official 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) acceleration figure at 4.7 seconds (magazine tests recorded figures down to 4.1 seconds), and with the 155mph electronically restricted top speed removed with the optional M drivers package, the top speed was raised to 190mph. Although with no limiter at all, a frankly staggering 205mph could be achieved; that V10 could gulp some serious air, and of course fuel, but more of that later. Interior wise, the M5 was the height of cosseting luxury. The seats themselves, with or without the automatic inflating side bolsters, were eminently comfortable. And beyond the various M touches like the 200mph speedometer and 9,000rpm rev gauge, other tech such as a heads up display was available to the discerning executive M Car enthusiast. Driving Fast forward 15 years and as our Covid-19 lockdown starts to ease, photographer Dean Grossmith and www.bmwcarclubgb.uk

myself have been allowed out to meet up, socially distanced of course, with fellow Car Club member Warren WhitneySmith and his awesome Silverstone II M5 saloon. I am not sure what it is about this particular colour, but I have always thought the M5’s shape really pops in this light blue metallic hue with a wonderfully subtle contrast to the metallic silver 19inch Style 166M alloys. Opening the driver’s door and that reassuring clunk as the lock unlatches instantly reassures that this is an upmarket M Car. Greeting you inside is a swathe of sumptuous leather, this particular example has the extended Merino leather, also in Silverstone II; it’s a great combination. As I sit down in the driver’s seat it feels like I have slipped into my favourite armchair, there is no mistaking this cabin for a lesser upmarket M car such as an E90 M3, although what they do have in common

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is a slightly higher than expected driving position. It’s probably my long-bodied 6’ 3” frame, but I feel that I’d be more comfortable sitting another couple of inches lower. A turn of the key and there is nothing of note to hear from inside the cabin, only when you step outside is that familiar clatter of the start-up routine to be heard, before the car eventually takes a deep breath and settles into its quiet rhythm. In some ways its quietness is a slight disappointment, I know there is a V10 up front and I want to hear it. Thankfully I don’t have to wait long. As we head out of Ashdown Forest, we eventually join the A22 and faster sections of the roads quickly appear, not enough to have the full M experience, but enough to take the engine revs above 2,000rpm for the first time and where the sound of that ten-cylindered masterpiece first makes its voice heard.

M Life: My E61 M5 I’ve owned Monaco, my E61 M5 Touring, for five years now. I test drove five cars, including one that tried to put us in a hedge, before I settled on this one because it rode the best. My wife said it was the nicest but the guy wouldn’t budge on the price. As luck would have it, after two months I saw it for sale in a dealership. Bingo, and a week later we picked it up. It is a very versatile car. We have a toddler seat in the back so we go shopping in it, and I can pick up man stuff from the builders’ merchants, then at the weekend we can drive to interesting places. The main joys of ownership are the compliments from friends on the leather and comfortable seats whose bolsters automatically squeeze you. Also, the appreciation from neighbours that it isn’t as noisy as some cars. It gets appreciation from superbike riders, folks in their Mopar, Nissan GTRs and once even a McLaren, everyone just loves the sound of the V10 engine on the move. The biggest joy is of course driving it. The E61 M5 is not just a supercar, it is a supercar and ruthlessly efficient at getting from A to B in comfort. It starts and is more economical in D (auto 400bhp) but pulling on either the stick or the levers takes it straight into manual mode. Press the M button on the steering wheel and it goes straight to 500bhp fun time. Robert Walton-Sharp

BMW Car Club Magazine July 2020

Power Feature - BMW E60 M5 Feature

As we flow with the traffic around the twists and turns of the A22 I talk to Warren about how he likes the car set via the M menu. The one button that makes a more significant difference than in other M cars I have driven is the EDC or Electronic Damping. Leave it in Comfort mode and just as Warren says it would, it feels wallowy, push it into a corner and the weight shift creates much more body roll than I expect, however, place the EDC into even its first Sport setting and the M5 becomes taut; this is Warren’s preferred default setting. This car is well very damped and even with 89,000-miles on the clock, this M5 feels extremely well screwed together with no squeaks or rattles from the interior, only a light jangling of a few coins in the central armrest can be heard in the quiet cabin. Talking of coins, we must

spend a few of them on VPower, albeit very reasonably priced at the moment, before we head on to faster roads. This V10 does have a slightly worrying drinking problem, the iDrive is showing we are averaging 15.3 mpg for the day. “She will do a reasonable 22 mpg on a long journey” Warren assures me, a wry smile on his face. At last we reach the M25. The M button is pushed, I pull a lever and bring the gearbox into its Manual mode, drop it to third, merge onto the quiet inside lane and then punch the throttle. What happens next is both glorious and slightly frightening at the same time. The rear hunkers down, the revs start to climb. What a glorious sound, NO OTHER BMW SOUNDS LIKE THIS! I pull a paddle. A brief pause, the SMG takes a sharp intake of breath, now

M Life: My E61 M5 An E61 M5 is a rare car on the road and it became my adventure to find one. It took me over a year to source a low mileage and right colour combo Silverstone II blue with Silverstone leather, apparently only 45 were made in this colour combination. Bought in 2015 as a birthday treat for myself to add to my collection, I wanted a modern toy back then. The V10 engine at cold start can be loud especially now I have a Hayward Scott rear exhaust system fitted, but once warmed up it works in great harmony with the S85 V10 engine. This luggage loader is a great car for taking on long trips. I’ve taken it to Germany, Switzerland, France and Belgium. The biggest joy and experience is the way this car propels you on the autobahn, it’s so rapid and that V10 soundtrack lifts the soul. Driving around the European cities we got a lot of thumbs up from both drivers and pedestrians. These cars have a healthy appetite for brake pads and discs, tyres, oil and yes, a very large appetite for fuel! If you’re interested in buying one, make sure it has been well maintained, with a full-service history by BMW or specialist, with proof of receipts; ideally find one with a BMW warranty or get a warranty on them where possible. I’m hoping to keep this car for a very long time and adventure to more European cities, would be a hard choice to sell it or change to something else. Neville D’Mello

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I have fourth. The revs climb rapidly. What an immensely powerful and tuneful engine this is, the revs are climbing faster and faster towards that 8,000rpm plus redline. Boy does she go, she is really feeling alive now! Only then do I catch sight of the speedo. The brakes are rapidly and firmly applied, quickly scrubbing off enough speed to ensure I blend in with the rest of the sparse moving traffic. This M5 is a class act, the way it treats you as a driver and passenger is first rate, and yet if you want it to go and humble a supercar, it will. Is there enough theatre in the way it goes about its business? Perhaps not as much as I’d like, a louder exhaust would be first on my wish list, but there again, if you want all the fun of the fair you could buy a similar aged, less executive M car. As Warren says with a laugh, “it’s a bit of a clown’s car really, all power, noise and a bit clunky”. I know what Warren is saying, the E60 M5 is a wonderful combination of the exotic, the sensible and the crazy. I’d like to imagine that the initial E60 M5 kick-off meeting at M headquarters started with one of those Americanesque introductions such as, “Right everyone, we need you to think OUT OF THE BOX with this next generation M5”. The thing is, it seems not only did they think out of the box, but they incorporated every single one of those crazy ideas into this M5, and that’s just brilliant. Of course, the ownership proposition has to be embraced knowing that these cars are not cheap to run. They have to be serviced correctly by the right specialists and BMW dealerships. And like all M Cars, an E60/E61 M5 needs to be used frequently, warmed correctly and driven properly - getting that engine up to temperature before you do so is www.bmwcarclubgb.uk

an absolute must, the oil temperature gauge is there for a reason, right? Of course, if you do your research you will hear of some horror stories with these cars, especially engine related, with seemingly earlier examples more prone to rod bearing shell wear, which if not checked, can cause catastrophic engine failure; sampling the oil with frequency is a necessity, just as it is with the V8 M3’s S65 engine, they are closely related. But find a good one, and there are some relative bargains to be had with the Saloon right now. The Touring, being far rarer with only 1,025 built versus the Saloon’s 19,564, seemingly commands a good £10,000 premium. As I exit the M25 I enjoy the last of the A roads running to our final destination for today, Chilworth in Surrey.

I leave the car in M mode, the V10 squeezed as often as possible to enjoy that epic noise one last time before we pull to a stop. After initially forgetting to hand the M5’s key back to Warren as I step out, I take a long look back at this astonishing machine. And whilst I stand there smiling and nodding appreciatively there is just that one tune playing in my mind from earlier, “Look at me, you know what you see, you see a bad mutha”. This M5 is The Boss. A quick note to say thanks to the fellow owners who so enthusiastically contributed to this article with their own E60/61 M5 experiences. Thank you, Jim, Nev, Robert, Peter and of course a special thank you to Warren WhitneySmith for letting us drive and photograph his wonderful Silverstone II M5.

M Life: My E60 M5 Being a long-term multiple BMW owner and fan, I was browsing Pistonheads early in 2012 when I was attracted by pictures of a well-documented history and high specification Black Sapphire M5 that had just been posted. Fewer than 40 miles from home I made immediate contact arranged to see the car the following day. With a clean HPI check I found the car garaged and looking immaculate. A subsequent test run showed the (second) owner to be knowledgeable and mechanically sympathetic (gentle start to get up to temperature before showing some of the car’s ability). Understanding the only reason for sale was the opportunity to pick up a Nissan GT-R I saw no benefit in haggling and agreed to the asking. Given the model’s reputation I took out a BMW insured warranty from the start of my ownership which proved a good and recommended move. Don’t expect much in the way of mpg, any motorway miles benefits are negated by slow urban runs and the odd spirited drive. Like all M cars, running costs are high. Keep an eye on the Tracking and associated tie rod wear. Tyres are not cheap; dealers quote twice the price of online retailers such as Blackcircles. Keep the battery well maintained as low voltage messes with some of the sensors. There’s no harm in annual oil servicing. Remember, many things come in multiples of 10, e.g. spark plugs. Of course, everything, all the problems, traumas, and costs are forgiven as soon as you find the opportunity to give it a squirt. Peter Long www.bmwcarclubgb.uk

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Frankfurt Or Bust in an Feature E60 M5 Back in 2005 I was midway through my term (12 years) serving as Chairman of this wonderful Club, and I was fortunate enough to be offered the then brand new E60 M5 on test for a few days by BMW GB. Where to go? Fellow Board Member and travelling companion Darren Webster and myself banged craniums together to come up with a plan. Where else but Germany, home of this wonderful machine, great beer and bratwurst…and derestricted autobahns! Our journey would prove to be a memorable one.

was lucky enough to be handed an E60 M5 test car by BMW GB (now UK) when the M5 had just been launched in 2005 for five days. This car created such a stir at launch that it nearly made me dribble. It was uniquely powered by BMW’s M Power S85 40-valve V10, an engine that was closely

related to that powering the then current Sauber F1 race car and had previously seen service in the Williams F1 cars. The road car, with 507bhp on tap, quickly earned the title of ‘fastest four-door saloon car in the world’. So where to test such an extraordinary vehicle? Well, it was

September 2005 and on the near horizon was the forthcoming Frankfurt Motor Show (IAA), so the test dates were agreed and Darren and myself were off to Germany! Our journey to Frankfurt via the Dover-Calais Norfolkline ferry was uneventful, as was the journey eastwards on the autoroutes in France and Belgium save for one ignoramus driving a 964 Carrera, who sped up behind us on a stretch of autoroute and then proceeded to flash his headlights at us. We were driving in the second lane of a Belgian autoroute, waiting for overtaking traffic in front to pull over so we could then pass ourselves, but the Porsche guy didn’t want to wait. As the traffic cleared I asked Darren to inform me when the final car had pulled back over, on hearing Darren say “now” I looked to Porscheman behind and waved bye-bye just as Darren hit the M5’s throttle – whoosh, the rev counter needle swung violently around to 8,000rpm and the V10 howled as we had opened up a 200 metre gap.

LOST AND FOUND! Words Jeff Heywood – Photographs BMW Press & Jeff Heywood

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Porsche-man pulled back into the first lane, tail between his legs. Childish I know, but it demonstrated how powerful a weapon the M5 was, and it allowed us to joke about Porsche-man heading into his local Porsche dealer in the morning complaining of a lack of power. We stayed in Rudesheim on the Rhine for three nights at the Hotel Vogelsang for our visit to the Motor Show – we had planned to visit the show split over two days as it is that vast. The Vogelsang is a hotel we have used on many occasions and allowed us a nice 40-mile Autobahn run to the Messe Frankfurt for the show each morning, just enough to allow the M5 to come up to temperature and then stretch her legs – the journey didn’t take long running in P500 S mode! Both trips were calm and drama free. On the first day we parked in the Messe’s multi-storey car park and walked to the exhibition halls. As we approached the entrance, on the main highway that runs parallel with the Messe we heard the distant scream of high performance engines. Now we must paint a mental picture here. This is Frankfurt, which is a major, busy city. It is morning rush hour and one can imagine the traffic at this time outside the venue of a major International Motor Show. The screaming got louder and even more intoxicating, and as the cars came into focus we had a pair of Lamborghini Gallardos, one bright orange and the other one Kermit green, ahem, ‘driving’ side by side from one set of traffic lights to the next. As they approached the main junction where we stood, which was manned by a gaggle of police officers, I expected at the very least that they would be told to pull over for a stern ticking off. At the junction, as the traffic lights changed from red to green, both hung a left and then performed a U-turn, tyres smoking as the Lambo V10s screamed away as

BMW Car Club Magazine July 2020

both Gallardos sped off in the opposite direction, the Police officers just laughed and shrugged their shoulders – only in Germany! The show itself was as brilliant and huge as ever. We got to see the unveiling of the new BMW Z4 Coupe and chatted with Chris Bangle for quite a while. BMW’s stand was huge, Alpina’s was impressive with some lovely models on display, and it was also good to see some of the German tuners there like AC Schnitzer who had an impressively large stand, as did Hamann and Hartge, only on a slightly smaller scale. Day two was uneventful, although on arrival we decided to skip the multistorey parking and parked in the centre island of the main carriageway, which sounds dodgy but they are quite wide and equipped to take car parking. So we turned in, parked up and it was just a short hop across the (very busy) road and we were in the main entrance of the main exhibition hall again. We both enjoyed another wonderful day at the show, managing to visit the many trade stands present including the model sellers. No, not full sized models, 1:43 and 1:18 scale. Those who know me know how many models I have in my collection, but Darren’s is far, far larger! Wallets considerably lightened of Euros and with two wonderful chunks of filet steak calling us back in Rudesheim, we decided to leave the show for the final time at 5pm, leaving by the main entrance with just a short walk to the car park. As we got nearer I couldn’t see ‘our’ M5. As we crossed the road and entered the parking area I still couldn’t see the beast. I was now getting a giddy, sickly feeling in the pit of my stomach. We walked up to the spot where our M5 was parked and sat in its place was an Audi A4 – shitezen! How the f*** are we going to explain this one to BMW GB – their bright, shiny AND very new M5 had been stolen!

We crossed back onto the pavement and there wasn’t a policeman in sight – there never is when you need one. Sat adjacent to the Messe Frankfurt is the imposing five-star Maritim Hotel which has direct access to the Messe. Needing help and advice we entered, and thank god we did. By this time we were both ashen faced and feeling decidedly sick. I spoke to the general manager on duty, and I couldn’t have picked a better person to speak to. I explained how our car had gone missing. Thankfully he spoke perfect English and he said “your car won’t have been stolen. To park where you left your car you need a permit” – music to our ears…sort of! “The police have cars towed away all the time at busy shows like the IAA, I will make a few calls to find where your car is.” The guy went to his desk and I could hear him speaking away on the telephone, I heard the terminology ‘BMV, Britischer auto’ used on numerous occasions and he then rang off. – “I have found your car. It has been taken to a compound on the outskirts of the city and they are still open. I have also called a taxi for you” – our saviour. The manager couldn’t have been more helpful as we both felt ill with worry. Our taxi arrived. It was now 6pm. I gave the driver the address of the compound where our car had been taken – worryingly he looked puzzled. We set off into the Frankfurt evening rush hour, you can imagine the mix of apprehension and tension. After driving for around half an hour, the driver looked lost. He asked us if the address was correct? “How the f*** do we know”. He got on his radio, spoke to someone and then set off again. It was now 6.50pm, nearly a full hour had passed. I said to Darren “what if this place closes, we’ll be shafted.” We left the city and ventured into a really seedy area. To say we both felt very uneasy is an understatement. It was now 7.30pm as we traversed this sprawl of an inner city concrete jungle. Finally the driver pulled up outside a large block of flats – he pointed to a ground floor flat with a light on. The taxi ‘ride’ had cost us €80. The ‘flat’ we had been dropped off at was being utilised as an office by the vehicle recovery company. I tried the door handle… and prayed. Thankfully the door opened and inside, the ‘office’ was manned by a guy in his 60’s who didn’t speak a word of English. Thankfully my command of pigeon German worked and he showed me a ledger with a line containing our number plate – thank you! He pointed to the compound which was down an alley at the side of the building. Okay, can we please have our car now? Nein, came the reply! The compound was closed for the night and www.bmwcarclubgb.uk

