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www.BMWCARCLUBINSURANCE.co.uk Call the dedicated members line on 0330 123 0197 and speak to one of the team for all your Motor, Home, and Commercial Insurance needs. This agreement has been designed specifically for BMW Car Club GB, who have become an Introducer Appointed Representative (IAR) of A-Plan Holdings. A-Plan Holdings is Authorised and Regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). Registered office: 2 Des Roches Square, Witney, OX28 4LE. Registration number: 750484. To confirm our registration on the FCA website, go to www.fca.org.uk/firms/systems-reporting/register/ or by contacting the FCA on 0800 111 6768.
Formed in 1952 as The BMW Car Club of Great Britain, incorporated in 1982 as BMW Car Club (GB) Ltd. A non-profit making club owned and run by and for its members. Combined One-Make Car Club 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
26
20 MLife: Goes Like Schnell
Cover image: Dean Grossmith 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
26 From Surtees to Grenfell Michael Grenfell is the proud owner of the featured 503 Cabriolet, which has an interesting story to tell…
34
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
34 Sytner BMW Nottingham Alpina Tour Take a tour around the home of Alpina in the UK with Club member Mani Singh Hayer.
40 Goodwood Revival 2021 Will Beaumont reports on this year’s
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
teve Carter reviews the completed E39 S M5 Touring owned by Barry Sheward of BMR Performance.
40
Goodwood Revival.
44 A Hidden Gem The Cornwall Region visit ARM Motorsports and Mapfreaks Tuning for an open day event.
47 Born to Run… The latest report on the Redux E30 M3 build.
Contents
from the editor Welcome to the November issue of Straight Six. November sees the last two Club events take place before we all hibernate for the winter months; taking place on the same day, some of our Club members are heading to the last trackday of the year at Oulton Park on 12th November, whilst others will be attending the Lancaster Insurance Classic Motor Show at the NEC, Birmingham, between the 12th and 14th of November. You can still buy your tickets for the latter through www.necclassicmotorshow.com. Remember to use the discount code CCL174 at checkout. This month’s MLife feature, we look at Club member Barry Sheward’s completed E39 M5 Touring build. Head over to page 20 to read Steve Carter’s review on this ultimate V8 driving machine. BMW’s 503 model is often overshadowed by its sporty brother, the charming 507 roadster. However some prefer the 503 for its Gran Tourismo nature, its spaciousness, and power. Read the feature on page 26 to hear about the fascinating history of Michael Grenfell’s example. On page 34, Club member Mani Singh Hayer takes us on a tour of Sytner BMW Nottingham’s dealership. Known famously as the hub of Alpina in the UK, it houses a plethora of ALPINA’s best, including an E21 323 C1 conversion.
20 regulars 6
Board Torque
8
Thoughts from the Boardroom
10 Club News 12 BMW News
The Goodwood Revival is seen as one of the best shows on the classic events calendar. Read the show report on page 40 to get a taste of what went on. The Cornwall Region recently visited ARM Motorsport and Mapfreaks Tuning, a hidden gem owned by Car Club members. Read about their visit on page 44. Read the latest update on Redux’s E30 M3 build on page 47. 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.
14 Motorsport News
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, Andrew Hempsall!
16 Dan Norris
Happy reading!
18 Products
Jeff, Lisa, & Will Straight Six editorial team.
50 Pirelli 52 Crossword/Classifieds 53 Classifieds 54 Classifieds/Your Letters 55 Regions 67 Registers 81 Your Photos 82 Club Pub Meets
chairmanschat I Martyn Goodwin - Chairman t has been only three months since I last put fingers to keyboard, how the time flies. Since then, the Silverstone Classic came and went. We had a fabulous weekend despite the weather and a less than perfect location; it seems to be a repetitive issue for us even though we have had a number of locations over the years. Our hospitality and display marquee drew much attention and compliments. The displays of cars on all three days were extensive and varied covering every decade from 1970s to the 2020s. So, a big personal thank you to all of you that attended and shook off the dust to join us at this prestigious event. The jury is still out on the dates for 2022, from what is understood at the time of going to press, August 26-28 are the proposed dates, which of course is the August Bank Holiday weekend. However, as the Formula 1 calendar for 2022 has yet to be set, this could still impact the dates for every other motorsport event in the 2022 UK calendar. We will have to watch and wait. In any respect, 2022 will be a big year for BMWCCGB as we will be planning for our 70th anniversary and also for 50 years of M, together with our own spectacle of the BMW Sommerfest. Please keep watching these pages and of course our website and fortnightly e-newsletter for updates on all of the above. As this edition of Straight Six drops through your letterbox in November, we will be days away from our attendance at the Lancaster Insurance Classic Motor Show at the Birmingham NEC. The call for cars resulted in an exceptional response, so a personal note of thanks to all of you who took the time and trouble to respond. It certainly left me with the daunting task of selecting what I sincerely hope is a great mix of cars to celebrate everything that is Z. We will have a lineup of seven club members cars featuring the E30 Z1, E36/7 Z3 Roadster, E36/8 Z3M Coupé, E85 Z4 based Alpina Sportster S, E86 Z4M Coupé and E89 Z4 Roadster, and last but not least, the E52 Z8 Roadster. I am currently awaiting confirmation of both i4 and iX from our friends at BMW UK. The iX actually makes its UK debut the same weekend as the Classic Motor Show, so BMW UK are anxious to put a vehicle into the public arena at this event. The i4 is even harder than the iX to get our hands on, so the final line-up is still a work in progress as we go to press. Finally, the fully electric classic 1602 logistics still have to be
6 BMW Car Club Magazine November 2021
