Straight Six May 2022 by BMW Car Club GB

M AY 2022 £5

The King of Concours! Read how one man dominated concours competition in the club for more than a decade, preparing his E36 M3 using sheer hard work and perseverance to achieve his goal…

INSPIRED BY THE RACETRACK. THE BMW M MOTORSPORT LIFESTYLE RANGE. BMW Lifestyle From the racetrack to the road and beyond, BMW sets the standard. Boasting striking design and unrivalled quality, discover our range of authentic clothing and timeless lifestyle accessories, created with the same attention to detail we give to our cars. To find out more visit your local BMW Retailer or go to shop.bmw.co.uk

BMW CAR CLUB INSURANCE DEVELOPED BY EXPERTS FOR BMW CLUB MEMBERS

COVER AVAILABLE CAN INCLUDE: • Classic and Modern Car Policies

• Multi-Vehicle policies

• Limited Mileage Discounts

• Track day Cover

• Salvage Retention

• Breakdown Cover

• Like for Like Cover on modifications

• Agreed Values

Bespoke arrangements for your Motor, Home and Commercial insurance needs.

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 as 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 Roces Square, Witney, OX28 4LE. Registered in England, Registration number 750484. To confirm our registration on 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, run by and for its members. Combined One-Make Car Club Associated 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 Chairman Martyn Goodwin Board of Directors Dave Evans Jamal Blanc Nick Thomas Richard Stern Club Office Michelle Evans Lisa Davies

inside this issue

BMW Car Club Insurance Henry Francis Patron Colin Turkington, Mike Wilds, The late Barrie Williams Editing Team Jeff Heywood Lisa Davies Will Beaumont

Cover image: Darren Teagles Advertising Print & Digital Next Step Heritage Madeleine Lillywhite 01485 779455 07855 447968 advertising@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk Website advertising Next Step Heritage Madeleine Lillywhite 01485 779455 07855 447968 advertising@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk

Published on behalf of BMW Car Club by Cedar Group, Unit 3, The Triton Centre, Premier Way, Abbey Park Industrial Estate, Romsey, Hampshire SO51 9DJ Tel: 01794 525 020 info@cedargroup.uk.com BMW Car Club (Great Britain) Ltd Registered in England Number 1617753

MLife: The King of Concours

To celebrate 10 years since Dave Brindle’s clean sweep of the Concours competitions in 2012, we share with you Dave’s E36 M3 story…

28 Creating the Ultimate Garage: Doors & Security

In this episode of Creating the Ultimate Garage, we report on the best doors for your garage and the best measures of security to keep your pride and joy safe and dry.

Action Coupé

Straight Six editor, Will Beaumont, reviews the new 2 Series Coupé.

BTCC gets technical

The last instalment of our BM-Wednesdays virtual events early this year was a tour of West Surrey Racing’s factory, and a glimpse of what it takes to build a championship-winning race car.

Classifieds - From £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

BMW’s best kept secret…

Club member Tony Ruane shares with us a model we rarely see within these pages, the E46 325ti Compact. Finished in Imola red with its unique cluster of headlights, it’s one of BMW’s best kept secrets.

Owning an E28

With the Club celebrating the E28’s anniversary this year, our E28 Register Captain, Tim Maltby, rallied the E28 owners together to share their ownership experiences.

Contents

from the editor Welcome to the May issue of Straight Six.

By now, you should have seen that tickets for the Club’s BMW Sommerfest have been released. The shows takes place on Sunday 7th August at Donington Park Circuit in Derby! All BMW enthusiast are welcome – so if you have a friend with a BMW who is not a member, feel free to invite them so that we can ensure that we put on one of the biggest and best displays of BMWs in the country this year. Tickets can be purchased from the BMW Car Club website, by visiting www. bmwcarclubgb.uk/sommerfest22. Don’t forget to log in to view your member’s only discount code. If you would like to enter or view the concours event on Saturday 6th August, please email office@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk or call 01970 267 989. In this month’s issue of Straight Six...

32 regulars 6

Board Torque

Thoughts from the Boardroom

10 Club News 12 BMW News 14 Motorsport News 16 Dan Norris 18 Born in the USA 19 Products 52 Pirelli 54 Crossword/Your Letters 57 Regions 69 Registers

We share with you the story of Dave Brindle and his Avus blue E36 M3, which in 2012, at the Club’s 60th Anniversary National Festival, he demonstrated that his M3 was indeed the very best in the Club. Read MLife: The King of Concours on page 20. This month’s Creating the Ultimate Garage explains all things garage doors and security. We’ve spoken about flooring, lighting and memorabilia, so how do you keep everything inside safe and dry? Head over to page 28 to find out. Straight Six editor, Will Beaumont reviews the long awaited new 2 Series Coupé, specifically the M240i version on page 32, and on page 38 we bring you the last instalment of our BM-Wednesday virtual events which took place early this year; a tour of West Surrey Racing’s factory, and a glimpse into the new world of BTCC hybrid cars. On page 44 Club member Tony Ruane shares with us BMW’s best kept secret, the E46 325ti Compact, and on page 49, E28 Register Captain, Tim Maltby, rallies together some E28 owners to share their ownership experiences. 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. Please send article suggestions to officeadmin@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk. 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, Sam Main. Happy reading! Jeff, Lisa, & Will Straight Six editorial team.

chairmanschat Martyn Goodwin - Chairman

y opportunities to use this page to chat in Straight Six are timed to coincide with significant events in our calendar and this month is no exception. By the time the May issue hits your letterbox, we will be just days away from our third virtual AGM. Given the upwardly spiralling costs of adding your chosen fossil fuels to your tank, charging your EV, or a combination of both with your plug-in hybrid, the decision to continue this online method of holding a mandatory meeting is more than justified. It allows each and every one of you that elects to join us on Saturday 14th May, to do so from the comfort of your favourite armchair, desk or any other venue of your choice. I can honestly say that from the feedback that we have received from the first two events of this style is that they have been very constructive and positive, both from the perspective of your Board of Directors and your fellow members. The atmosphere has been very cordial and even humorous and enjoyable rather than the perception of AGM’s being rather stale and structured and no more interesting than watching paint dry. So I would encourage you to at least think about sharing a couple of hours of your time and to sign up for this once-a-year insight into the inner workings of The Ultimate Car Club for the Ultimate Driving Machine. Our 2022 series of BM-Wednesday virtual events were once again well supported, although the evening with Frank Stephenson certainly didn’t go entirely to plan. The 50s car was supposed to be the iconic 507 as the result of a members’ poll. However, with less than a week to go before the event, my heart sank after I received an email from BMW UK apologising that the Farnborough workshop had discovered multiple fuel leaks. It would mean the car couldn’t be started, loaded onto a truck, unloaded and put into a showroom full of other U.D.Machines. So, where to get a substitute 50s car, as rare as they are? A quick phone call to Michael Grenfell, owner of the beautiful 503 Cabriolet featured in the November 2021 issue of SS and now featured in our media package for Sommerfest 2022. It’s one of only three right-hand-drive cabrios ever built and it came to the rescue very graciously and helpfully without hesitation, thank you Michael. Thanks also to Dan Wood for bringing his

6 BMW Car Club Magazine May December 2022 2021

E39 AC Schnitzer 5 Series and Brian Elliott for his F31 Alpina D3 Bi-Turbo Touring. Sadly, the plan to record the live stream for all manner of future benefits, not the least of which would have been retrospective viewing and other promotional opportunities, was thwarted. Technical gremlins got in the way and only the short test shoot before the event got recorded. So, apologies to any of those who were unable to join the live stream and were hoping to watch this at a later date. As the cameraman and microphone boom man for the event streaming from Cotswold BMW Cheltenham, I had the best view in the house for the entire event. It was a lot of fun being a part of this very special evening. 2022 will be a full year of activity behind the scenes for the team of ladies in our Aberystwyth office and myself and fellow directors for our 70th Anniversary. The 50 Years of M has already generated some head scratching moments together with BMW UK sourcing cars for a BBC Top Gear shoot, not at their usual Dunsfold track habitat but from Leeds East Airport. Not only was there the challenge of locating suitable cars, but also the logistics of getting the selected cars up to Leeds. So a personal thanks goes out to Ian Bergin for agreeing to lend his very rare and exciting E12 530 MLE in lieu of the E12 M535i originally requested. And even more thanks for agreeing to let the TG team drive it as the God of BMW intended, once suitably warmed up of course. Also, to Graham Barrett for his E31 850CSi, Stu and Lizzie Blount for their E28 M5, thank you for being such lovely people to deal with and so accommodating at short notice, and finally to Martin Broadbent, who works for ITV, for assisting the other channel with his E90 M3. BMW UK with their very helpful and friendly support from Cars in Camera from their base in Hertfordshire, kindly provided transport for the 530 MLE and 850CSi together with a fleet of BMW UK’s Heritage Collection from Farnborough. BBC Top Gear collected and trailered the M5 from the depths of Cambridgeshire and the M3 traversed the Pennines under its own steam thanks to Martin. The new series of Top Gear is scheduled to screen weekly from 29th May and the BMW feature is due in Episode 5 on 26th June. Be sure to tune in to them all as dates are still somewhat provisional. As I write this, we are still in the process of assisting Auto Express, again with BMW UK, for another feature and the

wraps are on a feature in Classic & Sports Car for the June issue. I am sure our work is not yet done for these media requirements with the anniversary year in full swing. I am still waiting on requests from BMW UK for support at this year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed. My experience tells me that this could all be very last minute, so all you M car owners get ready for some calls to action on 23rd June. Finally, I sincerely hope that many of you will be keen to get your Sommerfest 2022 display tickets, which are, of course, now on sale with discounted tickets for both members and nonmembers wishing to participate in the in-field display area at Donington Park. Members should ensure to use the discount code reserved for their exclusive use at the checkout stage, the code may be accessed from within the member login via the Sommerfest webpage. Please continue to watch the website and social media feeds for more details on Sommerfest as they develop. Obviously, these feeds can be maintained, and details added as they happen whilst Straight Six will always lag by several weeks. We look forward to meeting and greeting friends old and new either at Sommerfest or at The Classic, Silverstone during the August Bank Holiday weekend. Or, of course, at both if your heart desires and, back to the fossil fuel issue, if there is enough left in your tank.

www.bmwcarclubgb.uk

BMW Car Club GB Ireland Tour

4th – 8th September 2022 | Killarney, County Kerry Join fellow BMW owners in exploring some of Ireland’s most dramatic scenery on this relaxed driving holiday. The combination of rugged coastlines, imposing mountains and picturesque villages make this area perfect for exploring in your car. When you are not out enjoying the pre-planned circular daydrives, you will be able to relax at the 5-star Hotel Dunloe & Gardens, which will host us for four nights. What is included: • Return cruise ferry crossings from Holyhead – Dublin with Stena Line (other routes are also available) • 4 nights at the 5-star Hotel Dunloe & Gardens in Killarney, in a double or twin garden room. • Breakfast at the hotel each morning • Sunday evening welcome barbecue in the hotel’s gardens • Wednesday night tour dinner • Use of the hotel’s facilities including swimming pool, gymnasium, horse stables, fishing & indoor tennis courts • Suggested driving routes, route plans & rally boards

Tour Price: £879.00 per person (based on 2 people in a car sharing a double or twin room) non-refundable deposit of £200.00 per person A will be required at the time of booking This exclusive tour will be limited to 25 cars.

Please call Travel Destinations on 01707 329988 to reserve your place.

www.traveldestinations.co.uk/driving-holidays/BMW-Car-Club

A BTA No .W597X

thoughts from the boardroom H

Chris Brownridge. CEO BMW (UK) Ltd.

ow we’ve already reached the month of May this year is a bit of a mystery. It seems like a scant few weeks ago that I was taking down the decorations and looking forward to 2022. I’m reminded of Christmas, though, as I currently feel like I have a number of new models all wrapped up under the tree, but I can’t reveal what they are yet. Having said that, one of the most eagerly anticipated new models has been glimpsed in an official YouTube video where the team at BMW M have given us a sneak preview of what’s in store. Yes, I’m talking about the upcoming new M3 Touring, which has been previewed in an online presentation and I can’t wait for you to see it in the flesh; it’s going to be quite the machine. Before that happens though there’s another new BMW that as I write is still firmly under wraps, the new 7 Series, which will have received its global reveal by the time you read this. For the first time the 7 Series will be available with a fully electric drivetrain and I have every confidence it will be a phenomenal luxury car. I won’t spoil the debut now, but I’m always fascinated when a new 7 Series is launched as the pinnacle of the range gives us a glimpse of technologies that will filter down to other models in years to come. When the original 7 Series, the E23, came to market it was the first BMW to

8 BMW Car Club Magazine May 2022

feature an onboard computer and was also the first BMW to be offered with ABS. While the next generation, the E32, was the first German car to feature a V12 engine in the post-war period. I think I’m right in saying the third model, the E38, was the first BMW that could be ordered with Active Cruise Control as an option and of course the E65 7 Series was the first ever car to use a six-speed automatic transmission as well as being the pioneer of iDrive, too. Admittedly not all of our model series have utilised a V12 engine, but all the other features have been widely available on other BMW models. I’ve been lucky enough to have unwrapped some more awards this month with the i4 crowned the Best Electric Executive Car at the Top Gear Electric Awards, while the iX took home the gong for Best Luxury Electric Car. I was also very proud that our groundbreaking i3 garnered a Lifetime Achievement Award as it nears the end

of its production life. It’s not only our cars that have garnered plaudits, though, as BMW has been highlighted as a Green Hero at the Electryfing.com awards. This award recognises companies who are committed to reducing their environmental impact through carbon neutral manufacturing, the reduction of rare earth metals, use of recycled materials and auditing of the supply chain. We have set ourselves an ambitious target; by 2030 we aim to have reduced the CO2 lifecycle emissions per vehicle by at least 40 per cent from 2019 levels and I’m delighted that BMW’s commitment has been rewarded with this award. I think I just about have enough space to mention this year’s BTCC campaign, where we will be competing in the world’s first hybrid touring car championship. The 330e is already a class leader on the road and I’m hoping the 330e M Sport will prove to be a winner on track too. The Team BMW cars will once again be driven by Colin Turkington and Stephen Jelley and I’d like to thank everyone at West Surrey Racing who have done a superb job in preparing the cars for the coming season. Testing at Donington Park and Croft has gone well with Team BMW topping the time sheets at both tracks. By the time you read this the first rounds of the series will have taken place. Here’s hoping Team BMW will be unwrapping some more trophies.

www.bmwcarclubgb.uk

Car Storage Locations

1. Carvault Co.

A full-service turnkey storage and car care solution. Located 40 miles from London, covers Henley-On-Thames, Reading and Oxford

Secure car storage, maintenance, servicing, valet and detailing, car transportation

www.carvaultco.com contact@carvaultco.com Ben Willis: 01491 714 055 Instagram: @carvaultco

Located in Sutton Coldfield, covers Little Aston, Birmingham, Litchfield, Solihull and the West Midlands

2. The Classic Motor Hub

www.store-my-car.co.uk info@store-my-car.co.uk Miles Redman: 07863 540 064

Located in the Cotswolds, covers Gloucestershire and Oxfordshire

5. Weaver Car Storage Limited

Bespoke car storage and care facility

www.classicmotorhub.com/storage/

Professional, discreet, secure car storage.

01242 384 092

Located in the South Liverpool area, covers the North West Region. Weaver Car Storage Limited. Weaver Industrial Estate. Blackburne Street Garston Liverpool L19 8JA

car storage map? info@classicmotorhub.com

3. JLF Car Nest

5. 4. 3. 2.

Exceptional storage solutions. Fully insured, secure car storage with the latest car care and maintenance. Special Offer £5 off all package prices for BMW Car Club GB Members Located in Norfolk, covers the South East & East Anglia Regions and all of the UK. www.jlfcarnest.co.uk info@jlfcarnest.co.uk Olly: 07521 568 881 Josh: 07856 952 383

www.bmwcarclubgb.uk

4. Store My Car

www.weavercarstorage.co.uk info@weavercarstorage.co.uk 0151 329 3390 Anthony Weaver: 07534 101 504

BMW Car Club Magazine May 2022

clubnews

BOOKINGS ARE NOW OPEN! Book your tickets today to join one of the biggest gatherings of BMWs in the country; the BMW Sommerfest at Donington Park circuit on Sunday 7th August. Visit www.bmwcarclubgb.uk/sommerfest22 to book your tickets, or scan the below QR code *Remember to log in to your account to view the member’s only discount code The BMW Car Club is celebrating its 70th Anniversary this year, along with 50 Years of M, and a host of other BMW anniversaries. So book today and be part of the celebrations.

What to expect... • BMW Car Club Village • Members Display • New Car Village • Trade Village • Guest/Forum Displays • Entertainment and Fair Rides • BMW Car Club Racing and other track action • Parade Laps There will be plenty on offer to entertain the whole family, from fairground rides and live music, to motor racing, parade laps, and more… Headline sponsors include Sytner Nottingham, Meguiar’s, and Jaymic (02 Register), with more sponsors to follow! Interested in taking part or viewing the Concours event on Saturday 6th August? Email office@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk or call the office on 01970 267 989

Limited Edition 70th Anniversary BMW Car Club Stickers and Rally Plaques

FINAL NOTICE – The Board of the BMW Car Club GB invites members to participate in the 2022 Annual General Meeting The AGM will be held as an online virtual meeting on Saturday 14th May 2022 from 10am to 1pm. All members are invited to participate and contribute, and we encourage members to register their interest to participate by Friday 6th May so that they may be sent joining details and be provided with any technical assistance they may require. Members questions for the Q&A to be submitted two weeks in advance, no later than Friday 29th April, via email to office@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk or via post to BMW Car Club GB, Unit 5H Glan Yr Afon, Aberystwyth SY23 3JQ. Please remember to include your name and membership number with all correspondence. Please email office@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk to register your attendance.

10 BMW Car Club Magazine May 2022

These are available to purchase on the Club Shop www.bmwcarclubgb.uk/shop. Additional 70th Anniversary stickers can be purchased through www.bmwcarclubgb.uk/shop/bmwccgb-70thanniversary-windscreen-decals.

Bookings end on 31st May 2022 – Book now to join the Club’s 70th Anniversary display at The Classic, Silverstone on Bank Holiday August 26 – 28th. CONFIRMED – ALL cars booked on the Car Club Stand will be able to join a special 70th Anniversary parade lap during the lunchtime break on Sunday 28th August. Club Code: Pre-1982 BMW: 087CCDP22 Post (and inc.) 1982 BMW: 088CCDP22 Book your tickets now on www.silverstone.co.uk/events/the-classic

www.bmwcarclubgb.uk

New Members

What’s Planned for 2022…

CENTRAL

EASTERN

SOUTH EAST

June

David Vipond

Richard Batley Simon Verrall

Mark Bowden Adam Ward Roy Yates

5: BM’s on the Lawn The Show & Shine returns next year on the Weston-super-Mare front lawns, in memory of late Club member, Robert Scanlan.

Raj Madlani

CENTRAL WEST Rajinder Singh Bachra Sandis Lancmanis

COTSWOLD Robert Gould

CHESHIRE & STAFFS Kay Allinson

DEVON Laura Tomlinson Philip Glencross Nigel Hansen Daron Stockham

EAST ANGLIA Ian Simpkins Christopher Calver James Jefferies Adam Read Wayne Biss Derek Rowlatt

IRELAND

THAMES

Dermot Little

Kyle Watson

LONDON Richard Bremner Mohammed Haaroon Jabbar Sanjay Parmar Kamran Khan Peter Johnson

NORTH EAST James Glen

WALES - MID & SHROPS Michael White

WALES - SOUTH Gareth Davies Roger Jones Kieran Taylor

WESSEX

NORTH WEST David Walmsley Peter Brown Rajesh Mepani Matthew Walker

SCOTTISH Brendan Waters David Hume Murdoch Campbell Rory Hinde Thomas Smith

Terence Nash Iain Bartholomew Chris Turner Kevin Coxhead Karol Krawczyk Barry Manchip

WESTERN Robert Hackett Lewis Ballin Mike Bridges

12: Munich Tour Previously postponed due to Covid restrictions, this tour is now scheduled for 2022. To register your interest, email 3series@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk.

August 6 – 7: BMW Sommerfest The BMWCCGB national show returns this summer at Donington Park Circuit. More details to follow. 26 – 28: The Classic, Silverstone The Classic returns on a new date for 2022. Book now using the club code on page 10.

September 4: BMW Car Club GB Ireland Tour Four days exploring some of Ireland’s most dramatic scenery on this relaxed driving holiday. Head to page 7 for more information.

Trackday Calendar 2022 BOOKINGS NOW OPEN June 30: Cadwell Park

£195

September 12: Croft

£215

November 11: Oulton Park

£175

Call 01970 267 989 or contact lisa@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk for more information.

www.bmwcarclubgb.uk

BMW Car Club Magazine May 2022

bmwnews The Facelifted X7 breaks cover… The BMW X7 broke new ground in the luxury car segment at launch, with impactful styling that showcased the latest BMW design language. Move on three years and BMW has now given the X7 a facelift. The facelifted model features new styling tweaks, mainly around the front and rear, like the split headlight units that have been employed as both the daytime driving lights and the low and high beam lights used to illuminate the road ahead. The daytime driving lights also adopt the function of turn signal indicators. The low-beam and high-beam headlights are generated by two LED units in separate modules positioned below the daytime driving lights. The updated adaptive matrix LED headlights, which also include the adaptive headlights and cornering light functions along with BMW’s non-dazzling high beam, are standard on the new X7. Adaptive light distribution with automatic bad weather lights now also provide the functionality of front fog lights. The new kidney grilles feature Iconic Glow, which provides understated cascade lighting for the two kidneys. At the rear, new light units with three-dimensional sculpting add a striking accent. The L-shaped rear light strips generate significantly greater intensity, which means they double up as brake lights and the units can therefore be kept extremely slim. The turn indicators are housed in their upper sections, and these also generate visually effective pulsating light signals. Interior revisions include BMW’s Curved Display and ambient light bar. The display is made up of a 12.3” information display behind the steering wheel, while the control display with a 14.9” diagonal screen merges into one fully digital and high-resolution display unit behind a single glass surface. The screen curves towards the driver, although the front passenger can also view the screen and operate the system using touch control, voice control or with the standard BMW gesture control. A three-section panoramic glass sunroof is fitted as standard on all X7s, too.