Feature padlocked. I’ve never felt as fraught in my life. I had visions of a new M5, full of scratches and dings from the towing that we couldn’t gain access to, plus our hotel was over 40-miles away. I explained that we were returning to the UK that same evening and needed our car. He made a telephone call to his boss and agreed to free our car from the compound – once we had paid the parking/towing fine of €185! He opened the compound and we gave the M5 a quick once over, seeing as it had been lifted onto a low loader to be removed – thankfully there wasn’t a scratch on the car. We started the beast up and we shot off like we were in a car chase. It was now 8.15! We quickly made our way to the autobahn and once fully warmed we took no prisoners on the derestricted autobahn as we headed back to Rudesheim, the (brilliant) Xenon headlamps lighting up the carriageway as we sped at what would be highly illegal speeds back in Blighty! We pulled into the hotel car park at an unbelievable 9.50pm. Boy is that M5 quick, the V10 screaming away in each gear as we hurtled north along the autobahn before settling into a high three-figure cruise in near silence – what a motor car. A quick wash, change and a short walk from our hotel and we still made our date with the restaurant and that fillet steak! The morning after and it’s time to leave - surely there couldn’t be any more excitement on this trip? Leaving Rudesheim we traversed the Rhine on one of the many ferries that shuttle cars from one side to the other and fifteen minutes later we had joined the autobahn, heading in the direction of the Belgian border and Dunkirk. First we needed fuel. After about 15 miles of brisk autobahn storming, the M5 proving to again be the consummate high speed cruiser, we both agreed that Germany was the best place to bring such a car, where derestricted autobahns allow

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you to explore the performance potential of a car like the M5. We saw a sign for a Services with fuel. I was driving again but at the fuel stop we agreed to change over driving duties as I had enjoyed the drive back to our hotel from Frankfurt last night. Brimmed with fuel and hands full of car journey essentials like Pringles and chocolate we jumped back into the M5’s excellent supportive and comfortable front sports seats, admiring a UK-registered 911 Turbo as we climbed aboard. When we first arrived at the petrol station the guy had already filled his Porker up with Shell’s finest and his partner had come out of the shop after paying for fuel and buying essentials like us. As Darren adjusted the seat and mirrors to suit, the 911 Turbo was still sitting there – I said to Darren “he’s waiting for us to leave.” Sure enough, as Darren nudged the gearbox into first and started to roll forward the guy in the Turbo also set off in front of us. We followed down the autobahn entry ramp and I said to Darren “you know what he’s going to do” – Darren nodded and held our car in second gear, the V10 singing away at approximately 6,000 revs, then the back end of the 911 dipped quite noticeably and he applied full afterburners as we approached the entrance to the autobahn… and so did we. My God, that Porsche was flying, a twin-turbo 993 model going at full chat, but you know what, he wasn’t shaking us off or opening up a gap. As he snatched third gear I could see the tail of the 911 bob down, but we still had over a thousand revs to go and we were right with him. Third gear was snatched and into fourth, that 911’s tail bobbed again but the M5 had the legs, Darren even had to lift for a fraction as we still had a good 1,500rpm to go to the redline as we followed him. We were now travelling at very high speeds as both cars piled on speed at a breathtaking pace. Both cars were now in top gear and

we were right with the 911, our car was derestricted and could conceivably run to 205mph and one must bear in mind that we were on the only piece of public highway on the planet where that was legal. I’m normally a very nervous passenger, and although Darren is a decent driver, I had never travelled at these sort of speeds before in the passenger seat. Thankfully the autobahn was near deserted so I felt slightly more relaxed as the speedo needle swept past 150mph, then 160, 165… 170, the silver Porsche was flying as we edged towards 180mph, but the Silverstone beast was still hunting its ‘prey’ down, the M5 feeling as though it still had plenty left in her with a good 2 or 3,000 revs left in top (7th) gear. Then a flash of brake light from the Porker, he’d had enough. His slight tap of brakes showing us that he had tapped out. I don’t know if his partner had screamed (I nearly did!) or whether the Turbo was running out of revs in top – we don’t know to this day. But what I do know is when people ask just how quick is an E60 M5 I can say hand on heart that it can outrun a Porsche 911 Turbo of the period, a car recognised as one of the fastest supercars on the planet at the time. Was it clever what we did? Definitely not, but in a real world situation, on a stretch of road where we must remember we weren’t breaking any laws and both cars were driven sensibly, slowing to 90100mph as we passed the odd HGV or car, the BMW M5 proved its worth. And when the term the ‘fastest saloon car on the planet’ (at the time) is used to describe the E60 M5, I still have a wry smile on my face knowing that that day back in September 2005 when we found out just how quick the M5 really is. And I have to admit that such a blast quickly emptied the fuel tank! Even so after a quick splash and dash we made our Dunkirk ferry crossing with a good hour to spare.

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his was the fifth year that Ed Gould and his team at Vanity Events Ltd had organised the Vanity BMW show in the grounds of The National Motor Museum in Beaulieu, Hampshire. The event is dedicated to all BMW, BMW Mini and BMW Motorcycles and has a normal turnout of over 800 vehicles. The show is not only a chance to meet other BMW owners, view and admire their cars but the ticket for the show also includes entry to the Motor Museum, with exhibitions including World of Top Gear. You can also visit the Palace House, grounds and gardens and take a trip on the monorail. Paul and I have been going since the second event in 2016 when we joined the Hampshire BMW Owners Club (HBOC) stand with our 2014 740d F01, and this is where our love affair

With the news that the Vanity BMW show is returning in 2021, we look back at last year’s event…

THE 8 SERIES REGISTER AT

VANITY BMW

with the E31 started. At the time we also had a Volvo XC90, a lovely car but we had decided that there was no need for two cars at home, with Paul being retired and me being able to bus into work, so the Volvo was going. As we were walking around the show we came across a trade stand offering tuning and their promotional vehicle was a lovely Estoril Blue 840Ci, Paul just stood there staring and I tried all I could to tempt him away; sweets, ice cream, back copies of Straight Six but all to no avail, so I just said “maybe” and that was that. Two weeks later we had traded the Volvo for a 1997 Barbados Green 840Ci, and that is where it began. The following year we went to Vanity as one of the cars on our mechanic’s trade stand, Kirk Woolley at KWR Services. This was only right as he had spent so much time working on it since we purchased it, and we were the only 8 Series at the show that year. In 2018 as we began to get more involved in the 8 Series Register, assisting then Captain Steve Hamblyn to organise meetings for E31 owners, I decided to speak to the organisers and request a club stand area for the 8 Series Register. We were given a prime spot on the corner of the main field near all the amenities, and all the visitors would go past and we managed to persuade ten people to bring their E31s along and have them on display. A great first turnout with lots of interest and hopefully a good starting point for the following year. 2019’s show was on Sunday 21st July, and after the initial worries about the weather it turned out to be quite a

Words by Debbie Blythe. Photographs by Debbie Blythe and Jason Clark

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good day. We had decided that for those who could make it and were coming from the right direction, we would meet at the Rownhams Services on the M27 near Southampton at 8.00am and drive in convoy to Beaulieu which was about 30 minutes away. It turned out that this was also the plan for HBOC and the Southern E39ers, so you can imagine that the parking area was very congested with BMWs and it looked like an impromptu show in itself. We left

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about 15 minutes later and continued in formation along the M27 and then towards Beaulieu, keeping to the speed limits, which was wise as at one point a marked police car joined the back of us for a couple of miles. We arrived at the show entrance and joined the queue to enter and then on into the grounds to set up. We were given the same prime spot as last year but this time we had an even better representation of the E31 8 Series with 15 cars on display. This is

where I would like to name and thank all the owners for joining us at the show, some had travelled a fair distance to get there. Other than Paul and myself with our 840Ciâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s we had 10 other 840s from Karl and Shirley Pattison, Gurjot Nandrha, Phil Starr, Robert Smith, Steve and Lyn Dunne, Robert Tegg and his son, Roy Pugh, Gary Jackson, Terry and Francis Cladingboel and a big thank you to Tommy and Mai Thomson who travelled nearly 500 miles all the way

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from Dunfermline, primarily to be at the show. This is where you start singing The Proclaimers hit in your head, ‘I would drive 500 miles and I would drive 500 more’ (they had to drive back), sorry if that stays with you for the rest of the day. We also had Colin Spearpoint and Les Irving with their 850i’s and a totally restored red 850CSi from Andy and Vi Simcox. The 8 Series Register stand attracted quite a number of visitors and everyone spent time chatting with them and discussing the joys and pitfalls of E31 ownership. There was a prize given out for best club stand at the end of the show but although ours received a high level of praise from other clubs and visitors alike, the prize was awarded to the Z Roadster club stand, which with over 30 cars looked very impressive when viewed overhead from the monorail. There were quite a number of other clubs represented at the show including HBOC, Southern E39ers, Z Roadsters,

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E38 Club and M5 owners. There was also a large area dedicated to Show and Shine that had a great assortment of BMWs. Along with club displays there was also an area for independents where any other visitor that had turned up in a BMW could park and display their pride and joy. As you can imagine this area contained a very varied number of new and old cars and in one particular area I noticed a brand new M2 parked near to an immaculate E30 M3, both looked amazing. After spending some time setting up our club area and speaking with visitors, I managed to have a wander around the rest of the show with Tommy and Mai and take a few pictures of some of the other wonderful cars on display. It is clear to see that BMW owners take pride in their cars with many immaculately presented examples on show. Whilst on our travels around the show and the museum we also managed to get a photo next to a working Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, they currently have an

exhibition in the museum with an original version from the film. But back to the main reason we were there and the show; as you can see from some of the photos, the popularity of the BMW brand covers all models and the following is growing, let’s hope that continues into this uncertain climate changing age of hybrids and e-things!

BMW Car Club Magazine July 2020

Revisiting the BMW Classics – No.6: BMW E9 CS

THE BEAUTIFUL E9 CS…

BMW was on a roll in the 1960s, introducing larger, more sophisticated models. Its recovery began with the quirky 700, followed by the sporty Neue Klasse saloons. These new saloons, with their sporty, Italian styling were the company’s salvation and soon spawned the two-door 02 range which started the company on the path to the success it enjoys today...

Words Jeff Heywood Photos Jeff Heywood/BMW Press/Sara Norris at Munich Legends

BMW Car Club Magazine July 2020

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n 1965, a resurgent BMW surprised the motoring world again by introducing the first Neue Klasse coupé, the 2000 C/CS. Styled by design chief Wilhelm Hofmeister and right-hand man Manfred Rennen, they took their styling cues from the Giugiaropenned 3200 CS, front-end excepted. It should have been a no-brainer to develop a neat coupé from the Neue Klasse platform but the result was slightly odd. With a curious front-end style that generated plenty of unkind comments, the 2000CS was both heavier and more expensive than the equivalent saloon and was only offered with four-cylinder engines, which even in twin-carb CS form gave only 120bhp. With construction entrusted to Karmann, 11,720 examples were made between 1965 and 1968 when it was developed into a

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much more attractive proposition – the E9 CS Coupé. Given the BMW factory code E9, the revised car’s styling was again entrusted to Wilhelm Hofmeister, who used the attractive rear two-thirds of the 2000CS’ pillar-less styling, including the stunning svelte rear end and the alluring slender waistline, accentuated by a chrome strip running from nose to tip, but he instead paired it with the front body structure of the new E3 model – the large executive saloon which was the forerunner to the 7 Series. MacPherson strut suspension was used, with the semi-trailing arm rear retained. The track was widened by 4.5 inches and the car was nigh on 5 inches longer than the 2000C/CS. The 2000CS’ controversial front end styling was replaced with a more corporate look; the now familiar quad headlamps and kidney grilles, but more importantly, the longer front end made room for a straight six engine. Under the bonnet, the M10 four-cylinder engine was replaced by the venerable M30 six-cylinder which transformed the car, now badged 2800CS and officially launched in September 1968. Already at full capacity manufacturing

the Neue Klasse saloons (indeed, BMW subsequently purchased the Glas automobile company, which gave them the added capacity of the Dingolfing Plant), BMW decided to maintain their relationship with Karmann, who were entrusted with moving over from constructing the 2000C/CS to manufacturing the new E9 Coupé, something that causes great consternation amongst E9 owners today – read on to find out why! The E9 CS was nicely finished but expensive – indeed, the 2800CS cost more in the UK than an Aston Martin DBS, Jensen Interceptor or an E-Type Jaguar! Build quality and equipment levels were good – there was even a drop-down tray full of tools and spares in the panelled boot lid but sales were slow, mostly due to the high showroom price.

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A wonderful Ceylon Gold CSL being enjoyed in the foothills of the Bavarian Alps

The 2800CS was powered by a 2788cc carb-fed unit, producing 170bhp. This translated into a top speed of 128mph, with the dash from 0-60 mph taking 8.3 seconds. Once again, the Coupé was (slightly) heavier than the saloons, but now it certainly looked the part. From unpromising beginnings, stylist Wilhelm Hofmeister had grabbed victory from the jaws of defeat, the delicate pillars and broadshouldered stance having a flavour more Italianate than German. With the six-pot soundtrack, it was an appealing package but there were still those who felt it could be… more dynamic… The solution was to arrive in two stages. In March 1971 BMW launched the 3.0CS, packing 180bhp courtesy of a 2986cc engine. This wasn’t a huge increase over the 2800CS, but it did have more torque and was a steppingstone model, although it did boast some chassis tweaks including wider tyres and rear disc brakes. Then as now, BMW was confident enough to price the 3.0CS at £5,299 which put it up against various Ferraris and Porsche’s 911! In September of the same year, the BMW

3.0 CSi arrived. Finally the E9 CS had more serious levels of performance, thanks to the 2986cc M30 engine coming equipped with Bosch D-Jetronic injection, which helped to produce 200bhp. With a taller final drive, the CSi was capable of nudging 140mph on the autobahn, while the sprint to 60mph from rest took a brisk 7.5 seconds. Meanwhile, the lightweight racers had spawned the (supposedly) lightweight CSL road car – Coupe Sport Leicht – although many of these were supplied with the full roster of luxury equipment, which defeated the objective somewhat! Here in the UK, right-hand drive cars carried the tag ‘City Pack’ and came with electric windows, power steering, Scheel sports seats and a sports steering wheel. To qualify the CSL for racing in the over 3-litre division, the capacity of the M30 engine was increased by re-boring, giving 3003cc which in road trim produced 206bhp at 5500rpm and 292Nm of torque at 4200rpm. This allowed the CSL to sprint to 60mph from rest in 6.7 seconds, and on a good day with the wind blowing in its favour, it had a top speed approaching 150mph. Golf Yellow shows off the E9’s lines to a tee on this 3.0 CSL…

BMW Car Club Magazine July 2020

The weight saving gave a useful performance boost over the regular CSi and genuine CSLs are now valued far more highly than a regular E9. But are they worth it? For the investor or someone with very deep pockets, perhaps yes, but if you simply want an E9 as a road car to enjoy and use then the CS or CSi are both more affordable and easier to live with, without the worry of damaging delicate alloy panels or the need to keep it all original. Although, CSi prices are beginning to reach dizzy heights – it pays to shop around. Production of the six-cylinder CS line ended in 1975 when it was replaced by the new E24 6 Series, by which time 30,546 E9s had been produced, a huge proportion of which have now selfrecycled back to mother earth, thanks to Karmann’s legendary ignorance of rust protection techniques! Today the CS, like its smaller brother the ’02, is a BMW from a different era when the firm was still viewed as something of a niche marque for real car people – a kind of German Alfa Romeo. The specialist CSL aside, the cars are practical and even by modern standards are quick enough to keep up with traffic and be genuine fun. Here’s what you need to know… Bodywork Without a doubt the E9 CS’ biggest Achilles’ heel is the bodywork. The cars were constructed by Karmann on behalf of BMW, and I’m afraid that E9s rot alarmingly. It is said that the CS was often starting to look tatty when it was just six years old! In terms of where to look the list is very short: everywhere! The wing tops, inner arches, front panel, inner and outer sills, floors, rear arches, rear turrets, spring pans and boot floor all need checking, as does the fuel tank and its mountings. In addition to this, genuine CSLs can also suffer electrolytic corrosion where the alloy and steel panels meet. It is not an uncommon sight to witness a freshly brimmed fuel tank hit the tarmac in a CS through a rotten boot floor, as the weight of the full tank literally pulls the boot floor away from the rest of the floorpan! On the plus side, pretty much all the panels are available from BMW Classic – at a price. Specialist suppliers like Walloth & Nesch in Germany can also supply body panels, but extensive restoration will be costly: front wings are €740, each rear wing costs €1,100 and doors are a cool €2,000 per side... or €2600 if it’s the alloy version you’re after. On the other hand, Jaymic here in the UK can supply a wide range of repair panels, for example, a door skin for £300 and a lower wing repair panel for £60. So it pays to know www.bmwcarclubgb.uk

Feature an excellent body man. Prices on the continent and at BMW Classic seem to increase by the month, so bear in mind these are just a rough guide! All of which means you want to be buying on condition since a smoking engine or rattling gearbox is going to be peanuts to fix compared to the cost of a full body restoration. Engine The BMW M30 six-cylinder engine was found in everything from the CS to the 7 Series, surviving into the ’80s in the second-generation 5 Series and even in the E34 for a short while. It’s generally regarded as being a tough engine but it’s worth remembering that it comes from an era when BMWs were known for cracked heads. As a result, few of the CS coupes will still wear their original cylinder head, so don’t be unduly alarmed if the date stamp (visible between the first two inlet tracts on the offside) doesn’t match the car’s age. In extreme cases, the Motronic-injected 535i engine will fit straight in and in the days before the cars were valuable enough for originality to be an issue this was a popular conversion and does result in a nice performance uplift. Tired engines will often exhibit a noisy camshaft, oil fumes ‘breathing’ from the

A 3.0 CSi looks resplendent in Taiga Green

dipstick and an oil pressure light taking more than a couple of seconds to go out. With the CSL and especially the Batmobile, originality is important and so the engine needs to be in good health if you don’t want a costly rebuild, and a matching numbers car is a must. Transmission The four-speed manual gearbox is the robust Getrag 262 unit which was also used in the E3 3.0S and Si saloons with the same ratios. Some owners have also

upgraded to a five-speed by using the close-ratio gearbox from an E28 secondgeneration M535i, while the units from the 735i and 635i will also fit, offering an overdrive fifth for relaxed motorway cruising. The automatic CSA uses a threespeed Borg-Warner model 65 unit, and although it’s not renowned for being problematic, it’s old now and so it’s worth checking that the fluid isn’t black and having a burnt smell. The obvious advice is to have the oil changed immediately if you

A 3.0 CSL ‘Batmobile’ being enjoyed in the Italian Alps www.bmwcarclubgb.uk

BMW Car Club Magazine July 2020

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Fjord Blue is one of the E9’s marmite colours, some love it, some don’t, but I think it works perfectly on this carb fed 3.0 CS

purchase an auto CS. The same gearbox was used in many other cars including the Rover P6, so parts and knowledge are readily available here in the UK. Suspension and steering Even the CSL isn’t rock hard and by the standards of modern sports packages will feel pretty soft, so drive a few to get an idea of what they feel like. Refreshing a tired suspension won’t cost the earth, with new springs, Bilstein dampers and bushes all available which totally transform the way the car drives. Brakes The 2.8CS used rear drums but all the 3.0CS’s used discs all round. Right-hand drive cars used a twin-servo set-up which can be troublesome, while brakes sticking on are frequently caused by flexible hoses swelling up internally and acting like a one-way valve. A simple DIY fix once you’ve worked out what the problem is, Jaymic can supply a set of stainless hoses for a reasonable cost.

can make the cost of restoration more manageable. Aside from the cost of bodywork restoration, these cars can be surprisingly cheap to run and maintain, since the mechanical parts are shared with the contemporary saloons. Values There’s a huge gulf between projects and restored cars which reflects the cost of bodywork repair and labour charges. You’ll see tatty running CS/CSA projects advertised for around £8-15,000 but there’s nothing much price-wise between basket cases and really tatty running examples – rising values have seen to that; gone are the days where you could pick up a tatty example for £1,500; most of the easy projects have already been restored. For a presentable car not needing major bodywork, budget on around

£20,000 for which you’ll get a CS or the automatic CSA, if you’re lucky. From here prices rise to over £40,000 for the CSi; some dealers are listing nice CSi’s at £60-80,000 so be warned. Prices for decent CSLs have gone stratospheric, starting at around £6070,000 on a specialist forecourt. Mint, concours condition cars are fetching over £100,000. For the rare Batmobile you’re looking at £200,000 and above for the very best cars… You may think £20-26,000 is a bit steep for a non-injected model or one fitted with a slush box, but if you have always wanted an E9 CS then act quickly, because prices will continue to rise. With the E9s being in high demand, the cost of purchasing a CSL or a Batmobile has the knock-on effect of pulling the prices of ‘lesser’ models up – 3.0 CSi prices are all the proof one needs.