sorted out, but this should complete our line-up for the show. As a word of advice and warning, to all of you planning to come to the show, COVID safe precautions will be in place. You will be required to show your NHS Covid pass to enter the show with a negative lateral flow test, which I am sure that you already know has a validity of 48 hours. If you are attending on more than one day, please be cognizant that this may mean that you may have to do two lateral flow tests. The exhibition halls and facilities will be deep cleansed before set up on Thursday 11th and regular cleansing of facilities during the course of each day together with a more thorough cleanse each night in order to try to keep us all safe. Please come and enjoy the show and visit with us in Hall 1, Stand number 540. I have had the dubious pleasure of organizing cars for two media events in the past couple of months, one for Classic & Sports Car Magazine for their Bond Cars edition and as a number of you reading this will know, we were recently invited as a club to participate in the filming of a BBC Top Gear Christmas Special that took place on 4th October. The post-event reports back from these two events are polar opposites. For the C&SC Bond Cars photoshoot, the call for help originated from BMW UK as they were first contacted by C&SC for their help, BMW UK reached out to me for help. In the end, the BMW UK gorgeous Polaris Silver Z89 with red and black interior was used and Tom Malcolm provided his Atlanta Blue with beige leather interior Z3 1.9 to this event. He thoroughly enjoyed his day at Dunsfold, as did BMW life enthusiast Gurdave Rehsi with his 750iL (not Aspen Silver with black leather unfortunately as we couldn’t locate the right colours). Tom has written a feature on his day at Dunsfold and C&SC have provided a link to their editorial on the BMW products featured
for those who didn’t have the chance to see it in the recent issue. Look out for this in a future edition of Straight Six. The BBC Top Gear Christmas special turned out to be a rather damp and not very hospitable event, again at Dunsfold. Ten Club members, together with close to 200 other car owners from other clubs, stood around, unable to do anything except wait and wait, some for literally hours, before they were arranged in the form of a Christmas tree and given a bunch of fairy lights to decorate their cars for some aerial footage. Thanks to those who offered to participate and apologies to those who did for a rather disappointing experience. One of my goals as chairman is to try to both understand and better represent the interests of the (non-politically biased) minority interest groups, some of which may be quite large in fact, with our club membership. The club cannot continue to grow as we would hope by adopting a one-size-fits-all basis for its thinking.A different approach needs to be taken for vehicles within the BMW brand such as Alpina and MINI, and also modified cars such as AC Schnitzer, custom cars, concours. Then there’s the members themselves; the millennials, women and/ or members’ partners, all have special interests that are not always aligned with the broad brush that we endeavor to please and support with the mainstream. The board is happy to announce that Dan Wood has accepted our invitation to join with us to steer the club forwards. I have asked Dan to assist me with this goal. All of those who know Dan, and his keen interest in both AC Schnitzer and concours events, will understand he has the credentials for this role. Welcome Dan. So, until the next Chairman’s Chat, thank you all for your continued loyalty to the club, we need you all as members, for you to enjoy your membership and to encourage others to join with us.
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 B
Chris Brownridge. CEO BMW (UK) Ltd.
y the time this issue of Straight Six pops through your letterbox we’ll know the final classification in this year’s British Touring Car Championship, but as I write the dust is still settling after the penultimate race weekend at Donington Park. As things stand Colin Turkington lies second in the driver’s championship, while we have extended our lead in the manufacturers’ standings as we seek a record-breaking sixth consecutive title. With just three races to go at the season finale at Brands Hatch there’s everything to play for. However the championship pans out, I’m hugely proud of everyone involved in the Team BMW BTCC campaign this year. The BTCC is always a closely fought championship and this year it’s been a very exciting series with seven different brands winning races and ten different drivers occupying the top step of the podium. Going into the penultimate race weekend at Donington Park, Colin Turkington was fourth in the drivers’ championship, but he left the circuit in second place and with another race win to his name – his 60th in the BTCC – which makes him the joint third most successful driver of all time in the championship. Colin’s win in race three was a textbook lights-to-flag victory, with the BMW 330i M Sport now having won at
8 BMW Car Club Magazine November 2021
Donington for the third year on the trot, a fantastic achievement. Donington is a circuit where handling prowess is crucial and Colin’s strong performances at the weekend showed what a wonderfully well-balanced car we have with the 330i M Sport. Every time I see the BTCC 330i M Sport I also can’t help but be reminded of the iconic 3.0 CSL as it too raced in a very similar livery at some events. There’s that fantastic shot of the mighty Batmobile with all four wheels off the ground at the Nürburgring 1000km race in 1974 driven by Hans Stuck. While the BTCC doesn’t use tracks with quite so much scope for getting airborne, I like to think that just as much work has gone into making the 330i M Sport a race winner as it did with the CSL. Of course, it’s the 3.0 CSL’s 50th birthday this year, with the first of the lightweight E9 Coupés seeing the light
of day back in 1971. It was quite a feat to take the sporting yet luxurious 3.0 CS and develop it into a car that would go on to win numerous European Touring Car Championships as well as many endurance races at tracks such as Spa Francorchamps, Nürburgring, Sebring and Daytona. Racing is very much part of BMW’s DNA and we can look back with pride at our successes over the years at blue riband events such as the Mille Miglia, Le Mans and in Formula 1. While this year’s BTCC might be drawing to a close, there’s plenty to look forward to in the coming years with our new BMW M4 GT3 car set to enter championships in 2022. The M4 is a stunning road car and I can’t wait to see its racing counterpart take to the track in anger next year. Looking further ahead, there’s also the enticing prospect of BMW’s return to international prototype racing with an LMDh (Le Mans Daytona hybrid) car when the inaugural championship takes place in 2023. As our motoring landscape evolves I think it’s exciting for BMW to be at the forefront of this new class of racing where cars make use of an internal combustion engine as well as an electric motor and a battery pack. It’ll certainly be rather different to the 330i M Sports in the BTCC, but I’m hoping it’ll be equally as successful.