12 BMW Car Club Magazine May 2022

New six- and eight-cylinder engines are available with 48V mild hybrid technology, with the xDrive40d model having 340hp and 720Nm at its disposal. The petrol powered xDrive40i has 380hp and 540Nm of torque, while the range topping (for now) M60i xDrive has 530hp and 750Nm of torque. This allows this giant to hit 60mph from rest in 4.5 seconds. The new engines are connected to an enhanced eight-speed Steptronic Sport transmission with launch control and a sprint function. A new selection of light-alloy wheels are also available, now up to 23”, a first for BMW. There is a choice of Excellence, M Sport and M Performance versions, with prices starting from £80,980 RRP, rising to £103,600 for the M60i xDrive model. The new X7 can be ordered now. For more info on the X7, please browse www.bmw.co.uk or visit your local BMW dealer.

www.bmwcarclubgb.uk

Alpina launches a B4 Gran Coupé Alpina has announced that it has added a B4 Gran Coupé to its ever expanding model list. Based on BMW’s elegant 4 Series Gran Coupé, the B4 Gran Coupé is powered by a twin-turbo straight-six engine, fettled by Alpina’s engineers to produce 495hp and 730Nm of torque. In combination with the newest ZF 8HP76 8-Speed Sport Automatic Transmission, the B4 hits 60mph from rest in a scant 3.5 seconds, before running onto a top speed of 187mph. On the Autobahn, of course. The B4 has bespoke Alpina suspension that combines both a comfortable, refined ride and outstanding handling. Grip has been increased further, too, thanks to the B4 being equipped with BMW’s xDrive system, the torque distribution is still rearwheel biassed. The B4 Gran Coupé runs on Alpina’s exquisite 20” Classic forged wheels that weigh in at just 12kgs each. The 8.5”-wide front wheels are shod with 255/35 ZR20 tyres, while the 10“-wide rears use with

285/30 ZR20 tyres. The rubber is Pirelli P Zero, all round. The Classic wheels partly hide the generous brakes. These are made up of four-piston fixed brake callipers with discs sized at 395mm at the front and 345mm at the rear. An optional high-performance braking system with drilled lightweight composite brake discs are available at extra cost. Interior-wise, Alpina says the B4 Gran Coupé’s standard equipment is class leading, combining comfort functions like seat and steering wheel heating with the latest BMW Driving Assistant technology. The vehicle interior upholstery can be customised to each customer’s wishes, with Alpina’s in-house leather workshop offering near-unlimited design possibilities with its Lavalina leather interiors. The BMW Alpina B4 Gran Coupé is available to order as of immediately. Deliveries are expected to begin in July 2022, with a price quoted in euros as 91,800.

New Director for Mini UK and Ireland Federico Izzo has been appointed as the new Director for Mini UK and Ireland, with effect from 1st May 2022. He succeeds David George, who moves into the role of President and CEO, BMW Group Canada from 1st March. Federico joins Mini UK from his previous role as Managing Director, BMW Group Czech Republic. He has been with the BMW Group since 2007 and brings substantial experience gained across sales and marketing from an international career in the automotive industry which started at Mazda Motor Italy in 2002.

Federico Izzo, the new Director for Mini UK and Ireland Alpina’s stunning new B4 Gran Coupé has a top speed of 187mph

BMW M4 GT3 celebrates first victory The first race victory for the new BMW M4 GT3 has been clinched. Paul Miller Racing won the GTD class at the 100-minute Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach in mid-March in the #1 M4 GT3, driven by Madison Snow and Bryan Sellers. Snow had already secured the first pole position for the M4 GT3 in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. Snow and Sellers dominated the race, pulling away from the field early and controlling the lead even after a few safety car phases in the second half of the race. The #1 M4 GT3 of Paul Miller Racing had already led the 12h Sebring before it was knocked out of the race by a collision. This time, the team and drivers were rewarded for their impressive performance. Paul Miller Racing’s #1 M4 GT3 secured BMW’s first victory for the M4 GT3 in the GTD Class at the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship www.bmwcarclubgb.uk

BMW Car Club Magazine May 2022

motorsportnews Fun is Go Go Go

The Club has started its 2022 track action in style. There’s been trips to Wales for the first trackday of the year at Anglesey and for the race championship to Croft in Yorkshire. A warm welcome from each Club region made the days even more enjoyable for all who attended.

he now annual Anglesey trackday attracted some regulars, some new drivers and the North Wales region, who wanted to enjoy the Welsh trip that never fails to deliver in terms of weather, track time and space. We have already pencilled in next year’s date, so we look forward to seeing more new people sample the Club’s Trackday Register hospitality. Drivers of the day were Nick Thomas and Simon Maskell as voted for by the circuit marshals. The BMW Car Club Racing (BMWCCR) started the season at Croft Circuit, which is always worthy of the trip. Drivers and supporters, together with North East Region members, enjoying the challenging circuit and a great day out with friends and family. As we had a live feed on Facebook, many members and enthusiasts were able to watch it online and share the experience. The #bmwfamily all came together to help each other to get through testing and then share some of the problems at scrutineering. Mike Cutt helped install a fire extinguisher so that Colin Whitmore could get on track. The North East and Eastern region members put on a much anticipated display, which was a great addition to the paddock and a boost for the drivers. Qualifying also brought some

Graham Growhurst - M1 Class Winner

14 BMW Car Club Magazine May 2022

Andrew Pywell - Youngest Driver to start a race

drama. Mike Cutt had a sticking brake and Paul Cook had clutch issues. With Stuart Pywell pulling off early, this resulted in three quick cars starting from the back of the grid, which was going to be interesting given their potential pace. With last year’s champion not present,

due to his car not being ready, and the class champions moving classes, we were guaranteed new winners and that proved the case with Graham Crowhurst claiming a pole-position-to-chequeredflag victory in his new M1 car for the first time. Mike Cutt and Paul Cook claimed second and third, with Mark Culmer fourth and Colin fifth in M1 Class. In Class 6 it was Lee Piercey taking the win after his winter changes. He piped Jim Benson and Steve Schwiekhardt, with Adam Read claiming fourth. There was an overdue win for Gareth Thomas in BMWcup class. He was chased home by Sam Walton and debutant Leigh Spencer. There was close racing throughout the grid with drivers having their own battles on this magnificent track, which also witnessed some of our longest standing lap records tumble in M1 and Class 6. As this was also the Russ Cockburn Memorial meeting, it was appropriate to finish the day with the best races of the weekend. The top three cars diced until the chequered flag, with Mike taking an emotional win from Graham and Paul. In Class 6, Lee took the win followed home this time by a rejuvenated Stuart Pywell and Jim Benson in a solid third. www.bmwcarclubgb.uk

Roving reporter Neil McDonald

The youngest driver Andrew received his award from the most experienced Colin

Gareth Thomas -BMWcup Winner

Chris Blakey

Mike Cutt - Winner of Race 2

Lee Piercey - Winner of Class 6

Lee Spencer

Our first Father and Son winners; the Pywells

BMWcup top three - Gareth Thomas 1st joined by Leigh Spencer and Sam Walton

In the BMWcup, Garth made it a double win and this time Leigh squeezed out Sam Walton, who took the fastest lap. Results that bode well for all three of them this year. Some of the great stories that will be remembered for years to come include our youngest ever driver Andrew Pywell, aged 17, being presented with his trophy by our most experienced entrant Colin Whitmore with 58 years separating them. Plus they are our first ever father and son entry. So much emotion on another historic day for the Club. The Club welcomed three new drivers, Andrew Pywell, Leigh Spencer and Chris Blakey, who have now got the bug and we look forward to seeing them throughout the season. Plus a new driver to the championship, Adam Jordan-Reed.

What was also great to witness were the individual tussles and how many drivers have improved over the off season. In particular Paul Laramy, Tom Singleton, Saranga Sothisrihari, Andy Wynne and Sergei Mineev. Who are now challenging some of the regulars Mark Culmer, Clive Watson, Adrian Williams and Bill Reddrop, who all made a solid showing at this first meeting too. we must thank Graham Hinton for the great club display. The other regions now have something to aim at as we travel the country. This is a true club event not just about those on track. Oulton Park on 14th May is our next venue, with a full house expected in Cheshire. Time to prep your car or pull up a seat. The remaining club trackdays this

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Mike Cutt presented with Russ Cockburn memorial trophy by Toby who was Russ’s apprentice

year are at Cadwell Park on 30th June, Croft 12th September and Oulton Park on 11th November. Photos on track by Jon Elsey and paddock by Matt Smith. BMW Car Club Magazine May 2022

dannorris We Brits know how to win a war. It’s all about the slogans… ‘These are the good old days’. So says a little sign in the bar of the pub next door, alongside another that advises ‘Keep calm and carry on’. This, as I’m sure you all agree, is jolly good advice. For myself, and any other company owner that has had to steer their business through the dark and unchartered waters of a global pandemic whilst simultaneously being hectored and lectured by Greta and her army of teeny tantrum tykes, only to find that, contrary to what we thought, it could get worse. Because now we plunge into a European war the likes of which we haven’t seen since, well, the last time the Russians were on the march. Perhaps all one can do is keep calm and carry on. Greta’s ubiquity has been substituted by Dobby the House Elf, and all of a sudden, the conceit and naivety of imagining that we have the luxury of running our homes or cars on wind and wishes has become clear. But last month, I received an alarming request for a meeting from Karen in accounts. Apparently, the price of oil had the potential to cause us some major challenges. Every year at Munich Legends, a man delivers around 8000 litres of oil (kerosene) and then we set fire to it. This is so that we can heat the roof of our workshop, and then every now and again, we open the big doors to heat the outside. At around 37p-a-litre, this was not a conspicuous overhead. However, at £1.29 a litre, this could become a serious issue, taking the cost to over ten grand a year from just under three. And this whilst the world has reserves of oil and before we actually stop buying the stuff from Putin. Imagine if it hits £2.50 a litre. Or more? Suddenly, just carrying on seems irresponsible. And I wasn’t planning on keeping calm either, because I had to have a plan. In fact, we dusted off an old project we started some years ago but never concluded. By fabulous coincidence, it turns out that every year or another, an unrelated man takes away around 8000 litres of oil we’ve drained from people’s engines, gearboxes and sumps and charges us for the privilege. He then takes that waste oil and either sells it to the government, who burn it in a power station to make electricity, or one assumes, disposes of it in some other useful fashion. The idea was to replace our current boiler with one adapted to burn waste oil. When we first thought of this, the

16 BMW Car Club Magazine May 2022

numbers didn’t really stack up. From memory, the return was well over five years so the motivation wasn’t strong. But at these prices, our idea was back on top. Not only would we save over £10,000 a year, but we’d be saving the planet, too. That’s 8000 litres of oil that we don’t have to pump out of the earth, ship to a refinery, then load on to a tanker, sail it across the world, store it, then load it onto a lorry, and drive it to Munich Legends, every year. It disposes of another 8000 litres that otherwise have to be pumped into another lorry and driven to some storage facility, for someone to then try to find a way of making it disappear. Everybody wins, surely? It was a solution of such breath-taking genius that I had to go and have a sit down. However, of course, it isn’t that simple. Turns out I’m not the only decision maker in this process, and that a couple of years ago, someone in government decreed that Munich Legends recycling oil is a bad thing. I’m sure it has nothing to do with the powerful lobbying groups employed by the oil companies. I’m also certain that it has nothing to do with the fact that the government would miss out on disposal taxes, corporation tax on the oil companies’ profits or the VAT normally levied on my fuel purchases. Perhaps it would be terribly naïve of me to suggest that the government of any political party could be nimble enough, could understand a specific industry in enough detail, would be clever enough or even might be bothered enough to examine the merits of this option during a time of crisis and reverse the stupid ruling and help an industry that, lest we forget, spent the best part of 2020 and 2021 effectively forced to close to the public. A few discreet phone calls to my fellow garage managers in Sussex reveal that even the big dealer groups are scratching their heads over this issue. The people who make the rules seem to want to argue that me burning waste oil on site does more damage to the environment than the footprint of the network of worldwide distribution that brings oil from Alaska or the Middle East to Chelwood Gate, added to the one that

collects the waste, stores it and then either burns it somewhere else, or, one assumes, puts it into a big hole. During the last European war, when things got tough, the sloganeers got busy. Make do and Mend. Dig for Victory. Deserve victory. Don’t waste oil – not a drop – not a splash. If we’re serious about freezing out Putin and avoiding a full-blown World War down the line, we may need to take a similar approach and do more to exploit those resources readily available to us. Small businesses – the countries’ largest employer – are vital in peace or war. It provides the money chest that buys the means of defence and ultimate victory. A smart government would look at ways to help small businesses whilst simultaneously withholding money from the very people we’re funding to wage war against our friends. What I do know is that if we don’t find clever, real solutions to this crisis – which might not have really got going yet – we’re all in serious trouble. So, perhaps we need some new slogans for this modern war. I’ll volunteer one: Burn the waste oil to make Putin’s blood boil. That should do the trick. www.bmwcarclubgb.uk

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BMW Car Club Magazine May 2022

born in the usa A quarterly column from our Pacific Northwest-based correspondent, Jeff Dorgay

reetings. As commenting on the entire US is a massive undertaking, my reports will probably have more of a West Coast viewpoint, being here in the Pacific Northwest. I’m in the sleepy town of Vancouver, Washington. It turns out we were here before the Canadian city of the same name. It’s about 15 minutes north of Portland, Oregon, and about three hours south of Seattle, Washington. As fate would have it, my travels have taken me to England frequently over the last two decades, and I’m always amazed at how much the climate here is like the weather and landscape there. Rolling hills, big clouds, and our fair share of rainy days. However, when the sun does reveal itself, we are usually out in numbers, either going on drives or standing around in a car park attending Cars & Coffee events. Oddly enough, I never see anyone with a cup of coffee at any of these events… A few weeks back, our first event here in the Oregon Chapter of the BMWCCA started on a misty morning on my side of the bridge. Staring at the Z4M and the Z3 in the garage, with their hoods down in anticipation of brighter days, I took the lazy man’s route and chose the G22. There’s just something about that heated steering wheel on a blustery morning. Perhaps I’m getting soft in my old age. Bringing this car to the classics event is a bit like being a part crasher, but it’s a pretty forgiving group, and the appearance of a new iX there made it easier to blend

Jeff attended a local CCA Cars and Coffee meet and was joined by his friend George Pouch and his son Daniel, both E28 aficionados

in. The iX is a fabulous drive, but we’ll talk about that another day. The moderate climate allows for an extensive range of cars still being used as drivers on the west coast. We’ve got everything from the late 60s and up, and all in decent shape. It’s a significant contrast to the middle of the US and the East Coast, where snow, and subsequent salts used to treat ice, really took their toll on early BMWs. Thanks to a plethora of winding roads from the Oregon Coast, and our little bit of the famous US 1/101 highway, driving events are plentiful, and I will be making a point to cover a few of those this year as well. But nothing beats a casual get together in a local car park, especially after we’ve all been cloistered away for the winter. This day saw a lot of familiar faces and cars, plus a glimpse of what everyone’s been

working on over the rainy season. One of my favourite aspects of my CCA chapter is the broad age range of enthusiasm for the marque. This group has a lot of 30-ish-andunder members, most of which are all driving 80s era BMWs proudly. Of course, the E30 tends to dominate this age group, but a few also drive the big saloons. I have to put in a plug for my friend George Pouch, and his son Daniel (see photo) who both drive E28s. That’s all for now. I’ll be reporting back with more events, culture, and photos from across the pond. With Covid starting to level out a bit here, I am truly hoping to get out and engage with the world more this year than the past two. And of course, more driving.

An eclectic mix of BMWs at the local CCA chapter meet

18 BMW Car Club Magazine May 2022

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BMW Car Club Magazine May 2022

Life Feature - BMW E36 M3

LIFE

The King of Concours Words Jeff Heywood Photos Darren Teagles/Jeff Heywood/Dave Brindle

As the Club celebrates its 70th birthday in 2022, we jump back ten years to its 60th anniversary to when an E36 M3, owned by Dave Brindle, dominated the Club’s concours competitions. Dave and his M3 took a clean sweep at the Club’s National Festival in 2012. Here’s the story of YDB 320.

20 BMW Car Club Magazine May 2022

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reston born and bred, Dave Brindle has been behind the wheel of a motor vehicle for most of his life, having driven for a brewery and major haulage company for over 30 years. He is also a true petrolhead, having owned a long list of vehicles, many of them quite desirable, like a 1972 Mk1 Escort Mexico, 1973 3.0GT Capri and a 1975 Dolomite Sprint. He also had a penchant for German cars, and owned an Audi 100 for a while, although we won’t hold that against him.

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He also admired the cars built in Munich and, when it was time for a change, he deliberated between a Brooklands 280 Capri or a BMW. Of course, BMW came out on top. Although Dave does admit that he nearly went with the Capri and went to view a 280 that was advertised as a stunner, only to find that it had been involved in a serious shunt and wasn’t quite as straight as when it left Ford’s Halewood factory. Dave soon realised the error of his ways and finally decided on a mint E30 320i two-door that was up for

auction at BCA Preston. The car was an ex-management car from Tetley Brewery at Warrington. The black paintwork was dull, as though it had never been polished, but the anthracite cloth interior was in mint condition and Dave could see the potential in the car. It was a real diamond in the rough. He bid and secured the car for a good price. He was soon hooked on his Bavarian bomber, loving the build quality and silky smooth M20 engine. A couple of weekends of graft later and he also had the 320’s BMW Car Club Magazine May 2022

Life Feature - BMW E36 M3

Dave pictured with his Triumph Dolomite Sprint. Although they may look a bit long in the tooth now, the Michelotti-designed Sprint was powered by a 2-litre 16-valve engine pumping out 129hp and was quicker than a Mk2 Escort RS2000

black paintwork gleaming. Dave admits to cleaning the car every single weekend of it being in his possesion. As E30 ownership started to bite hard, Dave fancied moving into an M3. Those bulging arches and its racing history really got under his skin. Then his partner kyboshed the idea, she was nervous about driving a left-hand drive car. He continued to enjoy his 320i, but his thoughts then turned to the latest E36 M3. The European specification right-hand drive 3-litre E36 M3s were produced from March 1993 through to July 1995, with a total production run of 3,152, which actually makes this car rarer than an E30 M3. Dave was convinced the E36 M3 was for him. As 1997 arrived, Dave scoured through page after page of Auto Trader, week after week, month after month, until he finally spotted an M3 for sale that ticked all the boxes. A February 1994-registered M3 with only 13,500 on the clock and one owner from new. Finished in Avus Blue with a silver leather interior, the car was described as being in immaculate condition, so he made an appointment to view the car at Williams BMW Liverpool. On viewing the car it was everything the dealer had advertised, being in truly stunning condition. Owned by one mature lady owner, it had obviously been meticulously looked after. So after a good haggle, Dave agreed on a price and a date was set when he would take delivery. The salesman had made him an offer for his 320i, but he turned it down thinking he could achieve more privately. As luck would have it, just a day later, a neighbour, who had admired the car from afar, asked Dave if his 320i was for sale. He explained that he’d seen Dave cleaning it every weekend and said he wanted to buy the car as a Christmas present for his 17-year-old son. Dave quickly agreed a price with his neighbour, we won’t go into exact figures here but suffice to say that Dave received £1k more than Williams had offered for the car.

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Dave took delivery of his E36 M3 the following weekend and was absolutely delighted. His private plate had been fitted, YDB 320, a registration number that this M3 would quickly be associated with. It was far more than he had ever spent on a car before and he was obviously very proud. It wasn’t long before he spotted an advert for the BMW Car Club in BMW Car magazine and quickly joined the club. I’ll never forget meeting Dave at his first North West club meet. An effervescent, friendly and genuine person, he was as keen as mustard and insisted we all view his M3. Everyone acknowledged that he’d bought a beauty that was in perfect condition. He was asking about the events the region

organised and was particularly interested in the classic shows we attended and the concours events, just viewing his M3 you could tell he liked cleaning cars. As an aside, it upset Dave to hear from the chap who had purchased Dave’s 320i that his son had written it off on a wet roundabout just a month or so after acquiring the car. The inexperienced driver couldn’t handle oversteer in the wet. Thankfully the young lad was okay, only his pride and the car were dented.

Getting into Concours Dave quickly settled into club life and a year later, in 1998, he travelled over the Pennines to win class 4B for E36s at the North East Region’s Concours at Harewood House. In August of the same

A proud Dave with his first BMW, a two-door E30 320i

Dave with the Masterclass Trophy at Harewood House in 2009 at the North East Region Concours

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YDB 320 at an early North West concours at Tatton Park

year we all attended the Club’s National Festival at Donington Park, where a good weekend was had by all. Well what I can remember about it, and Dave picked up the Best E36 trophy in the National Concours. In 1999 he again won at the North East Concours, but this time he scooped the Masterclass 10B prize. In September of 1999, he scooped first in class at the North West Concours at Tatton Park. YDB 320 was on a roll. Dave wasn’t all about concours though. I remember on a dealer visit we organised to Prestons BMW, as it was then, at Colne. The management had done us proud, with plenty of things to do, including a tour around the workshop and the parts dept, various prize puzzles to solve and a decent list of cars to take out on test. Plus non-stop refreshments on tap. Leaving Prestons we were all in good spirits and I remember having a spirited blast when we entered the M65 on our journey home, me in the Z3M Coupé and Dave and Sue in their M3. I won’t incriminate myself here, but the speeds we reached wouldn’t have pleased the Old Bill, that’s for sure. Yes, Dave drove his M3 as well as being a concours fan. Indeed, it was his daily driver for a good number www.bmwcarclubgb.uk

13th June 2010 at the Bentley Wildfowl & Motor museum for the South East Region Concours where Dave picked up awards for first in class and the furthest travelled, 270 miles

of years. In 2000 he scooped the Masterclass 10B trophy at Harewood again, but he also took home the Best Car in Show prize as well. Later in September he secured the Master Class trophy at the North West Region’s event at Tatton

Park, beating some top class concours entrants in the bargain. Dave had obviously upped his game. Unfortunately, due to personal issues, we wouldn’t see Dave or his M3 for another eight years. Many of us wondered if we’d ever see him or the car again. BMW Car Club Magazine May 2022

Life Feature - BMW E36 M3

Concours prep, the Dave Brindle way!

Dave will tell you that he doesn’t do anything out of the ordinary when prepping his car for concours, and he’s partly correct. He’s quite old school. Back then, you would find him still using a chamois when everyone else had moved over to drying towels. There were no fancy polishing machines, snow foam or other products in Dave’s arsenal, just shampoo and wax from the likes of Autoglym. But what he did possess in bucket-loads was sheer determination, patience, perseverance and a doggedness to get the job done. Plus lots and lots of elbow grease. He would start on the underside. Well it was pointless washing the exterior of the car to then start on the underside, splashing grime about from underneath. First he took off the wheels to clean the arches thoroughly. Dave had a spare set of pristine wheels for concours plus an everyday set. Then onto the brakes and suspension to bring everything up to an as-new condition. Or as close as possible. He then moved onto the back axle, diff and other suspension parts, paying particular attention to the exhaust back box. See the accompanying photos. The wheels were then cleaned until they shone like new. Every nook and cranny around the bolt holes, every tight angle where brake dust might build up was paid special attention. The inside of the wheels had to be as clean as the fronts. Once the underside was up to his exacting standards he’d move onto the interior. Anything that isn’t bolted down (including floor mats, of course) is removed before Dave would then give the car a good vacuum, and if needed, using a wet and dry machine. He would then remove any signs of dust in all the awkward bits around the dashboard and vents using fine detailing brushes.

The floor mats would then be either vacuumed or wet and dry cleaned depending on their condition. The leather would then be cleansed and fed and all vinyl and plastic trim were cleaned and treated with an interior cleaning product that didn’t leave an unattractive shiny finish. Paintwork. The car was first washed by hand using nothing more than a bucket, washing mitt and a hose pipe. Every nook and cranny around the front grill, door shuts, door handle were all given particular attention. The car would then be dried off with a chamois. The paintwork wouldn’t require any treatment as it would already be waxed, although he might give it a once over with a quick glaze to give it that show shine. He would wax the car no more than four times a year. Once in early spring, again in early summer just before the show season starts. Once again in late summer and then a final coat towards the end of the year to protect the paintwork over the winter months. You can over-wax a car, which leads to a streaky, greasy-looking finish. The above is only the prep for each concours. In-between shows he washed and cleaned his M3 every single weekend, both outside, inside and in the engine bay, keeping on top of everything, as well as any remedial work that might be needed, like fitting the odd window rubber here and maybe a bracket or hose in the engine bay so that it looked like new. No stone was left unturned in search of perfection, and yes, it was an obsession. A tip from Dave. Don’t use these spray type window cleaners, as they can smear. Use Autoglym’s cream window cleaner. Only put a small amount on a polishing cloth and apply. It dries in a hazy powder finish and when dry is easy to buff off and never, ever, leaves streaks or smears.