This is an early 2800 CS model finished in Verona Red. The 1970s ‘traffic light’ colours suit the E9 CS models perfectly.

Interior A scruffy interior needn’t be a disaster, but be prepared to spend time hunting down parts if you don’t want to pay BMW prices. Seats can be re-trimmed by a specialist and Jaymic can supply a pattern carpet set for around £400. The Scheel seats were unique to the CSL but can also be re-trimmed, with the material available at approximately £80 per metre. Parts Through its excellent BMW Classic organisation, BMW can supply most of the CS parts you might need via your local dealer – find a dealership with an excellent parts department who has a lot of enthusiasm and knowledge, especially if you are restoring a car and need lots of parts, because they will save you so much time and energy. Unfortunately parts for a CS via BMW are very expensive. Another option is to use specialists like Jaymic here in the UK or Walloth & Nesch in Germany which

BMW Car Club Magazine July 2020

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THREE DECADES WITH MY E30 Words and photographs by Roger Taylor

nthusiasm for cars runs in my family but it was a chance encounter in the spring of 1968 which put the Bavarian marque firmly in my sights, though I had yet to buy my first car, an Austin A40.

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On a sunny Saturday morning I was out with a former school chum, Terry, in his Lotus Elan when we called in at the Halfway Garage between Dorchester and Weymouth, hoping to meet the proprietor (whom Terry knew), and view his 300SL

Mercedes, which was a local sensation normally kept discreetly out of sight. He was not in but as we were leaving the salesman, who had obviously spotted the Elan, said they had just taken on a BMW agency and would Terry like to try the demonstrator, a silvery blue 2002ti. The deal was that Terry would leave the Elan and we would return the 2002 by 4pm on Sunday. No hang ups with insurance in those days! The car did a lot of miles that weekend and it was an absolute revelation in terms of performance, refinement, handling and build quality. After all, Terry and his Dad had assembled the Lotus in the garage of the family house. His Dad’s verdict (he was a son of Dorset) was: “She goes like manure off a shovel!” (or something like that) which really should have been BMW’s advertising slogan! I did not achieve BMW ownership until 1983, in the shape of a 1982 E21 323i (WPC 727Y), which I kept and enjoyed for eight years and some 80,000 trouble free miles. I only replaced her because we had access to a company car for family use and I really wanted the E30 Convertible. I spotted a low mileage one which, at three years old, was just within my budget. It is this car which prompted this article BMW Car Club Magazine July 2020

and which, nearly twenty five years later, remains in my ownership. 500 OHW was first registered by L&C of Tunbridge Wells on August 1st 1988 as F575 BKO. I bought her from Cotswold in Cheltenham in August 1991 with 21,700 miles on the clock. She was resplendent in Alpine white, with black hood, full black leather and sports seats, sports suspension, cross spoke alloys, a leather bound Motorsport steering wheel, factory alarm and, an innovation at the time, a combined clock/outside temperature gauge. The only thing missing from my wish list was a limited slip diff. There was some haggling which was closed when, in response to my request to include a dateless plate, they transferred FDZ 635 from their parts van, saying, “Fred won’t be very pleased!” The total cost was £16,845 which included the extended warranty.

BMW Car Club Magazine July 2020

The price I paid was £2,000 less being the trade in price for the 323i. I loved the car from the outset. Not only had I wanted a convertible of some description since boyhood but she had more power and more predictable handling than the 323i, (although many of you may think that is not saying very much) and she looked, and still looks, stunning. I celebrated by taking my wife Linda to Provence some six weeks later. The car performed wonderfully and driving hood down through the sun kissed hills of the Luberon under an azure sky was pure heaven. However, there were some issues as far as Linda was concerned. We hit heavy rain at times on the way down as far as Lyon and discovered that the hood leaked over Linda’s left leg. I gave her a towel and an empty yoghurt pot for the drips and advised her that if I had bought a new Morgan she would have had the same problem. She also found the ride a bit bouncy and started referring to my pride and joy as the boneshaker. In fairness, she was suffering from back problems at the time. However, once the sun was out and we were in ambling mode, domestic harmony was restored with one short exception. We had agreed that I would not drop the hood if the temperature was less than 15 degrees. The day we started our homeward journey it dawned chilly but was obviously going to get hot so she agreed we could start with the hood down. In no time at all (we were very taken with the outside temperature gauge) we got to the regulatory 15 degrees until we started to ascend Mt. Ventoux with its wonderful hairpins and stunning views. Linda saw none of this because the temperature fell dramatically and she spent her

time shivering and gave me a running commentary on the dropping numbers as she stabbed the gauge repeatedly. It wasn’t easy to pull in and I was having a lovely time so I told her it would be quicker for us to get up to the summit and down the other side rather than stopping to put the hood up. She did not recover her composure ‘till our al fresco lunch stop when the soft warm air of the south, which I had been promising, swirled gently round her as she sipped the accompanying chilled white. All is now forgiven. Cotswold were mortified by the leak and gave me the new E36 for the day including free petrol, Linda accompanies me on classic runs or when the sun is shining and the car has become part of the family. Until September of 2015 she was my personal car, business tool and fun car all at the same time and a surprisingly good load lugger on school runs, seaside trips with the children (no room for Linda) and our continental trips a deux where 85 bottles of wine were about the maximum we could bring back with normal warm weather luggage. Two tips here - blow the tyres up to maintain the handling and if you like pâtés and cheeses, buy them on the last leg and keep the hood up so you can carry them in the hood compartment where there is plenty of room. I ought to explain the second change of number plate which occurred in 2007. It matches the one on Linda’s car and, as a Bristol registration, reminds me of my younger days. She has been almost totally reliable over the years we have been together, albeit only doing a modest 139,000 miles to date, and requiring (at the time of writing, l don’t want to tempt fate) only three breakdown call outs. The first when

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Feature a smell of burning was diagnosed as the starter motor sticking on, and the second when the cold running (what I would call the choke) stuck on. The third, which l am embarrassed to mention, was in November 2005 when, at 98,500 miles the cambelt broke, fortunately at low speed with damage confined to two bent valves. When the head was skimmed, it was reported as being in excellent condition. I have always been obsessive about regular and proper servicing and ensuring that the engine always gets up to operating temperature. The embarrassing bit is that the belt had never been changed. I had the same mechanic since the Cotswold warranty expired and Brian told me it was a chain cam. He had retired before it broke but I ribbed him about it when I bumped into him in town a couple of years later. I couldn’t be cross, l had otherwise enjoyed years of excellent service which l continue to enjoy under the current owners, so thank you to everyone, past and present at JD Automotive in Ludlow. Age related replacements in the last few years have included the wiper control, sensors, AFM, one headlight, gas struts, window switches, rear

light seals, thermostat, shockers and associated items. The wiring for the alarm has packed up, Cotswold were disinclined to attempt a repair, so it has had a Toad for a number of years. British weather has also taken its toll on the body, necessitating new rear wheel arches and the bottom sections of the front arches caused by the mud flaps l added on purchase. These have all been dealt with by Sean Billinge of SB Autobody repairs, Stanton Lacy, Ludlow. Apart from Sean’s respraying and a respray of the offside rear panel underneath the light cluster necessitated by a parking bump, the paintwork is original and looks good thanks to twice yearly applications of Mer. I have never begrudged the cost of upkeep because I cherish the car and she has been cheap to keep if you divide the costs by my years of ownership. The lack of modern electronics has probably been a factor in this. However, in the summer of 2014 my old friend Terry and I found we were car-less for two days on the south coast whilst the correct spec rear shocks were being sourced by ATS in Lymington. They failed suddenly and this resulted in me realising she is actually an old car and deciding to retire her to

dry weather classic use. She continues to deliver sheer driving pleasure with creamy straight six power coupled with an ageless and now increasingly sought after design. She also holds a host of family memories and the grandchildren are beginning to enjoy the car as their Daddy or Mummy once did. She is irreplaceable in my mind so her replacement is not a BMW and nor could I bring myself to buy a sensible car - those are for Linda. You will find me zipping around in a Fiat Abarth 500 bought fifteen months old in Campovolo grey with discrete red stripes and a full red leather interior. Could this be another story? Only time will tell and I am not as young as I was, as you have probably worked out!

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Feature Luke Roberts’ Frazer Nash is powered by a straight-six from a BMW 328 and it’s quite a fitting engine for the car, as we learn.

n this new coronavirus lockdown world, one of the things I’m missing the most are Sunday Scrambles at Bicester Heritage. Going for an early morning blast on empty roads, and then walking those leafy boulevards for an hour or two with a coffee in hand, bumping into friends for a chat while studying all manner of weird and

wonderful machinery. It just has to be the best way ever conceived to spend a Sunday morning. Joni Mitchell famously sang that ‘you don’t know what you’ve got ‘till it’s gone’, and here now in a partial state of lockdown, four months since I last went to an event, I’d wholeheartedly agree. But, I digress.

I don’t think I’m alone in admitting that at a Scramble I often don’t know what I’m looking at, and that was certainly the case outside the Wriggly Monkey Brewery during January’s meet. Outside was a Frazer Nash, all 1930s-like with its spindly wheels, cycle guards and big, chromed headlamps mounted on primitive brackets. Typical English prewar fodder and I nearly wrote it off, but the letters ‘BMW’ cast into the exposed engine block piqued my interest.

BRITISH THOROUGHBRED,

BAVARIAN HEART Words and photos by Andrew Coles

BMW Car Club Magazine July 2020

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Feature Luckily, owner and founder of the brewery Luke Roberts was nearby and was more than happy to explain. True BMW trainspotters will undoubtedly know the story, but it was a surprise for me and I’m also confident that I’m not alone in that. Plenty of you will know the exact supplier of the door trim fabric for an E30 M3 or can tell which shift at the Dingolfing foundry produced which E39 engine block based only on its casting marks, but I’d wager a bet that fewer know the inextricable link between BMW and an obscure London manufacturer of sports and racing cars. Luke starts off telling me a bit about his Nash. “They were made in Isleworth, and they built about 370 of them. Mine is quite typical of the cars they raced in period, but the beauty of this era is that they’re quite usable on the road as well. It’s a slightly hot-rodded Frazer Nash, it’s a 1932/33 example fitted with a 1938 BMW engine, OZ 80 is the type, it’s a

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2.0-litre six-cylinder and it would have been fitted to a Frazer Nash BMW 328.” Hold on, you’ve lost me there… we need a quick history lesson. The Frazer Nash car company traces its roots to 1922, but its founder, Archibald Frazer Nash, had been building cars with Ron Godfrey under the GN Cyclecar brand since 1909. In fact, a Scramble is one of the few places where you’ll often see a Godfrey Nash or two, usually identified by their comically wider front track and exposed valvetrain. With GN disbanded, talented engineer Nash began making his own cars in 1924 under the Frazer Nash brand but wasn’t, shall we say, a terribly astute businessman, and after a bumpy few years the concern was sold to AFN Limited. Yes, the same AFN who would begin distributing Porsche in the UK in the mid-1950s, and still lives on today as Porsche Cars GB (in spirit more than anything else, but there is a traceable link.) Frazer Nash cars of the time were highly innovative and extremely competitive, and quickly became known as the ‘Chain Gang’ Nash’s thanks to their innovative drivetrain pioneered in the GN days. The cars had no gearboxes or differentials, with the engine’s drive being sent to a single-plate clutch and then through a long, solid prop shaft to

a bevel box located approximately under the occupant’s behind. Drive is diverted 90-degrees outwards along a shaft with four sprockets, and then through the use of four motorcycle-style chains to another four sprockets on the rear axle. A pair of double dogs ensure a particular combination of gears is selected, and a device called the wriggly monkey ensures that two gears aren’t selected at once. Should this occur, consequences are disastrous. Nevertheless, the cars demand a boisterous driving style. A lack of a differential means that steering them on the throttle, handbrake turns and sliding around corners is the only way to properly drive a Nash. A lack of a differential means practically no wheelspin too, and when driven as designed, they’re devastatingly quick. Noted competitor Peter Giddings describes how a Nash needs to be slid through a bend at high speed, using a “dirt track style technique to scrub off speed.” Sounds exciting. Despite the on-track prowess, AFN still didn’t have much more luck in the quest toward profitability, and one attempt included ‘promoting’ nowshareholder Archie Nash to the role of ‘Technical Advisor’, a move that caused Nash in 1938 to combine his middle and

BMW Car Club Magazine July 2020

Feature surnames to become Archibald FrazerNash in apparent protest. The early 1930s were a bumpy period of ownership and investment, all without much profitability, if any. In 1934 AFN Limited became importers and assemblers of BMW cars, branding them as Frazer Nash BMWs and selling

BMW Car Club Magazine July 2020

them into the UK. Of course, history has shown how BMW has grown into the monolith we know today, but it wasn’t the case in 1934 when BMW was a tiny, obscure, low volume manufacturer, not too far distant from Frazer Nash itself. Initially, AFN imported the 315 and 319 Sports models, importing 42 in the

period 1934 to 1937. The Frazer Nash Car Club credit this model as the nail in the traditional Frazer Nash’s coffin – it was only when AFN director HJ Aldington was beaten to the 1500cc class victory in the 1934 Alpine Trial by a 315 that, utterly impressed, he became the UK’s first importer. AFN would go on to import 48 examples of the new 328 model (remarkably, 46 are accounted for today), selling them as right-hand drive vehicles branded Frazer Nash BMW. History has shown the 328 as the model that really put BMW on the map, notching up success in the 1939 24 Hours of Le Mans and victory in the 1940 Mille Miglia, the final major race before the outbreak of war. Of course, come 1939 it became somewhat impossible to import such symbols of German engineering superiority, and AFN quickly dropped their distributorship. Post-war, the drawings for the 327/8’s six-cylinder engine, a lengthened version of the 327’s chassis and even the 328’s doublekidney grille design were acquired as official war reparations and would become the Bristol 400 Coupé, but that’s a whole other story. Now that we’ve caught up on our history it’s back to Luke’s hot-rod Nash and that BMW OZ 80 engine. “Since it would have been fitted to a 328, there’s a nice link with Frazer Nash which is why it’s such a good engine for this car. Triple Solex’s on top, it’s an overhead valve engine and one of the most modern-feeling pre-war engines that I’ve ever driven. It’s a real revvy engine, it likes to rev right up to near 7,000rpm. This one is running in highroad spec, about 160-170bhp which is a

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lot for a car that weighs about 700kg, it really shifts.” That’s somewhat alarming when you consider that everything else is period Frazer Nash. Steering input comes through the steering box and is translated to the wheels by arms made from parts of an old cyclecar transmission, braking is by drum all round and operated by levers on the front and cables to the rear. That’s not a lot of technology for something that Luke says is “blisteringly quick” and is “not far off a Porsche Boxster in terms of power-toweight ratio.” Despite this, Luke says that the Nash is quite easy to drive. It has standard placement for the brake, throttle and clutch, unlike many racing cars of the era. The steering is about three-quarters of a turn lock-to-lock, it’s really fast which means you can “catch a slide or a moment quite easily”. The handbrake

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is on the outside which is great for handbrake turns, next to the gear lever which actuates those four speeds. One would assume that a car like this would be relegated to sunny weekend use and occasional track outings, but Frazer Nash’s are typically used hard and Luke’s is no exception. The car has been on several of the famous ‘Raids’ held by the Frazer Nash Car Club, driving to the Continent in all weather conditions and competing in European races, and extensive road and track use in the UK. Luke tells me about his various adventures in the Nash with a completely straight face, and I can’t quite figure out if he’s having a laugh or if he is truly mad. “One of the beauties is how versatile the car is. It looks really cool with the aero screens on but when it rains and pours down coming home from a race meeting you can pop the windscreen up and tuck in behind it, it’s actually quite comfortable.