www.bmwcarclubgb.uk
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BMW Car Club Magazine November 2021
9
clubnews Classified Ads Page Goes Live
Renewals and Straight Six
The classified ads section on our website went live on Friday 8th October. If you’re looking to sell your BMW then why not list it on our site. Simply click ‘Classifieds’ on the website, or visit www. bmwcarclubgb.uk/classifieds, complete the online form, upload an image and your listing will go live immediately. Priced at £4.99 for members and £9.99 for non-members. Any questions please contact the office.
To ensure members receive all 12 issues of Straight Six we encourage our members to renew their memberships before the end of their individual expiry month. The Straight Six Magazine mailing list is an automated process and sends over a full list of active members to the mailing house on the 14th of each month. If a membership has not been renewed by the time the mailing list is sent over then you will not receive the following month’s issue. We do receive additional copies into the office each month, but the amount is very limited. Therefore, we cannot guarantee that members who renew after the 14th of the month following their renewal date will be able to have a copy sent out to them.
A few tips to help sell your BMW Description Keep it short and simple, highlight optional extras and don’t forget to mention full service history if you have it. Photos Take a good quality photo of your BMW. Adverts with good photos sell much faster. Accuracy Be honest with your description of the car. It will save time with viewings if potential buyers are aware of any faults from the outset.
Lancaster Insurance Classic Motor Show The Lancaster Insurance Classic Motor Show, with Discovery, which brings together a great array of classic car and motorcycle clubs along with their iconic classic and vintage cars and motorbikes, is an event not to be missed. No matter what you’re looking for this is the ultimate season finale for any classic car or
10 BMW Car Club Magazine November 2021
bike owner, collector, enthusiast, club member, or simply anyone with a passion for classic vehicles. The show returns at the end of this year, from 12th to 14th November at NEC, Birmingham. Book tickets now using our Club code CCL174 through www.necclassicmotorshow.com.
www.bmwcarclubgb.uk
New Members
What’s on...
CENTRAL
LONDON
THAMES
November
Jimmy Newbery
Andrew Turner
Mike Fenner
12-14:
What’s Planned for 2022…
Oskars Vilnitis-Pantelejevs
CENTRAL WEST
Kapil Dhir
Dan Sanders
Harmindra Patel
WALES - MID & SHROPSHIRE
Rajendra Parekh
Kenneth Whiteman
Robert Pryce-Jones
Roshan Soni
Nathan Latouche
William Adnitt
James O’Donnell
WALES - SOUTH
Simon Bransby
Tom Aisbitt
Ross Maisey
Adrian Smith
Tom Laing
NEC Classic Motor Show Club code: CCL174
April 24: Southern Concours Southern Concours returns in April 2022 at Sherborne Castle, Dorset.
COTSWOLD
Leo Sikapa
Sacha Hutcheson
Gurdave Rehsi
Jack Phillips
June
DEVON
NORTH EAST
Terry Downton
Coryn Barneston
Andrew Crawford
Dan Vernon
Adrian Foulks
5: BM’s on the Lawn The Show & Shine returns next year on the Westonsuper-Mare front lawns, in memory of late Club member, Robert Scanlan.
Bob Morgan Giles France
EAST ANGLIA Mindaugas Kanavolas Kamruj Jaman Andrew Williams Gary Waple
EASTERN Graham Turner Jake Turner
NORTH WEST
WESSEX
Michael Jardine Jason Lewis
Simon Mellor
Andy Morgan
Karl Caulfield
Callum Marney
Nick Hobbs
Achilleas Blatsos
John Tyson
Ashley Hopson
SCOTTISH Sam Robinson Richard Stuart
Steve Larwood
SOUTH EAST
Mark Fletcher
Ian Percival
Robert Wilson
Cliff Potter
Christopher Skelton
James Gibb
Richard Wright
Chris Greenwood
Adrian Moore
WESTERN Scott McLeod Mark Mcleod Neil Williams Clyde Witchard Andy Wogan
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.