Back in Competition For eight long years Dave’s beloved M3 was laid up at his home. Then, in late 2008, he decided to start commissioning work on the M3, bringing it back up to competition standard with a view to competing in concours again in 2009. He was still definitely old school, but he did make one concession to modern detailing. He purchased a Meguiar’s dual action polishing machine after a quick how-to at my place using a similar DA on the bootlid of his M3. Now that’s trust for you. As the concours season commenced in 2009 Dave returned to competition with his M3. Dave had now retired so he had more time to prep his car. A frightening prospect for his competitors. His first event was with the North East Region at Harewood House, where he cleaned up, taking first in class. The Brindleator was back. He also competed in his own regional event at Tatton Park in September and won the first in class and Best Car in Show trophies and some nice goodies kindly donated by Meguiar’s. Although Dave was still an Autoglym man in his prep and approach to concoursing, he’d noticed that the game had moved on. New products and techniques meant that competitors’ vehicles were much closer to his when comparing scoring sheets.

24 BMW Car Club Magazine May 2022

Back to Tatton Park again as Dave’s M3 picks up the Best German Sports Car award at the 25th Classic & Sports Car Show at Tatton Park in 2011

2010 saw him sweep up in concours, as he took first in class awards at the South East Region show at Bentley Wildlife Museum, as well as picking up the furthest travelled trophy. He also took first in class at the North East event at Harewood, the same at Athelhampton House at the Wessex concours, first in class and Best Car in Show at Tatton Park, again winning lots of Meguiar’s

products. But his M3 missed out at the Nationals at Ragley Hall, after being awarded the runners up prize in the Elite Class after being pipped by an E30 M3. Using his M3 to travel around the country competing in concours shows, plus using it for other club events took the mileage over 50,000 in 2010. His M3 was no show queen. 2011 started off in much the same www.bmwcarclubgb.uk

A man on a mission…

Happy as Larry. Dave preps his M3 at the North West Region Concours at Tatton Park in 2011. Note he’s now using a drying towel, the chamois was finally consigned to the bin

vein as last year, this time sweeping up the Masterclass award at the Central Region Concours at Duxford, before winning the same Masterclass awards at both the North East and North West Concourses at Harewood House and Tatton Park respectively. He also picked up the Best German Sports Car award at the 25th Classic & Sports Car Show at Tatton Park. Dave entered his car in the Nationals at Gaydon and was again pipped in the Elite Class category, finishing runner up. Dave swore that he wouldn’t be runner up again in 2012. As the 2012 concours season got underway, Dave decided to cut down on the mileage that year, concentrating instead on getting his car as near to perfect as is possible, seeing as this was the Club’s 60th anniversary. Any screw, nut, bolt or clip that didn’t look like new was replaced, both in the engine bay and underneath. He replaced the rear window seal that had dropped him a point at the Nationals the year previous. He warmed up for the Nationals by taking first in class at the North East Concours at Harewood, and then it was back to Gaydon for the www.bmwcarclubgb.uk

Club’s National Festival and 60th birthday celebrations, including the National Concours Competition. There would be no repeat of previous years as he presented a car to be judged that was as close to perfect a 52k mile E36 M3 could be. In some places it was better than the car when it left the showroom. Dave’s M3 won the Elite Class trophy, and he was over the moon. All those years of hard, knuckle scraping graft had finally paid off, and if his win wasn’t justification enough that his car was in near perfect condition, Meguiar’s also awarded him the Car of the Show at Gaydon. He was also asked by Meguiar’s if he would bring his M3 and display it on their stand at the Classic Motor Show at the NEC in November. His car went on display for thousands of people to witness just what an amazing car Dave had, well, almost created. Just to prove that his 2012 win was no fluke, Dave returned to Gaydon for the Club’s National Festivals in 2013 and 2014, where he again secured the Elite Trophy both years

The year was 2007, the place was Harewood House and the North East regional Concours was invaded from those across the Pennines. Yes, the audacity of those from North West to dare enter our concours and with such a strong contingent too. Well, this was our first introduction to Dave Brindle, one half of a duo with his good friend Gerald McWinnie. Both would become regular contenders at regional and national concours events for the next decade or so. And so it was that our North East judges met for the very first time an Avus Blue E36 M3 and, of course, its larger-than-life owner. By this time Andrew McArthur and I were part of the National Concours committee between 2008 and 2018, during which time the rules and guidelines were established that still reign today. It was through these years Dave rose through the ranks. At the time, there was a rapid rise in the car detailing industry, with a plethora of cleaning products along with machine polishers and cloths for all surfaces to achieve that perfect finish. Yet Dave was steadfast in his traditional do-it-by-hand mantra. ‘A Passion for Perfection,’ a quote used to describe a concours competitor. Simple words that sum up the dedication and determination required to succeed, and boy does Dave have these qualities in spades. That blue M3 and its bare chested owner would be first to arrive at many events up and down the country, always serious contenders as the list of their successes elsewhere testifies. The sheer dogged stamina and pure enthusiasm required to reach their aim, which they achieved, was National Concours Best in Show. At that time there was considerable competition from the likes of Ian Manjani, Chris Turner, Gordon Hyam and Tony Whittam all who had been around for some time so an even greater accolade for Dave to have broken into the elite winner’s rostrum. Dave was a true supporter of the Concours during those years and whilst he has sadly parted company with his beloved Avus M3, he can rest assured that wherever it is, it will always be remembered as the ‘Brindlator’. Steve Haslam (Concours Chair 2010 – 2017) BMW Car Club Magazine May 2022

Life Featur - BMW E36 M3

YDB 320 prepped and ready for judging at the 2013 National Festival at Gaydon, where Dave’s M3 again won the Elite Class in the National Concours competition

in the National Concours finals. He had reached a level with his M3 that made it nigh on unbeatable. And in a way, that kind of took the fun out of it for him. He also knew that when entering concours competitions with his M3 he was actually putting some members off from competing, which was the last thing he wanted, so a few months after securing the Elite Trophy in 2014 he decided to retire his E36 M3 from concours competitions. He had swept the board in concours within the BMW Car Club, and knew his M3 and name would go down in club concours history as probably the finest concours car ever, and that is some accolade, especially when one considers that his car was also his daily driver for many years, and had covered 57k miles when it was retired. Some people that he competed against had towed their cars to competitions and were true garage queens. As 2017 arrived, he realised that it was 20-years since he purchased his Avus Blue E36 M3. As the milometer clicked on 60k miles, he reminisced about his time with the car, now sat in his garage. He had a daily E30 for the Asda run or the odd trip here and there. He realised it was time to move the old girl on. Time to let someone else enjoy the car. A few phone calls were made within the Club and in October of the same year, Dave handed the keys over to another Club stalwart.

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Dave and YDB 320 cleared up at the National Festival at Gaydon in 2012 on the Club’s 60th birthday, winning the Elite Class trophy as well as being awarded the Best Car in Show prize by Meguiar’s

YDB 320 is in good hands and is well looked after, sitting in a Carcoon. I discussed with Dave that it would be nice to put a write-up together, seeing as it was the Club’s 70th birthday in 2022 and that ten years earlier in 2012 his M3 had been so successful in the Club’s 60th birthday. I also asked him what were his best memories of the car and he said,

‘the best thing I remember about owning the car is just how rare good 3-litre M3s have become. And I enjoyed all the admiring looks it received when showing or driving it.’ Dave still drives a BMW, an E46 Coupe. ‘Just an everyday driver these days.’ Respect.

www.bmwcarclubgb.uk

Creating the Ultimate Garage: Doors and Security

Creating the Ultimate Garage: Doors and Security Words: Will Beaumont

oel Coward’s Mr Bridger in The Italian Job had it right. ‘Her majesty’s prison is there not only to keep people from getting out, but to prevent people from getting in.’ The sentiment can be easily adapted to your garage and, presumably, her majesty’s garage too. You don’t want anyone getting into it, and you don’t want your car getting out. Not unless it’s you driving it, of course. We might want showroom-like garages or clinical workshops with fancy lights, clean cabinets and shiny floors, but the single most important task your garage needs to provide is security. Your can needs to be safely out of sight and out of reach from miscreants. It needs to be protected from the elements, from harsh weather and falling objects. Just ask me how much damage a nasty hail storm can do to your car. Thousands of pounds, that’s how much. Assuming your garage, if you have one, is equipped with a roof – that’s not such a wild expectation, is it? – then your main consideration for keeping it secure

28 BMW Car Club Magazine May 2022

will be the door. We’re back with Rob Hudson, owner of Garage Concepts, a company that transforms ordinary garages into stunning spaces for your car.

They build them from scratch, too. Along with slick appearances and fancy details, Rob’s advice has value for money at its core. His opinion on garage www.bmwcarclubgb.uk

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doors stems from just that. ‘We don’t do cheap garage doors. It’s a false economy. If you go on my Instagram feed, you will see a video of me putting my fist through a cheap door. Don’t scrimp on things like your garage door.’ What about some wooden doors, they look lovely? ‘We’re forever removing wooden www.bmwcarclubgb.uk

doors. Yes, they look very nice on a rustic building, but I don’t use wooden doors because I don’t believe they’re particularly fit for purpose. They bow, they require maintenance. In the winter they don’t close properly and sometimes there’s a bloody great gap where mice and rats can get through. The last thing you want is daylight around your garage

door where vermin can get in.’ It’s not just thieves and vandals you need to keep out of your garage, it’s the tiny wire-eating upholstery-ruining pests you need to keep out and you can’t guarantee that with wood. Sectional up-and-over doors aren’t to Rob’s taste either. ‘Ultimately, we are interior designers and if you go with a sectional door, you have half of your ceiling full up with framework, which defeats the object of having the feature ceiling or feature lighting.’ Rob’s issue with sectional doors isn’t just the aesthetics. ‘Sectionals, my view is you lose too much ceiling and consequently you lose too much potential access for further storage or a loft hatch.’ So come on then, what does that leave us with? A roller shutter door, that’s what. ‘With the roller doors, you only lose 300 millimetres of your ceiling, they’re nice and compact and create a clean space. When you walk through the door, you can see all of the ceiling and we can make a feature of that. They’re tried and proven, too. We only work with a brand called Aluroll. And that’s because they’re a British brand with a seven-year warranty and have a backup service that is second to none. These guys know their doors, they’re second to none. They’re also designed to be secure.’ BMW Car Club Magazine May 2022

Creating the Ultimate Garage: Doors and Security

A roller door is also suitable for the width that Rob thinks is appropriate for a garage door. He’s an advocate for one wide door, rather than the more standard two. ‘The reason a lot of modern build houses have two single doors on a double garage is that, when the housebuilder is doing all of their plots, it’s a lot easier for them to order a hundred single doors they can slap up. It’s a lot cheaper than going “well that requires a bigger door, that requires a bigger lintel.” Those doors are a standardised height and size, they’re roughly 2450 millimetres wide by 2200 high. If you’re driving a car such as a Ferrari 430, where the mirrors are quite predominant, you will struggle like hell to get your car through a standard-width single garage door. ‘I went to see a customer yesterday that had actually cut out the pieces of wood on the side of his garage door frame just so he could get his mirrors through. A standard typical door is not wide enough when you’ve got a hundred grand Ferrari with £4000 carbon mirrors. The last thing you want to do is be scuffing them.’ Opening up the front of people’s garages has become a mission for Rob and his company. ‘We do, I should think,

30 BMW Car Club Magazine May 2022

anywhere between 50 to 80 pier removals a year. We will simply go in, prop all the roof up, remove both the doors, remove the pier, put in a span of 5.2-metre heavy-duty steel across the top, and bed it in correctly. Then we will put on one super-wide heavy-duty roller door that’s alarmed. All singing, all dancing, secured by design at the minimum specification.’ It’s not all about humongous doors with Rob. Smaller, much smaller pedestrian doors have their place too. ‘I wouldn’t be solely reliant on a big garage door for the simple reason that it’s a pain in the butt. If you just want to nip into the garage and pick up a hammer or a screwdriver, you’ve got to open up the main door. Then the neighbours see

your pride and joy, or someone walks past. So having a pedestrian door is a good thing. I would recommend having a Latham’s steel door on the side of the building. A 19-point multi-locking door will cost you probably six or seven hundred quid, but it is extremely secure and, again, it will last a lifetime. You’ve got no further decorating, no warping, nothing like that.’ Short of erecting a replica of Pentonville at the bottom of your garden just to house your car, adding a roller shutter door and a steel side door to your garage is the best way to keep your motor safe. Plus it’d be a lot prettier than having a prison on your property. www.bmwcarclubgb.uk

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Action Coupé Words: Will Beaumont Photos: BMW

It isn’t the new M4 or the 625hp M8 Competition. It isn’t even the wonderfully insane M5 CS; rear bucket seats, GT3-style yellow lamps, gold wheels and all. Despite each car’s commitment to thrills and speed, none of them exposes BMW’s commitment to pleasing enthusiast drivers quite as well as the new 220d Coupé.

ear me out. It would have been so easy for BMW to follow its own template and spin a twodoor coupé from its current 1 Series platform. It could have made a front-wheel drive 2 Series Coupé as easily as it made, oh I don’t know, the 2 Series Gran Coupé. Simple, cheap and, as BMW has already taken a blow to its reputation and opened its arms to front-wheel drive

32 BMW Car Club Magazine May 2022

cars, no one would have lost any sleep over a transverse-engined sporty twodoor. Just another Audi TT, Volkswagen Scirocco, Peugeot RCZ rival, no harm in that. It’s what everyone does. Or did, when people wanted coupés and not crossovers. But BMW didn’t take the easiest path. It didn’t follow trends. It didn’t do the obvious thing. Instead, it got

hold of the platform that underpins the 3 and 4 Series, which BMW calls Cluster Architecture (CLAR), and has squeezed and shrunk it to make a direct replacement for the old 2 Series Coupé. Longitudinal front-mounted engine and drive going through the rear axle. Traditional BMW credentials. The chop job on the floor pan is even more impressive when you consider www.bmwcarclubgb.uk

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that the CLAR platform isn’t just the underpinnings for the 3 and 4, it’s the basis for everything upwards. The 5 Series, all the X models including the X7, the V12-powered 7 Series… everything. The X7-style DNA deep within the new 2 Series means one thing, it’s not as compact as before. Compared to the first generation 2 Series Coupé, the F22, the latest car is 105mm longer at 4537mm and 64mm wider at 1838mm. Its wheelbase is 2741mm, 51mm longer than before, the front track width 1575mm, an increase of 54mm, while the rear track is 1587mm, an extra 31mm www.bmwcarclubgb.uk

of width. However, at 1390mm tall, it’s 28mm lower than the old model. Yet, in most areas, it’s still smaller than a 4 Series Coupé. It’s 231mm shorter, yet with only a 110mm shorter wheelbase, the overhangs are smaller too. It’s 14mm narrower than the 4, which isn’t much, so the 2 Series is blessed with a promising square stance. There’s one dimension where the 2 Series is larger than its bigger brother, it’s actually 7mm taller. Plus, and you can make up your own mind about this, the new 2 Series Coupé is a handsome looking car. And we don’t get to say that about BMWs all too often

these days. Its rear lights look a bit sad and droopy, maybe. I can’t quite spot the similarities to the 2002 that BMW assures us are there, either. Yet still, its wide stance, long bonnet, simple well-chiselled features and clean flanks make it look deeply appealing to me. And I can’t be the only one. As wonderful as all this is in the 220d package, with its 190hp engine, and as much of a triumph that such a car exists, it’s not the best version of the new Coupé. Straight off the bat, BMW has launched the two-door 2 Series with an M Performance model, the M240i. If the BMW Car Club Magazine May 2022

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220d represented BMW’s dedication to enthusiasts better than a 635hp super saloon, then what in the name of Joachim Winkelhock does an M Performance 2 Series stand for? To have any idea just how excited we should be about this car, we need to know what it’s about. Anyone familiar with the old M240i will spot some similarities in its equipment. Notably, the engine. Upfront is the same 3-litre turbocharged straight-six as before, the B58, but now with 374hp, an extra 34hp. It puts out 500nm of torque, too. The ZF eight-speed gearbox, now the only transmission available, will also be familiar to most. Actually, it’ll be familiar to anyone that’s gone within 20 feet of a new car, it’s a transmission that’s fitted to practically everything, not just BMWs. Yet, there are two unusual aspects and both relate to traction. First up, the most obvious, the new car has four-wheel drive. And then, despite the added grip from the front-driven wheels, the new M240i also gets a limited-slip differential as standard. Serious business then. It’s all very business-like inside, too. It’s dark and simple. None of the 4 Series glamour has made it into the 2, despite the shared architecture. What is apparent, however, is a deep sense of quality. It all feels solid and robust. Leagues ahead of the slightly scratchy, hollow feel of the

34 BMW Car Club Magazine May 2022

hatchback-made-fancy that was the old 2 Series. The advantages of a top tier architecture deep in the M240i make themselves known as soon as you’re inside, then. It means, finally, that the 2 Series has the ambience to match the creamy B58. This is no raging M engine. Its character is, and has been since its launch in 2015, much more

sophisticated. Cultured, even. It murmurs and whispers about its power and performance. That doesn’t mean it’s lacking in the personality department, far from it. In a world of anodyne and honestly, boring turbocharged motors, the B58, in an M Performance car or not, is refreshingly distinctive to its core. It’s soothing, reassuring. It’s on your side. It has the power to move you rapidly, it can

www.bmwcarclubgb.uk

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excite you. But it’s never wayward, shouty or disobedient. All of its best attributes come flooding back when you start the M240i and it fills the cabin with its low unintrusive mumble. Weaving out onto the road, you’re struck by one significant difference between this car and the old M240i. It is bigger. You feel every one of those extra 64 millimetres, I assure you. The M240i has an even bigger track width than its lesser brethren, too, so that doesn’t help it feel compact. Its chunky stance sharpens your mind. You’re suddenly very conscious of kerbs, potholes, and cat’s eyes, in the same way you are when in a more senior M car. And that seems like a shame. The carefree way that you could barrel about in the old coupé was a huge part of its charm. More of the road was yours to play around in, the lines around corners were open to www.bmwcarclubgb.uk

greater interpretation. The new M240i’s size doesn’t encourage quite the same sort of fun. Perhaps its more solemn attitude is down to the way it rides, too. It’s composed, smooth like that silky engine. You get the sense that it’s been truly set up by experts, ones that actually understand UK roads too. It’s not soft, there’s a sporty firmness, but it’s neither harsh nor bouncy. The latter was a notso-loved trait of the old M240i. Maybe the new car’s earnest nature is down to the traction it produces. As you expect, even on wet and greasy roads – the only sort of roads that seems to exist in the UK at the moment – you can put your foot down, unleash as much of the 500nm of torque as you can find and there’s just a little tickle from the traction control in a straight line. It’s all mightily impressive. And

although perhaps, the new car is still not as unshakably cool as an M440i on a challenging road, it gets far closer than the almost £9000 price difference would suggest. Except in one area. There’s one scenario in which the M240i xDrive doesn’t feel as comfortable. In a fast corner, it’s not as coherent and dependable as you expect. It’s not as trustworthy as the four-wheel drive system initially suggests. It feels on edge, the signals being transmitted to you are that the rear tyres might be on the precipice of losing their hold on the tarmac. They might not be, you just can’t tell. And when you’re in third or fourth gear and travelling at the pace the secure straight-line traction has led you to believe is responsible, you aren’t in the right position to start playing with the throttle BMW Car Club Magazine May 2022

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to find out. It’s unnerving and, frankly, not very BMW. If there’s one constant in the cars that come from Munich, it’s that you know what the back tyres are doing. You might not have the power, performance and ultimate control over the rear wheels to dictate their behaviour, but you sure as hell know what’s going on back there. And, usually, the higher up the M-scale you go, the more detailed the feedback, the more familiar you are with the tread block’s strain. Such knowledge is important when you’ve got chunks of massive performance to deploy and it’s noticeable when it’s lacking, like in the M240i. On drier tarmac, brain to rear axle dialog is not as much of a problem. By adding more pressure through the suspension, more load through those rear springs, the lines of communication become clearer. It’s still not telepathic, you still need to be wary, but it’s less unnerving. In slow corners, when the stakes are lower, you can be more nonchalant with the feedback you receive, adding more throttle than might be necessary. In these situations, the M240i feels like the consummate BMW. Four-wheel drive or not, it’s tail-focussed, squirming and rotating as you squeeze the accelerator. In second gear, it feels manageable, exploitable, all the things we’ve come to expect from small BMW performance cars. It’s such a dream in these instances, the sort of moments when you actually really might push your car, that it

36 BMW Car Club Magazine May 2022

makes up for much of the high-speed vagueness. Which, remember, is only perception, it never once snapped, kicked sideways or troubled the traction control through a high pace bend, it just felt like it might… If the M240i was as playful and approachable as it is on tight and twisty roads, you’d seriously have to consider what the point of the M440i was. It’s just as sophisticated in terms of its comfort, ride and drivetrain and it feels no slower in the real world. It’s a little more juvenile, yes, and some of the time that’s welcome. But on fast bends, the extra

cash that buys you that extra investment in its development and some extra wheelbase, all seems worth it. That doesn’t mean the M240i isn’t worth its £45,795 price tag. Take away the weight of responsibility it holds as a more bespoke model than any of its family members, ignore the fact that without it we wouldn’t get another M2, currently a sparkling jewel in BMW’s lineup, and it still justifies every penny of its asking price. Combine it all together, and the M240i xDrive can wear its crown as BMW’s ambassador for the driving enthusiast with pride. www.bmwcarclubgb.uk

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BTCC gets technical Words: Will Beaumont Photos: Chaydon Ford

fficials interfering with racing is bad. If the last season of F1 has taught us anything, it’s that. Similar tampering with the natural order of racing, but with weight penalties and lucky dip pole positions, is the biggest criticism most have of the British Touring Car Championship. The BTCC has tons going for it if you like your racing pure. There are various shapes of cars to help you keep track of what’s going on. The short sprint-like races reward committed driving and that results in spectacular overtaking manoeuvres. Even if, sometimes, they’re a bit too aggressive. Arguably, some of the championship’s rules dilute that unadulterated competition. Adding weight to the drivers with the most points and awarding pole position spots after a bingo draw is all a bit too meddlesome for some. Still, you can’t deny that it ekes out the championship results right to the end of the season. Quite often the very last lap of the last race of the last round. And that’s exciting. The most ardent protesters of

38 BMW Car Club Magazine May 2022

Will Beaumont is given a tour of West Surrey Racing’s workshop and the three cars the team will be running in 2022. Ryan Allison (left), Sophie Ball (front left) and Carl Mitchell (right) provide the expert knowledge. www.bmwcarclubgb.uk

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Attached to the front of this 2018 championship winning 1 Series shell is the NGTC regulation front subframe and suspension, just like the ones found on all current BTCC cars.