“There’s a bit of space for luggage and it fits two of you quite comfortably, I take my seat padding out when I’m racing so I can tuck in behind the aero screens but we’ve got a big comfy one for the passenger. You’ve got a small boot at the back, and a big petrol tank which is really useful for touring. You get about 300 miles out of it, it’s relatively frugal which means you can fill up in the morning and get a good 200 miles under your belt before lunch, then stop a little later on and get your campsite sorted in the afternoon… Of course, we’ve quickly drifted off into stories of adventure and travel, more of the many privileges and pleasures not available to us for the time being. But just like Scrambles, the freedom of travel will also return, and I for one will be sure to appreciate it all that little bit more.

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A GLIMPSE INTO THE WORLD OF BMW IN 1982 WITH AN E21 Words by Richard Baxter Photographs by Tim Beer.

hen we launched the ‘Sharknose Collection’ back in 2018, it was with the express intention to try and discover all those cars that have been lost to sight and be able to support the remanufacture of parts that go into restoring these heritage cars. Every successful car manufacturer travels the path that within each decade they create their own style and reputation. One can notice the philosophy of each company and how and why they market their models, and

BMW Car Club Magazine July 2020

the successful ones have super sensitive antennae and notice a gap in the market they feel they can exploit. This was the case at BMW, who were already on the road to establishing what has become the most enviable compact saloon in the world, a focus for all manufacturers to try and emulate. The gestation period from concept to manufacture means this is a long game and is actually technically directed as much by BMW as by the independent suppliers in the background, the Boschs, the Bilsteins, the Fibros, the BBSs, the

Pirellis, who are continually developing products and will bring the latest development to the table – very often the same product or at least the latest technical composition of which is shared within the industry. Some BMW items, for example connectors, can be found in Volvos but there is no cross referencing, it is just luck that one discovers the match, BMW however have that logo stamped somewhere and sometimes the part number. A large part of the classic car market is tied up in the emotion, not only with the car itself but also in the relationship formed at the dealership during the purchase. BMW grew from having a very scant dealer network in the 1960s, on many occasions the dealership came from an established family garage who felt that the support and prestige of the growing BMW reputation was the upmarket and profitable direction in which they wished to take their company. Always professionally styled, a ‘BMW dealership’ in the heart of wealthy Sussex such as Harringtons of Horsham, well positioned on the busy Brighton Road, offered a friendly, welcoming and highly professional experience. To walk into their showroom was to sample nice fixtures and fittings, a cheerful, open and respectful welcome that made you feel well received, certainly an acknowledgement that you either had family wealth or were a successful entrepreneur or someone climbing the management ladder. The showroom smell and squeaky-clean floors with the racks of professionally produced brochures were a step up from the norm and would be www.bmwcarclubgb.uk

Sharknose Feature

quite exclusive. For servicing it seemed a special moment to bring your car in to receive the attention of their technicians, it was all simple Germanic quality and attention to detail, a rather far cry from the ‘lived in’ feeling of the British car dealerships of the period. The styling in the early 1980s was conservative but very BMW, and if you were still wondering whether the Rover might be on your final selection list, the test drive of any BMW showed immediately just how well resolved the complete package was. Handling, comfort, overall build quality and turbinestyle engines were simply leagues

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ahead, one would be entering the world of on the road exclusivity. And if there remained even the slightest question – the solid clunk of the closing door would pretty much seal the deal. All that remained would be to tick the optional extras box, which could increase the list price quite considerably! 1982 BMW 320i - VNJ 661Y As the run out E21 model, BMW offered the 320i as an SE edition in Opal green metallic paint (including the wheels and wing mirrors), pine green velour interior (from the 7 Series), rear head restraints and sports steering wheel – 400 for the

UK market, clearing the decks for the all new E30 3 Series. Tim Beer worked for Harringtons and sold this car when new, and when it arrived back on the market he decided to buy the car for himself and subsequently stored the car in a container, the only thing that happened between then and now is that 26 years have flashed by! Tim used to be a Club member and is open to any conversation as to what could be the next step for a car he has known for 38 years. The car has everything it was supplied with including the service booklet, at the very least it is an accurate survivor of detail. Please contact Tim and see where a conversation might lead. The car currently appears on the AnyM website.

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e will

INTRODUCING THE NEW CINTURATO P7 T

here’s a new tyre out from Pirelli: the latest Cinturato P7, which is packed with technology. Most strikingly of all, it boasts a new compound equipped with a type of ‘chemical intelligence’ that can change the characteristics of the rubber to suit the conditions. As well as improving on the dry handling of its predecessor, Pirelli’s new tyre also greatly improves wet handling, aquaplaning and braking: taking four metres less to come to a stop from 100kph. The innovations introduced by Pirelli’s engineers also enhance acoustic and ride comfort, with the new tyre better able to absorb bumps in the road. Overall tyre life Pirelli fuel gift card offer Members of the BMW Car Club can now benefit from an exclusive offer from Pirelli of a fuel gift card. Available only when purchasing Pirelli tyres from a Pirelli Performance Centre or official BMW dealer. The Pirelli tyres purchased can be for any vehicle and not limited to tyres just for your BMW. It means that this offer is valid on tyres for any car and can also be used for your friends and family,

BMW Car Club Magazine July 2020

increases by six per cent, meaning that tyres have to be changed less frequently. Rolling resistance also goes down by 12%, improving fuel consumption by four per cent. What’s the cleverest thing about Pirelli’s new tyre? The latest-generation Cinturato P7 has adaptive chemical polymers, which mean that the tyre’s characteristics can alter according to driving and temperature conditions, increasing grip. In fact, every element that makes up the tread pattern of the new Cinturato P7 has an ingenious function: from the grooves whose layout is specifically designed to evacuate water in the most efficient way possible, to the shoulder blocks configured to deliver the minimum provided the terms and conditions are adhered to. The card’s value depends on the rim size and quantity of tyres purchased as follows: Rim Size

Two Tyres

Four Tyres

16” & below

£10

£30

17”

£30

£70

18” & above

£50

£100

Where can you get your tyres fitted? A

possible stopping distances. Not only that, but the actual structure and rigidity of these blocks allows the new Cinturato to have the biggest possible contact patch through corners, delivering a supremely precise driving experience. Another area that Pirelli’s engineers worked on is the tyre’s ability to ‘talk’ with existing electronic driver aid systems. Look at ABS, for example: a tyre that’s tailormade to work in precise harmony with the car’s own electronics is able to brake sooner than one that’s just off the shelf. Another good example is lane control systems. If twinned with an ‘unknown’ tyre, these systems can potentially make continual corrections, as they are not familiar with the exact dynamics of the tyre. If the same car is equipped with a new Cinturato P7, made specially for that particular car manufacturer, the car’s lane departure system will not request these continual corrections, as it will know the tyre ‘by heart’. The rubber in the new Pirelli Cinturato P7 offer greater endurance as well as guaranteeing better grip in all sorts of different driving situations. As a result, a longer distance can be covered on a single set of tyres. Another noticeable feature is that the tyre’s overall weight is reduced, thanks to a complete review of all the materials used. Less material means less weight, decreased rolling resistance, and a more mindful use of resources. All this again leads to lower fuel consumption, which reduces the impact on both wallets and the environment. Getting the tyre’s overall weight down was one of the key requests from car manufacturers, helping them meet increasingly stringent emissions targets worldwide. Development of the new Cinturato P7 started around three years ago, and at launch there are now more than 70 original equipment homologations to its name. By the end of 2020, that figure is expected to grow to more than 100. Add that to the 100-plus homologations already obtained by its predecessor and it’s clear to see why Pirelli’s famous Cinturato P7 is the established class leader; regularly chosen by the world’s premium carmakers.

dedicated website is set up at pirelli. co.uk/bmwcarclub. Here you will find all the promotional details and a dealer locator enabling you to search for your nearest participating dealer. Terms and conditions apply. Please note, only claims from a Pirelli Performance Centre or official BMW dealer will be accepted. And don’t forget, you can keep in touch with Pirelli here: www.pirelli.co.uk/keepintouch. www.bmwcarclubgb.uk

yourletters WHEN IS A BMW NOT A BMW? ADDRESSING AN OVERSIGHT In a telephone conversation with another BMW Car Club member over ‘lockdown’, it was pointed out that I hadn’t mentioned Bristol Cars in the article that was published in the April 2020 edition of Straight Six... Bristol was of course formed out of the The Bristol Aeroplane after the Second World War, incorporating the engineering activities of Frazer Nash. Given that Frazer Nash had been importers and assemblers of BMW cars since 1934, it was not surprising that early Bristol models lent heavily on BMW 326, 327 and 328 designs, plans of which were brought back from the bombed BMW factory in Munich. Bristol Cars also recruited Fritz Fiedler, who designed the legendary BMW 328, although he subsequently rejoined BMW in 1952 as Chief Engineer and went on to become Chairman of BMW AG. The Bristol 400, 401, 402 drophead and 403 models all sported versions of a BMW double-kidney grille not dissimilar in proportions to that adorning the nose of the very latest BMW 4 Series Coupé! Like its predecessors, the 406 model produced between 1958 and 1961 used the BMW-derived pushrod straight six engine, but dropped the BMW grille. Subsequent models, however, used Chysler engines right up to the 2004 Bristol Fighter which was powered by a modified Dodge Viper V10. Only a few Fighters were produced before the company went into administration in 2011. No description of Bristol Cars is complete without mention of the colourful character of Tony Crook, who became part-owner in 1960 before taking full-ownership in 1973 and remained with the company until 2007. Ex-RAF Crook drove a BMW 328 during and immediately after the Second World War, and was also an accomplished racing driver gaining a podium place at the 1952 Monaco Grand Prix. There are many apocryphal stories of Crook’s antics, including one of him hiring a scruffy-looking mob to put people off visiting competitor’s stands at motor shows. He was

www.bmwcarclubgb.uk

The Bristol 400 (R) is the post-war cousin of the pre-war BMW 327 Coupe (L) in this photo, the Bristol even sporting a pair of ‘kidney grilles’ similar to the 327’s grilles.

also rather fussy as to who he would sell Bristols to and apparently on one occasion when seeing the film director Michael Winner approaching the Kensington Bristol showroom turned the sign on the door over to read ‘Closed’! Crook sadly died in 2014. In a quite-possible footnote on the marque, the new owners of Bristol Cars announced a two-seat, open-top sports car that was demonstrated at the 2016 Goodwood Festival of Speed. This car was said to be powered by BMW’s N62 V8 engine (sharing the same drivetrain and chassis as the most recent Morgan Aero 8). Although slated for production in 2017, in March 2020 it was reported that Bristol Cars had been officially wound up in order to pay creditors. Martin Wooler

BMW Car Club Magazine July 2020

crossword 2

Winner of last month’s crossword Darren Senerat - All entrants for June’s issue crossword must be received into the office by 11th July. Winner will be announced in next issue. The first correct crossword chosen at random will receive Meguiars Goodies. Please email all completed crosswords to office@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk or post it to BMW Car Club GB, Unit 5h, Glan Yr Afon, Aberystywth, SY23 3JQ Answers to June 2020 Crossword Across: 1. Poseidon, 9. Origin, 10. End, 12. LA (Los Angeles), 13. Canopy, 15. ATF (Automatic Transmission Fluid), 17. Nowt, 1 9. Relay 20. Uza, 22. ISO, 23. Pined, 24. Roll, 27. Eni, 28. Cirrus, 30. iS, 31. CAD (Computer Aided Design), 32. Strato, 34. Autobahn Down: 1. Polaris, 2. Orates, 3. Si, 4. EGC, 5. ii any, 6. Dnno, 7. Neptune, 8. CD (Corps Diplomatique), 11. NY (New York)14. Ow, 16. Florida, 18. Madison, 21. Zenith, 23. Pluto, 25. OR (Oregon), 26, LRST, 28. CA (California), 29. SRB (Serbia), 31. CD (Compact Disc), 33. AA (Automobile Association)

Sponsored by

Across 1. Occupation of Bernie Ecclestone’s father (10) 9. 16. Across -like (6) 10. Shortform for Xylose Lysine Deoxychlorate, an agar commonly used in the isolation of Salmonella species from clinical samples (1,1,1) 11. To help you get your modern BMW into those tight parking spaces! Initial technology provided a 7. Down warning (7,3) 15. Initials for a common form of tax-free saving first introduced in the UK in 1999 - BMW Financial Services launched a version in 2007 (1,1,1) 16. Nonpolar chemical substance that is a viscous liquid at ambient temperatures and is both hydrophobic and lipophilic (3) 17. Initials for Danish brand of audio systems available on the 6 Series and several other BMW models (1,1) 18. Initials for the vast land area of Australia famed for its Outback desert landscapes, with capital dealership Darwin BMW (1,1) 19. US web portal and online services provider that can trace its roots back to 1980s games consoles, and was founded by a BMW-driving Prussian Lord (1,1,1) 20. First three letters (same as 19. Across) of surname of FIA World Endurance champion, twotimes F1 as well as 24 Hours of Le Mans winner (1,1,1) 21. 1964 James Bond film featuring an Aston Martin DB5 with some features that you can’t specify on even the most highly-optioned BMW! (10) 23. Term used for denoting a married woman’s maiden name (3) 24. Pejorative Italian term for a Japanese person (6) 26. ...Motors: Warrington-based BMW dealer of the 1970’s, long before Halliwell Jones (10)

Down 1. BMW term for estate or station wagon model (7) 2. British multinational insurance company. Hint: Sounds like newly-reintroduced Vauxhall model! (5) 3. What you perhaps first notice about a ‘slammed’ car (3,4) 4. Spanish word for “the” (2) 5. Quite possibly the brand of your stapler, but nowadays a major French group in the distribution of electrical supplies. You can order your BMW i3 and electric charging point from the Energyeasy Drive website (5) 6. Could be Museum of London Archaeology (5) 7. Able to be heard. See 11. Across (7) 8. Could be Non-Smoking (1,1) 12. Former Soviet republic that gained independence in 1991. Inchcape have the capital dealership of BMW Tallinn (7) 13. Element with atomic number 14, the basis for most semiconductors (7) 14. Individual hired to provide courtesy and security services e.g at a hotel (7) 19. Very skilled or proficient 5) 20. James Bond’s fictitious secret role for MI6 (5) 22. Global automotive seating and electrical supplier. The eponymous founder also invented the ‘8-track’ music cartridge as well as developing the first mass-produced business jet (4) 24. ...plate: Perhaps we’ll go back to proudly displaying this post-Brexit? (1,1) 25. 2.5...: Designation for Triumph’s fuel-injected 1968-75 saloon and estate rival to the BMW E3 and E12 models (1,1) 33. Commonly-used initials for a UK motoring organisation founded in 1905 (1,1)

socialmedia Social Media in the new normal I hope everyone is keeping safe and well, and that there are positive rays of sunshine (both physically and metaphorically) as the country begins to open up. Unfortunately, it’s going to be a while until we can all attend major events in person, but there are plans afoot to get motorsport underway behind closed doors. F1, Moto GP, Nascar, and even our local Masters Historic Racing series all have plans to go racing behind closed doors in the coming weeks. We are living through unprecedented times and we will soon witness the spectacle of F1 racing in front of empty grandstands. A harsh critic may say we’ve already seen that at Sochi or Baku in past years, but this will be hugely different than

BMW Car Club Magazine July 2020

low attendance figures. It’s going to be downright eerie. Of course, this isn’t a problem afflicting motorsport alone. After all, Barcelona’s Liceu opera just played to a Gran Teatre del Liceu packed to capacity with… indoor plants. Of course, the concert was live streamed and the plants were a better option than an empty theatre, but it remains an unprecedented event. Could F1 race in front of grandstands filled with indoor plants? The effect wouldn’t be quite the same. But the core truth remains – if you’re a motorsport fan, you’d best get engaged with social media this summer. Between watching the broadcast on television, make sure to follow the series, the drivers, the TV personalities and the

photographers, and between the various platforms of carefully produced content and ad-hoc posts and Instagram stories, you can build a pretty good picture of what’s going on.

www.bmwcarclubgb.uk

regionalnews Central Tony Skerrett Central Region sponsored by

07879 404648 central@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk

Barons Bedford

01234 434 122

www.baronsgroup.co.uk/bmw BARONSCC20133 = 15% discount code

These are certainly challenging times, and as far as I am aware most Central members are doing ok and weathering the current pandemic storm. On the practicality front I can advise of the following car services which might be of interest to some members: Autopoint – competent any car specialist operating at £43/hr. Based in Northampton 01604 250198. Megadodo Technical Services – Cambourne nr Cambridge 07740 650 560. Email: info@megadodo. org.uk. CEO Malcolm Potts, an E46 M3 Guru. Fantastic value and discount for BMWCC members. Unique Paint and Powder for Auto Services. Specialises in wheel refurbishment based in Northampton 01604 591994. ACC Garage Services located in Barking – ideal for spare parts tel: 020 8591 6000. Keith’s Autospray Northampton, resprayed my Mystic Blue E46 at a very good price. Tel 07958214479. Future Events We aim/hope to ensure the following events will take place in late July/August 2020 Peak District Tour – July/August. Cotswold Tour – August. East Coast Seaside Trip – August. Brougton Castle Festival of Transport – August. Bicester Heritage Sunday Scramble – 4th October. Best intentions here but will update on all future events. My Car by Niek Nijsen – introducing Brünhilda and Project C.A.R. Although my ’74 3.0CS (E9) was previously introduced in Straight Six, Brünhilda has taken a completely different route than planned. I’ve decided to participate in classic rallies and as such the car will feature various modifications including full electrophoretic chassis treatment, roll cage, bucket seats, GP2 dash, triple Weber setup, race exhaust and much more. With this in mind I started ‘Project C.A.R.’ on multiple online channels. Like most of you I also enjoy the various car shows on TV, but it frustrates me that all of them work in big workshops,

have an unlimited budget, many guys/girls working on the car and possibly every tool you can ever imagine, let alone the fact they don’t show any of the actual restoration work. And so Project C.A.R. (Classic Automobile Restoration) was born. I wanted to record my progress as a series for you and fellow car enthusiasts in which I’m restoring a car in my own garage, with a limited budget, basic tools and mostly by myself (with the occasional help of my dad) in my spare time. Episodes are released every two weeks on my website (www.nieknijsen.com), YouTube (E9Brunhilda) and Instagram (E9Brunhilda) accounts. Yours sincerely, A.N. Nijsen