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 2021 November 12: Oulton Park £175 SOLD OUT! Email lisa@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk to be added to the reserve list.
www.bmwcarclubgb.uk
BMW Car Club Magazine November 2021 11
bmwnews The new BMW 2 Series Active Tourer breaks cover! The first 2 Series Active Tourer was a BMW few enthusiasts ever got excited about. As a people mover, it was okay, but as an enthusiast’s car, it just wasn’t exciting. However, the first generation 2 Series Active Tourer (AT) sold well enough to convince BMW to perform a U-turn and build a MK2 version after previously announcing that it wouldn’t create another. So here’s BMW’s second go at it, and this new second-gen car looks like it could be a big step up for casual customers and enthusiasts alike. Built on BMW’s newest iteration of the FAAR front-wheel drive architecture, the new 2 Series AT brings all-new looks, an entirely unique cabin, more space, and potentially sportier driving dynamics. The new 2 Series AT features a massive design jump. While still a fivedoor hatchback/minivan, it’s far bolder and more aggressive looking than before. A large grille, combined with sleek new all-LED headlights gives the front end a far more aggressive face, while slim taillights and flush i4-style door handles make for a much sharper looking car. It might not be pretty, but it’s certainly more interesting looking than its predecessor. It’s also slippery, with a drag coefficient of 0.26 that helps increase efficiency, a hugely important factor for 2AT customers, especially for hybrid model customers. Inside is where the 2 Series Active Tourer will really impress customers though. Tech-wise, the 2 Series AT receives the newest iDrive 8 system that debuted on the BMW iX, providing all of the brand’s latest infotainment features. It is also equipped with the latest Live
12 BMW Car Club Magazine November 2021
Cockpit Professional digital instrument panel, featuring new graphics and upgraded functionality. These two features seem to be the only things that have been carried over from other BMW models and look as though they have been lifted out of an iX. The rest of the interior design is quite different from any other BMW product on sale. Additionally, the 2 Series AT gets BMW’s latest personal voice assistant and the brand’s park assist functions. There are three engine options at launch; a 220i AT (170hp and 280Nm - £30,265 OTR), a 223i AT (218hp and 360Nm - £32,715 OTR), and the BMW 218d AT (150hp and 360Nm - £31,820 OTR). All petrol powered vehicles get 48volt mild-hybrid systems, while all models are paired with a new seven-speed dualclutch transmission. Two plug-in hybrid
models join the range in 2022, a 225e xDrive AT (245hp – 136hp+109hp) and a 230e xDrive AT (326hp – 150hp+177hp) - Maximum charging capacity rises from 3.7kW to 7.4kW, meaning a full charge can be achieved in 2.5 hours, or just under 8 hours via a conventional household socket. Electric range has also been increased and is now up to 49 miles based on the WLTP cycle. Previously, the 2 Series Active Tourer looked like every other vanilla people mover on the market, but this one is distinctly a modern BMW. If it provides the practicality, space and grace required in this segment topped off with some keen pricing, BMW might just be onto a winner with the new Active Tourer.
www.bmwcarclubgb.uk
Factory custom paint jobs available soon on M cars… The BMW plant at Dingolfing is piloting a new overspray-free painting process that allows several paint colours to be used and designs to be applied without stencils or masking the vehicle. This opens the door for individual custom paint jobs on customers’ vehicles, but also contributes to sustainability by reducing waste and energy consumption. This new technology, which is a collaboration between the new EcoPaintJet Pro and plant engineering firm Dürr. It is being used
for the first time on nineteen M4 Coupés, which will soon roll off the production line at Dingolfing with custom two-tone paintwork and M4 identification on the bonnet and tailgate. Once BMW is happy with the test process on the nineteen unique M4s (which will enter service in BMW’s own fleet), series introduction of the piloted paint process is scheduled to begin in 2022 within the BMW Group production network, with the aim of rolling this custom paint process into other BMW factories.
Big increase in sales for BMW… The BMW Group delivered 1,932,236 BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce vehicles to customers in the year to the end of September; a significant increase in sales of 17.9% year-on-year. The limited availability of semiconductor components has been a major issue for production, and remains so. The company expects the supply situation for semiconductor components to remain difficult, which could affect sales in the coming months. BMW Brand vehicle sales in the first nine months of 2021 totalled 1,703,080, an increase of 19.3%. With new models due to come on-stream like the new 2 Series Coupé and revamped X3 and X4 sales are expected to remain buoyant. BMW M GmbH sales remain strong, with 123,008 units sold in the year to the end of September (+22.2%). A total of 224,838 MINI Brand vehicles (+7.9%) have been delivered to customers worldwide since the start of the year. The fully-electric MINI SE was in particularly high demand and its sales increased 106.6% since January, with 20,104 units sold. Rolls-Royce Motor Cars reported sales of 4,318 (+62.9%) motor cars in the first nine months of the year, surpassing the total figure for 2020. Global demand remains strong across all models in all regions of the world. BMW sales are Buoyant and new models like the sexy M240i can only add to total sales
There’s a good chance that customers may be able to order custom paint finishes from the factory soon. Here’s hoping they have more imagination than the M4 paint job in the photo
It is thought BMW will initially offer this service on M3 and M4 models.
BMW invests in efficient and sustainable lithium extraction The BMW Group is stepping up its expansion of electro-mobility and will be releasing about ten million fully-electric vehicles onto the roads over the next ten years-or-so. By 2030, at least half the BMW Group’s global sales are expected to come from fully electric vehicles. This will also increase the need for lithium, an important raw material for production of battery cells. To promote environmentallyfriendly, resource-efficient extraction of lithium, the BMW Group is investing, through its venture capital fund, BMW i Ventures, in an innovative process developed by US startup Lilac Solutions. Lilac Solutions has developed and patented an ion exchange technology that will significantly improve efficiency, costs and sustainability by extracting lithium from brine resources, which are natural deposits of salt water. The technology has already been proven in initial field pilots and must now demonstrate that it can be scaled and industrialised in the mid-term. The process could then be used with brines worldwide, even if they have a low lithium content.