The complex steering wheel from a modern race car, made even more baffling with a hybrid activation button and a dial for different hybrid maps.

such interference, such as myself, can’t help but deny that. But now, possibly at the worst possible time, in the wake of the Michael Masi Abu Dhabi incident, the BTCC officials are about to add another level of intervention. This season, 2022, sees the introduction of a hybrid system in the cars, and with it, a more elaborate way for the organisers to penalise successful www.bmwcarclubgb.uk

drivers. We visited West Surrey Racing, the wildly successful race team that builds and supports the trio of 330e BMWs that will be competing in the 2022 BTCC season, for one of the Club’s live BMWednesdays events. While we were there, peeking at half-built race cars and trawling through toolbox drawers, we got to inspect the cars’ new electric drive

systems and work out what that might mean for this year’s racing. When it comes to the 2022 New Generation Touring Car-spec BTCC machines, despite having a completely fresh and additional propulsion system, there aren’t wild alterations to cars of previous years. The new hybrid drive has been engineered by Cosworth and consists of a motor that is located in a new gearbox and a battery and control pack contained in a safety cell that mounts close to where you would have found the success ballast in older cars. As a result, the differences between a 2022 BTCC car and one from last year are minimal. It’s just the battery pack, the electrically-enabled gearbox and whatever updates the teams have made over the winter. Same NGTC-spec RML-designed front subframes as before, same fully adjustable front and rear doublewishbone suspension, same 350bhp-orso 2-litre turbocharged engines as before – either TOCA engines or, as is the case with the West Surrey Racing’s prepared BMWs, a manufacturer supplied motor. Only with plenty of modifications to make it suitable for racing, of course. That means the teams, such as WSR, aren’t launching into the 2022 series having invested huge amounts of money on radically new cars. But that’s not to say there won’t be challenges getting BMW Car Club Magazine May 2022

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used to the hybrid paraphernalia. Carl Mitchell, WSR Team Manager, runs us through some of the challenges. But first, the benefits. ‘The championship ballast has now gone, so the huge lead slabs that we had to put in have thankfully disappeared. That has now been replaced by the battery and the other hybrid components. This is a very similar weight to what the first place ballast would have been last year, so everyone’s now carrying that added weight.’ Does working with a mass they’re already familiar with make setting up the car a little easier? ‘Yes, to a degree. This is slightly further forward and that will have an impact on the handling of the car. It’s hard to say how. We’ve only done one day’s worth of testing with all the kit, so we’re still assessing the impact. Certainly having the battery further forward, I would say is a disadvantage, just because of the balance of the car. And we’ve been told where that battery needs to mount within the chassis.’ The hardware is simple enough, then. And so are the basic rules of when the hybrid boost can be used. Each driver has the extra 40bhp at the touch of a button, the boost will only last for 15 seconds each lap, no matter the length of the circuit, and can be tapped into as often as the driver likes until all 15

40 BMW Car Club Magazine May 2022

seconds have been used. This system will also power the cars to allow them to line up on the grid using electric power alone. In theory, it’s simple. The reality will be more demanding. ‘In terms of how it will work on a race weekend, in Free Practice 1 and 2, and in qualifying, we will have so many seconds that we can use the extra power that the hybrid gives us. If you’re leading the championship, you now get effectively less time to use that extra power.’ ‘During the race, it will be fewer laps. So if you imagine that on a fifteen lap race where one of our drivers, if they were leading the championship, might only be allowed to use the hybrid for two of those laps.’ While 40bhp is not insignificant, it’s not going to be enough to launch the cars at a rate that will be noticeable to spectators. ‘One of our drivers described it, it’s not like hitting the NOS button. It almost just takes that resistance out of the car a little. The driver can feel it, but I don’t think you’ll necessarily see it, it’s that small bit of thrust you might need to make that overtake. Just small gains but they’ll all equate to something over the course of a race.’ We won’t be seeing cars leap forwards then, but spectators will know when a car is using the electric shove.

An LED light will shine whenever a driver deploys the boost, so fans and, more importantly, other teams and drivers can monitor each car’s usage. Not only will it be vital when a driver uses their additional power, but knowing what boost your competitors have in reserve will be tactically essential. ‘There are many different strategic ways you can use this hybrid system and that’s something all the teams will learn as we move forward. I am sure, eventually, we will all work out where it’s best to deploy and whether you want to use that system to either attack or defend. ‘There will be a lot of strategy that comes into it. The safety car is not unknown in touring cars, it makes an appearance fairly regularly. We will need to start thinking about how much hybrid has been used before the safety car period and what should be saved to use after a safety car.’ Thankfully, conserving power won’t be part of a race tactic, nothing would be more tedious than that. The gearbox-mounted motor will have the ability to recharge the battery under deceleration and braking, so there’ll be no instances of drivers running out of battery before the end of the race. The electrified drivetrain is more involved than massive hunks of lead, that’s for sure. And it’s for the entire grid www.bmwcarclubgb.uk

Feature The carbonfibre safety cell that houses the hybrid batteries in WSR’s 2022 BTCC-spec BMW 330e. The same unit is found in each car on the BTCC grid, its exact position in the car is dictated by the organisers

www.bmwcarclubgb.uk

BMW Car Club Magazine May 2022

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to manage, not just the most successful teams. The inevitable consequence of this more complex racing, and the more intricate way the officials can slow down the fastest drivers, will be that drivers will rely more heavily on tactics than full-bore committed driving alone. There will be teams that have many spotters monitoring how much boost each car has to use, teams with brainy people who can calculate when best to utilise the available boost, deciding what position is best to finish in, whether it’s worth working your way up the points table early on or not, for instance. There will be incredibly wellorganised teams, and they will have an advantage. In the BTCC, the drivers are allowed to communicate with the pits via radio, so quick decisions can be quickly implemented. The BTCC is getting technical and super sophisticated, thanks to the new hybrid system. Not because the technology is all that complicated, not because it’s going to create any meaningful positive environmental impact, not because it will be paving the way for new innovation. No, BTCC is going to go through an era where decisions made outside of the car, from the rule setters to the teams, may well be just as significant as those made by the drivers. Although that will bring many people out in a cold sweat, with flashbacks to Horner and Wolf hollering down the radio, we shouldn’t be so worried. Remember, at its core, it’s the same pack of determined drivers battling around iconic circuits for just a few laps. Also, the BTCC organisers are experts at teasing out and mildly manipulating the championship standings for years. We shouldn’t expect anyone to fumble in and Michael Masi rules.

42 BMW Car Club Magazine May 2022

Amongst more familiar race car additions, like a roll cage and a fire extinguisher, are the thick orange cables of the hybrid system leading from the batteries to the electric motor in the gearbox. www.bmwcarclubgb.uk

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BMW E46 325ti Sport Compact

BMW’s best kept secret

Words/Photos – Tony Ruane

I’ve always had a soft spot for BMW’s often unloved model, the Compact. I thought I’d hit the jackpot many years ago when I was given a company car and chose an E36 Compact, only to be thwarted at the last minute. Fast forward twenty six years and I still had a Compact itch that needed to be scratched. I searched high and low for the perfect car. The search wasn’t going to be easy, as I had a particular model and colour in mind, and I wasn’t about to compromise

ack in 1995 I started a new job working for a medium sized meat processing company as a Technical Manager. The owner of the company decided he wanted me to visit two more sites in Scotland on a regular basis and very quickly appointed me as the Group Technical Manager. My new role meant I had to regularly hire a car and one Monday morning the owner of the company called me into his office. He said, ‘Tony, it’s costing us far too much money in car hire for you to visit the other sites, I think we have justified the case for you to have a company car.’ I asked what make and model of car I could choose, as I was well aware

44 BMW Car Club Magazine May 2022

that there wasn’t a company car list. The reply was, ‘don’t take the p**s and remember you have to pay tax on the value of your choice. Otherwise, you can have whatever you want.’ It was with this in mind that I did my research and chose a BMW E36 Compact. Imagine my horror when the very next week the company accountant called me into his office to tell me that he had been out and bought me my company car, a diesel Ford Mondeo in hearing aid beige. My dream car had just slipped away from me and I was absolutely gutted. Fast track 26 years and we are in the winter of 2021. I decided that

this itch still needed to be scratched, I needed to buy a BMW Compact. Not just any BMW Compact, but an E46 325ti Sport Compact in Imola Red. The search began. In December I found such a car in Ireland and began speaking to the owner who was a very nice guy. He even sent me an original hardback sales brochure for my E31 840Ci, for which I was very grateful. We arranged for me to view the car whilst over in Northern Ireland to watch the Sheffield Steelers take on the Belfast Giants at Ice Hockey. Unfortunately, due to Covid-19, this was cancelled and so was the trip to Northern Ireland and the deal never www.bmwcarclubgb.uk

Feature

Tony’s search for his perfect Compact ended in March 2022 when he found this Imola Red beauty

got off the ground. Many months went by with no luck in my search and, to be honest, I nearly took the plunge with a different spec car. I’m really glad I didn’t. Here we are in March 2022 and a car to my specification comes up for sale on eBay near Heathrow, which is nearly 180 miles away. I decided to go and view the car, so I made arrangements to drive down on Sunday morning from Rotherham in South Yorkshire. I arrived at 10.30am, the dealer selling the car wasn’t in as I was early, but this gave me the opportunity to inspect the car for half an hour without any pressure. Although the car hadn’t been prepared in any way I couldn’t believe my eyes, other than the odd stone chip, the paintwork was perfect. There was no rust and the car seemed to be a very genuine motor that hadn’t been messed around with. Sonny, the dealer, arrived and handed me the keys so I could inspect the interior, under the bonnet and in the boot. www.bmwcarclubgb.uk

This was like Christmas and the present that kept on giving. I decided I was having the car, so we negotiated on the price and the deal was done. I would pick it up a week later when on my return home

from a trip already planned to London. The day came when I was due to pick up the car and I was nervous as I had travelled from London to Heathrow but couldn’t get hold of Sonny. I was hoping BMW Car Club Magazine May 2022

BMW E46 325ti Sport Compact

the car was still available and he hadn’t sold it to someone else. Just as my train was pulling into the train station Sonny called me to say he was waiting to pick me up. With my pockets full of cash, I was now in his car heading to his house to complete the deal. Deal done, I was back on the road to Rotherham in the Compact, a journey that would normally take three-and-a-half to four hours. Seven hours later I arrived home due to the M1 being closed in both directions. A lorry had caught fire, damaging the motorway. Seven hours is a long test drive to get to know a car. Four hours into the drive and a red warning light, along with an amber light, lit up on the dashboard suggesting that the DSC (Dynamic Stability Control) had failed. All I could think was ‘I’ve bought a right pup.’ I looked in the hand book, which suggested the car was still safe to drive but the car needed to be taken to a BMW dealer for inspection as soon as possible, which I did. Thankfully it turned out to be nothing more than the brake fluid needed topping up. I could now breathe again. Other than this small drama, the car drove faultlessly.

46 BMW Car Club Magazine May 2022

A bit about the car. It is an E46 325ti Sport Compact in near perfect condition, finished in Imola Red with an Alcantara interior and has 53,000 miles on the clock. There have been three previous owners and it has 12 services stamped in the service book, plus every MOT since new is present which verifies the mileage. The original bill of sale is also with the car, showing a price of £24,145. The original PDI inspection document is also present and the car was originally supplied with Supagard paint protection. I obviously attended to the brake fluid issue and I have replaced the under bonnet sound proofing which was grubby and falling off. I also replaced the fuel filler flap release button, all of which cost me the grand total of £154. Next on the list was to ceramic coat the paintwork so the Imola red paint now pops in the sunlight. I now have a gorgeous looking car that is as perfect as you can imagine and one that I will be attending car shows with this summer. BMW launched the first Compact in 1993. It was based on the E36 3 Series and was on sale through to 2000, when

the redesigned car was launched using the E46 platform up until 2004. The E46 variant had several design features different to the rest of the E46 3 Series range, notably both the head and tail lights. Mechanically, the Compact shared many elements with the rest of the E46 line up, however the steering rack has a faster ratio. Couple the faster steering with rear-wheel drive, a straight-six engine, a six-speed manual gearbox and you have a car that goes from 0 to 60mph in 7.4 seconds. Not exactly blisteringly quick by today’s standards but with 192hp under your foot and weighing in at 1480kgs, the 325ti is no slouch. And to top things off, I have the melodious M54 straight six engine to listen to. Most people don’t even know what a BMW Compact is, I recently got asked ‘is this a new model?’ BMW’s Compact models are true Marmite cars, you either like them or you don’t. I can tell you it is one of BMW’s best kept secrets. I would welcome your comments on the car, good, bad or indifferent. Please email me at tonyruane@mac.com

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Feature

Owning an E28

Words: Tim Maltby

I can hardly believe that it was last August when I suggested that, if anyone wanted to share their ownership experiences, they should get in touch and we would put an article together. with straight out of the blocks Liz and Stu Blount were . some history of their M5 over , he has owned his M5 for For those that don’t know Stu used he and it r afte ticulously looked 28 years. He has always me is. bas ular reg a on t tha r and afte it as a daily driver until 2013, was rear ugh no fault of his own, he thro en, wh ror hor his Imagine ended by a Land Rover. by th of Scotland, we were hit ‘When on holiday in the nor in off ten writ ng bei d in the car a Land Rover which resulte three uished in a breakers yard for lang M5 The 5. 201 September value. Needless the r ove the insurance company with ued arg I ilst wh s nth mo bought the salvage a figure was reached and I to say, after much haggling given an inspection to Huntingdon where it was back. The car was shipped lly too complex a job shop. However, this was rea by a BMW approved body s at Foxton who vice touch with Elite Motor Ser for them and they put me in the M5. were only too willing to restore of my “as new” was taken as I took delivery to pho a and r ‘Two years late care the for thank you to Nick and Jim E28 M5. I can only say a big I er, tom cus ’t admit to being the best and trouble they took. I can was at wh g ryin e in the door and que was always sticking my nos happening.’ last ount of Liz and Stu’s car in There is a more detailed acc news. For ion Reg tral Cen the er und t Six December’s Issue of Straigh 8-bmw/e2 res atu www.hillstart.blog/fe the full Monty, have a look at perience m5-a-28-year-ownership-ex

purchased his 528i, ner is Trevor Simms who ow m ter g lon ond sec r Ou red in September t in July 1986 and first registe brand new. The car was buil nd Black Metallic and one of my favourites, Diamo 1986. Trevor’s car colour is d with electric . The car came highly specce Shadowline trim (de-chromed) green glass, ed tint ing, windows, central lock sunroof, front and rear electric ing. lock tral cen and nearside door mirror heated rear screen, heated M steering wheel an , sion pen sus rts spo e with In addition to this, the car cam iler and the rear boot spoiler. spo chin with on apr t fron and the M5 sports seats and rest with Taurus Red leather The interior is of particular inte The current n. atio bin com hundred with this trim is believed to be one of two mileage stands at 131,000. ale Oldbury BMW and my E28 brand new from Ryd In Trevor’s words: ‘I bought am a firm believer I s. there are only 200 Taurus car was told by the dealer that and attention over e car of nty and have lavished ple ce nan inte ma ve tati ven pre in a full respray had any rust, but I went for the years. The car has never her former glory. The in 2020 to bring her back to e new car is standard apart from som aust. exh el ste wheels and a stainless spend bt, dou in “if is, One of my mottos is car The ” car. the t sor and the money but ys, ida hol now used on high days and ly tain cer and it help never in the wet if I can I and per kee a is car s Thi not in the winter. have no intention of selling.’

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BMW Car Club Magazine May 2022

Owning an E28

Last but not least is our third passionate owne r, Eric Fox. It’s fair to say that Eric has be en a lifelong fan of E28s, as you can see fro m his descriptions. I wonder how many other owners have two E28s with such dis parate mileages? ‘Firstly, my E28 52 5 Eta, registration A3 EDF. Back in 1984 I bought my first BM W, a 518. It was a lov ely car, but lacking in power. A colleague of mine saw it, too k it for a drive, came ba ck, and said “I’m ha ving one of these.” Six mo nths later he turns up with brand new 52 5 Eta at a cost of aro und £19,000. ‘I was gutted, but tw o years later he returned and offere d it to me for £8,00 0. I bought it instantly. Who would n’t? It took a long tim e to pay for it so I decided that no one else would ow n it. ‘The car was regist ered in May 1985, colour being champagne/gold. I had it resprayed in 2005, together with new wings an d both front suspen sion legs reinforced. The sun roof and rear window s are manual, but the door window s are electric. At the same time as the respray, I ha d the interior change d to leather; a tan as near as po ssible to the origina l. Front and rear bumpers are ch rome, the wheels an d tyres are standard, the auto ‘box was overhauled in the late nineties, and the too ls in the boot are so und. ‘The car has visited all fifty seven of the UK’s still working piers, plus Anglesey, the Isle of Man, the Isle of Wight and I’ve dr iven it from John o’ Groats to Land’s End. This he lps explain the 217,0 00 miles on the clock.

‘It has also been us ed for the odd wedd ing and I must say it was a delight to be the ch auffeur. This is my favourite car of the two as it holds so many memories. When I pass, the kids will pr obably flog it and have a ball with the money.

‘Secondly, is my E2 8 525i, registration B3 EDF. When I took the other BM W for its MOT, parke d nearby was this mint 525i. I nearly passed out to think that someone else an E28 in better nic had k than mine. So I fou nd the chap that owned it, who was into Porsches, and he sold it to me for £7,500. What a ca r, and what a buy. That was in the au of 2019. The car wa tumn s registered in Febr uary 1985 with a full service history an d mileage at 23,50 0. What a steal. It is Cirrus Blue with an original interior an d the back has never been sat in. All windows, sun roo f, and door mirrors are electric. It has ch rome bumpers, origi nal spoked alloy wheels, a five spee d gearbox and clear glass all round. I wa nearly wetting myse s lf driving it home. ‘The only history we have of its story is that an Egyptian family owned this ca r, plus a 7 Series BM W too. They were suddenly called ba ck to Egypt, leavin g behind all their we Many years later the alth. ir property was sold and the cars were moved on. From 20 09 to 2019, the ca r had only done 3,7 miles. Now it’s done 80 26,233 miles. ‘In the spring we ne ed to replace the rub ber bushes in the front and rear su bframes, at which point we will fully underseal the car ful ly, thus hopefully, giv ing it a longer life for all to enjoy.’

Well, what can I add to these experiences? A couple of themes come to mind, one of which is that all of these cars are keepers. The overriding theme throughout this article is the passion that Stu, Trevor and Eric have for their E28s. I can certainly empathise with them and so many thanks to you for sharing your thoughts with us. 50 BMW Car Club Magazine May 2022

www.bmwcarclubgb.uk

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Experience some of the most iconic circuits in your own supercar thanks to Pirelli. Exclusive one-day VIP passes are £850pp, with companion passes also available for £150. Secure your place for Silverstone today at pzeroexperience.pirelli.com. See T&Cs for eligible car list.

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52 BMW Car Club Magazine May 2022

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crossword Across 1.

BMW Car Club GB Crossword 1

18.

Winner of last month’s crossword Paul Blake issue’s crossword must be received into the office by 11th May. 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

May 2022 Crossword All entrants for the May

Answers to April 2022 Crossword Across: 1. Granite, 9. Electrical, 10. Sale, 11. TC, 12. MK (Milton Keynes), 14. MSC (Mediterranean Shipping Company), 16. Aircons, 19. TT (Tourist Trophy), 20. TE, 21. Crewe RR, 22. Erg, 23. EW (exawatt), 24. AI (Artificial Intelligence), 26. AMTC, 28. Autonomous, 32. Polaris Down: 1. Glacier, 2. REL (Reaction Engines Limited), 3. Ace, 4. NT (Northern Territories), 5. IR, 7. EC (European Commission), 8. Electrics, 9. Estate car, 12. More, 13. Knew, 15. Stratus, 17. cc (cubic centimetre), 18. SW, 25. Boo, 26. AMR, 27. MOI (Moment of Inertia), 29. TP, 30. NL, 31. OA

BMW's Westminster, Central London dealership that has a dedicated 'VIP customer team' (4,4) E.g. BMW colours Polaris, Reflex, Sterling (6) …Husband: BMW Car Club Regional Officer for Cornwall (3) Internet country code top-level domain for Mauritius (1,1) Internet country code top level domain for Sweden (1,1) Tom…: British Touring Car Championship Team BMW driver 2019-2021 and winner at Brands Hatch in June 2021 (8) …Schmidt-Kiendl: Instructor at the Munich BMW Driving Experience who specialises in Safety Training for people with physical disabilities (4) Could be National Crime Agency (1,1,1) First 3 letters describing a motor vehicle transmission that does not require the driver to manually select gears (1,1,1) Ancient Incan sun God, revered as the national patron of the Inca. Could also describe trying out the new BMW 128! (4 / 2,1,1) Landlocked country in Central Europe where Jaguar Land Rover has a manufacturing plant at Nitra producing the new Defender (8) …Racing: BMW-supported team that has won Pirelli GT4 America championships and has BMW M4 GT3 models for 2022 (1,1) Could be Aston Martin (1,1) The fictional artificial intelligence character in 2001: A Space Odyssey (1,1,1) Suspension components e.g. those developed by Earle MacPherson that perhaps first featured on the 1950 Ford Consul (6) BMW Car Club E9 Register Officer (4,4)

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Across Down 1. Designation used by Triumph Motor Company denoting 1. BMW’s Westminster, Central London 22. Lucas mechanical fuel-injection models (1,1) dealership that has a dedicated ‘VIP customer 24. 2. E.g. B3, B5, B7 and B8. Technically not BMWs (8) team’ (4,4) 25. 3. Could be Recreational Vehicle (1,1) 8. E.g. BMW colours Polaris, Reflex, Sterling 4. Internet country code top-level domain for Kenya (6) 27. 28. (1,1) 9. …Husband: BMW Car Club Regional 30. 5. Could be term for a dedicated Land Rover chap! Officer for Cornwall (3) 34. (1,1,3) 11. Internet country code top-level domain for Down 6. Shortform for US East Coast State. Dealers include (1,1)used by Triumph Motor Company denoting Lucas mechanical 1.Mauritius Designation fuel-injection models (1,1) Park Avenue BMW and Princeton BMW (1,1) country code top level domain for 2.13. Internet E.g. B3, B5, B7 and B8. Technically not BMWs (8) 3. Could be Recreational Vehicle (1,1) 7. German for ice (3) Sweden (1,1) 4. Internet country code top-level domain for Kenya (1,1) 5. Could be term for a dedicated Land Rover chap! (1,1,3) 8. BMW Car Club Region of which Paul Rice is now 14. Tom…: British Touring Car Championship 6. Shortform for US East Coast State. Dealers include Park Avenue BMW Princeton BMW (1,1) Regional Officer (8) Team and BMW driver 2019-2021 and winner at 7. German for ice (3) 10. Car-care products brand started by eponymous 8.Brands BMW Car Club Region of which Paul Rice is now Regional Officer (8) Hatch in June 2021 (8) 10. Car-care products brand started by eponymous founder in California in founder in California in 1901 and since 2008 part of 3M 1901 and since 2008 part Instructor of 3M (8) 18. …Schmidt-Kiendl: at the Munich 12. An ancient Roman unit of length from which the inch was derived (5) (8) 15. & 29. Could be Long-wheelbase (1,1) BMW Driving ExperienceInjection who specialises 16. …Patton: co-starred as Tom Cruise's partner in Mission: Impossible 12. An ancient Roman unit of length from which the inch Ghost Protocol which premiered BMW i8 in 2011 (5) in Safety Training for also people withthephysical 17. What you would have after refuelling to maximum (7) was derived (5) disabilities 21. Siberian(4) City - your nearest BMW dealership is probably Eliteauto in Kemerovo. Also the most sporty of the Wimbledon Wombles! (5) 15. & 29. Could be Long-wheelbase Injection (1,1) 19. Could be National Crime Agency 23. BMW sporting designation that was first used (1,1,1) in the 1960's to denote twin carburettors (1,1) 16. …Patton: co-starred as Tom Cruise’s partner 20. First 3 letters describing a motor vehicle 26. Samantha…: Driver and co-owner of Canadian endurance racing team and 2021 24H Series championship winners. See also 25. Across (3) in Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol which also transmission thatBMW does not require theindriver to 2016 (1,1) 29. See 15. Down. X1 model option offered China since 31. Internet country code top-level domain for Thailand (1,1) premiered the BMW i8 in 2011 (5) manually select (1,1,1) 32. Internet countrygears code top-level domain for country of 21. Down (1,1) 33. Internet country code top-level domain for East Timor (1,1) 17. What you would have after refuelling to maximum (7) 22. Ancient Incan sun God, revered as the 21. Siberian City - your nearest BMW dealership is national patron of the Inca. Could also describe probably Eliteauto in Kemerovo. Also the most sporty of trying out the new BMW 128! (4 / 2,1,1) the Wimbledon Wombles! (5) 24. Landlocked country in Central Europe 23. BMW sporting designation that was first used in the where Jaguar Land Rover has a manufacturing 1960’s to denote twin carburettors (1,1) plant at Nitra producing the new Defender (8) 26. Samantha…: Driver and co-owner of Canadian 25. …Racing: BMW-supported team that has endurance racing team and 2021 24H Series won Pirelli GT4 America championships and championship winners. See also 25. Across (3) has BMW M4 GT3 models for 2022 (1,1) 29. See 15. Down. BMW X1 model option offered in 27. Could be Aston Martin (1,1) China since 2016 (1,1) 28. The fictional artificial intelligence character 31. Internet country code top-level domain for Thailand in 2001: A Space Odyssey (1,1,1) (1,1) 30. Suspension components e.g. those 32. Internet country code top-level domain for country of developed by Earle MacPherson that perhaps 21. Down (1,1) first featured on the 1950 Ford Consul (6) 33. Internet country code top-level domain for East Timor 34. BMW Car Club E9 Register Officer (4,4) (1,1) 19. 20.