Central West Dave Evans Central West Region sponsored by

07800 616500 centralwest@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk

Autobahn Servicing Ltd Unit 11, Pitcairn Drive Halesowen B62 8AG Tel 0121 585 9146 www.autobahnservicing.co.uk info@autobahnservicing.co.uk

Welcome to July’s Regional news. Unfortunately as expected there is little to report, but we hope you and your families are well and coping with the changes we are all having to adapt to. As the current situation is constantly changing it is difficult to know what will be possible regarding events and monthly meetings over the coming months, we can only wait and see what will be possible going forward, and at all times ensuring everyone’s safety and wellbeing is at the forefront of our plans. If you have any questions www.bmwcarclubgb.uk

or queries please don’t hesitate to contact us or the Club office, and don’t forget you can keep up to date with all things Club related on the BMW Car Club website. We have received the below article by one of our regular Regional members and would like to encourage more of you to put pen to paper in the coming months so we can share more of your individual memories, experiences and interests in all things BMW. Please include photos (if possible) to accompany your article. BMW Car Club Magazine July 2020

regionalnews Ancient and modern. The haves and have nots – By Mike Pope Looking around any motoring event, National Festival 2019 included, you can’t help but notice there are more older cars than modern ones. Technically and dynamically, the moderns are better in almost every way. But as enthusiasts we seem to like the older ones. Is this nostalgia? Is it that we really wanted a particular model years ago and couldn’t afford it then? Is it a feeling too many modern cars look the same (or just odd)… and older ones have more style? Growing up in the early 1960’s, my parents didn’t own a car and since it seems natural to always want what you can’t have, inevitably I grew up fascinated by cars. I think my mother really wanted one and perhaps to encourage me, bought me my first car magazine, (which I still have) in 1966. From 1967 onwards, I looked forward to and read the print off The Daily Express Motor Show review. Looking at these old issues now, you can’t help but notice how different all the cars looked from each other and in a positive way. I’m sure most of us would take a great deal of pleasure and satisfaction to own any one of them now, even though those of us who actually remember these cars know many of them were really quite a challenge to own and drive, even 50 years ago.

Not so of course the BMW’s… here are a couple of clips from the 1968 edition below.

I’m not sure if there is a definitive answer to the question I asked above, or indeed if it matters, but whilst I know beauty is in the eye of the beholder, it’s style for me every time. PS. For the younger readers ‘p.t.’ was purchase tax… a bit like VAT. Keep happy, well and safe and we hope to be able to get together soon. Dave, Dean, Jan & Theresa.

Cheshire & Staffs Steve Cooper Cheshire & Staffs Region sponsored by

cheshireandstaffs@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk



Blue Bell Fourth Avenue, Weston Road, Crewe

Cheshire. CW1 6XH. Tel:01270 212525 

DISCOUNT OF UP TO 10% IS GIVEN TO MEMBERS WITH VALID MEMBERSHIP CARD *Conditions apply

Cornwall Jim Husband

Knights Bede Road, Radial Park, Stoke on Trent Staffordshire. ST4 4GU Tel:01782 572100

cornwall@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk

If you are a Facebook user please check out the BMW Car Club GB – Cornwall page. Details of meets and events are posted on this page along with any last minute changes and updates. Please also check the Cornwall page of the Club website for details of events, I will update this as events are confirmed, and everything will be printed in the Club magazine as deadlines allow.

Hello to all members of the Cornwall Region. With the lockdown still in place and events either being cancelled or hopefully rescheduled, it is difficult to know how things will be going forwards. However the restrictions are gradually being eased and hopefully by the time this is published we may be in a position to be out and about enjoying our cars. As soon as I possibly can I will arrange a drive out. If you are a new member, welcome to the Cornwall Region. I hope you will enjoy being a member of the Club and Region. Please contact me if there is anything you wish to know about the pub meets, Club events or Regional activities we have planned. I hope to meet you at one as soon as we can recommence.

Monthly Meets The Cornwall Region monthly pub meets are still cancelled until further notice. Hopefully we will soon be able to resume these monthly pub meets, which are held on the second Monday of the month. Events Update. • BM’s on the Lawn (cancelled) • Wadebridge Wheels (cancelled) • Mount Edgcumbe (cancelled) Car of the Month If you would like to have your car featured please send me details with a maximum of 100 words and a good quality photo. Even if you have had your car featured previously but have since modified it, an updated report would be good.

Cotswold Martyn Goodwin Cheltenham BMW Cheltenham MINI Cotswold Motor Group Cheltenham Motorrad www.cotswoldgroup.com Cheltenham Parts Corinthian Way, Cheltenham, GL51 6UP Cheltenham Service Hereford Roman Road, Hereford, HR1 1LN

Cotswold Region sponsored by

BMW Car Club Magazine July 2020

cotswold@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk 01242 335 335 01242 335 345 01242 335 355 01242 335 365 01242 335 375 01432 375 555

Cotswold Motor Group offer members: Generous discounts off the new BMW and MINI range

Discounts on approved used vehicles in stock 15% plus discount on parts and accessories, 10% discount on all service work and labour ( 15% on vehicles 4 years old plus ) Available to members presenting current valid membership card

www.bmwcarclubgb.uk

regionalnews

Cumbria James France

cumbria@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk

Hello to all Cumbria Region members old and new. Hope you, your family and friends are all well and keeping safe in these strange times for us all. As car enthusiasts we have no events to attend which I look forward to, as do a lot of our members. Not much to report as Club wise nothing has been happening. I sold my E46 330i M Sport touring to a friend to make way for my Alfa 159ti Sportwagon, though I have first dibs on it back. First impression of the Alfa; it corners as if on rails, not as well screwed together, though I will say the seats are better quality than BMW. It is rather nice to look

at! Clattery 2.0 diesel engine which is ridiculously frugal but does not compare to the 3.0 straight six with regards power delivery and smoothness. I still have my X3 and my Mini R53. Hopefully with the relaxation of rules we may be able to do a mini meet one weekend in the open, applying social distancing, possibly Rheged Centre car park. Contact me if interested and we can go from there. Be careful, think about it and stay safe. Phone 07799 620 381 or email jimfrance1@hotmail.co.uk Regards, Jim.

Devon Kathy Jemfrey

01626 330436 devon@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk

Devon Region sponsored by

INDEPENDENT BMW & MINI SPECIALISTS

I took a look down my memory lane and came across Carl Elesmore enjoying himself on a visit we had to Haynes Motor Museum 2016. Unfortunately this year we are unable to arrange any kind of meeting and if it was not for telephone calls I for one would be going mad (more than usual). Please all stay safe and well and we will meet up again when all is safe to do so.

East Anglia George Champ East Anglia Region sponsored by Barons Cambridge

& Stansted

07514 216660 eastanglia@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk

www.barronsbmw.co.uk Cambridge Stansted

: 0844 326 7249 : 0844 326 7244

Hi everyone, At the time of writing, restrictions in regards Covid-19 are beginning to ease a little, so how exactly this will affect some of our events remains to be seen. I am therefore again publishing the events list as from July so we just need to hope and wait and see what happens. One event has already been rescheduled to 2021 and this may well be the norm in many cases, and many others cancelled. The Warren Supercar and Classic Car Show has been moved to 27th September 2020. In the meantime enjoy engaging with your local Facebook page to follow what is happening and to perhaps contribute some news or photos. Similarly you can always write a small item to me and it can be included in our Regional News for everyone to share and enjoy. Car showrooms were allowed to open from June so now is the time to contact our Regional Sponsors Barons BMW for special member’s deals on cars and discounts on parts, accessories and servicing as outlined in our heading above. All pub meets of course remain cancelled unless restrictions dictate otherwise. Forthcoming events Sunday 5th July – Maldon Show. CANCELLED Saturday and Sunday 11th-12th July – Michelham Priory. South East Region event. POSTONED, AWAIT FURTHER ANNOUNCEMENT Saturday 8th August – Mersea Island Show. CANCELLED Sunday 2nd August – Helmingham Hall Festival of Cars. CANCELLED UNTIL 1ST AUGUST 2021 Sunday 23rd August – Lodge Coaches Special Event including Bus and Train Rides. Hopefully still going ahead, await confirmation. Sunday 30th August – Little Gransden Air Show. CANCELLED www.bmwcarclubgb.uk

Barons offers members • Generous discounts off the new BMW and MINI range • A minimum discount of £500 on approved used cars in stock • 15% discount on parts and accessories 10% off servicing, excludes Value Line Servicing which applies to cars over 4 yrs old.

Sunday 6th September - Classics by the Lake. CANCELLED Sunday 6th September – Glemham Hall Car Festival. Sunday 13th September – Kings Lynn Heritage Open Day and Classic Car Show in Market Square. Book direct west-norfolk. gov.uk/classiccarday. Sunday 27th September – The Warren Supercar and Classic Car Show. Register with Anthony (below). Pre-payment vital details to follow. Sunday 18th October – Lodge Coaches including Auto Jumble. Contacts George Champ (East Anglia Regional Chairman) eastanglia@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk 07514 216660 David Adams (Suffolk Branch Rep.) bmwccsuffolkrep@btinternet.com 07774 668596 Stewart Chambers (Assistant Suffolk Branch Rep. and Motor Sport Coordinator) stwrtchambers@gmail.com 07717 327014 John Herman (Essex Branch Rep.) johnherman316@gmail.com Anthony Shilson (Asst. Essex Branch Rep. and M Power Development for EA Region) anthony_shilson@hotmail.com Matthew Hunt (Cambs/Beds Branch Rep.) matthew.hunt13@btinternet.com 07973 986525 Richard Howard (Norfolk Branch Rep.) bmwccnorfolk@gmail.com or janetrichard@rarness.co.uk Paul Roberts (Assistant Norfolk Branch Rep.) 07768 881763 Aaron Reeve (NW Norfolk, STH Lincolnshire, Peterborough Branch Rep.) westnorfolk@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk 01553 764600 Sindy Ratini (East Anglia Region Website and Facebook Coordinator) BMW Car Club Magazine July 2020

regionalnews

Eastern Paul Rice New members Great to see 11 new Eastern Region Club members joining the fold last month, hopefully we will be able to meet up at some future events soon. It would be good to feature new and current member’s cars in our regular Car of the Month feature, up to 100 words and a good quality photo. Always looking for cars for this feature. Please send them to me at eastern@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk.

eastern@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk

North Yorkshire run out

Do you have a favourite?

With such a broad range of exciting cars past and present within the BMW stable, one question many may ask; what’s your favourite? To many the 507 would be a dream car but to most that’s exactly what it would be, a dream. I have been drawn recently to the 8 Series, that’s the E31, not the recent reincarnation. This car seems to mature with age, its beautiful lines masking its sheer size. The E31 seems to have reached the bottom of its price band and can only increase in value so it would probably be a good investment at this time. Another favourite of mine is the 6 Series E24, often referred to as ‘sharknose’ with its distinctive front end. A full four-seater, well almost, it can be a bit restricted in the rear. As with all BMWs of this period the car features a superb ergonomically designed dash and controls that were streets ahead of the competition at the time, and still provides an enjoyable place to be. There are many BMWs past and present that I would be proud to own and a few that would get a definite no. There is one car that stands out for me more than all the many others and the one that I feel BMW got just so right, the E46 M3 Coupe. I am sure some would quote the M3 CSL as the best but these are extremely rare and becoming garage queens, with owners reluctant to use these now valuable assets. So, for me the standard M3 with manual transmission would be the one I would go for and if I had a choice, I would go for Imola Red, although the extravert side of me would probably choose Phoenix Yellow.

One of our weekly exercise days took a trio of Zeds into the magnificent North Yorkshire moors. As we all dwell within the same postcode a local meet up point just North of Doncaster was chosen. With mixed weather, a shame after the fantastic spring sunshine to date, it was hoods up for the first stage of the run taking us northbound towards the east coast with a short run up the M180 and M62. That’s enough of the motorway, leaving at Howden. Still heading coastal-bound, now travelling through wonderful villages like Middleton-on-the-Wolds and the now famous village (through the power of television) “Wetwang”. Although a B road, the stretch from Wetwang to Malton is a very pleasant stretch of smooth tarmac that flows very well. A brief run on the A64 leads us to Eden camp then off towards Pickering, making our way to Whitby with a detour taking in a loop through Heartbeat country, Goathland. We avoided actually going into Whitby but headed off on the Coastal route to Scarborough. We managed to get all three zeds parked together on the harbourside in the centre of Scarborough, currently free parking untill the middle of June. After the obligatory fish and chips followed by ice cream it was time once again to hit the road, following the coastal road to Bridlington before heading home. 180 miles and six hours pure enjoyment, now that has got to be good for our health and wellbeing.

London Anthony Mason London Region sponsored by

london@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk

BMW Park Lane, 70 Park Lane London. W1K 7TT www.bmwparklane.com mail@bmwparklane.co.uk 020 7514 3559

Barons Watford 01923 700 217 and Borehamwood 02031 316 645 www.baronsgroup.co.uk/bmw To get our London Region fun and frolics and to keep the community spirit alive, even with the lockdown and lack of car meets available to us, I’ve had to start thinking outside the box. This would have been the 82nd meet at the Crooked Chimney in Welwyn. As I drive an E82 I named the meet the #(e)82nd Meet.

BMW Car Club Magazine July 2020

After some technical issues with my post for last month’s invite, I have scoured the ticks and read the posting information on the invite and I’m sure people can post in the event. This month’s meet was not so much about the cars, but the accessories you have. I have several pens, travel mugs, normal mugs, key rings, www.bmwcarclubgb.uk

regionalnews

trainers, posters, model cars, wallets, t-shirts, shirts and coats and even a genuine main dealer logo, all branded with BMW. I was wondering what the rest of the London Region has? I’ve seen some vintage 1970s clothing selling for hundreds of pounds so ask your friends and family and see if they have any vintage items. I do wish I could have donned a new t-shirt and slipped down to a car meet. Sadly again, German night at the Ace Cafe has been put off because of COVID-19, its doors remain firmly shut. Sad news is that the Barcelona franchise of Ace Cafe will remain closed due to the financial fallout of the pandemic. I’m

really looking forward to planning some amazing outings next summer. The 1M meet in Germany, Motorfest in Coventry, and so many events have been cancelled in 2020. As a Regional Chair I’m always looking for help and support, if you would like to dedicate more time to the Club please get in contact with me on london@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk and we can work out where best to put your talents. I often meet interesting people through the Club at events and shows. There’s so many great stories about ownership or interesting back stories and of the devotion you have for the brand. After all this is your Club, I’m inviting you all to get involved.

Mid Wales & Shropshire Phil Pinnington

midwales@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk

Welcome to July’s edition of the Mid Wales & Shropshire Regional news. I hope everyone is keeping well. Not sure when all this will end and we can start getting back to showing off our cars, but I think we could be a long way off before that happens. Member’s lockdown story by Neil Barker: As we are sadly bereft of shows this year, at least until now I thought I’d crack on with a few jobs on my 2001 E39 M5. I can’t really call this a ‘lockdown special’ as I’m still working full time but have had more free time to do stuff. I’ve owned the car nearly six years now and have been slowly working through it to get it to good showable but not concours condition. The biggest battle of course is rust and the worst areas have been the sills, the nearside door and the bootlid. The sills have been rebuilt by Andy at Kandypaintshop in Bolton, ex-BMW, I’d wholeheartedly recommend him for any BMW metalwork, he does a first class job. The boot lid was replaced with one of the last NOS items in BMW’s spare parts catalogue and the door was replaced with a repainted good used one, with these being done by a body shop local to me. Being a 400bhp car the brakes have been upgraded with Ferodo DS2500 pads all round with braided hoses on standard discs. Many feel the car to be under-braked but for road use it feels fine to me. A more recent upgrade has been the fitting of an E60 545i gear shifter along with a US market F10 M5 gearknob, this reduces the throw by about 30% and gives a much quicker positive feel. I was dreading this but after a bit of online research I bit the bullet and it all went well in the end. www.bmwcarclubgb.uk

I try to keep the car up to scratch as well as I can and with the body work and mechanicals done it’s time to concentrate on the underneath. The plans are to replace the front and rear BMW Car Club Magazine July 2020

regionalnews subframes with freshly powder coated ones and complete the fitting of polyurethane bushes throughout. The brake and fuel lines need replacement as preventative maintenance and the whole car will be under sealed. I’ve no plans to change the standard suspension as many do, it handles fine and rides well. There are some other mods already on the car, Russ Fellows backboxes allow it to sound more like a V8, and a re-trimmed steering wheel from Royal Steering Wheels feels far better in the hands than the thin-lipped original. It’s a car I’m unlikely to ever part with. You can keep up with me on Instagram @neilb62 and there can be more here if time and

North East

space allow. Oh, and as my wife caught me waxing the fire extinguisher a couple of weeks ago and declared I needed a new project, there is one in hand... Stay safe and keep well Forthcoming events 2020 - please check all dates with the event organisers as we get closer JULY Sunday 5 – Lichfield Cars in the Park Cancelled Sunday 12 – Shrewsbury Classic Car Festival Cancelled Sunday 26 – Bodrhyddan Hall www.classicshows.org.