BMW is searching for ways of extracting lithium both ecologically and sustainably www.bmwcarclubgb.uk
BMW Car Club Magazine November 2021 13
motorsportnews Highs, lows and controversy mares DTM season finale…
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ith three race meetings to go, Marco Wittmann was in with a chance of securing the inaugural GT3 DTM Drivers title. As the teams arrived in Assen for round six the BMW Walkenhorst Motorsport were in buoyant mood. Wittmann was on fine form, securing a second place qualifying spot in his M6 GT3 and in the race itself he did himself and BMW proud, powering past the pole-sitter Liam Lawson’s Ferrari to take the lead, which he held to the chequered flag. Race 2 was uneventful for Wittmann, who finished third to collect an excellent tally of points as everyone headed to the Hockenheimring for the penultimate round of the championship. Everything was looking bright for Wittmann at Hockenheim, but in qualifying all the speed that the M6 GT3 showed at Assen had disappeared. He struggled in practise and whatever the team tried didn’t work. Eventually, Wittmann had to settle for a 13th place start in Race 1. It felt as though things could only get better for Wittmann in the race itself. However, disaster struck as contact in the packed midfield caused a technical fault which ultimately led to Wittmann posting a DNF in the M6 GT3. The Walkenhorst team managed to fix Wittmann’s M6 for Race 2 qualifying and he found a little bit more pace in the car to qualify in 10th spot. Wittmann was still feeling downbeat though, as all his competitors had picked up good points in the first race and were all in the top six for the second race. Race 2 got underway and the little hope Wittmann had completely evaporated. As hard as he tried, there just wasn’t any pace in his car and he spent the race battling midfield runners. At the front of the pack, he could see his chances of winning the championship slowly disappearing as all the championship leading drivers were again on the podium. The final race of the season at the Norisring would be interesting… And so to the final round of the
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Marco Wittmann in the Walkenhorst Motorsport BMW M6 GT3 chases down Liam Lawson’s Red Bull sponsored Ferrari 488 GT3 to take the win in Round 6 at Assen
season at the Norisring, where the DTM Championship would be decided. A great result for the organisers and media but would it be a good race? Rookie New Zealander Liam Lawson was leading the driver’s championship in his Ferrari 488 GT3, and he showed great pace in qualifying putting his Ferrari on pole for Race 1. Unfortunately for Lawson, one of his competitors for the title was hot-headed rookie Kelvin van der Linde in an Audi R8 GT3 who, 19 points adrift of Lawson, qualified in second spot. At the start of Race 1, Lawson made a great start, but as all the cars slowed for the notorious first chicane at the Norisring, van der Linde careered into the rear of Lawson’s Ferrari, damaging the 488’s rear suspension happering Lawson enough for him to only finish third. To make matters worse, another of Lawson’s rivals Maximilian Gotz moved past the damaged Ferrari and Audi to secure the win. Lawson’s team managed to repair his Ferrari for the final race of the season, and in qualifying he again stuck the 488 GT3 on pole. In one of the most controversial race starts ever seen, van der Linde repeated his lunge at the first chicane, this time doing serious damage to Lawson’s Ferrari, which would see him drop to 18th place by the chequered flag, 13 laps off the lead. Van der Linde’s actions didn’t do him much good this
time, as he suffered a puncture in a duel with Gotz, which would see him finish 17th. At the front, to add even more petroleum to an already raging fire, experienced Lucas Auer in the MercedesBenz AMG GT3 Evo ran away from everyone, opening up a 10 second lead. He was followed by fellow AMG GT3 Evo drivers Maximilian Buhk and Daniel Juncadella. Unfortunately none of them were in contention for the title. Now people had questioned whether it was right for one manufacturer to have nine cars in one race, and what was to follow probably proved them right. As the race finish approached, Mercedes team orders saw Auer back off to allow the chasing three-pointed star pack to close in. Then, as Maximilian Gotz took on the role of Moses, the Mercedes-Benz AMG hierarchy told all AMG drivers to allow Gotz through, so the Mercs parted like the Red Sea as Moses… sorry Gotz, drove through them all to take the win and the drivers title by three points from Lawson. Farce doesn’t come close. And what of Kelvin van der Linde? He received a joke five-second time penalty for his demolition derby display. To end this report on a BMW note, after the 16th and final race of the DTM season, a satisfied Marco Wittmann, who had kept out of the shenanigans up front, left his BMW M6 GT3 entered
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Roving reporters Jeff Heywood & Paul Kelly
by Walkenhorst Motorsport for the final time. Twelfth and seventh place finishes at his home races at the Norisring was the conclusion of an overall extremely successful season. With 171 points, two wins, two pole positions and five podium finishes, he finished fourth in the overall standings. “It was a satisfying finish with seventh place. We didn’t expect that
before the race. That’s why I’m really happy,” said Wittmann. “Above all, I can be satisfied with fourth place overall in the drivers’ championship, plus the team secured fifth place as well. For me, the highlights were the victories I had during the season.” The performance Wittmann and the team showed this year was startling
when you consider the M6 GT3 has been competing at the top level now for seven years and was in it’s final, retirement year. “She’s starting to show her age a bit in one or two areas, but she’s still a damn fine race car,” Marco added.