8. 9. 11. 13. 14.

yourletters UBER DRIVERS REPLACED BY GOLDFISH This is not a headline from the Sun or, in fact, any newspaper but in a post truth world, who cares. Amazingly, there is a little truth behind it. Scientists from Ben Gurion University have developed a robotic vehicle which goldfish can manoeuvre by swimming close to the side of a tank fitted to its roof. The goldfish learn that they can reach a food source by altering the course of the vehicle to bring the vehicle into its vicinity. This is serious research, not a joke, and the experiment has been peer reviewed in Behavioural Brain Research. If you have nothing better to do with your time, unlikely in this post Covid world, the experiment can be viewed on YouTube. The reality of goldfish navigating our streets picking up Uber hailers is probably a long way off. It does raise the question of how a complex skill like driving and managing a car is being slowly eroded. My theory that road safety would be vastly improved if all driving tests had to be carried out in pre 1945 cars is for another day. It is sufficient for the moment to reflect on what modern cars do for us that generations of drivers have done for themselves. My fairly middle of the road BMW takes it upon itself to switch on the seat heaters if it thinks I might be cold. It asks me politely

54 BMW Car Club Magazine May 2022

if I’m tired and would like a rest. Worryingly, it no longer brings up suggested hotels, restaurants or scenic picnic areas and now displays a list of local care homes. (A mystery: Ed) If I ask it to ring my wife, it actually brings up a list of people who it thinks might be my wife. Now that cars feel free to suggest that we are bigamists, anything is possible. All of that is peripheral when compared with technology that denies us the right to wander vaguely from lane to lane as we admire the scenery at seventy miles an hour. Do we need to be dictated to by the car yanking the steering wheel away from us? Why does my car begin with a gentle reminder to fasten my seat belt and rapidly reduce itself to a state of hysteria if I ignore it? Do we need technology to switch the lights and windscreen wipers on and off depending on the weather and time of day when we are supposed to be monitoring what is happening outside ourselves? The list could go on. Goldfish, halibut and grey mullet may be the future, but may it not be time for manufacturers to abandon the race to deprive us of the simple pleasures of exercising our own skill and preferences as we drive? That would allow BMW designers time to spend making their cars beautiful again, but that is another topic for another day. (Don’t bank on it, David: Ed) David Mason www.bmwcarclubgb.uk

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ADVERTISERS’ INDEX BMW UK ...................................................................................... 2 BMW Car Club Insurance - A PLan ................................................ 3 BMW Car Club Ireland Tour ............................................................ 7 Classicline Insurance/Car Storage .................................................. 9 Adrian Flux Insurance/Jaymic Classic Car Parts ........................ 17 M Style Performance & Style ........................................................ 27 Jtekautos ...................................................................................... 31 Somerfest BMW ......................................................................... 37 Machine Mart .............................................................................. 43 Footman James Insurance .......................................................... 47 Classic Silverstone ....................................................................... 48 Car Cover Shop ............................................................................. 51 Pirelli ............................................................................................ 53 Body Motorsport ............................................................................ 55 Linwar Motors, Roythorne, Autospray, Balance Motorworks ......... 56 Classic Heroes, Spit & Polish, Woods Motor Company .................. 80 Meguiars ...................................................................................... 83 BMW UK ...................................................................................... 84 56 BMW Car Club Magazine May 2022

www.bmwcarclubgb.uk

regionalnews Central & Thames Tony Skerrett Central Region sponsored by

07879 404648 central@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk

Barons Bedford *Offer must be quoted upon initial enquiry. Excludes Value Service.

I do admire the reports from some Regions, in particular the North West, which is always well scripted and presented. It’s a good yardstick to follow. A few words on the Bicester Heritage Scramble as many members have voiced concerns on the recent introduction of general parking for all. There is no display parking for Club areas with Porsche CC all but boycotting recent Scrambles. This is further complicated by the aftermath of the pandemic, which resulted in massive cancellations of pre-bought passes. So when January’s Scramble was announced, Sunday’s allotment was sold out with only Saturday available.

In the Central Region, we are slowly getting our act together with visits planned for Delapre Abbey, Coventry Transport Museum (CTM) and Waterperry House and Gardens (see itinerary below). Regarding CTM, we were due to visit in April but CTM cancelled two to three days before the day itself (3rd April). I had already spent a few days prior trying to arrange an acceptable date and then a further week spent on a revised date. Still, it all came good in the end as you can see in the events up to May and June 2022. In the Thames Region, the best news of course is that our raucous Regional Meets have now restarted at the Littlebury Hotel in Bicester following our break. Future Events 1st May – Waterperry Gardens and House, Wheatley, Oxfordshire, OX33 1JZ. Easy display area against a backdrop of a meadow, not sure if the house is open for viewing. Decent victuals available and

BARONSCC20133 = 15% off* BMW Servicing at Barons & Chandlers BMW

May 8th – Coventry Motor Transport Museum Tour Free display parking in front of the museum, for Transport Museum admission charges: www.transport-museum.com/ admission_prices.aspx However as a group we get discounted tickets for the museum, so please hold fire on tickets. Refer to email sent out by the office 23rd March. Date shown has yet to be officially confirmed by CTM.

May 11th, June 15th – Classic Car and Bike Opposite Bell Plantation Garden Centre, Watling Street, on the A5 north out of Towcester. Meet at Waitrose Towcester, Richmond Rd, Towcester, NN12 6HZ at 4.30pm and then proceed by convoy to the display site on A5 (circa 4miles). It is scheduled every second Wednesday of the month. 15th May – Delapre Abbey Tour and Visit to the Battlefield plus Afternoon tea in the Orangery. www.delapreabbey.org This event has to be booked now so please confirm your interest as the site gets busy in the spring. We should be able to display our cars in the Abbey Courtyard as last year. June – Cotswold Trip Peter Collison organising an itinerary More trips planned for June onwards Next Central Regional Meet at Aviator Hotel, Sywell – May 9th Next Thames Regional Meet at Littlebury Hotel, Bicester – May 26th 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

A warm welcome to all Central West Regional members. We hope you are all enjoying your BMs, whatever your preference from vintage to modern, we love them all. www.bmwcarclubgb.uk

www.baronsgroup.co.uk/bmw

gardens and garden store. Meet at noon. Great place to relax and meet up with old friends: www.waterperrygardens.co.uk

Central West Dave Evans Central West Region sponsored by

01234 362 400

Rybrook Wolverhampton 01902 457000 rybrookwolverhamptonbmw.co.uk

Recent Events - Brian Elliott I was contacted by the Club and asked if I would be prepared to have my Alpina D3 Bi Turbo Touring included as part of the BMBMW Car Club Magazine May 2022

regionalnews Wednesdays Virtual Event, 70 years of BMW Design, an evening with Frank Stephenson based at Cotswold Cheltenham BMW, which I agreed. The car was cleaned and the weather was a dry sunny drive down the M5 to Cheltenham with only a little brake dust to remove on arrival, which certainly makes a change. Wednesday evening arrived and the virtual event started. It was very interesting to hear some of the background design decisions and have some explained in the metal so to speak. Again, a dry run back home the following day with little traffic. We had a bright sunny morning at Shelsley Walsh for the March Breakfast meet. The wind was still cool, which justified a bacon buttie. The weather certainly brought some fabulous machinery out, a gorgeous E30 M3, XK 140, Bentley Type R, E Type, original Range Rover. Then there was the modern exotica, including Maserati, McLaren and Aston Martin. A great morning was had by some of our members.

Future events There will be plenty of events for this year, here are a few of the provisional dates planned so far. 29th May - Bromyard Festival of Speed Unfortunately, we have not received any interest in this event and the booking is now closed so we will not be having a club stand. 5th June - BMs on the Lawn, Weston-Super-Mare This is a longstanding yearly gathering organised and run by the Western Region on the seafront. See magazine or website for further details. 12th June - BMW Show, Santa Pod Anyone interested please email us. 7th August - BMW Sommerfest, Donington Park Circuit Our National Show for this summer – See Magazine or website for booking details

The first track day of the year was held a Trac Môn, Anglesey the last weekend in March. It was good to see several of our regional members, who had made the long journey to either partake or spectate on what was a beautiful sunny dry spring day. Dean, with his E36, had a great day, even if he did have a few hiccups. Unfortunately, Dave managed to break Rhubarb, his 2000 Neue Klasse, but not until the latter part of the day.

26th to 28th August – The Classic, Silverstone Another chance to attend this action packed popular event. As in previous year’s there will be a club stand. See magazine or website for further details We do, as a Region, attend many local events that are planned at short notice. If you’re interested in joining us please let us know and we can add you to our WhatsApp group where you can keep up to date with what’s going on locally. Make sure you visit www.bmwcarclubgb.uk for up to date event information. Monthly Pub Meet We gather at around 7.30pm on the second Tuesday of every month at The Three Horseshoes, Alveley, Nr Bridgnorth, Shropshire, WV15 6NB. Everyone is welcome, just turn up and join in. Friends and family are always welcome, too. Don’t forget we have Regional Facebook and Instagram pages to enable us all to stay in touch and up to date with events. Best wishes Central West Team

Cheshire & Staffs Steve Cooper Cheshire & Staffs Region sponsored by

Blue Bell

cheshireandstaffs@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk

Knights

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

Cotswold Martyn Goodwin Cotswold Region sponsored by

Cotswold Motor Group www.cotswoldgroup.com Corinthian Way, Cheltenham, GL51 6UP Roman Road, Hereford, HR1 1LN

Cheltenham BMW Cheltenham MINI Cheltenham Motorrad Cheltenham Parts Cheltenham Service Hereford

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

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

The Cotswold Region news has been sparse of late as, other than our regular monthly pub meeting, there hasn’t been anything that could be considered noteworthy to report. Unfortunately, I was forced to miss our March meeting, given that I was otherwise engaged (very physically) in the BMW Car Club BM-Wednesday Virtual Event on 9th March, hosted for the evening by our very good friends at Cotswold BMW, Cheltenham

58 BMW Car Club Magazine May 2022

Blue Bell Fourth Avenue, Weston Road, Crewe Cheshire. CW1 6XH. Tel:01270 212525

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

as you will have seen in the April edition of Straight Six. It had been hoped that we could have had a small audience of Region Members at the event, however sadly it was concluded that to do so potentially would have hampered the movements of the roving interview between Frank Stephenson, Will Beaumont and the camera crew / microphone bearer. Little did I know! I was prepared to present an introduction www.bmwcarclubgb.uk

regionalnews to the event and some closing remarks and thanks, so I was already slightly nervous about going into the event. However, upon arrival on site about two hours before we were going live, I was greeted by Will Beaumont and Chaydon Ford with what I took to be a question, but then rapidly reprocessed this to realise that it was in fact a statement, ‘You are OK being the camera-man and the microphone bearer for tonight aren’t you?’ After a quick briefing on the practicalities of the role and some quick tests, I thought that I was ready for the task. What I had not even begin to appreciate was that I was going to spend 90 minutes with both arms bent at the elbow with forearms in a vertical hold, with the gimbal mounted camera in my left hand and the microphone in my right, tracking the interview around the showroom, trying to keep on point with the conversation and the key design cues of each car as Frank was describing them. I was definitely not prepared for just what was going to be required to maintain that posture or how I would feel afterwards. As the event concluded and I was able to relax my arms once more, I was unable to prevent myself physically shaking and I was left feeling both physically and emotionally drained and barely capable of driving myself back home. It certainly made me appreciate the folks that present on TV and are involved in capturing these events in real time. I admire their skill and professionalism in a completely different light. Sadly, the plan to capture and record the entire event was thwarted by a technical gremlin, but for those that watched and contributed in real time, by all accounts, it was greatly enjoyed and has subsequently received many glowing compliments. A special thank you goes out to all at Cotswold Motor Group for sponsoring and hosting the event, they are all so supportive of our club and as announced at the conclusion of the event, we are now working to roll out BMW Car Club GB: BMW Genuine Parts on-line scheme for all club members irrespective of location, supported by Cotswold BMW. BMW Sommerfest is now in full throttle mode in the planning and organisational aspects for what we sincerely hope will be the first of many such annual events to incorporate the dynamic aspects of track action alongside the static spectacle of our enhanced car show. We are looking for volunteers for marshalling duties on the day and we will also need one member’s car to display the new Region Flag in the Region Flag presentation as this will be done differently from all previous years. Please let me know ASAP on either of these roles at the event.

Cumbria James France

Finally, as this is the first news since January, we are pleased to welcome new members to Cotswold Region: Nick Fell David Beal Matt Carmichael Darren Ball Matthew Bennett As always, we are happy to welcome members new and old to The Swan at Coombe Hill, @7.30pm on the second Wednesday of every month per the following diary dates. Diary Dates 11th May – Cotswold Region Monthly Meeting 8th June – Cotswold Region Monthly Meeting 23rd – 26th June – Goodwood Festival of Speed. 50 Years of M (details to be advised) 13th July – Cotswold Region Monthly Meeting 7th August – BMW Sommerfest, Donington Park (volunteers required for marshalling and Regional Flag display) 10th August – Cotswold Region Monthly Meeting 26th – 28th August – The Classic, Silverstone 14th September – Cotswold Region Monthly Meeting (Region AGM) 14th October – Cotswold Region Monthly Meeting 9th November – Cotswold Region Monthly Meeting 11th - 13th November – Classic Car Show NEC, Birmingham 14th December – Cotswold Region Monthly Meeting (Christmas meal)

cumbria@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk

Hello to all Cumbria Region members. By the time this has hit your doormat we will have had our first get together at Cocklakes, just off the A66 between Keswick and Penrith on Sunday morning April 3rd. I am writing this article on 31st March, a couple of days before the meet, and the weather is looking dry but quite cool, so we’re not expecting a big turnout. But it’s a start. Hopefully the weather will start to turn, and we can get out and do some car stuff. We have a few dates for local shows already: Holker Hall Classic 17th July and Dalemain 12th August. There will also be Hutton in the Forest and possibly Hayescastle, which is in the west of the county local to me and has not run for a couple of years due to Covid. I have applied for spaces for club attendance at Netherby Hall, Longtown, Carlisle for Saturday 6th August, which is the Sports and Performance car day. This is with a view to doing a club display. I am awaiting confirmation from Netherby Hall for acceptance, this is one worth going to.

www.bmwcarclubgb.uk

BMW Car Club Magazine May 2022

regionalnews On a personal note, the E60 535 is starting to take shape. I have had the wheels refurbished (19” Spider) back to silver from anthracite, new OEM wheel badges, new rear brake calliper due to it being seized, brake disc hubs cleaned and painted silver, full service and the engine bay cleaned. Most of the car has been machine polished and received a coating of DODO Juice Purple Haze soft wax, which has brought the paint alive along. The transformation has also included some more interior cleaning. gearbox in my hair a full swear from box, the too.boot hinge I haveoil repaired the along brokenwith wiring coming to catchthe upelectric with you, you are aanother new member please thatHope had stopped bootif opening, common issue. feel free to come along to our meets and events.

Two of the wheels had buckles in them, which is quite common on this type of wheel, so I have had the front offside squared up. Still, however, I have a shimmy from around 50 through to 70, which is spoiling the enjoyment of the car. The rear wheel with a slight buckle is next on the list, along with two rear rose bushes and wheel alignment. Be careful, stay safe and be kind. Phone 07799 620 381 or email jimfrance1@hotmail.co.uk Be careful, Regards Jim.stay safe and be kind. (It’s free!) Phone 07799 620 381 or email jimfrance1@hotmail.co.uk Regards Jim.

regionalnews

KathyJemfrey Jemfrey Devon DevonKathy

01626 330436 330436 01626 devon@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk devon@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk

Devon Region sponsored by

INDEPENDENT BMW & MINI SPECIALISTS

By time youCar readShow this month’s Straight Six we shall have Thethe Sidmouth has been cancelled, however if anyone Sunday 27th September 10am until 4.00pm. Come and go as as shows you wish to be considered please contact me as soon wishes toSouthern attend, we will be attending the visit Crash Box End of you please. attended Concours and a return to Merton Village possible. Season Car2019. ShowWe’re it is atcurrently Lady’s Mile Holiday Park, on Take care and see you all soon. Show since looking forward toDawlish, seeing our friends and members in north Devon. Dates for your 2022 Diary 07514 216660 On Thursday 31st March we saw several Champ of our members George eastanglia@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk 1st May – Merton Village Show near Barnstaple return after an absence of two years. What a joy to see new 5th June – BMs on the Lawn, Weston Super Mare Barons offers members members, visitorsRegion and returning members. www.barronsbmw.co.uk East Anglia sponsored • Generous discounts off the new BMW and MINI range 26th June – Rover P4 Classic, Blue Ball Inn, Sandygate WeBarons had 22 in total, our biggest turnout since Christmas: 01954 2019.784 500 • A minimum discount of £500 on approved used cars in stock Cambridge by Cambridge • 15% discount on parts and accessories 10% off servicing, excludes Value Line Servicing which Stansted and good : 01279 755 9069/10th July – Powderham The Garden Room was buzzing with conversations applies to cars over 4 yrs old. & Stansted humour. Look forward to our next meeting. 24th July – Torbay Old Wheels, Paignton Green The gate is wide open for a successor to myself, as I intend to car but I always felt the BMW was Donington a bit ‘sportier’ Hi everyone, 6/7th August – BMW Sommerfest, Parkand less stand down at the end of September. If you are interested, please ‘company car’. To say 2020 has been a strange and difficult year would be an 14th August – Morris Minor Club, Exmouth do not hesitate to contact me and have a conversation. I am Scouring the local magazines and papers I found an interesting understatement, but nonetheless I am delighted to say we still prepared have a shadow thisso season. 17th September Sidmouth ShowThe advert mentioned an looking E34 540i–for sale nearCar Watford. have newtomembers joining during the Club, welcome to you all, the Below please see our diary for 2022 and if you have any further 18th September – Simply BMW, Beaulieu interesting previous owner but did not give any more details. A good times will return. In the meantime as I remind you all every

East Anglia

phone call was made and a trip to Watford arranged. month, keep up to date with your respective Facebook pages The car was a beautiful Forest Green E3407514 540i 216660 with a and enjoy reading the contributions and think about sharing your George eastanglia@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk parchment leather interior and filled with ’toys’ such as a remote stories and photos with everyone as well.Champ controlled radio and a car phone, completed with a personalised We have a little glimmer of hope that we will be able to enjoy Barons offers The members number plate, A2HKJ. interior was perfect and the rear atEast leastAnglia a couple of events and/or by pub meets if the situation www.group1auto.co.uk/bmw Region sponsored • Generous discounts off the new BMW and MINI range seats looked almost new. I still remember looking at the massive allows, hence I still produce a rather small list. I am sure like • A minimum discount of £500 on approved used cars in stock Barons Cambridge Cambridge: 01954 784 500 V8 engine• 15% under the bonnet thinking to myself that while I me you all miss shows and events. Personally I have found it discount on parts and and accessories 10% off servicing, excludes Stansted: 01279 755 906 & Barons ValuetoLine Servicing which applies to cars 4 yrs old. with the could afford buy the car, if anything everover went wrong frustrating thatStansted the only reason I have forced myself to get my engine I would probably not be able to afford to repair it! The 2002 out of the garage is the fact it deserves and needs to vendor explained to me that the car had a full service history be taken out for a spin as leaving it unused does it no good STORAGE EXCEPTIONAL SOLUTIONS from new had never been serviced by a BMW main dealer! whatsoever. I miss meeting members and at events Fullystrangers insured, secure car storage, with the latest carbut careitand maintenance that the previous registered owner of the car was and don’t mind talking at length about my 2002located even inif Norfolk. the same packages Covers allItoftranspired the UK. His Royal Highness, the current King of Jordan, and that the questions keep cropping up; how muchPackages is it worth, are startand from £35you + vat. Special Offer £5 off all package prices for BMW Car Club GB Members. www.jlfcarnest.co.uk person selling theinfo@jlfcarnest.co.uk car was his chauffeur who had bought the selling it? I also get asked if I know of any classic or interesting - +44 (0)7521 - +44 (0) the 7856952383 car from King (although he was a Prince at the time). The BMWs that are for sale, and sometimesCall theOlly answer is yes 568 so 881 Josh number plate, A2HKJ, which had been added later, stood for keep sending me details if any of you are changing your BMW Abdullah theevents 2nd, Hashemite Kingdomherewith. of Jordan. for any reason. is not a substitute advertising your Pictured is JohnItHerman, our Essex for Branch Rep, with hiscar newly List of 2022 from May onwards Please book as My 540i proved to me that large cars could be reliable, properly but sometimes word of mouth can help. acquired 118d M Sport Plus Edition. It’s fitted with 18” wheels, indicated: and apart from the fuel costs she was surprisingly cheaper to heated seats with blue stitching and black door mirrors. Pleasingly, • Lt Easton / lunch Book under maintain thanManor any of breakfast my previous ‘big’meets. cars. After a on fewline years on a recent trip to Norfolk, the car achieved 64 mpg. EVENTSinat2007 www.littleeastonmanor.co.uk. Every first Sunday ownership, I began to look for a replacement and finally of the bought mymonth. B10 V8 Alpina which I still own.” • The Castle Essex Breakfast Pub Meets every second Sunday of the month.