Nick Thomas

northeast@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk

Welcome to all North East members who have joined the Club recently. With the lockdown you won’t have had a chance to meet us in person, however we are still active in a more virtual way - follow our Facebook group to see what is happening and what fellow members are up to. If you have been taking advantage of the shutdown to get some jobs done on your BMW please share some photos on Facebook, or send me an update to include in this report, or write an article for Straight Six. We are trying to run a number of events as normally as possible in the second half of the year, please come and join us. Recent Events The May Monthly Meet was again a virtual meet via Zoom due to the Coronavirus shutdown. It was well attended with about 12 people. It was great to see all the participants, and special recognition to Mike Milbourne and Richard Parkinson for attending in their BMWs. Many thanks to Greg Frost for giving us a video tour of his immaculate E21 and some of the other contents of his man cave. Mike Milbourne of The Polishing Company awarded the May “Car of the Month” to Mike

Dickinson’s 3 Series convertible. Thanks also to Sarah Thomas for running a BMW themed pub quiz. Joint winners were Mike Milbourne and Richard Parkinson, Mike Milbourne won Judges Choice for knowing the history of the BMW logo and Simon Maskell was awarded the wooden spoon. Forthcoming events North East events recently and over the next few months are very fluid. As I write this events that might occur over the next few months are possibly: • Sunday 12 July – Monthly Meet • Sunday 26 July – Date held for possible Kielder picnic • Sunday 2 August – Sports Cars In The Park (rescheduled from May) • Sunday 9 August – Monthly Meet • Sunday 23 August - Date held for possible Fish and Chips run Print deadlines for Straight Six mean last minute changes just cannot be captured. Please follow the North East Region Facebook group or keep an eye on the ‘2020 North East Calendar’ in the Club forum for the latest information. I will be very pleased to see you at one or more of our events. Car of the Month The May “Car of the Month” was awarded to Mike Dickinson’s 3 Series convertible. The May COTM was chosen by Mike Milbourne based on sharing photos of car interiors at the virtual meeting. All regional BMWs are eligible to win COTM and a goodie bag supplied by The Polishing Company. Join us at our next monthly meet to be in with a chance of winning.

North West

Jeff Heywood

BMW Car Club GB North West image Twitter: @BMWNW

News Welcome to the July edition of North West News. I’m sat here writing the latest Regional report in the first week of June and I’m afraid there’s not a lot to report. The lockdown has been eased somewhat, but no sign of large gatherings at shows,

BMW Car Club Magazine July 2020

07801 506632 northwest@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk

concerts etc. being allowed, so in the meantime as people flaunt the social distancing rules visiting parks, beaches and local beauty spots etc. let’s hope we don’t see a second wave of Covid-19, which would be disastrous. My plea for Club members to send me their ‘Lockdown Car www.bmwcarclubgb.uk

regionalnews of the Month’ has been kindly answered by Greg Dean and his immaculate E46 320i M Sport saloon – enjoy. Stay safe, stay healthy!

Alloy Wheel Repair – Highly recommended Class Alloys – mobile visiting service, repair and refurb alloy wheels, all finishes including chrome shadowline. He covers most of NW Region. Discount given to club members, wheel repairs start from £40.00 – contact Steve on 07594 018525 – see Steve’s work on Facebook, search for ‘Class Alloys’ BMW Servicing & Repair - Highly recommended Darren Wood BMW Specialist (0161 425 7403) Bredbury, Stockport SK6 2QB. www.darren-wood.com Lockdown news – Darren Wood’s is still open repairing and servicing cars belonging to emergency services personnel and other key workers etc. Bodywork – Highly recommended David Tully Bodyshop (Tully’s), Rochdale – top class paint/ body repair shop. 01706 643866 - www.davidtullyltd.co.uk

form. Since I’ve owned the 320 I have had to spend money on it in order to get it to the standard it deserves. I’ve had a new rocker cover gasket fitted, the radiator has been replaced, I’ve had two new front wings fitted which I managed to find at a local BMW spares garage which were already sprayed in Titanium Silver which was a huge bonus. Underneath the car I’ve had all jacking points, rear tyre bay and battery housing unit stripped, rust treated and re-sealed to make sure no further rust will appear in the future. I’ve also had some restoration work done on the rear wheel arches – a common E46 problem. I’ve also made several purchases from Nick Jupp who I know is well known in the E46 world and highly recommend him. My 320 was also treated to a full valet and detail including having the paintwork ceramic coated by MF Detailing, Leigh, who have done an excellent job. For all servicing and repairs I use German car specialist North West Bloor Motor Works in Bolton, who have carried out all work to a high standard without any issues whatsoever. My BMW car history is a mixed one with me starting off by purchasing a BMW 320Si, which was a limited edition model with only 500 imported and sold in the UK. I loved this car but it failed on me with the dreaded common problem - cracked cylinder liners - so I traded it in and got a brand new X1 XDrive M Sport. After the X1 I had a 3 Series GT M Sport and then onto a brand new 5 Series M Sport in 2017. I have also had the luxury of driving M3s and various other models through a friend who once worked at BMW. The E46 is a weekend car for me so mileage is kept low. It’s now my only BMW and is a keeper - hopefully it will be with me for many years to come.

Express-dent-removal – Highly recommended Mobile Service covering the NW - speak to Simon Robinson on 0800 998 9828 or 07767 832255 – or visit www.express-dentremoval.co.uk NW Lockdown Car of the Month – E46 320i M Sport Saloon The second lockdown CotM is Greg Dean’s immaculate 2003 E46 320i M Sport saloon, finished in Titanium Silver and powered by the 2.2-litre version of the BMW M54 engine mated to a manual gearbox. Here in Greg’s own words, is his story; I purchased the car in Nov 2019 after getting the E46 buzz through a friend (Nigel) who owns an Alpina E46 B3. I trawled the internet for the right car, and surprisingly found it at a local garage. With Nigel onboard, we went along and inspected the 320 and was pleasantly surprised to find a straight car that needed very little work. The interior was pristine, with full black leather, original mats and a cassette player with 6CD changer in the boot. At this point I didn’t realise it was a straight six but when started up it sounded amazing. The car has plenty of service history although not complete. The previous owner, who had owned the car since 2013, spent thousands of pounds on it, all via the BMW dealer network. All the brake lines, discs and pads have been replaced, along with various other items. The car had been well loved by the previous owner which showed. With all this in mind there was no doubt that I had to purchase the car. My 320 has 115k on the clock and is completely standard, which is the way I like it; I won’t be modifying it in any shape or

South East South East Region sponsored by

Ian Bryant

Chandlers Brighton 01273 769 812

Another month ticks by in lockdown, however it is encouraging to see that some of the restrictions are starting to be relaxed, www.bmwcarclubgb.uk

Greg Dean’s BMW E46 320i M Sport is July’s ‘Lockdown Car of the Month’

Forthcoming Events 19th July – NW meet at the Swan Cancelled Swan meets are sponsored by Darren Wood BMW Specialists

southeast@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk

Hailsham 01323 306 106 Worthing 01903 444821

www.baronsgroup.co.uk/bmw

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hopefully not long now until we can commence a level of activity under some form of control. BMW Car Club Magazine July 2020

regionalnews Update on events • Michelham Priory (scheduled for July 11/12th) has been postponed, there is no detail of revised date at this time. • The Warren Concours d’Elegance event organised by the Essex area (scheduled for September 20th) has been cancelled. An Essex-organised event which they kindly made five spaces available for the South East Region, we will try and attend next year. • The combined BMW/Mercedes/Porsche event at the Hawth in Crawley on July 5th has been cancelled. As mentioned above with certain elements of the lockdown relaxing, I have managed to take both the Z3 and Z4M on small drives on my own to blow out the cobwebs. I did meet up with Steve Carter to see his Z4M that I helped him purchase around Christmas time and he has since been restoring to near perfect condition. Of course social distancing was observed. Unfortunately on arriving home I noticed that I had a puncture, it was completely flat in no time, a piece of glass in the edge of the tread so not repairable. Looking on the bright side I was lucky to get home, obviously a quick deflating puncture and tyre was just on five years old, so some new rear boots required for the Z4M. I have put the Z4M on my M235i winter wheels, same diameter of 18-inch but it means I can move it in and out of the garage - it looks rather strange. In terms of car projects, I have pretty much been through everything that needs doing and available within budget. I have however finally done a full service on the M235i, oil, filter, air filter, cabin filter and spark plugs. A couple of learnings from doing the M235i spark plugs, purchasing them was a nightmare. The plugs for this car are made by Bosch, I wasted a lot of time trying to buy Bosch plugs and twice got supplied wrong plugs and had to return. In the end I purchased genuine BMW plugs that have Bosch stamped on them for a small premium. Note to self, just buy genuine plugs next time from Harry Fairbairn Kirkcaldy parts (01592 6578420) as they give great discounts to Club members. I have been using Harry Fairbairn Kirkcaldy for over three years, they are the BMW main dealer who claim to be the largest supplier of BMW Parts in the UK, and their service is excellent. The second observation on doing the M235i spark plugs is that you need to dismantle quite a bit of the car to access the furthest two spark plugs. Once you know how it was pretty easy and YouTube saved me some time. One tip that was really helpful is get an extension bar for your spark plug socket that

Thames Tony Skerrett Challenging times, certainly! As far as I am aware most Thames members are doing fine and well. However some members have posed the question of when Regional meetings will resume. This may mean holding a meeting on a member’s lawn for example but with no doubt reduced numbers. On the practicality front I can advise of the following car services which might be of interest to some members: BMKEYS Barking, London 07722 255 720. Replacement BMW Car Fobs/Key only about £60.00. info@bmkeys.com. Very useful guy to know! Megadodo Technical Services – Cambourne nr Cambridge 07740 650 560. Email: info@megadodo. org.uk. CEO Malcolm Potts, an E46 M3 Guru. Fantastic value and discount for BMWCC members. ACC Garage Services located in Barking – ideal for spare parts tel: 020 8591 6000. Keith’s Autospray Northampton, resprayed my Mystic Blue E46 at a very good price. Tel 07958214479. Future Events We aim to ensure and hope that the following events will take place in late July/August 2020

BMW Car Club Magazine July 2020

locks to the socket, it just saves hassle. So until the next update stay safe and hopefully we will be able to meet soon. Watch the BMW South East Region home page https:// bmwcarclubgb.uk/regions/south_east.html for latest updates.

07879 404648 thames@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk

Peak District Tour – July/August. Cotswold Tour – August. East Coast Seaside Trip – August. Brougton Castle Festival of Transport – August. Bicester Heritage Sunday Scramble – 4th October. Best intentions here but will update on all future events. My Car by Niek Nijsen – introducing Brünhilda & Project C.A.R. Although my ’74 3.0CS (E9) was previously introduced in Straight Six, Brünhilda has taken a completely different route than planned. I’ve decided to participate in classic rallies and as such the car will feature various modifications; full electrophoretic chassis treatment, roll cage, bucket seats, GP2 dash, triple Weber setup, race exhaust and much more. With this in mind I started ‘Project C.A.R.’ on multiple online channels. Like most of you I also enjoy the various car shows on TV, but it frustrates me that all of them work in big workshops, have an unlimited budget, many guys/girls working on the car and possibly every tool you can ever imagine. Let alone the fact they don’t show any of the actual restoration work. And so Project www.bmwcarclubgb.uk

regionalnews

regionalnews a worthy successor to the M1. Speculation was ratcheted up another notch by two further prototypes, the BMW Nazca C2 (Tokyo 1992) and its open-top sibling, the C2 Spider (1993). But the BMW Nazca M12 never made it into series production. Which was a shame, of course, but not the one-way ticket to obscurity it might have been. Because BMW Group Classic has gathered together a treasure was troveborn. brimming with C.A.R. (Classic Automobile Restoration) FORGOTTEN HEROES – and we delight in telling I wanted to record my progress as a series forthe youfascinating and stories behind these unforgettable fellow car enthusiasts in which I’m milestones restoring a in carBMW in myhistory. own Correction to thebudget, Jeff Leek article SS6 JunebyIssue. garage, with a limited basic tools in and mostly myself Jeff has requested tomy be dad) known thatspare the Gearbox (withLeek the occasional helpitof in my time. in the

Tim Maltby Maltby Wessex Tim

Barons Barons Farnborough Farnborough 01252 883 565 Week 12 after the imposition of lockdown and I sense that life is slowly returning to a new ‘normal’. Like most of you I imagine that your list of things to fix at home or garden is now a lot shorter. With no sign of our scheduled events in the near future materialising it’s a question of carry on with those remaining projects! Recent Events New Treasure Hunt With Forest no events to report on, our last couple of editions of Straight We at ourhighlights usual rendezvous, the St Leonard’s Hotel, for coffee Six met featured of some previous events. With many aactivities chat andcurtailed, a chanceone to check the cars. of our out members from the Bournemouth Aarea staggered start began at 2.00pmanand the 36.8 mile drivepedal through has been busy constructing electric Land Rover the New Forest countryside began. and It must beitsaid carmost alongstunning with an office and workshop to service keep in. that onewho or two of us did considerably more 36.8 miles. Those know Trevor Goodman and thethan recent immaculate With 45 of questions to solve, our navigators were realised kept busy. restoration his Colorado Orange 2002 will have what a During theengineer drive wehe saw Newhis Forest their foals, talented is and keenponies eye forand detail. longhorn andtoeveryone’s favourite, donkeys, all roaming freely Manycattle thanks both Eric Thompson and Trevor for some from to village. morevillage background and the photos. Clever chap or what? Various off points aroundathe routeso enabled usan to learn ‘’Trevorstop decided he wanted project he built facts relatingpowered to the New Forest whilst solving electrically Land Rover (pedal sizethe car)questions. for his We all arrived at the Bell Inn in Brook and sat down to a hearty meal.

Western Nigel Smith Welcome new members. Thank you to all that came along to BM’s on the Lawn, hopefully you all enjoyed yourselves; look out for the full article in next month’s magazine. Apologies to anyone who didn’t get the message that last month’s pub meet was held at an alternative venue due to change of ownership at our regular meet. However we will be back to normal this month unless anything else happens. At our last meet we held a little fun raffle and the prize was a bottle of Bead Maker by P&S Products, won by Scott Walters; well done Scott, we await his feedback. Our Dorset Drive is getting closer and it would be nice to www.bmwcarclubgb.uk know how many are interested in taking part. We have about 15

Aston Martin (pictured below) is a Tremac and the following pictures of his car are the correct ones. I am deeply sorry for getting in such a tangle. Won’t happen again.

Episodes are released every two weeks on my website (www.nieknijsen.com), on YouTube (E9Brunhilda) and Instagram (E9Brunhilda) accounts. Yours sincerely, A.N. Nijsen 07885 252448 wessex@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk

Barons Hindhead 01428 853 357 grandchildren. The electric components came from a mobility scooter which he then adapted to fit. He then thought where can I store it? In its own garage was the answer, so he built a garage in his back garden. Lucky grandchildren.‘’ Forthcoming events Sunday 19th July - Classics & Supercars Sherborne Castle Sharon and the winners and also the quickest, so Cancelled. NewMike Datewere Sunday 18th July 2021 congratulations to them. The sun shone all day, there wasn’t a traffic jam in sight, just a perfect day out. Our thanks to Belinda and Julian for organising the whole event and setting all the questions. In conclusion a brilliant day out and one that will be repeated in the future. Eric Thompson Diary Dates 2019 National Festival Gaydon 11th August. If you are parking up with Wessex then please drop Tim Maltby a line: Wessex@ bmwcarclubgb.co.uk- book your tickets bmwcarclubgb.uk Sunday 15th September is now confirmed for our visit to a working flour mill at Sturminster Newton and to indulge in a cheese festival. More details to follow. western@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk

cars so far. Please contact me to register your interest. Please visit our FB page for a full list of event dates and any updates on changes, also printed here. If you would like your car featured in our Car of Month then please forward some pictures to me. Happy motoring everyone. 2019 events dates for you all: 3rd July 2019, Pub Meet at the Woolpack, Weston-Super-Mare from 7.30pm 14th July 2019, see us at Powderham Castle classic vehicle show 7th August 2019, Pub Meet at the Woolpack, Weston-SuperBMW Car Club Magazine July 2020 59 Mare from 7.30pm 11th August 2019, National Festival, Gaydon, Warwickshire-

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BMW Car Club Magazine July 2020

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regionalnews

registernews 02 Richard Stern 02 Register At time of writing, the lockdown is easing but as keen as I am to get to a Classic/BMW show I do think it will take some time to restart, I suspect events shortly after the lockdown is eased will be diluted, by that I mean I suspect less traders will be present, less event cars and less visitors as the risks might still be out there. Also, some traders will have suffered and its highly likely numbers at events will be severely reduced. Obviously as time evolves this should improve, we will have to monitor the situation. So whilst in lockdown an old friend contacted me to tell me he’d found some old 02 Register photos from the heydays at Brooklands. For those of you who didn’t know, the 02 Register used to do our own annual event and we held it at Brooklands, Surrey. Back in those days we were even allowed to park on the old banked circuit, so it made for spectacular photos. We also used to invite all the other Classic BMWs. We used to have E12s, especially M535i’s turn up, E3s, E21s, E28s, E9s, E30s, M-cars, historics and even the BMW Club (BMW motorbikes) all used to join us at Brooklands. We’d have hundreds of 02s parked on the banking, even our Dutch friends used to make the trek across for the weekend. In the earlier years the Hillclimb was even open, and you could see 02s racing up the hill – sadly closed now. It all came crashing down when Brooklands became stricter and started charging too much, also we thought joining the main Car Club would give everyone even more variety to see. Maybe one day we will be able to organise a special return as a fitting tribute to the good old days. In the meantime, enjoy some of the photos (Thanks to Graham Young); https://www.bmw2002. co.uk/blog/brooklands-1994/

07770 443373 02register@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk

Sir Stirling Moss and his Touring After reading Sir Stirling Moss’ obituary in May’s Straight Six, I thought I would mention again about his Touring.