Turkington is King of Croft The teams arrived at the Croft circuit near Darlington, a circuit that usually favours the rear-wheel drive cars, mostly thanks to the tight hairpin onto the start/finish straight. The BMWs would do well here, it was hoped. Qualifying went well for the BMWs, with three cars in the top 10. Pole went to Aiden Moffatt in the rear-wheel drive Infiniti. Colin Turkington, hoping to get his 13th win, was third, Adam Morgan was in fifth, and Tom Oliphant was sixth. Further down was Stephen Jelley in 12th and Tom Chilton 15th. Race 1 Aiden Moffatt led the field away, followed by Jake Hill who was immediately under pressure from Colin Turkington and Senna Proctor. Tom Oliphant went off at Sunny, but rejoined. There were spots of rain in the air, had Oliphant gone off on a damp patch? No rain came. On lap six, the safety car was deployed after Aaron Taylor Smith in his Cupra made a poor move on Dan Rowbottom, sending the Honda into the tyre wall. Racing resumed on lap nine, Moffatt still holding the advantage. Colin Turkington was now fourth, Morgan seventh, but not for long. Chris Smiley made a brave move in his Hyundai going into the chicane to steal seventh. Aiden Moffatt won the race from the hard charging Ford
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of Jake Hill. Colin Turkington was fourth, Adam Morgan eight, Tom Chilton 11th, Stephen Jelley 13th and Tom Oliphant 20th after his off earlier in the race. Race 2 Aiden Moffatt led again, hounded by Jake Hill keen to get past the heavy Infiniti which was carrying 75kg of success ballast. Josh Cook’s Honda tagged the back of Colin Turkington’s BMW nearly sending the 330i spinning out. The Ciceley BMW driver had a coming together with the Toyota of Rory Butcher, Chilton managing to re-join. Lap two and Hill took the lead from Moffatt. Colin Turkington was down in fifth chasing the two Norlin Hondas of Josh Cook and Senna Proctor. Tom Oliphant went off at the chicane and onto the grass to retire. There was smoke from the rear end of his car, the rear suspension had failed. Meanwhile, the safety car was out so that Butcher’s Toyota could be recovered. The racing was back on at lap six, Hill still in the lead and he held on to the flag to take his second BTCC win from race one winner Moffatt. Colin Turkington lost some places and finished seventh, Adam Morgan was 10th, Stephen Jelly 11th and Tom Chilton 17th, who got the fastest lap of the race in his Car Gods 3 Series.
Race 3 The reverse grid draw put Colin Turkington on pole and a chance of that 13th win. From the off, Turkington led into Clervaux from Gordon Shedden. Further back, there was carnage as a few cars collided and ended up in the kitty litter, including luckless Tom Oliphant. Dan Lloyd was stuck though, so the safety car was deployed again to remove the Astra. Once the racing was back on, Turkington was still leading from Gordon Shedden’s Honda. Adam Morgan was up a place in eighth, Stephen Jelley was in 10th. On lap six Adam Morgan was being held up by the Ford Focus of Jake Hill, who flashed his headlights in frustration. Going into the complex there was contact and Morgan spun out, a top 10 finish wasted. At the flag it was King of Croft, Colin Turkington taking his 13th victory. Tom Chilton was 10th, Tom Oliphant 13th, Stephen Jelley 14th and Adam Morgan 17th. The teams had only a little time to recover as the next race was just a week away at Silverstone.
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dannorris Looking ahead in business: Apocalypse Now or Bacon Sarnies?