East Anglia

• Suffolk Pub Meet - The White Horse every third Thursday evening of the month thereafter. Please let David Adams know if you would like to attend especially if you want to book a meal. It would be fascinating if you would send me a few lines and photos of your BMW so that I can share these with other members. I am delighted to be able to share the following thanks to Carl Pereira, so don’t be shy, please send your stories and pictures. “After many years of owning small cars I was ‘persuaded’ by Angela, my wife, to buy a bigger, four door car. After a succession of Renault 25s we moved from France to Italy and 60 BMW Car Club Magazine May 2022 owned a couple of Alfa Romeo 164s. With each ‘upgrade’ the engines got bigger and/or the number of cylinders increased or

•

Cambs/Beds Pub Meets have also re-commenced.

• West Norfolk/South Lincs & Peterborough Pub Meet. First Thursday of each month from 6:30 onwards, The Farmers Arms, South Wooton, Kings Lynn. PE30 3HQ Kim Wheeler Forthcoming events 07736 884002 zen166913@zen.co.uk. Sunday 6th September - Classics by the Lake. CANCELLED Sunday 6th September – Classics at Glemham. Sunday 13th September – Kings Lynn Heritage Open Day and www.bmwcarclubgb.uk Classic Car Show in Market Square. Book direct west-norfolk. gov.uk/classiccarday.

regionalnews • Battlesbridge Breakfast Club third Sundays of the month. Provisional so sign up to double check all Battlesbridge events at www.battlesbridge.com.

• June 26th – Ludham Open Gardens & Performance Car Show www.fb.me/e/1Ga2D8p6d please advise Richard Howard when you have booked.

•

• July 3rd – Wings and Wheels, Norwich Aviation Museum. Co ntact Richard Howard to add your name to the reserve list.

May 8th – Battlesbridge Autojumble. Double Check.

• May 22nd – Jaguar Car Club invites BMWCC to join them at Rickinghall. Book via David Adams Suffolk Rep please. • May 22nd – Museum of Power Autojumble info@ haddonevents.co.uk • May 29th – Petersfield Village, Halstead, CO9 1PU. For CLASSIC CARS pre-1990 or thereabouts, plus shops containing antiques, collectables and more including a children’s classic car show booking via Gavin but strictly after 6pm please; 07745 121161. • August 28th – Petersfield Village, Halstead, CO9 1PU. For sports cars of all types and can include GTS etc. Contact Gavin after 6pm. • June 4th – Lodge Coaches, High Easter. Car and Autojumble, just turn up. • June 5th – Bardwell Village, Suffolk. Book yourself direct from 1st February on a first come first served basis at info@ carsonthegreen.org.uk. • June 5th – Sandringham Pageant BMWCC stand. Book via Kim Wheeler 07736 884002 or zen166913@zen.co.uk more info. via www.sandringhammotoringpageant.co.uk/clubs. • June 11th-12th – Aldham Old Time Rally www.aldhamrally. co.uk. • June 19th – Peter Best Insurance Car Show, Braxted Park, Witham. Father’s Day. Book direct at Peter Best website www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/classics-at-braxted-parktickets-239946455307 • June 26th – The Lawns, Rochford, SS4 1PJ. Book direct at www.classicmotorevents.com

Eastern Paul Rice Breakfast meet at the Happy Café and a drive to Hemswell We had a great turnout, with more than 30 cars making a wonderful display at our reserved parking area within the grounds of Sandtoft Aero Club. The Happy Café, situated on the site, is becoming a regular meet point for several car clubs. After our visit, we can really see why. Even with its excellent location, and its high volume of light aircraft providing some interest, the focus for most was the excellent early morning food, really good coffees and teas on offer. The usual two hours of banter, in and out of the comforts of the café, was followed by some Sunday morning sunshine. The good weather provided opportunities for a pleasant hour or so admiring all the cars on display and chatting to fellow owners. As an addition to the breakfast meet, we had planned a pleasant country drive through Lincolnshire to finish at Hemswell Antiques. This lasted about four miles before we met the road closed sign blocking off the village of Epworth. Thankfully, us BMW drivers have a knack of finding alternative routes that are equally pleasing, so I believe everyone made it to the end destination. It was great that so many joined us at the antique centre. It’s just a shame we couldn’t all park together for a second display of the day. Thank you to the car club members and our guests from Yorkshire Z4 and zroadster that joined us for the day making it such a successful event.

www.bmwcarclubgb.uk

• July 10th – Culford School, Bury St Edmunds, BMWCC Stand. Book via David Adams please. •

July 10th – Cressing Temple Essex Car Show.

• July 10th – Orsett Classic & Vintage Show. See Haddon Events. • August 7th – BMW Sommerfest, Donington Park Circuit. The BMW Car Club’s national event. www.bmwcarclubgb.uk/ sommerfest22/ for more information. • August 7th – Helmingham Hall, Suffolk. Book via David again please. • August 20th – Mersea Island Lions Club Summer Show. Book directly via their website please. First time held since 2018. • August 21st – Stonham Barns, Suffolk. Pre-2000 vehicles only book via www.stonhambarns.co.uk. Individual Entry Form FREE or pay £10 on the gate on the day. • August 29th – Lodge Coaches Bus and Car Show. Just turn up. • August 28th – Little Grandsden Air Show, Cambs. Details to follow. • September 4th – Glemham Hall, Suffolk. Book via David Adams. • September 11th – Kings Lynn Classic and Heritage Open Day, regularly check www.west-norfolk.gov.uk for booking information. • September 11th – Barleylands Classic Motor Show info at Haddon Events. eastern@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk

Events 2022 Doncaster Show 2022. Good news. My local show is back. New venue, new day and a new month. The show will be held on Saturday the 9th July at the Eco Power Stadium, the home of Doncaster Rovers F.C. The event will feature the usual vast array of classic and modern cars, bikes and commercial vehicles along with trade stalls, entertainment and an awards area. Further details can be found on the Eastern region calendar at the BMWCC web site or at www.doncasterclassiccarshow.org Please let me know if attending: eastern@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk

BMW Car Club Magazine May 2022

regionalnews Coming soon May Monday 2nd – Thoresby Hall Classic Car Show Saturday 7th – Breakfast meet at York Marina, Naburn. Sunday 8th – Newby Hall Sports Cars in the Park June Saturday 4th – Breakfast meet Milford Garden Centre, Sherburn Friday 17th – Car meet Sturgate straight, Sturgate airfield Tuesday 21st – Eckington Classic, Reneshaw Hall Thursday 30th – Track day, Cadwell Park Not forgetting our regular pub meets, details at the rear of Straight Six. New pub meet We had our first club visit to the Aire and Calder, Goole. Thanks to Nick Wright for organising and providing the entertainment with the domino card It did seem, at times, that it would have been easier to explain the offside rule than how the card worked. We got there in the end, though, with some very happy winners and their prizes, kindly sponsored by West View Garage, Selby.

Car of the Month 2002 Fifty years old this year and I still remember the excitement of a brand new BMW for the very first time in the family. It was supplied by Sandal BMW on Barnsley Road, Wakefield, which was right next door to the school I went to. I knew the car was coming for a week or so beforehand, and I actually saw it being unloaded off the truck. It was very easy to spot being the only white car in amongst all those vivid metallic coloured BMWs of the early 70s. Half a century has passed since my first ride in her and she’s hitting the road again this year. Funny how a car can become a family heirloom. I was 11 when it was delivered from Sandal Wakefield in December 1972. It’s been all around the family when we needed a car, but it came back to stay in 1995. Our Helen and Tommy are the current custodians. This four wheel member of the Wright family has a very important task. Little Amy, as she is affectionately called, will be taking Helen to the church on time… well traditionally a little late for Tommy and Helen’s wedding in June.

Thanks to Nick for the great write up and to Tommy for the stunning image.

London Anthony Mason London Region sponsored by

london@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk

BMW PARK LANE

Barons Watford 01923 700 217 and Barons Borehamwood 02089 512 600 www.baronsgroup.co.uk/bmw

SYTNER MAIDENHEAD

BMW Park Lane, 70 Park Lane London. W1K 7TT www.bmwparklane.com mail@bmwparklane.co.uk 020 7514 3559 BARONSCC20133 = 15% off* BMW Servicing at Barons & Chandlers BMW *Offer must be quoted upon initial enquiry. Excludes Value Service.

Up to 50% Discount to members on Parts and Accessories Email: parts.bmw.maidenhead@sytner.co.uk or call on 01628 918 405 Search: Sytner Maidenhead Parts

North East Nick Thomas

northeast@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk

Summer is on the way, it’s time to get the garage queens out and fix things ready for the sun. Whilst you are cleaning your car, please seriously consider entering the National Concours at Sommerfest in August, it would be good for us to try to win the Region Award. Recent Events Treasure Hunts are becoming a regular feature of our calendar. Even though we introduced them as a lockdown measurement they are proving to be popular. At our most recent one, Bridge Over the River Wear organised by Simon Maskell, I ended up being late to the lunch stop as I had too much fun exploring all the bridges on the route.

62 BMW Car Club Magazine May 2022

www.bmwcarclubgb.uk

regionalnews Forthcoming Events We are attending Sports Cars in the Park again this year on Sunday 8th May. The show will be held at Newby Hall and is one the larger meets in the area, attracting a fabulous range of about 1000 exotic sports cars to admire. There is also the option to visit Newby Hall itself, which has 25 acres of award winning grounds, an enchanting woodland walk and a miniature railway. Younger visitors will also enjoy the exciting adventure gardens. There will also be a number of related stalls and catering on the day. Display cars can arrive from 8:15 until 12:00. Tickets for a driver and displaying car (£7.50) are available from the SCITP website, with each extra occupant costing an additional £7.50. Display tickets are only sold in advance. To get your tickets go to www.sportscarsinthepark.co.uk, login and then click on Tickets. Remember to select BMW Car Club GB as part of the process, or you may end up parked amongst Audis and Volkswagens. On Sunday 26th June, Greg Frost will be hosting us at his Business Centre for Dent Day. We have arranged for the Dent Doctor to be onsite to straighten out bumps and dents. It will be approximately £35 per panel, depending on the damage. We are also organising catering for the day, £8 per person. It will be a nice relaxed time chatting, eating and looking at cars. Please let Mike Milbourne know that you will be attending if you want a dent sorting on the day: mikemilbourne@icloud.com. Sommerfest is confirmed for Sunday 7th August at Donington Park Circuit, with the National Concours on the Saturday. Greg Frost will represent the region as our flag bearer for the planned display of all the region flags. I look forward to seeing you all there at the premier event in the club calendar. We have just had the news that after the cancellation of the Great North Classic Car Show at the Aston Workshop, Black Horse Beamish for the last two years, it will be returning this year on Sunday 11th September. We plan to have a club stand again for twenty cars, please contact me if you would like to display your classic at this great event.

•

07 Aug – Sommerfest at Donington Park Circuit

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Sunday 14 Aug – Monthly Meet

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vMonday 29 Aug – Durham Car Show

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Sunday 11 Sep – Great North Classic Car Show (note – no Monthly Meet)

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Monday 12 Sep – Croft Trackday

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TBD Sep – NECPWA/Beamish Show

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Sunday 09 Oct – Monthly Meet

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Sunday 23 Oct – Kielder Picnic

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Sunday 13 Nov – Monthly Meet

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Wednesday 23 Nov – NE Region AGM

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Sunday 27 Nov – Dealer Day

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Sunday 11 Dec – Monthly Meet

•

TBD Dec – Christmas Dinner

Events are subject to last minute changes so keep an eye on the NE Region Facebook Group for the latest information. Information on some events only goes out via email, so check if the club has your correct details, either by logging into the website, or phoning the office. Car of the Month Congratulations to Mark and June Hayter on winning March Car of the Month with his Alpina Roadster. All BMWs, Alpinas and Minis are eligible to win COTM and a goodie bag is supplied by The Polishing Company. Join us at our next monthly meet to be in with a chance of winning.

Right now 2022 plans for the North East are: •

Sunday 08 May – Sports Cars in the Park (note – no Monthly Meet)

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Sunday 22 May – Holy Island

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Sunday 12 Jun – Monthly Meet

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Sunday 12-Monday 20 Jun – Autofahrt Munich

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Sunday 26 Jun – Dent Day

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Sunday 10 Jul – Monthly Meet

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Sunday 24 Jul – Test Your Eyesight Run

•

Wednesday 03 Aug – meet up with the Spanish E21/E30 club

North Wales David Allen It was good to see some of the North Wales members at the Anglesey Track Day on the 26th March. We were treated to a lovely sunny day and enjoyed the first get together for some time.

northwales@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk

Forthcoming Events Just a repeat of the show dates. Tickets can be purchased online or by phoning Classic Car Shows. Bodrhyddan Hall Sunday 15th May 2022 Sunday 24th July 2022 Sunday 18th September 2022

10am to 4pm 10am to 4pm 10am to 4pm

Caerwys Show Sunday 10th July 2022

10am to 4pm

I have arranged a club stand, but I need to know ASAP who will be attending as each vehicle has to be registered. Please email me with your name and car registration. www.bmwcarclubgb.uk

BMW Car Club Magazine May 2022

regionalnews Car of the Month I am pleased to introduce Steve Peel with his Z3. Steve purchased the Z3 two to three years ago and decided it was in need of a full restoration. Hopefully, we’ll be able to see the Z3 at some of the shows. Steve has kindly sent me a few pictures and I have selected just three to welcome his Z3 to the Region and Club.

North West Jeff Heywood News Welcome to the May edition of North West News. By the time you read this, our raid over the border to The Motorist will have taken place. Although, currently, the telephone has been very quiet with bookings. Maybe the price of petrol is putting people off going on a run and the lure of lots of shiny Aston Martin’s isn’t as strong as one would have thought. This month sees us return to the Kilton Inn for our Sunday pub meet. It would be great if we could get a really good turnout of BMWs at this one, we’ll fill the car park one day. Early June sees us return to Tatton Park after a few years away for the Classic & Performance Show on the 4th and 5th. I’m now taking bookings for each day, see below for more details. Trade Recommendations Darren Wood BMW Specialist, Bredbury, Stockport SK6 2QB. Offering BMW repair, servicing and engine tuning etc. Facebook – Darren Wood Ltd – Independent BMW Specialists. www.darrenwood.com / 0161 425 7403. Swades Car Detailing. For car detailing/valeting/alloy wheel refurb. Highly recommended. Give Darryl a call on 07415 945979. Facebook – Swades Car Detailing or visit www.swades.co.uk Independent Vehicles Ltd – BMW & Volvo specialists in Timperley, Altrincham, WA14 1TD - www.independentvehicles. co.uk - 0161 969 1551 – Facebook – Independent Vehicles Limited New NW Members – Please Read A warm welcome goes out to our new NW members this month, Sanjay Prasad, Alan Jones, Gaven Tilbee and Richard Bulless. We’d love to see you all at the events and meetings we organise. There are no cliques, we don’t bite and you will be made very welcome so why not come along and share in your passion for BMWs. Forthcoming NW Events 3rd May - Manchester BMW Meet at Sheldon Arms 3rd May 5th July 7th June 2nd August

64 BMW Car Club Magazine May 2022

07801 506632 Search for: BMW Car Club GB North West Twitter: @BMWNW northwest@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk

Don’t miss our latest Manchester BMW meet at the Sheldon Arms, Ashton under Lyne OL6 7UB. The lighter nights are here, so we expect to see plenty of BMWs in the car park. Make sure you pop in for a shandy and a natter later. The meet starts at 7.30pm, don’t miss it. 15th May – NW Natter at the Kilton Inn Don’t miss our ever popular club meet at the Kilton Inn, where the car park seems to be filling up more and more at every meet. We’ll be holding a round of the NW Prize Quiz League, kindly sponsored by Darren Wood BMW Specialists, and we’ll also be choosing a Kilton Car of the Month, with a prize kindly donated by Swades Car Detailing plus the winner will see his car featured in Straight Six. The meeting starts at 12noon, see you there.

4th and 5th June – Classic & Performance Car Show at Tatton Park We return to Tatton Park for the Classic & Performance Car Show in June with a petite club stand (by our standards) that holds 15 cars. We are looking for exceptional BMWs to grace the stand for both days; we can only take a booking for a single day per person to allow more to attend, so when you call to book please state if you would like to attend on the Saturday or Sunday. Call Jeff ASAP on 07801 506632 or northwest@ bmwcarclubgb.co.uk but I don’t pick messages up on weekends, so mobile is best. 17th July – Midsummer Meet at the Kilton Inn Our usual NW Region pub-meet at the Kilton. www.bmwcarclubgb.uk

regionalnews Sponsored by Darren Wood BMW Specialists, the second round of the NW Quiz was keenly contested, with Team S.A.D just pipping Taylors2 for their second win on the bounce. Can they be caught? It’s going to be an interesting quiz league season… The Kilton Car of the Month was deservedly won by new member Martin Broadbent’s E90 M3, a stunning motor car, see report below. Martin received a box of detailing goodies kindly donated by Swades Car Detailing Services.

25th September – NW Show & Shine at Kilton Inn The annual NW Show & Shine event and our usual NW Region pub meet at the Kilton. Event Reports NW AGM & Kilton Pub Meet - 20/3/22 The turnout for the regional AGM was a bit lightweight, with only 14 in attendance. The meeting passed without any drama and it was good to see that, as the meeting was coming to an end, the car park was starting to fill up with club members attending the pub meet. We were again full to the brim in the Kilton conservatory, so I would like to thank everyone for attending the meet.

Some of the club members’ cars who attended the March Kilton club meet www.bmwcarclubgb.uk

Kilton Car of the Month – Martin Broadbent’s E90 M3 Martin’s Alpine White III E90 M3 was the deserved winner of this month’s Kilton CotM. Built in January 2010 and registered in March 2010, the M3 was originally sold by Halliwell Jones Warrington. Martin purchased the two-owner car in December 2019 with 71k on the clock. Since then, Martin has added a further 2,800 miles. He also has access to a company vehicle. His M3 is in immaculate condition, the Palladium Silver leather trimmed interior contrasts nicely with the Alpine White paintwork, while the 19” BMW M539 competition wheels suit the car perfectly, giving it a tough stance. The sporting theme continues under the bonnet, where a Macht Schnell intake charge scoop helps to increase airflow into the S65 V8, while a Pinnacle Motorsport aluminium undertray protects the sump much better than the BMW OEM felt jobbies. It also improves airflow to the oil cooler. As far as maintenance and repairs go, Martin uses James Connor at Fixed Automotive, Stockport; the M3 has been a paragon of reliability, although James has replaced the two known weak spots on the S65 motor, the rod bearings with ACL race bearings, along with new throttle actuators, carried out as preventative maintenance. Martin loves his E90 M3, he says: ‘The build quality of the entire car is exemplary. It is the last of the naturally aspirated M3s, and the engine is a peach. Plus I love the smooth changing 6-speed manual gearbox, it‘s a proper analogue vehicle. The car pulls exceptionally well through the rev range, which is a considerably high 8400rpm for a V8 engine. It is also a smooth and comfortable car for the driver and passengers to be driven in. I have used it as a wedding car, its comfort, versatility and appearance was well received.’ Talking of appearance, Martin added, ‘I also like how the E90 M3 looks, with its bulging bonnet and wide arches, it has the stance of a touring car.’ Martin has owned both an E39 M5 and an E46 M3, so he knows his M cars, but he thinks the E90 M3 is the perfect blend of both previous cars. He finished off by saying, ‘overall, it is a winning combination of simplicity and modern technology rolled up into a fantastic package.’ I did ask Martin if he had any dislikes, and after a long pause he added, ‘fuel bills... the same as most BMW owners.’

Club member Martin Broadbent (L) with his E90 M3 which deservedly won the Kilton Car of the Month award, receives a box of detailing goodies from NW committee member Andy Messina BMW Car Club Magazine May 2022

regionalnews

Scottish Paul Rice

scotland@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk

It’s May already, show season is upon us. Time to get the polish, wax and tyre dressing out. We have a number of shows lined up over the next few months. •

8th May – Bridge of Allan Classic Car Show

• 25th June – Moffat Classic Car Show and German Invasion 1 at Crail Raceway •

10th July – Glamis Extravaganza

Even if you don’t have a space for displaying your car, you can still pop along and say hello. We look forward to seeing you. Keep an eye on the forum and Facebook pages for details. February Meet Falkirk was the venue for this month. We met in the Three Bridges car park at the Falkirk Wheel. We had a fantastic turn out with 13 cars. The weather was not on our side, with rain and hail spoiling the day, so we decided to head for Stirling services for a warm coffee and shelter. A short blast up the M876 and M9 took us to Stirling, where we all enjoyed a catch up and refreshments. It was a great turn out for the second meet of the year. Attendees were an E30 325i touring, X4 M40i, M140i, Z4, F15 X5 and Rob making the trip from Aberdeen in his M340i Touring. March Meet March took us to Newhouse and the Greenside Garden Centre, where Colin Dick had arranged a breakfast meet followed by a brilliant drive. We had another great turn out, with 13 cars and 15 people for food. The weather was fantastic, with blue skies and sunshine all day. Seven cars enjoyed a drive around Lanarkshire. Leaving Newhouse, we headed through Newmains, Carluke, Carnwath, then taking a right at the A702 and heading back towards Biggar. Then we headed right for Lanark and finished at Chatelherault Country Park for a coffee and catch up. It was a fantastic route with great scenery. The attendees were a E30 M3 Sport Evo, E36 B3 Alpina, F80 M3, E92 M3, Z4, E36 323i and more. April Meet Arranged by myself, we met up at the Woollen Mill car park, Moffat, for a breakfast meet and a drive around Dumfries and Galloway. Before even reaching the start point of the meet, a

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couple of us from the east had to travel one of my personal favourite routes, the A701 from Leadburn to Moffat, the Beeftub road. If you have not driven it before, add it to your to do list, it’s fantastic. Once at Moffat, we almost had the car park to ourselves. Seven cars turned out for this meet, an E86 Z4 M Coupe, E30 318iS, Z3 1.9, E46 M3 CS, F30 330d, F15 X5 30d and G06 X6 30d. There were ten of us enjoying breakfast and the drive, including new members Tommy and Julie. Derek Hutchison also popped in with his stunning Alpine White E61 M5. Lovely. For the drive, we headed down the A701 to Dumfries, around the A75 then taking the A76. We then turned right along the B729 through Dunscore, then back to the A76 at Thornhill. Travelling north until Menock, we turned right onto the Mennock Pass and headed through the Leadhills before finishing at Abington Services for a coffee and a catch up. It was great to see Gary’s E30 318iS out for the run as well. Our next monthly meet is 1st May for an early morning run to Whitby for breakfast. Keep an eye on the forum and Facebook for more details. southeast@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk

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South Wales Jonathan Bamford Welcome to our South Wales Region news. Firstly, I’d like to welcome all new members to our region. Our monthly meets are currently held at the Twelve Knights Pub in Margam on the third Wednesday of the month. If you haven’t been to one of our meetings before, then come along. It is a great opportunity to meet other members and your passion for cars. Please ensure the club has your correct email address so that you don’t miss out on any future announcements. This year we will be holding several events to raise money for Maggie’s. They are a charity providing free cancer support and information in centres across the UK and online. They have support specialists, psychologists, and benefits advisors if you or someone you care about has cancer. They are there for people