Back in 2018 Richard Stern sent me a photo of Sir Stirling Moss in a Touring and I included that photo in an article I had written for Straight Six in January 2019. I must say it is wonderful to see the smiling racing legend sitting in a BMW 2002 Touring and holding a driving license of the day. I know along with me some of you will remember the little red driving licence book, how things have moved on from those halcyon days. The story goes that Sir Stirling purchased a right-hand drive Touring from a main dealer in the early 1970s. It would have had a standard 2.0L carburettor engine and he had it modified to a fuel injected Tii unit as found in the saloons with the beefier suspension, bigger brakes and thicker rear trailing arms. Good old Stirling was always looking to get the best out of a car and to go faster and thought the car would be much improved with this modification. Alas BMW did not copy Stirling’s brilliant idea which was a shame, therefore the car would have been a oneoff. The only Tii Tourings were made in left hand drive. www.bmwcarclubgb.uk

BMW Car Club Magazine July 2020

registernews I remember way back in the early seventies when I had a Mk 1 Mini Cooper, being stopped by the police for speeding and the officer walking up to my car saying ‘Who the bloody hell do you think you are; “Stirling Moss?!” I was lucky and got away with a verbal dressing down as I said Stirling was my hero and we were actually driving to Silverstone to watch some motor racing. Those were the days! A private family funeral has taken place during these Covid-19 lockdown times but his family has said Sir Stirling will be given a patriotic send-off once the Coronavirus crisis eases He will always be remembered. Best regards, James Hobson

Talking of 2021 we will be celebrating the 50 Years of: First LHD Cabriolet (Baur), Touring and Tii versions available. Also first 2002 Auto available as an expensive DM1350 option. Tail Pipe Fabulous 02 advert; https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=aKH428PXfbA&feature= Brief history of BMW focusing on the 2002; https://www. youtube.com/watch?v=CA7AxdeAb1A&feature=youtu.be Tim Jason (USA) is selling stunning Heidegger M10 rocker covers, custom made air boxes that look factory and anything to order, check it out at; www.timjasonperformance.com/projects

Bavaria Tour 2021 latest news July 3rd 2020, @20:00 - The portal is open without restriction to all. Up-to-date information is available on the website of BAVARIA TOUR 2021 “ Bavaria-tour.info “ published in due course. Changes in the process are subject to change. Greetings and stay healthy, Andy Andexer Organisation BAVARIA TOUR 2021 Worth mentioning if you do not manage to get in, get on the waiting list as there usually is a few cancellations, so you might still get offered a place later.

1 Series

Anthony Mason

I received a fantastic email this week reminding me that people do read my 1 Series little rambles, so thank you so much for that; keep them coming. If you have a car related story or question or bit of 1 Series trivia, email to 1series@ bmwcarclubgb.co.uk. This month has seen the mistress going for her annual MOT which she sailed through... when I say sailed, what I mean is she’s now got a fresh set of Michelin Pilot Super Sports on the front wheels, which even despite the state of the roads, the wheels still balanced up perfectly. My imaginary wheel refurb fund has been well and truly spent. The MOT gives me a great excuse to see the team at Specialist Cars, Stevenage. I had an ABS fault ping up the day before the MOT and so sent a text to my inside man. The ABS sensor was faulty and replaced under warranty. When I arrived they were working with limited staff and a one way system in the reception area, all social distancing was adhered to. Randomly I always have a folding chair in the boot for shows, so I grabbed a bottle of BMW water and headed out to sit in the sunshine. Once the car sailed through its MOT I left the garage in my totally shiny car (I never take a dirty car for an MOT) with a fresh ticket, and brand new tyres feeling great. Window down, Heart Dance blasting out, sunnies on. Car feeling great.... then ‘ping’, oh god the ping of doom. You know the one - it could mean you need windscreen washer fluid OR a new engine. I had just got on the A1 so at the first opportunity I turned off and returned to the garage again and handed the car over, but this time they had to keep the car as I wasn’t actually booked in. One

BMW Car Club Magazine July 2020

1series@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk

slightly embarrassing phone call to my girlfriend asking for a lift and the mistress was checked into the BMW motel. The fault was diagnosed as the High Pressure Fuel Pump (HPFP) which is a common fault on the N54 engine... by common it’s often changed from around 60,000 miles. Since the car came back it’s been running faultlessly and I’ve spent more time cleaning it than driving it.

www.bmwcarclubgb.uk

registernews

3 Series E30

Neil McDonald

Rescue of an E30 - Continued from June Straight Six… The car was in outside storage at one of those big storage places, but I wanted a permanent home as the car needed lots of work. I mentioned to the wife about having the car at home whilst I got it going at least… no chance! I should mention that I have two cars at home already, an E46 M3 Coupe and an E39 520i Saloon, along with several motorbikes! After making some enquiries I found some storage, which was also under cover, perfect for working on the car. A post on E30 Zone scored me some cheap 14” bottletop wheels which would be used on the car whilst I had the MiM alloys refurbished. Unfortunately one of the locking wheel bolts refused to play ball and wouldn’t come off. I tried a breaker bar and even a battery powered hammer gun but no good. The original key style locking nut was now just a chewed up mess! Looks like drilling it out is the only option. Frustrated by the lack of progress with the wheels, I turned to the mechanicals and the engine. As the engine had not run for at least 10 years, some precautions were needed. I removed the spark plugs and poured some engine oil down the bores. I changed the oil and filter, using cheap oil as it would be thrown away once the car was running properly. After a few days I attempted to turn the engine over by rocking the car in 5th gear.

3 Series E46 Simon Maskell Hello and welcome to the July edition of the E46 Register news. Like most of you who are subjected to COVID restrictions I have had loads of time on my hands, but seem to be finding other things to do than tinker with my cars. Cleaning yes, tinkering no it would seem. My track car has just had a visit to fellow member Keith Bate’s garage, moto-tecmot.co.uk (0191 5360064), where a new MAF and CCV system was installed. This was necessary due to the car failing on our way to Anglesey track day this year and it was subsequently recovered home to the North East. It took a bit of head scratching by Keith, who has many years of experience with BMWs, being that he is a former technician at the local dealer and was just the man for the job! I have always maintained that you will occasionally need an expert to do the difficult jobs, hopefully the car will now behave itsself. Time will tell. Some of you will know that I have a few 46s and I have decided that it is time to part company with my super low mileage 330i SE. I have found that due to its 13,300-mile odometer reading I am reluctant to use it, so it needs a new home. By the time you read this it may very well have found a new owner, but if you are interested contact me via the email address for the register. It is a two-owner car, having been www.bmwcarclubgb.uk

e30register@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk

Amazingly it was not seized and turned over ok. I then turned the crankshaft with a spanner managing several full revolutions without incident. Satisfied the engine was free enough, I went for a start-up. I fitted a new battery and hooked up a temporary fuel supply. I turned the key, nothing. A few well-placed bangs on the starter motor with a hammer and I tried again. After a few loud clicks from the solenoid, it finally caught and turned over. I tried again but the 33 year old starter motor cried enough and refused to turn. I purchased a replacement on eBay and was ready to try again when lockdown came in. So I guess Part 4 will have to wait for a few more weeks! Thanks, Mike.

e46register@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk

owned by a father and then his son, when dad quit driving. The bodywork is excellent and I had the wheels refurbed so it wants for nothing, plus the colour is unusual for the year. Given I own other E46s this one drives like a new car, so it could be a good time to buy. That’s the end of my shameless plug! Given that thus far the year has been almost event-free and the excellent events we usually attend, including the superb BMW Car Club Magazine July 2020

registernews Silverstone Classic, have been cancelled, one wonders how much use our cars are going to be getting? In the North East Region we are thinking there may be some runs out towards the end of the year, so hopefully we can use the ultimate driving machines in anger. I know some reading this use their cars as dailys, but for many the car is slipping into the occasional use category and that is the case for my 328i SE, which was last seen in use last year on the excellent Scottish Region’s Highland Fling. My 330Ci convertible hasn’t seen the roads recently, but I’m less precious about that one due to its 150,000-miles and slightly dodgy bodywork (yet another job to come!). Let me know how you use your car and send me some pictures, plus a few words and I’ll happily feature you and your vehicle. In the coming month my plans centre around working out what maintenance needs carrying out first (there is ALWAYS something that needs to be done), plus hopefully finding the white one a new home. Until next time, drive safely and enjoy owning the best BMW.

3 Series E9x

Julian Pickering

At the time of writing it is the start of June, we are more liberated and I can enjoy driving my E93 topless again (the car, not me) in the fantastic sunshine we are having, to more exciting destinations than my local Tesco supermarket. It has been a challenge to keep the car healthy during lockdown. I have been trickle charging the battery now and again to keep it in good shape and running the engine sufficiently to heat up the exhaust, to offset the short journeys that the DPF (diesel particulate filter) hates. On the subject of the battery, maybe one of you learned E9x owners can help me. I noticed even before lockdown, when I was using the car regularly on longer journeys, that if I left the ignition switched on with the engine stopped, that I would get the yellow battery warning light come up on the dashboard after about two minutes. The battery shows no signs of performance degradation but the manual describes a yellow battery light as “battery charge level very low, battery aged or not securely connected”. I am wondering whether this description refers to a

BMW Car Club Magazine July 2020

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yellow light with the engine running, which would make sense, whilst a yellow light with the engine stopped is just warning you that you are consuming power whilst not charging the battery? I am interested to know whether I need to start the regular home groveling routine in preparation for yet another car expense in the shape of a new battery. I have received an interesting article this month from Alan and Barbara Kirkaldy. Alan has a long-standing relationship with BMWCC. He joined in 2006 and has served on the East Anglia Region Committee, the National Committee and as Company Secretary. His wife Barbara has been a member since 2002. They describe their E9x story as follows: We bought a new blue E91 325d Touring following three years with an E46 Clubsport. What a difference and frequently questioned (but not the choice of the 325d over a 320d). After two years we moved to France, when the Touring came into its own as a load-lugger (additionally with trailer and roof bars as shown in the photo), until the lure of “something a bit special” caused us to look for a Cabriolet. An E46 soft-top was ruled out and an E93 identified. We traded the Touring (courtesy of a very helpful salesman at Sytner Sutton Coldfield) for a red E93 330i auto with black wheels, leather and Sat Nav. We were driving back through France in December with snow building up on the mirrors and on the front of the car – yes, we had the roof up! We were very pleased with the Cabriolet. In France it was quite a rarity, resulting in many posed photos at the various car shows we attended (see photo). However, a pity about the major repair bills that accompanied it – and all on a car with less than 50,000 miles on the clock. There was no sympathy from BMW France or BMW AG. Last year we returned to England, with the Cabriolet of course, which, apart from a few topless “posing” runs along the

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registernews promenade on return from shopping, now sits on the drive as we are in self-isolation. One of these days . . . It is interesting to see the photo of the French car show –

4 Series

Paul Roberts

As I write this report we have just passed the 10 week period since the beginning of lockdown, and apart from some easing it seems like we will be restricted from free travel, social interaction and shopping, eating out etc. for some time to come. On the car front I have cleaned my car numerous times and I even got the dust off after I’ve been out for a drive! Fortunately we have had some great weather so have had the roof down almost every time I’ve been out. Just yesterday I decided to bite the bullet and have the wheels refurbished. I did visit (social distancing of course) two recommended providers to get some comparisons on price and service. As the wheels on my car are 19-inch, two tone colour and diamond cut it was interesting to hear the views of the experts. Anyway after much thought I have decided to go with a firm in

5 Series E12

Pat Tremain

At least some good has come from the current continued lockdown as far as cars are concerned - I have heard from at least one E12 owner since the article last month. Some old photos have also just come to light again, given to Richard Stern from the 02 Register recently. Most of the photos concern 02s at the 1994 Brooklands meeting, and I’m sure he will be sharing some of those on the 02 Register. The 1994 Brooklands meeting was the first time M cars were invited to join in at Brooklands. The photos show a very nice view of what is probably the biggest collection of E12 M535i’s and some non-M E12 cars that the Club has seen at any meeting since. Not sure where all or any of these cars are now, but these are some nice period photos. It would appear that my comment last month was somewhat premature, and we are still currently in lockdown and probably for some time to come, all forms of events are being closed

5 Series E34 Manj Sandhu Some of you may recall my comments in the March issue with regard to the relative merits of the M30 straight six engine against the latter V8 engines in the E34. Even before that, back in February, I talked about the high revving nature of the M30 engine and how it works very well with the manual gearbox. I commented on how I felt it is more suited to the manual rather than the automatic transmission. This throw away comment was made without actually having driven an automatic! Silly on my part really. Well, through recent developments it appears I will finally get the chance. How? – I have been hit by the buying bug again and recently acquired an E34 535i SE project with an automatic gearbox. This does not tell you the full story as the www.bmwcarclubgb.uk

quite a mixture of models from basic to exotic, all topped off by the lovely E93 of course! Have a good month E9x owners and please continue to send me your interesting articles. 4series@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk

Norwich, and as they will need the car for at least two days it will be easier to get the bus back and in again. Also in discussions I have decided, not just because it is the cheaper option, to change the colour of the wheels completely, and not go with the diamond cut again. The advice was that a “repaint” would last longer, and as I am apt to change my cars fairly regularly that seems the best way forward. I’ll put some pictures in the next edition. Have also decided today to cancel our trip to Wales (Aberystwyth) as it seems pointless travelling all that way to find that all the pubs, restaurants and tourist attractions are all closed. Whilst I would be happy just driving around, I don’t think Mrs R would be too happy! Well I think that’s all for this month. Stay safe and let’s hope things continue to improve. e12register@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk

down, including the Silverstone Classic, so watch the Club website and Straight Six for latest updates on when we may be able to meet up again. The current situation has also severely depressed classic car values, I have been informed of two E12’s for sale; a 528i and a very nice 525, I have no information as to if either vehicle has been sold or how much they sold for. Just to get a current feel for where the market is at the moment. Also in Classic Car is an article on the ultra-rare 530 MLE (a South African hybrid that preceded the M535i). Many thanks to Fred Marsh-Allen for a great article last month, sorry that the little ‘how many left’ inset appeared in both, at least you know somewhere near how many are left. Enjoy the photos and stay safe everyone, and please contact me if you have any information about an E12 5 Series. e34register@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk

initial plan for the car was for it to be a potential parts car for my 535i Sport. I am hoping to answer the manual vs automatic debate in E34 535i guise myself and decide for myself which one is indeed the best. I seriously cannot wait. It is probably a little difficult to make out from the picture but the dashboard is actually brown. Yes it really is, I have never seen a brown dash before on an E34 and I have looked at many cars of this model over the past few decades. Am I wrong to suggest this is rare, or is a brown dash a common sight? Either way, I think it is so retro and cool that once I saw it I had to buy the car for that reason alone! I have included some pictures (any thoughts?), it is a nonrunner, but I am promised that it will work if I replace the faulty BMW Car Club Magazine July 2020

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fuel pump. That is to be determined and more on that maybe next month. Closing another loop, you may also recall in the April issue I mentioned the problem with the E34 525iX having had its annual MOT and service but would not start with a potential alternator issue. Well the suspect alternator was sent back to the refurb company under warranty to check, and it returns with no defects apparently! Then COVID-19 hits and the return of the car is delayed somewhat. Eventually the mechanic gets around to installing the alternator back in and back to the drawing board. But guess what? It now runs fine! No issues, the engine is running smooth, the battery is fine and is charging as it should. So after all that time the car is returned to me with the advice ‘to keep an eye on it and see how it goes’. My wife runs the 525iX as her daily now. You may remember back in April how she refers to my cars as ‘bangers’, so it is ironic now she has to face the situation and

6 Series

Mani Singh Hayer

Firstly, I hope everybody is staying safe during this difficult time wherever you are in the world. A few days ago, and at the time of writing this, the news broke that BMW have now launched the updated 6 Series GT (LCI) but unfortunately, it will not be sold in the UK (nor will the 3GT). This does mean that sadly there will be no 6 Series offering by BMW in any form for the foreseeable future. I know the 6GT (and its predecessor the 5GT) was a bit of a marmite car but personally, I thought it was great with the high levels of equipment offered on most models over say a 5 Series Touring (although the Touring was more practical) so I guess it very much depends on your needs. There was also a rarity bonus of not seeing many 6GT’s on the road (take that as you will!) During the recent four day bank holiday I decided to undertake a mammoth paint correction detail on my E64. I have all the kit but normally due to limited time or unfavourable and unpredictable weather conditions it was difficult to allocate the task to do it myself, so I normally use the services of a professional detailer to do it instead. With the lockdown in full swing and with time available and the weather favourable, I decided to do it myself. After the usual two bucket wash method, first up was claying the car which is not something I’ve had the time to do on this E64. As you can see from the photo

BMW Car Club Magazine July 2020

drive one. That did make me chuckle, I am glad she does not read the articles or else I might be in the doghouse! I might be painting her as the ‘baddie’ in my E34 world, but to be fair to her there are not many partners out there who would put up with someone with double digit cars and all the fun and games that goes with it. Hats off to you Mrs Sandhu. Finally, I had a request from a Club member based in Coventry who wanted to ask if I was aware of other Coventry based members. Are there any Club members in Coventry? With no meetings in the Coventry and Warwickshire area, we are sat mid-way between the ‘Central’ (Northampton) and ‘Central West’ (Stourbridge) Regions, and sometimes it is not practical to go to these meetings as they would often involve a long round trip. The nearest alternatives are even further away – Cotswold/Gloucester and Mid Wales/Shropshire. From what he tells me, he contacted the Club to ask about establishing a meeting possibly covering members from around Coventry including Leamington, Warwick, Rugby, Nuneaton, Hinckley, and potentially Solihull. Are there any local Club members, regardless of model range, close to Coventry looking to attend a localised meeting (once lockdown is over of course)? 6series@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk

(which was taken just after one panel), whilst the bodywork may look clean, there are always containments embedded deep within the paintwork so it’s worth doing this task to have a clean and smooth surface before you begin the paint correction process. Once you have finished claying the car, it is always amazing how mirror-like the paint looks and how smooth it is when you run your hand over it. After that, it was a matter of getting the DA polisher out and beginning the first stage of the paint correction which is done using a compound. I had some Meguiar’s Ultimate Compound ready so used this and after a couple of hours of a mix of machine and hand compounding, it was done. It was really good to see how many of the swirls in the paint had been removed and already, some of the sparkles of the Carbon Black beginning to show through.