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nless you’ve been living in a cave for the last few weeks, surviving off tins of food and loo roll you horded during lockdown, you’ll have noted that there’s been a serious happening on our forecourts. Aside from the obvious, the fuel supply crisis has actually highlighted a number of issues. Now, at this stage, I’ve got to tell you one of my self-imposed rules for writing this article. Don’t go into political matters. Why? Because people want to read about BMWs, not hear me pontificate on politics. So, I hope you’ll excuse me, but I’m going to bend the rules. Stay with me. We all know the government has set a date by which you’ll no longer be able to buy a petrol car, or even a hybrid. What they haven’t done is give us a genuine road map to how we evolve to that point. On current evidence, it doesn’t seem to stack up. I follow a good few motoring journalists on Twitter, and I notice one thing nearly every day, almost like a template. It goes like this: journo is lent an electric car, does a road test which involves recharging, journo arrives at charge point, charge point doesn’t work, grumpy journo posts a picture of dead EV while holding a bacon sarnie at motorway services. The truth is, the infrastructure for EVs is simply not fit for purpose. Not even a tiny bit. Never mind a road map, we haven’t started building the roads. Recharging takes a while so even if you do find an available charge point, and it works, your journey takes a lot longer than doing it in an equivalent petrol car, partly because you spend much of it eating bacon sarnies while waiting for the charge to finish. This in turn gives you high cholesterol and fills you with saturated fats, from which you die. So, the reality is that EVs are really bad for your health. But the serious issue here is that we’re relying on our governments to sort this infrastructure issue out. These are the people that, only a short while ago, were encouraging us to buy diesel cars by subsidising the fuel and giving us tax breaks. That black smoke billowing out of the back? Oh, that’s fine, it can’t be bad for you. Smoke never is, is it? These are the guys that kicked out all the European workers and then
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wondered why there’s nobody left to staff in our hotels, pubs and restaurants and to transport our goods, harvest our food or fix our showers. Of course that’s not their fault. Apparently it’s down to me, as a business owner, because I don’t pay people enough. I have become reliant on cheap foreign labour, apparently. These are the same crew that wound down apprenticeships, made it impossible to give work experience to young people due to absurd amounts of red tape, thus depriving us of any chance of encouraging the next generation to take an interest in our industry. And yes, the same people who, at the start of Covid, told us that wearing a mask was a bad idea. Why? Because it might make us complacent. We’d start ignoring social distancing rules because we felt so safe. This was just prior to them ordering us to close our businesses so that our online competitors had a clear field to suck up a huge market share. Actually, all of it, since we were shut at the time. The same people who promised us a bonus for every staff member we kept on after the furlough scheme, only to withdraw it and order us to close again. Then we had to wear masks because, as it turns out, they do stop the spread, even if we are all feckless irresponsible children who can’t tie our own shoelaces. Erm, but now you don’t have to wear them, because something… something. Are they just making it up as they go? Then comes the fuel crisis. It’s not just the shortage of fuel that’s the issue, it’s the prices that the charming petrol retailers have chosen to levy. After all, what use is a crisis if you can’t make money from it? Knowing they have a desperate, captive audience, all they have to do is name a number and keep a straight face. What did the government do to help? Tell the press they’re going to bring in the army. If there’s one way to wind up the British and trigger a cycle of panic buying, it’s to mention bringing in the army. At this point I have to say, I don’t think it’s a Conservative thing. I honestly don’t think Labour would be any better. And don’t even mention the Greens. There’s that other bunch, but I can’t remember their name. Anyhow, someone needs to think about how we
can fit charging points to every street parking space. And every multi story car park place. And every home, office and school car park. Then we need to work out how to generate all the extra power we need to make this electricity without buying gas from the Russians. The Russians who control more than half the supply on the planet. Let’s not think we’ll get any help from our neighbours. We’ve just told them all we hate them and everything they stand for. Hey, Frenchie, don’t even think about taking our fish. Now, does anyone want to drive a lorry? What we’ll see as motorists, I’m afraid, is death by a thousand paper cuts. I don’t see how we will actually carry on as private car owners. Between the lack of charge points, the impossibility of producing the required amount of power, the speed bumps, cameras, fines, spiralling petrol cost, supply problems, taxes, inaccessible city centres. And it goes on. Owning a real car will be for the most determined or bloody minded. But at least our trains are a brilliant alternative. There’s never any problem with our trains. So, you may ask, where does that leave Munich Legends? Well, like Colonel Kurtz in Apocalypse Now, we’ll be the last outpost on the river. Without the severed heads and fire, obviously. We’ll continue to cater for those antiquated, outdated old machines that people collect, with their deadly polluting output. People will come from all around to tut and shake their heads, wondering how people ever thought it was a good idea to blow up petrol just to get around. Or sometimes just to drive round in circles to see who was the fastest, and thus blow up the largest quantity. We’ll lend cars to period dramas set in the 1990s and let schools bring their pupils round to laugh and point. But hold on. Perhaps I have a better plan. Maybe we should get into the bacon sarnie business. Because in the medium term at least, I have a feeling that’s where the money’s going to be.
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products M-Style titanium cat-back exhaust G80/G82 (GPF Delete) M-Style is now offering an ultra-lightweight cat-back exhaust system with a GPF (gasoline particulate filter) delete for the BMW G80 M3 and G82 M4. This system goes far beyond the modifications of most aftermarket systems. It is constructed entirely of titanium for minimum weight with maximum strength. Naturally, the kit features optimum gas flow and restriction-free curves to provide peak performance with a unique exhaust note. Plus, the valve control is retained. The kit is available for £2750 including VAT, fitted. For further details e-mail info@mstyle.co.uk or call 0208 598 9115.
M-Style carbon steering wheel and insert for BMW F code M Models M-Style now has stocks of M Performance carbon steering wheels and inserts, which will fit all BMW F code M models. The wheel features a genuine carbon fibre rim with Alcantara trim on the grip areas and the iconic M-Performance logo at the end of the bottom spoke. The price of the wheel is £499.00 including VAT and the insert is £189.00 including VAT. Professional fitting is recommended due to the transfer of the air bag system. M-Style can provide a fitting service for just £80.00 including VAT. For further details e-mail info@mstyle.co.uk or call 0208 598 9115.
Halfords five-piece lifting kit The Halfords five-piece lifting kit includes key items for working on your car, and a 2-tonne lifting capacity. Features and benefits: • Minimum Height: 14cm • Maximum height: 34cm • Lifting range: 14cm to 34cm • Saddle diameter: 6.7cm • Two axle stands with a safe working load of one tonne per stand , two tonnes for the per pair. • Height range 26.5 to 36.5cm • Three height positions • Padded car creeper • Wheel wrench with a 17 and 19mm socket • Two folding wheel chocks suitable for wheels up to 16” diameter and vehicles up to two tonne Available for only £85.00. Member’s benefit from a 10% discount on in-store purchases. Visit the BMW Car Club website for more information.