66 BMW Car Club Magazine May 2022

southwales@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk

to share experiences with others in a similar situation around the kitchen table in a centre or in one of their support groups. To find out more, visit their web site at www.maggies.org. We had our first event in early April, where we took a trip down to Cheddar Gorge. Thank you to Phil for organising the route, Peter for the goodie bags and the members who attended and gave generously for our chosen charity. It was a great day and my first ever visit to the area. I will include some photos in next month’s issue. April was also the month for our visit to the Performance German Day at Castle Combe. To try something a little different from the Action Days attended in previous years, this was a first. With plenty of track action on tap along with the finest of www.bmwcarclubgb.uk

regionalnews German metal on show, a great day was had by all. A more comprehensive review of this show will follow in a later issue. Once again, thank you to all the members who attended and for all your donations to Maggie’s. With the season officially up and running, please note a list of upcoming shows for this year. As a region, we are actively looking for events and shows to attend, so if you hear of anything that has not previously been mentioned, then do get in touch. South Wales Car Festival – Chepstow Racecourse, Sunday 15th May BMs on the Lawn – Sunday 5th June BMW Show – Santa Pod, Sunday 12th June Classic & Supercar Show – Sherborne Castle, 16th & 17th July

Wessex Julian Pickering

Snows BMW snows.co.uk/bmw

BMW Sommerfest 2022 – Donington Park Circuit, Sunday 7th August The Classic – Silverstone, 26th – 28th August In addition to the above, we will continue to have our cars and coffee meet at Unit 7 in Llanelli most Sunday mornings. It’s a couple of hours out of the house and a great opportunity to meet up and stay in touch between monthly meets. If you are not involved in our WhatsApp groups, then please contact me to be added. It is here that last minute runs and meetings may be arranged. I’ve included a few pics from various meetings over the last couple of weeks for you to see and hopefully you’d like to join in on our next run out. Until next month, as always, stay safe and hopefully see you soon.

wessex@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk

Our parts department is open 7 days a week. Portsmouth: Eastern Road, Portsmouth, PO3 5FF 02392 657500 Isle of Wight: Forest Road, Newport, PO30 5QJ 01983 522555

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As I write this report at the beginning of April, we are looking forward to the start of our summer programme in the Wessex Region. The first major event is the Southern Concours at Sherborne Castle on 24th April. In eager anticipation, I took my E46 M3 off its winter SORN on 1st April but with hindsight I am not sure that the delay was a wise financial decision. I checked the cost of road tax for the car in the last week of March and it was £305 but by 1st April this had risen to a hefty £360. I guess this is yet another warning that, for many, our BMW enthusiasm is going to cost a great deal more in 2022. I would like to introduce some of the key events in our summer programme. Through the hard work of our management team and working group, we have organised a series of events that encompass driving, socialising, visiting interesting places and participating in car shows. Hopefully there’ll be something for everyone. A detailed list is shown below. We have also included a few special events that will enable us to celebrate the Club’s 70th anniversary. The first of these is Ray’s Day, which is a drive to Swanage and a round-trip on the steam railway, including a fish and chip lunch, to celebrate the sad passing of our respected member and friend Ray Powell. In June we will replace the Bournemouth club night with a repeat of a www.bmwcarclubgb.uk

BMW Car Club Magazine May 2022

regionalnews BBQ at Bucklers Hard Marina on the Beaulieu River as it was so successful last year. Everyone enjoyed this event last year as the venue is very scenic. We hope to top it this year with a sunny evening, as sunsets over the river can be spectacular. In early September we are holding the Wessex Weekend Tour, which is a new venture for our Region, and will include visits to the Claverton Pumping Station, Cheddar Gorge, Wookey Hole Caves and the Helicopter Museum in Weston-Super-Mare. The tour includes an overnight stay at The Royal Hotel on the seafront at Weston-Super-Mare and we have extended an invitation to Western Region members either to join us for the complete tour or otherwise just for the social dinner at the hotel on the Saturday evening. Finally, there will be a 70th Anniversary party sometime during the summer, where we hope to bring together as many members as possible from the widely-spaced areas of Wessex Region. I am grateful to Tim Maltby for providing the following account of a recent visit to Auto Barn breakfast club: “With fine weather towards the end of March, there was an air of anticipation amongst the local car fraternity of how busy the first Auto Barn breakfast club would be. With gates opening at 08.00, I was taking no chances and set off in good time, hoping for a spot in the field. How wrong I was, as cresting the hill down to the entrance I joined the lengthy queue. At least I had a bird’s eye view of the traffic chaos unfurling at the staggered crossroads on the A30. After 10 minutes of creeping forward, I took to the wide grassy verge and parked next to an American Station wagon. We had started a trend. Simon Alcorn, a few minutes ahead of me in his B3s Biturbo Alpina, had just about grabbed the last spot in the field. It transpired that people had started queuing by 07.10 and because of the cars backing up onto the main road, the organisers had no choice but to open the gates early.

Western Nigel Smith Hi everyone, I hope we are all keeping well and welcome to any new members. As I write this we are only a short time away from Southern Concours, we will follow up with a full report and pictures soon. Our Somerset and Dorset drive is on the 15th May with a meet at 8.30am to start the drive from 9am. More details on the events list. We are also knocking on the door of BMs on the Lawn at Weston Super Mare beach lawns, hopefully we will see a large attendance at this event as well and don’t forget this year is in the memory of Robert Scanlan who used to organise this event.

Keep cleaning those cars and we will see you soon. If anyone has an article that they would like put into the magazine please let me know and we can see if we can get it put in for you. If it’s just a small one with a couple of pictures we can put it into the Regional news.

68 BMW Car Club Magazine May 2022

It was lovely to see such a vast number and eclectic range of vehicles. And it was great to meet up with old friends, including several from our Region. Looking at an aerial image of the event, I reckoned that there were 300 or so cars parked wherever they could. One abiding image was that of a red Ferrari Dino slung somewhat haphazardly across a verge. Who says £750k Dinos are all just garage queens.” Forthcoming events For details of all events, please see the club website. Notifications are sent out through our WhatsApp group and Facebook pages. May • Ray’s Day – Swanage Steam Railway, 22nd May. A celebration event in the name of our sadly departed member and friend Ray Powell. The event will include a fish and chips meal and maybe even a beer. June • Beaulieu River BBQ – Bucklers Hard Marina, 1st June. • Thruxton Historic – Thruxton Circuit, 11th-12th June. Wessex hosted BMWCC stand. Organiser Tim Maltby. July • Classics at the Castle – Sherborne, 17th July. Details to follow. August • BMW Sommerfest – Donington Park Circuit, 7th August. Some Wessex members will be camping overnight near to the circuit. Details to follow. September • Wessex Weekend Tour – Weston-Super-Mare and vicinity, 3rd–4th September. Includes overnight stay and dinner at The Royal Hotel, Weston-Super-Mare seafront.

western@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk

2022 Show dates for your diary 15th May – Sunday Drive Somerset and Dorset start 8.30am from Ham Hill, long view car park, Stoke sub Hamdon, TA14 6RW 5th June – BMs on the Lawn, Weston super Mare sea front lawns, Show & Shine event. This event will also be in memory of our previous organiser Rob Scanlan. Please contact scottwalters@hotmail.co.uk Pub meet at The Woolpack, Weston Super Mare 7.30pm 4th May 7th September 8th June 5th October 6th July 2nd November (AGM) 3rd August 9th & 10th July – We will also be sharing a stand with the Devon Region at Powderham Castle, classic vehicle gathering, numbers limited, please show your interest if you would like a place on the club stand, either or both days. 7th August – BMW Sommerfest, the BMW Car Club’s national event at Donington Park circuit. Visit www.bmwcarclubgb.uk/sommerfest22 for more information. 4th September – Sunday Drive TBC 18th September – Simply BMW, Beaulieu Motor Museum December TBA – Christmas meal Please keep an eye out for any further events listed or any updates. We look forward to seeing you at our events and hopefully have a record attendance.

www.bmwcarclubgb.uk

registernews 02 Richard Stern Prices of 02s seem to be creeping up globally, still. Mint examples constantly break new records, too. North America and Germany are the leaders, while the rest of the world follows slightly lower. But with parts even harder to source from abroad and increased transport cost, values do need to increase or owners will be pouring money down the drain to maintain and restore cars, as many of us have in the past. With more and more new cars being automatic-only now and many becoming purely electric, driving a little lightweight petrolengined manual coupé may well become a thing of the past. We also need to encourage younger generations to get involved with classic cars, or the interest will not only decline but they’ll be missing out on one of life’s great experiences. We don’t all want to drive around in boring Teslas. Which leads me on nicely to the next feature. Bavarian Econs will now build you a custom electric 02 from Munich. Details are vague on its site (www.bavarianecons.com) and its leaflet, but a claimed 400V high voltage system has been carefully configured and tuned to fit in an 02 bodyshell and still meet the highest German industrial and quality standards. The strict German TÜV was involved from the beginning of the process and the prototype car has undergone thousands of KMs of extreme testing. Bavarian Econs’ tests include Fast Charging up to 50kw/h, high speed and long distance runs on the Autobahn and on the epic roads around the Alps at various temperatures and climate conditions. Models include a 120kW or 180kW power version. I am guessing the running gear comes from a Tesla. Get in touch if you’re serious and have a big bank balance. I’ll be curious to see how they handle compared to a petrol 02, it isn’t all about acceleration. Peeks in California now sell adjustable control arms for BMW

07770 443373 02register@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk

2002s. The front arms add camber and caster adjustability, plus the ability to tailor your driving experience with front end geometry. By replacing the non-adjustable, compliant stock front linkages you can tune the front end to achieve exactly symmetrical suspension settings on both sides, remove unwanted vagueness during articulation and strengthen the linkage connecting chassis to wheel. The camber range is from -1.3 to -3.5, while the caster range is from 0 (too little) to wheel/ fender contact (too much). www.peeks.ltd

ULEZ latest Tens of thousands of drivers of modern and modern-classic cars face increased costs to drive in London, as Khan, mayor of the capital, is planning to expand the city’s Ultra Low Emissions Zone out across the suburbs and almost as far as the M25. From 2023, owners of petrol cars which fail to meet Euro 4 emissions regulations, diesels which don’t match Euro 6 and two-wheelers that can’t pass Euro 3 tests, will face a daily charge of £12.50 for driving anywhere within London. To beat the new charge, some of London’s modern classic drivers are already switching to older vehicles. Cars and bikes aged 40 or older can be granted historic status, making them exempt from the charge. You’ll be pleased to learn then that the E46 BMW M3 meets Euro 4 emissions standards and is therefore ULEZ exempt. And for those of you that don’t live in London, other major cities are highly likely to follow the capital’s model. Be warned. www.bmwcarclubgb.uk

BMW Car Club Magazine May 2022

registernews Big 02 events for 2022 For those lucky enough to be across the pond; 7th May www.bmw2002faq.com/calendar/event/397swap-show-2022 5th June – BMs on the Lawn. Contact the Car Club for more info. 30th June to 3rd July – The world famous Le Mans Classic 2022 www.lemansclassic.com 6th – 7th Aug – BMW Sommerfest celebrating 70 Years of the BMW Car Club and 50 Years of M Power. 26th to 28th Aug – The Classic at Silverstone. Contact the club for discounted tickets. Many more and don’t forget to pop along to your local shows and fly the 02 flag. www.bmw2002.co.uk/upcoming-events Tail Pipe Interesting Hagerty feature here; www.hagerty.co.uk/ articles/triple-test-alfa-romeo-gtv-vs-bmw-2002tii-vslancia-fulvia The world’s greatest 02 Forum www.bmw2002faq.com

2 Series Jagdeep Bhambra With my E46 330Ci being recalled by BMW for a faulty airbag in February, it gave me an opportunity to go to BMW Sytner in Romford and see their showroom. As awesome as it was, the car park was the place that caught my eye. I spotted this stunning Hockenheim Silver M2 Competition. Unfortunately I didn’t manage to speak to the lucky owner, but I did manage to take a couple of shots of it on my phone to share with you all. If the owner is reading this, I hope you don’t mind and can I have a go? That aggressive front end, M coloured side stripes and huge wheels make it a serious looking machine. Bet it’s a hoot to drive.

2series@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk

German market and my choice was between the CLA or 2GC, but I was won over by the looks and add ons of the BMW. The CLA has been the top player in the market and would have been an easy option, but deep down I wanted a BMW and the 2GC fitted perfectly. It stands out and a brand new model enticed me. The Plus Pack took the car’s looks to another level. It came with nice wheels and callipers, blacked out shadow line trim and the HK sound system. I wasn’t a fan of the previous generation’s interior, but the newer models are a big improvement with the cabin and this also convinced me. I get many compliments as to how angry the car looks and it’s not even the top spec. The front end is super aggressive. I have smoked all the chrome on the headlights, fog lights and smoked the tail lights. It has gloss black wing mirrors and rear spoiler, chameleon windscreen tint, Maxton V.3 front lip and I’ve put my private plate on it. Mainly, everything I’ve done is aesthetic. As the car is a brand new model, many have not seen it before so ask questions as to what model it is… it stands out in the crowd. I’m in love with the new design language from BMW, definitely back on top.’ He mentions his plans for the car are to add side skirts and change the rear diffuser. Other than that, he wants to keep the car fairly OEM by making some subtle changes in order to enhance the gloss black and grey look. For anyone curious about the front splitter, Maxton Design is a company based in Leeds, West Yorkshire. You can check out their products on their website, www.maxtondesign.co.uk.

I also got in touch with Kevin Kheddo via a group on Facebook called ‘BMW 2 Series Gran Coupé (F44)’. He posted a picture of his grey 218i M Sport having recently fitted a Maxton V.3 front splitter. He kindly shared a photo of the splitter and a few others of his lovely car. Kevin says, ‘My first car was a Renault Clio and I then went on to own a Ford Focus for nearly 10 years. So it was about time to get a new car and I thought there is nothing better than a BMW. It was a childhood dream to own one. I’ve owned my 2GC since Feb 2021. A year later and I still love it. I am very pleased I got it when I did, based on how the market is now. Had a three-to-four month wait from the factory. I wanted to enter the

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registernews I wanted to also give a shout out to the Keep it Clean gang. I’ve been in touch with Mike, who owns a pretty awesome Z4, who said he would get in touch with his pal, Greg who owns the M2, which is featured on the Keep it Clean Instagram account and Youtube channel. I am looking forward to hopefully connecting with Greg so he can tell us more about his M2 and what future plans he may have for it. Shout out to Offset Autohaus, where most of the work was carried out. In the meantime, I’ve taken a few photos from their Instagram account to share with you all. Give them a follow @keepitclean and check out their content.

3 Series E36 Michal Michalski It’s May. The weather is good (hopefully I didn’t just jinx it) and I am listening to some tunes in my car. Up to this point, listening to music in my car was actually a bit of an embarrassment. I have the top Harman Kardon sound system installed, but the quality was rubbish. Even with my professional radio. I knew it was a problem for a while and I knew what was wrong with it, but I was ignoring it as it wasn’t really my domain. This spring I decided to tackle the broken speaker membranes/foams/diaphragms, they have many names.

The E36 Harman Kardon setup consists of 10 speakers and an amplifier. Six at the front and two at the back. The speakers that give the most trouble are mid-range ones. I was very surprised how hard they were when I separated them from the casing. The membrane was crumbling off the speaker as soon as you touched it, so no wonder the sound quality was disappointing. Initially I was going to send them off for repair to a service, but after ringing a few places they just told me to buy new membranes and glue them in. It took a while to find suitable membranes, but basically for E36 (and E46) you are looking for 2.5” membranes and if you search eBay for ‘2.5 inch speaker surround foam edge’ you will eventually find someone shipping it from China. This is where I got mine from, they took ages but they were correct. You will need four, but I would advise to get a couple spare in case www.bmwcarclubgb.uk

e36register@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk

things go wrong. A tube of T7000 black speaker super glue will also be required. Once everything is in, I started by stripping off the old membrane from all four speakers. You need to clean the metal casing and get rid of the excess membrane from the speaker cone. This one fortunately just peels off. All can be done with a Stanley knife blade with ease.

Glueing the membrane is fairly easy. I started glueing the cone first. The glue has plenty of grip and it doesn’t dry out instantly so there is plenty of time to get it positioned perfectly. After all speakers were done, I left them in the house overnight to dry out properly. Then it was just a matter of refitting them back in the car. I can’t describe what a difference this simple procedure has made to the sound quality. If you want more details, please reach out on the e36register@ bmwcarclubgb.co.uk and I can send you links to listings and more pictures.

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5 Series E28 Tim Maltby First off, my thanks to Andrew for responding to an earlier call to display at our E28 Register in August at Sommerfest. I look forward to meeting both him and his M5. In Zinnoberrot and dechromed (Shadowline trim), it looks absolutely stunning. And being built in July 1987, it is numbered towards the end of the #187 run brought into the UK. I will let Andrew tell you himself of the interesting backstory and provenance at Donington. ‘Exterior progress on the 535 has stalled, somewhat in part due to the wet weather, but mainly because the exhaust on the 520 gave up the ghost. What started as a gentle fluffing from under the car, within 40 miles the noise became much rortier and was accompanied by some untoward clanking from underneath. With no sign of the torrential rain letting up, I had no option but to carry on heading for home. I was impressed how good a partially silenced 2 litre sounded. ‘Luckily I had a hardly used spare system lying around, albeit a pattern one. Going through the full service history it would appear that the rear silencer was replaced in 2005 with a genuine BMW part, so I guess that’s not bad going. The new system is of a slightly smaller bore and the rear box has an ear welded to it for the rubber hangar to attach directly as opposed to the metal strap that supports the box as in OEM. ‘Like many of you without a two or four post car lift, or indeed the space to install one, I have spent many years using a combination of wheel ramps and trolley jacks. A few years ago I invested in some drive on hydraulic ramps from CJ Autos which have been great. They give a lift of at least 400mm and that’s fine for oil changes and other undercarriage work, but not so handy for taking wheels off. I have been toying with getting a lift of some sort, but with a limited height restriction and the need

5 Series E34 Manj Sandhu

e28register@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk

for portability, my options were limited. Replacing the exhaust on the 520 and the need to remove the front wheels from the 535, ahead of some welding, has concentrated my mind. I have taken the plunge and invested in a shiny new lift in the guise of BL-5000SLX from Liftmaster (Quickjack UK). Living near Alton, I was able to collect and save the cost of carriage. Luckily, the chap running the show was a BMW enthusiast and took it in his stride to help load up the 520. I am not sure who was the most surprised when we managed to squeeze the lengthy packages into the cabin and the electrohydraulic gear into the boot. He was most impressed by the size of the boot as well. With a lift height of up to 533mm I’ll let you know how I get on with it.’ As ever, please drop us a line with any thoughts and musings.

e34register@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk

Have you ever said something and then realised that you are not in a position to back up what you just said or wrote? Well, you may recall I ended the article last month with this statement: ‘I am planning a mini E34 get together for those interested at the BMW Car Club national event.’ As soon as I pressed send on the article I realised I did not have an E34 available to take. The 535i Sport is SORN due to the amount of work needed for the MOT that expired in January. The 525iX (pictured) is at the garage for repairs following the catalytic converter incident at the train station, see last month’s mag. It still has the coolant leak we thought had vanished, too. If you see the picture of the front of the car, just below the front bumper, you can see the puddle. There is also the annoying issue with the bootlid lock. It appears

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registernews to have deadlocked itself. It is not a massive problem, but I am unable to use the ample boot. Anyway, I digress... How can I attend and host the E34 register without an E34? I told my daughter and she laughed, I told my son and he laughed. Mrs S was hysterical, of course. Anyway, they can laugh all they want, I hope the overdraft and the bank manager is ready for me…. Barclays will be quaking in their boots… maybe not. Time to work some magic, or Sam to work his magic and get the cars ready for action. Starting with BigX, the nickname for 525iX. It’s about to present another big bill, not only thanks to the aforementioned incident but there are a few outstanding jobs I spoke about a few months back. September 2021, apparently, has it really been that long? Wow. The 535i Sport, which was reluctantly SORN a short while ago needs the sills welding, the ECU needs looking at, the rear diff is leaking, the headliner is sagging… blah, blah. Let’s just say another £2000, in fact let’s be conservative and go for £2500. On other developments, I went to the NEC Restoration show around the middle of March. It has only felt like a couple of months since I went to the November NEC classic car show, but time does fly by. For some reason the show was not as busy as it usually is and a lot smaller than previous years. Either way, it was nice to get out there and meet fellow enthusiasts of all car makes and models. Looking at the condition of some of the cars does make me realise mine have a long way to go. But I am comforted by the fact I am not looking to have garage queens on my hands, but more so the type of car that is being driven frequently. Mission accomplished, if they are ready for the August meet. Speaking of missions and targets, as I write this I am only a few weeks away from my (gulp!) 50th birthday and the dream of owning an E34 M5 could not be further away. Mainly because of the big bills over the past few months and those looming, as mentioned above. However, in reality, the gym build took its toll, and still is with guttering arriving this week. E34s are E34s and they need money spent on them. The E34 is well known to hit the pocket hard, but in a perverse way, that is why I like it. Not many will get into the ownership circle because of the expenses, compared to say an E30 or E36. To me, it shows the high levels of passion for the

model range and the rewards you get in return when you drive them will more than make up for it. It is only money, right? The E34 M5 will have to wait. Before the 60th, maybe. More on the big Five-Oh next month as I contemplate and reflect. Finally, I need help. John, a club member, is looking to diagnose why his car, a 540i, is in limp home mode. He wants to buy an OBD 30 pin. However, he only seems to find the 20 pin version. His local dealer does not have one either. Where can he get one from? Can anyone help?

5 Series E39 Mani Singh Hayer & Dan Bull

e34register@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk

Hi everyone, this is my first write up for the E39 Register and I am very much looking forward to co-running it with Mani from the 6 Series and E63 Register. A little bit about myself and my E39, I bought my first BMW, a 2002 525d, just over two years ago and joined the Club last year at the Silverstone Classic. I am based in Milton Keynes in the Central Region and have always been involved in car clubs, even since childhood when my parents used to run the local MG car club. Previously, I had an early Mercedes SLK I was commuting in but needed something a bit more economical and comfortable to drive. I also had an old Jaguar XJ, I loved its straight-six and comfort but not the fuel economy. I happened across the E39 on Autotrader one day, and was impressed with its performance, economy and that it had a straight-six, and I’ve always loved how they looked. I didn’t have a big budget, but I eventually found a 525d M Sport in Avus Blue Metallic with Style 66 wheels, what I imagined as the perfect look for the E39. So far, I have changed the single DIN radio that came in the car to an Xtrons Android head-unit running the iDrive launcher app and installed the I-bus interface. This gives the car some great functionality and basic coding abilities. Otherwise, I have just been keeping it going through the MOTs. The next job will be getting the track rod ends changed over, I will do a

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BMW Car Club Magazine May 2022

registernews technical write up about that in next month’s magazine. Future plans are to revive the tired bodywork, raise the suspension back up to stock and change the interior colour to black. I would very much like to encourage other E39 owners to email me with pictures and stories of their cars, technical write ups for common repairs and issues, useful and interesting modifications, and anything else you would like to see in the magazine. It would also be great to have some regular monthly events for the Register so I would love to hear your opinions on this too. By the time you read this I should have joined the online forum where I hope to discuss and organise some events. I am very much looking forward to being involved with the Club, especially with a car as iconic as the E39, and I hope to meet you all soon at future events.