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The next stage was completed using Meguiar’s Ultimate Polish so on went the polishing pad and again a couple of hours later, it was done. It was really great to see more of the flakes that make up Carbon Black coming through, colours such as green, red and blue (although rather hard to capture on camera). Finally, it was onto the protection stage and I’ve always found that Meguiar’s Ultimate Wax (combined with their excellent Quik Detailer) works great on Carbon Black. After a problem with the pad I was using, I had to apply the wax by hand but it was not a major problem as by the time I had applied the wax on all panels, it was ready to buff off anyway. In typical UK weather however, as I was just finishing up it started to rain so I was unable to get any decent shots of the end result but, hopefully you can see the result from the attached phone photo. I am overall very pleased with the way the paint has turned out and will probably repeat the process in about a year or so. In the meantime, I’ll top the wax up in about 4/5 months’ time whilst using the Quik Detailer after every wash to maintain the gloss. I also decided to turn my attention inside to the side bolsters on the black Dakota leather seats. As is usual with most Dakota leather car seats, the bolsters always have a bit of wear on them after a few years of people getting in and out and mine was no exception. So, after some thorough research and

7 Series

Matthew Swanborough

About five years ago I had the pleasure of owning a pretty special low mileage black-on-black 735i Sport which had been a coveted weekend car for a retired stockbroker. Then one day, I got some ridiculous idea in my mind that it was time to sell, having covered 12,000 trouble free miles in it. The 735i sold within three days for what I thought was a quite a high price compared to other E38s at the time, but it didn’t disappoint. Despite feeling like selling the car was not a good decision, I proceeded with the sale. I still regret it today. I am sure there are many out there that know this feeling. So with my pockets lined I decided my next car would be an E65 745. The sale of my 735i had given me a decent budget for this E65 and I thought it would be best to hold out for something special, be it colour combo, spec or low mileage example. After a couple of months an Individual 745Li popped up 15 miles away and I hot-footed it over to have a look. A deal was rather hastily agreed, and as I got in to take my first drive in the car after it was delivered the following day, I found it wouldn’t engage any gears. This was just the start. I won’t go into all the details but I was very happy to be rid of the car six months later - having spent most of the time stressing about it and repairing it instead of enjoying the incredible comfort and specification. It does seem that I simply got unlucky, or possibly should www.bmwcarclubgb.uk

discussion with the great people at LTT Leathercare about my requirements, I purchased and used some of their excellent Auto Leather Recolour. Applying is simple and as long as you read the instructions and take your time (and ensure your seat is super clean before commencing work), the end results are fantastic! I didn’t manage to take many photos but I did of some minor marks on the passenger seat; as I say, the pictures show the excellent results which I am very pleased with.

In the last few days, I have been watching many of Timm’s outstanding videos on his YouTube channel; “Timm’s BMW Repairs and Information”. For those who own an E31 8er or an E63/4 6er, I strongly recommend watching his videos for some excellent preventative maintenance tips. More on that next month. 7series@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk

have been a bit more attentive to the seller and the service history of that particular car - which for any other car would most likely have had me walk away. This has certainly not put me off the E65, but perhaps it is this fear of expensive running costs and big bills that prevent 7 Series past warranty periods being more popular in general. For me it was the lowest point in the 30+ sevens I have owned, but I do look forward to owning another. A very close old friend of mine found an incredible example about five years ago and it has served him well ever since. The day did come for him too recently when he lost ability to select gears - and it was my experience years earlier that saved him a fortune and kept his

BMW Car Club Magazine July 2020

registernews car on the road. Despite all the BMW and gearbox specialists insisting a new transmission - it was also down to a £5 rubber seal. It’s funny that with a bit more experience I would probably have kept my E65. As I see some older models become thin on the ground I have grown to have some sort of a sense of wanting to save all the good ones, those with interesting specification, much like the 728i Mora Metallic I bought earlier this year with a blown head gasket among its list of issues and have poured hours into making it a great car again. In the past month some of the work I have done on the 728 include new cam sensors and I installed a custom made software update which includes a really great looking splash screen. Having purchased a Z3 in time for the summer and more recently a little E36 323i coupe I have had my hands pretty full with jobs to do - both of which have needed a fair bit of fettling but have been so much fun to drive down the country lanes,

8 Series

Debbie Blythe

something completely different to rolling around in a seven. Next I hope to pull our E34 525i out of the garage and put it through an MOT, always a very nerve-wracking experience with a 25 year old car. Thank you for the numerous emails sent in by other members over the past few weeks - please keep them coming! One such member, John Agar, shared with me some photos of his stunning E38 Individual on Alpina wheels which I thought I would share. Please do get in touch with me anytime and follow me on Instagram @e38th 7series@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk 8series@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk

Hi, I hope you are all staying safe and well. Another month goes by and not a lot to report, June would have held a few shows and meetings including the wonderful Welsh Weekend with Justin at The Metropole in Llandrindod Wells, hopefully re-arranged for later in the year. The first show in July for the Register was going to be at Cars in the Park, Lichfield on July 4th where we had 12 cars booked on our stand, this has now been postponed for 2020 and we hope to be able to re-book for 2021. I have also spoken to the landlady of The Chequers Inn, Weston on the Green and the next meeting there on Sunday July 19th has also been cancelled due to the current restrictions placed upon them. So all we can do now is wait with anticipation on any news from the government and hope to see you at an event soon.

If any of you have any stories, advice or tips that you feel would benefit the other 8 Series owners then please send them to me at 8series@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk and I will try and put them in the next few issues of the magazine, photos are also very welcome. Car of the Month – Don Fleming I bought my first car in March 1960 in my second term at college, I remember that I had to park in the staff car park with the principal’s permission as I was the first student to turn up on four wheels.

BMW Car Club Magazine July 2020

I have had and loved very many cars since then, and have been lucky to have had quite a few that, when you park and walk away, you turn just simply to admire it. I have had my 1999 840 for 16 years now, probable the longest I have owned a car, with 210,000 miles on the clock, whilst not concours and although not used as an everyday vehicle now, it is still my favourite and always draws attention www.bmwcarclubgb.uk

registernews wherever we go, and I still turn when I walk away to admire it. During the present situation it is now on a SORN but we are lucky to have access to several miles of private road so I can still keep everything moving. Like many people at the moment, we are self isolating and rely on home deliveries, the other week we had a call from a local delivery driver asking for detailed directions, half way through the explanations he stopped me and said, ‘I’ve been to you before, you’ve got the 8 Series, I know exactly where you are!’ One of the benefits of the 840 not in the brochure. Take care everyone, and keep hydrated!

Z1 Register

Jamal Blanc

Future events – 2020 The future events section is severely reduced to what we had planned for this year and we still do not know if any of the following will be happening, I will keep in touch by email and magazine. • Saturday July 4th – Cars in the Park, Beacon Park, Lichfield, Staffs, WS13 6RA. Cancelled • Sunday July 19th – Summer meet at The Chequers Inn, WOTG, OX25 3QH. Cancelled. • Sunday September 27th – Autumn meet at The Chequers Inn, WOTG, OX25 3QH. 10.00am – 2.00pm, contact me if you would like to join us for a very enjoyable carvery at the pub. z1register@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk

Z1 Seeks Liberation in Lockdown Ten weeks into lockdown. So far all my classic events have been cancelled: the Hagerty Drive-it Day, Chiltern Hills Classic Car event, and the Silverstone Classic (the crème de la crème) will not go ahead. As if to taunt us, the weather is fantastic; twelve hours of sunshine and a cloudless sky each day. So, time to remove the cover, dust away the cobwebs and release the Z1 into the wild! Time to remind the world what this beauty can do! The stunning Chilterns with their winding country lanes, their hills and dales and gorgeous hedgerows are the perfect romping ground for the Z1 – mile upon mile of nearly deserted countryside for speed and just the odd picturesque village to rein the car in. Accompanied by my brother in his TVR Tuscan S, we head in the direction of Silverstone, taking it in turns to lead so that we can admire each other’s car. We decide to stop along the impressive avenue that leads to Stowe House, the TVR having struggled for ground clearance! During a five-minute chat sitting on the grass, we are joined by a burly security officer announcing: ‘The boss has clocked you on the security cameras!’ So we head for home and I hope, optimistically, that Sam Lever’s planned Z1 expedition to Normandy will go ahead in September. Rob Norton

Z3 Register

Alan Jones

Welcome to the July issue of Straight Six. As you read this, hopefully there is a little glimmer of hope that that lockdown will be easing soon, and people can get back to a ‘normal’ life. Hopefully I am wrong, but it could be that the whole car season for 2020 will be cancelled and we have a fresh start next year? You properly already know this by now, but I received an email today stating that Silverstone Classic will be cancelled this year, along with the Restoration Show at the NEC in August. Richard Rixham has sent me the text below and the photos, seems to be so long ago now, and has been patiently waiting www.bmwcarclubgb.uk

z3register@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk

for his turn to arrive and be published. This is the last one that I have, so if anyone else would like their Z3 included in this section, please send me some information about the car, a maximum of 700 words about it and two to three photographs. Enjoy Richard’s piece on his Z3, it looks like he has been busy bringing it up to a good standard. I bought my Z3 in October 2019 as a project car. I wanted a car that needed a little work that I could bring back and take to some shows in 2020 with the Club. The car has ended up with a few more items than I expected needing to be worked on. A BMW Car Club Magazine July 2020

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confusing one for a while was the door locks. These would not operate with the key, physically the key would not turn in the lock but it worked fine to start the car and operate the central locking from the boot. This turned out to be a worn key and a new replacement from Sytner Sheffield sorted this straight away. A more pressing item was rust. After a replacement rear wing and two new sills the body is looking much better, although it is still a 22 year old car with age related marks. The help and advice from the Z3 community in the Club has been invaluable. I love this little car which is so easy to work on and so much fun. I’m looking forward to the summer and many top down driving experiences. Regards, Richard Rixham (Eastern Region)

Z4 Register

Paul Dodds

Hello and welcome to the July edition of Straight Six. I would first like to say thank you for the influx of emails from you all this past month. Battle of the E89s This month we show off a couple of Z4s and it is the battle of the E89s, starting with Don Cook and his Atacama Yellow sDrive 23i, who after first owning an E85 is now onto his second Z4 and check out the colour!

Next up is Peter Chadwick of the North East Region and his Melbourne Red sDrive 18i, who has replaced a Porsche Boxster with this stunning Z4. Both cars are looking great and have made me consider choosing a more vibrant colour

i Series

Clive Neville

As I write this i8 production will finally come to a halt at Leipzig, having been postponed by six weeks due to the Coronavirus epidemic closing the factory in April. This means that the car will become a bona fide member of the BMWCCGB as it starts its journey from being a member of the current BMW portfolio towards just being an old car. But what will become of it? Like many in the Club I didn’t buy the car as an investment, but it’s always useful to know what it might do financially over time. Will it follow the same pattern of most BMWs - that is a steep decline in values for the first ten years, then languishing at the bottom of the classifieds and being neglected in the process, and then being re-discovered and reborn again after 25-30 years? Or will it fair better or worse? It’s unlikely to be substantially better. Correct me if I’m wrong but even the most prestigious and precious BMWs suffer initial

BMW Car Club Magazine July 2020

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next time after owning only silver and grey cars up to this point. Workshop antics At the time of writing, I managed to steal a couple of hours away from what has been a busy few months despite the lockdown to service the Coupe and give the suspension a new lease on life. I opted for a set of rear Sachs springs to maintain the original ride height as getting the car on the ramp is a pain to start with, and the speed bumps seem only to be getting bigger and bigger. Once the 19mm bolt is out of the bottom of the rear shock absorbers you can then remove the springs and replace. Next up the front lower control arm rear bushes were also past their sell-by date and of course, the tracking will be done when I get the chance to get out. Whist working from home I then arranged a mobile tyre fitter to come and replace the rubber on my summer wheels. In the end, I went with the Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 5 after flipping a coin to decide between the F1s and the Michelin Pilot Sport 4s. That is all for this month but remember you can get in touch via the forum or email at z4register@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk for all things Z4 related. iregister@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk

depreciation before being found again. Even the M1 and Z8 had troubles in their first few years before picking up again. Perhaps it’s only the CSLs that have proved worthy throughout their lives. Anyway, we already have a clear indication of what the i8 is doing in the market and that is that it loses nearly half of its retail value in the FIRST YEAR ALONE - identifiably the worst “sports car” in this respect according to (Stateside) depreciation experts on YouTube. Even against Maserati! A look at the UK BMW official classifieds bears this out with delivery mileage cars currently being cleared out at £70,000 £50,000 less than list. However, the good news is that the i8’s depreciation curve flattens out and after four years the car’s values mirror those of other similar market segment cars. What we don’t know though is what will happen in the future as no i8s are older than six years old presently and all have some BMW www.bmwcarclubgb.uk

registernews battery warranty remaining. Will they really just be considered ‘white goods’ and be scrapped during their teens as new cars come along, or will they be appreciated for what they are? The general view in the media is that early hybrids will be forgotten and scrapped in the same way as iPhone 4s and 5s but reality tends to show otherwise. There are plenty of teenage Priuses in London plying their trade and original Honda Insights are now highly sought after. So, I really don’t know but I suspect that the i8 will have a harder time of it than say an M2/3/4, until such a time that the car enthusiast

starts to trust and enjoy the characteristics of a different technology. And, it’s important to note that values will now be reliant on enthusiasts like us, not the early adopters who bought the cars originally and are now onto something else. As such, it will be the choice over a 911, 6 Series, i8, R8 or F-Type. And usually the 911 wins. However, and all this being said, I think the days of the 911 are over anyway thanks to the Taycan. We all need to be a little worried if ICEs are our thing. The writing is on the wall. Perhaps not today but by 2040 it will be the ICE powered cars which will be considered as the iPhone 4 and 5 is now. Use them while you can!

Concours Dan Wood Concours sponsored by

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RYBROOK WARWICK http://www.rybrookwarwickbmw.co.uk/

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Individual Experience Dhaval Bakhai

Welcome to the first instalment of the new Individual segment, we will cover BMW Individual, limited and special edition cars. The 1999 E36 M3 Evolution Imola Individual Edition (aka GT2) was commissioned by BMW GB and was limited to just 50 coupes priced at £43,995 before production ceased in 1999, making it one of the rarest E36 M3s made. The Individual Edition came with Imola Red exterior paint matched to Imola red leather seat centres and door inserts, complemented by Amaretta Anthracite for the seat sides and head restraints. The black steering wheel and gear gaiters were also made to match the Individual paint with stitching in Imola red. In addition, the car also had Class II front and rear spoilers, electric seats, electric sunroof, electric pop out rear windows, a Harman Kardon Hi-Fi and passenger and side airbags. I have owned #28/50 for over three years and purchased it more for nostalgic reasons than anything else, after owning an E36 in the mid 2000s. For me this was the era I most enjoyed BMW models and feel they had a timeless design, performed well and were incredibly well built. The way this car drives and makes me feel is special and ultimately this is what I was looking for as it was never going to be my main car but more a weekend toy. Although the car is now over 20 years old, I find it to be an incredibly engaging car to drive with a great chassis that made the E36 famous with drifters. I don’t use the car as much as I would like and it had an incredibly low mileage even when I bought it. With under 52,000 miles I can’t say I have utilised it much, but considering the way the values of these are going I may not use it as much in the future either. The flipside is that when I do get to use it the experience is intoxicating; it just feels special, agile, composed and beautifully balanced. The seats are so comfortable and supportive and all the modern day conveniences are present to make it a usable classic. I even managed to achieve nearly 35 mpg after I had the VANOS rebuilt as a preventative measure, a known issue on these www.bmwcarclubgb.uk

models. In addition to the VANOS rebuild, I have undertaken a series of preventative maintenance tasks to ensure the car is preserved and presented as one of the best of these models. One of most memorable drives was to the BMW Car Club National Festival in 2017, where the car managed to win concours in the pride of ownership class. I was surprised as I wasn’t prepared for the level of competition and preparation required, but to win at my first attempt was incredible. This was a huge compliment recognising the condition of the car and all that it has to offer being so special. Despite having had several BMWs over the years (E30, E36, E39, E46, E93, F10, F30) including an E39 Sport in Sterling Grey, an E46 330i Clubsport in Estoril Blue, and an E93 Alpina B3 BiTurbo amongst others, this one has attracted a lot of attention with positive comments and thumbsup driving experiences, genuinely making you feel special and every driving experience is one to savour. I guess that is what the BMW Individual programme and their limited edition models are all about. I feel this is also a double-edged sword as having savoured this one and being a loyal BMW enthusiast over the years my future purchases may be limited to Individual or limited edition models. I hope I can continue to enjoy this car further during my ownership, and considering how the E36s have started to rise in price over recent years it is that bit more special knowing that your pride and joy is also turning into an investment, thus combining a passion and investment into one. It is getting harder to get good quality BMWs from the golden era of BMW and even harder to find special models not already in collections, but I do hope more of us can continue to enjoy the cars we once aspired to own and drive.

BMW Car Club Magazine July 2020

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