8 Series Debbie Blythe Hi everyone, I hope you are all keeping well. You will see from the future events section that there is a new meeting organised for Saturday 7th May at Fairoaks Airport near Woking in Surrey. This is just an informal get together and you can just turn up on the day and meet with other BMW owners there. Hopefully, you would have received your copy of the magazine before then and read the 8 Series Register column in time to attend with us. If not, there are plenty of other events going on, see below. The only one I need names for soon is the 2nd July Cars in the Park show in Lichfield. I have reserved 15 spaces, we had 12 turn up last year, so please email me to let me know if you would like a space at this great event. Remember this is your column and there is always space for your car to be Car of the Month or if you have any technical tips or advice. A short piece on how, when and why you got your 8 Series, both E31 and G15, would be welcome too. Get those emails sent to me at 8series@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk 8 Series meet at Weston on the Green – March 2022 The first register meeting of the year took place on Sunday 20th March at The Chequers Inn, Weston on the Green and we were glad to welcome some existing members and a couple of new ones also. We had E31s from Gary, Phil, Chuck, Chad, Dal, Kay and ours. Plus we had Karl and Shirley in the G15, Roy in his M6 and Les who had hoped to come in his E31 but it was not ready, so came along in a very nice 540i tourer. So a small but perfectly formed gathering on a chilly morning. Luckily our lunch tables for this meeting were not outside in the marquee, but in the pub near the fireplace. Both Dal and Kay were there for the first time, coming down from Coventry and Wolverhampton, Dal in the Calypso Red 840 and Kay in his Cosmos Black 840. Kay informed me that he also has another three E31s, one of them a low mileage 850CSi that he has yet to drive.

8series@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk

Future Events This list is of the events we hope to organise or attend during 2022. Please feel free to email with any suggestions you may have, no matter where. We are always up for a trip, any excuse to get behind the wheel of the 8. •

th May 2022 – Informal 8 Series meet up at Fairoaks 7 Airport, Chobham, Surrey, GU24 8HU, starts around 9.30am for a couple of hours. There is a Cafe on site.

•

th June – BMs on the Lawn, Weston-Super–Mare, 5 North Somerset, BS23 1AL. Entry price is £10 per car payable on the gate. Let me know if you are thinking of joining us there.

•

2th June – Sunday morning meeting at The Chequers Inn, 1 Weston on the Green, near Bicester.

•

nd July – Lichfield Cars in the Park, Beacon Park, WS13 2 6RA. I have booked a club stand again this year for 15 cars, tickets are £5 per car, please contact me to reserve your place.

•

rd July – Possible Caffeine and Machine visit, to be 3 confirmed.

• 7th August – BMW Car Club national event at Donington Park, near Derby. Details on the club website. • 14th August – Sunday morning meeting at The Chequers Inn, Weston on the Green, near Bicester. •

8th September – Simply BMW at Beaulieu Motor 1 Museum.

•

3rd October – Sunday morning meeting at The Chequers 2 Inn, Weston on the Green, near Bicester.

Also if you are not on my mailing list and wish to be please email me with your name, car details and location to 8series@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk

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Alpina Simon Alcorn (words by Norman Burnham)

Sad days for Alpina? I am sure many owners will now be aware that the Alpina brand has been sold to BMW. Full details are in a press release see www.alpina-automobiles.com. Alpina will continue in its current form until the end of 2025. The existing company will rebrand to the name Bovensiepen and concentrate on classic Alpinas. Social media groups and forums are awash with speculation about the future in the hands of BMW, most comments feel that it was inevitable. However, many believe that BMW will simply turn it into a marketing tool for additional trim and emblems, a kind of up market BMW. We have seen how the M Power badge has been used this way with all sorts of M logos and extras on fairly standard family cars. It will certainly mean that Alpina will become a tuner at best and that its manufacturing status will be absorbed into the BMW offering. Claims that parts for older Alpinas will be made available are subject to much speculation, as many owners of E30 BMWs and older vehicles have discovered that many are NLA in the BMW Parts system. In respect to Alpina Classic, we need to wait and see what they will offer and if restoration of vehicles can be carried out at Buchloe or will they have a representation in the UK in this respect. There is much detail in the history of Alpina vehicles, which is unlikely to be absorbed by most franchised BMW dealerships, what will this mean for Sytner who are currently the sole importer since 1983? Potentially some positive news for current owners is their car may increase in value as people search for a genuine Alpina, as

opposed to the offering in 2026. I recently have seen an E39 B10 V8s for nearly £40K. The Classic at Silverstone – reminder There are two choices for Alpina owners, you can display with the Car Club for their 70th anniversary by following the guidelines in Straight Six using the Club code, or you can access the Alpina-only separate stand code by visiting thealpinaregister. com. In 2021 some people were confused, it is a straight choice, you cannot swap display passes and no cars other than Alpinas will be accepted onto the Alpina stand. We did have a request from someone who has an Alpina, but wishes to park with an M3 owner, sorry but it’s Alpinas only. BMW Sommerfest 7th August – Donington Park If you are entering the Concours it’s on the 6th, all details I am sure will be in your magazine, otherwise its Sunday 7th August. I can confirm there is a separate Alpina display area. I have volunteered to coordinate anything for the Alpina group, I shall now be there on the 6th and 7th August. Details are posted in thealpinaregister.com, the FB 2014 Alpina Group (Not public), and various Alpina social media. The French Date – May 2022 If anyone is interested in attending this event in the North of France at the end of May, please let me know by email to norman947@btinternet.com. The organiser has requested more Alpina vehicles although it is open to any BMW vehicle.

Concours Dan Wood Concours sponsored by

concours@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk

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

Welcome to the Concours section, everyone. By the time you read this, the first Concours event of 2022, the Southern Concours, will have taken place at Sherborne Castle Gardens. I hope everyone had a really enjoyable event. If you entered the Concours, well done to you! One of my tips is to take a look at the judge’s feedback sheet, you should have taken it away with you at the end of the event, and consider which areas of your car you might like to work on next. There’s always lots to do for all of us. Recording of our Concours series of videos commenced again in March, picking up from where we left off prior to the first lockdown. We took a trip to Meguiar’s and had a fantastic training session with Dale, which will be shared with you. You can watch the session and all of the series so far on the Club’s YouTube channel. The National Concours is confirmed and will be held on Saturday 6th August at Donington Park, the day before the BMW Sommerfest event. Remember that Club Concours is for everyone, there are classes available for all members and, www.bmwcarclubgb.uk

alpina@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk

http://www.megulars.co.uk/

regardless of which class you enter, you can be assured of a warm welcome and an enjoyable day. Full details of all the classes are available in your Concours Guide Booklet, which can be downloaded from the Concours Register page of the Club website. To briefly recap, please see the explanation below: Pride of Ownership Category This Category encompasses six classes and is aimed at all Club members, primarily people entering Concours for the first time and people who drive their car regularly or every day. Remember the name of the category itself, Pride of Ownership. This category is designed for people who take care of and pride in their car, that’s pretty much all of us! There will also be a Historic Class at the National Concours this year. Masterclass The Masterclass Category is aimed at past overall winners of the Pride of Ownership Category at Regional or National events and encompasses those who may have completed full vehicle restorations to a high standard. BMW Car Club Magazine May 2022

registernews Elite The Elite Category is aimed at those who have previously won the Masterclass Category and cars chosen by the Concours coordinator and chief judge as representing the very best Concours cars in our club. There’s plenty of time to get your car ready for the National Concours. Take your time, enjoy preparing your car and take a look at the YouTube videos to see how two Club Members

E3 Tony Wilkes As I write this, it’s just over a week since I returned from Techno Classica. And yet, it still feels very fresh in my mind. For those of you who have never heard of this event, it’s one of the biggest classic car shows in the world and is held in the truly enormous exhibition centre, comprising of 10 huge halls, in Essen, Germany. This year saw its return, the highlight of my automotive calendar, following a pandemic-induced hiatus of three years, and it was really interesting to see how the organisers have adapted to the circumstances we now find ourselves in. Whilst I was expecting visitor numbers to be greatly reduced when compared to previous iterations, I was very surprised to find that all the main manufacturers had withdrawn their support for the event. In previous years, BMW, Mercedes, Porsche, Audi and VW put on outstanding displays of cars from their own collections, but this year it was up to the clubs. However, they did not disappoint. My personal favourite was Christian Zschocke’s lovely Malaga Red E3 3.0S (pictured). As always, it was great to see the German E3 Club members in such fine form and I really enjoyed catching up with old friends. In other news, I was delighted to receive an email from a long-term Register member, who is carrying out a bit of refurbishment work on his 1974 3.0Si. The car has been in his family’s ownership since 1978, which is quite an achievement. I am always really pleased to hear from E3 owners with stories about their cars or, indeed, if they require technical advice or help in sourcing parts. I hope to see Nigel’s car back on the road and at an event sometime soon. Speaking of which, some of you may remember that we managed to get a good gathering of E3s together at Bicester in 2019. I’d like to do the same again at the BMW Car Club’s Sommerfest on 7th August, so please save the date in your calendars now. The restoration of my own 3.0Si is progressing very well. The bodywork has been finished and the car is now awaiting its new coat of distinctive Sierrabeige paint. I was really pleased to find that the bodyshell was actually in pretty good shape, and that

i8 Clive Neville There has always been an urge amongst some to modify their vehicles from standard specification. Historically, the reasons for doing this were because a lot of everyday cars or motorbikes were essentially rubbish. And, rubbish across the board. Performance, reliability, aesthetics, handling, you name it, it was likely to be sub-standard. I recall my first car, a 1973 Ford Escort 1300L four-door. It was barely able to go up hills above 30mph (in second) and that was with only me onboard. So, it’s no surprise that the lads of the time beefed up the motor’s output and chucked on wheels and stripes to make them look and go more like Mexicos. I sold that car for next to nothing in the mideighties as a nice-condition completely standard car. At that time it wasn’t even looked at. Just mocked. Now, of course, the fact that it was unmodified on steel wheels with hub caps would be a distinct advantage to a sale and the new owner would likely be prepared to put up with the woeful performance in exchange for period charm.

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approached their preparation. But the most important aspect is to come along, join in with the Concours and have fun and enjoyment from doing so. I am very much looking forward to welcoming you to Concours during 2022. Everyone is welcome. Keep on concours-ing.

e3register@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk

when it was placed on the jig it was found to be exactly as per factory specifications and tolerances. The fun bit will commence soon; putting it all back together again and trying to remember what goes where. I hope that you are all enjoying the improving weather, and that you are starting to get your E3s out for some fun driving. i8register@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk

The same is true of an Italian motorcycle I own from the same decade. I have owned it for a long, long time and because certain aspects of it were awful even when new – let’s say electrics, reliability and cosmetic durability for starters – many of us owners modify them to make them usable. Stuff like electronic ignition, stainless fasteners, real paint, exhausts that don’t rot through overnight. It’s all standard practice and, frankly, expected. I have been thinking about selling this bike for a year-or-so now and it’s pristine having only covered 16,000 miles from new. When I last showed it, at a bike event in 2001, I was mobbed by people saying how great it was. I received comments like “love the colour” and “great mods”. Incidentally, the colour is a UK-specific black and gold scheme produced for one year only to get rid of old stock. My bike was originally in Royal Blue, but it’s from the same year as the original black and gold ones. Cut back to 2021 and my initial forays into selling have www.bmwcarclubgb.uk

registernews merely garnered comments such as “Not standard is it? I don’t recognise that colour.” Despite the fact that the bike is actually incredibly original with no replacement parts at all (other than the aforementioned silencers and ignition) it has failed to make the grade. So what has this to do with the i8 or the BMW Car Club? Nothing directly, except to illustrate that modifying your (more often than not classic) vehicle really does impact on its ability to attract a sale at the top price and might even prevent a sale completely. It certainly deters the collectors. Having said all of that, and while I think that modifying a

vehicle is now less necessary as they are all broadly acceptable nowadays, I firmly believe that there is a place for customising them. And, as we seem to be a club seemingly made up of drivers rather than collectors, we should celebrate it. But, perhaps not an E30 M3 Evo with an electric conversion. Not yet. Back to i8s, a nice enough performance car, of sorts. You wouldn’t think it needs nor warrants modification, especially as it’s a hybrid. But, a glance through the i8 Forum (on another site sadly), shows that half the posts are from owners showing off their new wraps, wheels, lowered suspension, performance exhausts, and re-maps. Modifying is still alive and well.

M Power Anthony Shilson As I write this, the price of fuel has gone through the roof. Fortunately, I filled up my M3 a while back. Let’s hope our shortsighted politicians put more focus on long term energy strategies and the country becoming more self-sufficient. Back to cars. I’ve ordered two new front tyres. The front left is still the original tyre from when the car was built. And so would the front right, if I hadn’t had a puncture a few years back. It still has 5mm of tread, so I’ll keep that tyre as a spare for a scenario that I cannot think of… and put it in the garage roof, as you do. How many of you keep certain things, just in case? Michelin only recommends the Pilot SuperSport and the Pilot Sport Cup 2 tyre for my car, so I ordered some from Camskill and had them sent to Sytner Harold Wood for fitting. Unfortunately, the experienced tyre fitter has now left and they have a temp in. The M3 is also due a service in April. At Christmas I ordered my service items whilst Opie Oils had a special offer. As usual, I’ll be taking it to PMW Ltd for the servicing. More details next month. Ever since I stopped paying for a warranty (2012), I started to save a fixed amount automatically for my motoring expenses. It allows me to cover all the costs over the year and have a surplus to accommodate unforeseen or extra items. Returning to Raif’s M3 and continuing from where we left in March, if you recall, his car had a new engine from BMW. Well, a new gearbox was soon on its way too. Ralf writes, ‘Regarding the gearbox, I had a noise typical of a release bearing grumble. The noise would disappear as soon as the clutch pedal was depressed. So I asked the dealer to replace the bearing while the engine was out. They also checked the flywheel and clutch and felt they were fine. After the engine work was completed, the Master Tech sat in the car and noticed the noise was still present and diagnosed it as the input shaft bearing in the transmission. Since they still had all my warranty details, the Service Manager started work on getting a gearbox approved and it was replaced

Flywheel

www.bmwcarclubgb.uk

Clutch

essex@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk

around the same time as the running-in service on the new engine. However, when I was driving home, I noticed that the noise had still not gone. I had enough of the car going in and out of the dealer. They were probably sick of me too. So I did my own fault finding and tracked it down to the dual-mass flywheel, which is why I changed the clutch and flywheel too, along with new transmission mounts and nuts, rubber guibo/doughnut coupling for the prop shaft and new engine mounts.’ A bit of info that might be useful for those who need to change the clutch on a pre-LCI E9X M3 or who are interested in the changes made to the LCI cars. Raif continues. ‘I never knew there was an updated clutch (215mm vs 220mm I think) until I went to put a new LuK clutch on my original flywheel in 2016 and it didn’t fit, so I ended up refitting the old clutch. At the time I worked with LuK (unrelated to BMW) and became friends with one of the guys who works in R&D at LuK Germany. His manager happened to be one of the guys who developed the clutch and release system on the M3 so we had lots to talk about and he gave me the BMW part number for the pedal assist spring, which he said should be used with the updated clutch cover (compression spring reinforced: 350 067 69 442). ‘The pedal spring is only about £12 and takes just a few minutes to change over, but should give you a better release curve and pedal load as it’s been tuned to the new cover. ‘He also gave me the LuK numbers for the clutch and flywheel, which need to be used together. This information should already be updated and correct at suppliers or factors but are: 622 3157 00 for LuK clutch and 415 0453 10 for flywheel. ‘I checked real OEM and it doesn’t list the new pedal spring against the pre LCI E9x M3, only the grey and black one. The new one is beige, my current spring is grey. I have just seen it is listed for LCI cars and also F8x Ms by the looks of it.

New spring

Old spring

BMW Car Club Magazine May 2022

registernews ‘The photo from the pedal section of TIS below shows the differences between the two parts and has a note in the clutch replacement procedure, which says when fitting a new clutch kit, install the reinforced pedal spring.’ Do you have anything interesting to contribute to this section? Please email me your own M Power mods, fixes, tips or stories to essex@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk

Modified Borislava Pepelyashka - @bobby_shark_attack With spring comes the car show season knocking on our door. Some of us are still working on our projects, wondering if we’ll manage to get them done for our favourite shows. Others have just completed their dream cars and got just a few details left before they showcase their pride and joys, and tell their friends all about the adventure they went through. But some are not even close to getting their cars restored or modified. This, however, does not mean they will not be part of the meets and shows this year. And what better way to get inspiration and become even more motivated than seeing other people’s creative ideas, completed projects and, most of all, discussing plans over a few beers near the campfire at a weekend car show? Speaking of which, I wanted to mention some of the top shows and car meets in 2022 and share some highlights from last year’s car show season. 2021 was exciting after the long pause due to the pandemic. The first weekend event I attended was Retro Rides, and it was just perfect. Lots of friends, summer weather, incredible event organisation, a great selection of classic cars, campsite and track action. The best thing was being able to have our cars at the camp overnight, which created another separate car show. Walking around after BBQ dinner, looking at all the fantastic cars and talking to their owners, was just incredible. This set the bar high for the rest of the season. It wasn’t all roses, and we did have some challenges throughout the year. Lots of cars overheated at Colchester while queuing up for the first Slammed UK meet due to poor organisation. Heavy rains at ReVamp caused one of our friends to lose a wiper blade on the way. Then there were fuel shortages for OhSoRetro, three of us had to jump in one car in order to attend. But there were a few local meets that made the year even better. The was a Cars & Coffee morning by Old Skool Zimmers and Car Audio and Security in Hayes. And then West London Classics, at the same place, raised funds for Khalsa Aid. Cargos BMW specialists had a few car meets at their workshop in Dartford with a great variety of cars, too.

modified@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk

few of the BMW club members. Great selection of classic cars to make an appearance. 10th July – Gravity Show at NAEC Stoneleigh. Modified cars, live drift arena, lowriders both indoor and outdoor. 25th Sept – OhSoRetro at Margate. Massive classic car event. Showcasing your car at a show or a meet is great, but after all it’s all about the people. We are privileged to be part of one of the greatest car communities ever, BMW people. They are the friendliest ones you’ll ever meet. I am proud to be part of this family and hoping to see most of you at events this year.

I hope you all enjoyed the BMW meet at British Motor Museum on 10th April. Now it’s time to plan the rest of the year; booking in advance has its benefits. There’s a great list of events from the Club this year, but the main focus is on the BMW Sommerfest at Donington Park Circuit on 7th August. There will be series parking, track racing, concours qualifying and more. It will be a great way to celebrate 70 years of BMW Car Club GB so make sure you get your tickets on time. These are my top favourites for 2022: 21 – 22nd May – Retro rides Weekender at Goodwood Circuit. Camping, track action, lots of classic cars. 27th – 29th May – Modified nationals at Peterborough. 29th May – 43rd Enfield Pageant of Motoring. The best classic car event ever, live music, girls dressed in 60s style and an auto jumble. 12th June – Bespoke in Kent. Brand new event organised by a

78 BMW Car Club Magazine May 2022

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X Series Greg Lyons & James Brigginshaw Spring is here, the sun is shining and Covid restrictions have gone. So as long as everyone can afford the outrageous petrol, diesel and electric costs of running our cars, then convening a gathering of X-cars is a must. We’ve looked for a relatively central location that is a bit different and with a relaxed and informal environment with easy parking and good food: Sunday 29th May, 09.00 until midday. V-Ate Pit Stop Automotive Roadside Diner A17 Sutterton Roundabout, Boston, Lincolnshire, PE20 2LN We hope that the informal style will suit everyone and put people at ease that this will not be a structured meeting, just breakfast, enjoying talking and looking at cars. And then, if it takes people’s fancy, a drive to Skeggy is only 40 minutes away to stretch the legs of what we hope will be all kinds of Beemers from the club, just led by the big Xs. We have the club room booked for the duration of the meet so getting breakfast should be easy and it’s also somewhere to go if the weather is rubbish as the restaurant can get busy fast, especially if there are nice cars for punters to look at. V-Ate will also be coning off a parking area, so we will have pride of place on the day. We also have BMW Sommerfest on 7th August. The club magazine and website tells you all you need to know. We are

Z3 Register Alan Jones Firstly, a big hello from me, Richard. I have taken over the Z3 Register from Alan Jones. Many thanks to Alan for his great work on the Z3 Register, it’s a privilege to be taking over the mantle and I hope that I can do a similarly great job. I have owned a 1997 Z3 1.9 for the last two and half years. It was purchased as a project car. It’s not a show car by any means, more of a daily driver with just over 118,000 miles on the clock. It is great fun to drive and even though it is the 1.9, it’s surprisingly spritely. A lot of work and effort has gone into resolving issues that came with the car, and putting it back to a position where everything is working as it should, including the alarm with central locking from an original BMW key fob. Having to fathom out all the different faults and how to correct them has given me a good insight into my Z3 and how it hangs together. I hope this will give me a good grounding to help with any questions members may have. To help build the Z3 Register community, a Facebook group “BMW Car Club GB Z3 Register” has been created. We invite all our Z3 members to join. Here we can post pictures of our cars, ask questions and get to know each other. From the Club website you can still access the forum if Facebook is not your thing. If you would like to have your car featured in this section, please email me a high-resolution photo of your car along with a write up of 300-400 words. A little bit more about my car and my Z3 journey. We purchased our Z3 in November 2019 from a chap that had wanted to modify the car. It had a de-cat exhaust and lowered springs. The hood would not close without a fight and there was missing rubber around the top of the doors and the car had been left outside in the rain so the inside was a little moist, to say the least. The central locking only worked from one of the doors and would not operate the boot. There was no key fob to activate the alarm and there was missing trim around the car. The sills looked fairly good with just a small piece of rust on both sides which turned out to be terminal and the passenger rear wing had a rust spot, which again turned out to be more major than expected. Using my car club discount at the local dealers, I purchased new sills and had these painted by a local paint shop. Quite a lot of parts came from Eastern Region Chair, Paul Rice, and his Z3 www.bmwcarclubgb.uk

xseries@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk

hoping for a great turn out of the Xs. In other news we also now have an X Series Register Facebook page thanks to Greg and the office. This already has a fair few of the X owners signed up but if you haven’t then why not give it a whirl? It’ll be easy to use, keeps everyone updated and will be great for knowledge sharing as well as members keeping us updated with attendance to events. For the V-Ate meet it would be ideal for anyone planning on attending to update on there or email us. Don’t worry if you do neither though and still turn up. The more cars the better. Any other ideas that people have, please share them with us. And, likewise, if you have anything you would like to write about and share photos of, send them in and we’ll look to include them in future news in the magazine. Winter has, no doubt, seen forays out into snow-capped mountains and road trips abroad so let’s be hearing about the best of them.

z3register@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk

that was being broken. A scan of the various Z forums found body parts, many being given away for free or very cheap so I was able to replace the rear wing and have more sections waiting to be resprayed as needed. During the lock down I replaced the aftermarket stereo with a DAB and CD unit and set to work on fixing the central locking and getting the alarm working. The central locking and door mechanism issues turned out to be three different problems: a rubber grommet on the driver’s door had slipped causing the button to not pop down correctly, a worn key stopped me from being able to operate one of the door locks and there was a broken wire in the boot loom, a common issue. The air filter system had been swapped for a performance one, so this was switched back to standard, along with the original springs and exhaust which the previous owner had included with the car, and a full service was completed by my local garage. Since running the car as a daily driver, it has not all been plain sailing. The original water pump self-destructed, the radiator needed replacing and the car needed new rear swing arms due to rust holes. I’ll share some other modifications and work on my Z3 in the coming months.

BMW Car Club Magazine May 2022

SALES SERVICING RESTORATION

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Articles inside

Registers

Action Coupé

BTCC gets technical

Crossword/Your Letters

Creating the Ultimate Garage Doors & Security

BMW’s best kept secret

MLife: The King of Concours

Club News

Thoughts from the Boardroom

BMW News

Born in the USA

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Dan Norris

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