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NEW - Clarke 2.8kW electric fan heater The Devil 2850 2.8kW electric fan heater is ideal for heating your workshop or garage. The heater is constructed with a sturdy steel frame with tough powdercoated finish. Weighing in at just over 2.5kg with a convenient carry handle this heater is lightweight and portable enough to be easily transported. The Devil 2850 has three settings: heater 1 (1.4kW), heater 2 (2.8kW) and a fan only setting for cooling during warmer weather. For added safety, the heater benefits from a tip-over cutoff switch which will trigger in the unlikely event of the heater being knocked either forwards or backwards. The Clarke Devil 2850 is available for only £47.98 including VAT.
New - Clarke PG3800A EURO5 3kVA 230V petrol generator This versatile 3kVA generator has 2x 230V sockets making it ideal for domestic and leisure. With a four-stroke, 5.6hp engine it provides a reliable source of power for a wide variety of vocations, such as catering, stalls, fetes, and school, church and sports events. The large 15 litre tank provides 8.2 hours running at ¾ load, whilst the automatic voltage regulatior (AVR) enables sensitive electrical equipment to be used such as laptops, televisions, tablets and computers. A 12V DC output facility can be used for battery charging, too. Encased in a protective steel frame it features a voltmeter, fuel level gauge, low oil cut-out and 2 x 230V 13amp domestic sockets. Available now for £322.80 including VAT.
Machine Mart is Britain’s biggest specialist supplier of tools and machinery. Established in 1981, it has a growing network of 65 superstores nationwide with 1000s of tools and machinery on display. Products can be purchased with confidence and ease in-store, online at www.machinemart.co.uk or via mail order on 0115 956 5555. Its experienced store and telesales teams are there to provide helpful, friendly advice to Machine Mart’s customers, ensuring that they purchase the right tool for the job, every time. In addition to over 6,000 catalogue lines, the XTRA section of the Machine Mart website now includes a further 15,000 specialist hard to find tools for just about every application.
Meguiar’s 3-in-1 wax This unique formula cleans, polishes and protects, delivering amazing results all in one simple step. Advanced abrasive technology quickly and safely removes swirls, water spots and other in paint blemishes. Rich polishing oils add depth, colour and fullness of gloss and shine. This formula is also a unique blend of carnauba wax and synthetic wax that provides a resilient water beading action with a durable, protective barrier between your paint and the elements. Meguiar’s 3-in-1 wax is an easy to use wax that removes defects, enhances shine and delivers durable wax protection, and is easy to apply and remove without sacrificing amazing results on your car. The Benefits • Removes swirls, water spots and blemishes • Increases depth of gloss and colour clarity • Provides long lasting protection RRP £27.50 BMW Car Club members get 10% off by ordering through officeadmin@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk. *Delivery charges apply
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Life Feature – E39 M5 Touring
LIFE
Goes Like Schnell Editorial by Steve Carter Photographs by Dean Grossmith
Regardless of whatever age I reach, I still get as excited as a small boy at Christmas when I settle into the driver’s seat of a new or special BMW for the very first time. And I’m having that feeling right now.
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I
stick the key into an ignition barrel and twist it, feeling the car momentarily tense as the start motor catches. The cabin starts to rock rhythmically as the engine turns over for a split second before all eight cylinders suddenly wake up and fire into life. That wonderful V8 whoomph as the S62 engine’s revs rise temporarily, producing an aural delight before dropping to an altogether quieter thrum. Nothing to shout about here. In fact, it’s all very restrained. Exactly like an M5 should be, then.
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Ever since the first E28 BMW was badged M5 back in 1984, there has been a clear and consistent form of M5 lineage: subtlety. Every M5 has been understated in the looks department, something we see even in the current F90 models. And unlike most of its peers that tend to be instantly recognisable by their swollen wheel arches and shouty body kits, an M5 is altogether more respectable, blending in with the crowd, and only those with a discerning eye for the rare and the special
recognising what lies beneath that sharp suit. Perhaps the most well-dressed of them all is the E39 M5. Differentiated from its company car diesel brothers and sisters by the slightest of cosmetic tweaks: the more aggressive front bumper, deeper dished shadow chrome wheels, those two pairs of exhaust tips out back, and, of course, that very special badge on the boot. Could it be more discreet? Umm, well yes actually it could. Imagine just for
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Life Feature – E39 M5 Touring
a moment if it was an E39 M5, not in saloon form, but, say, in a body shape even more suited to the practicalities of daily family life, like a Touring. I mean nobody would notice that, would they? Well, I’ve noticed it, because although BMW never produced an E39 M5 Touring, that is exactly what I have in front of me right now. Stunning in its Oxford Green metallic paint looking exactly like it is 1999 and it has just rolled off BMW’s production line in Dingolfing, Germany. If you’ve been reading Straight Six over the past three months, then you’ll be familiar with the trials and tribulations that Barry Sheward of BMR Performance has faced in building this unique car. If you know Barry, even just a little, you will recognise that he is totally fastidious when it comes to building and renovating cars. And he’s had a few over the years, 100 and counting. As a young BMW dealership technician at Hexagon and Chandlers Hailsham, he was passionate about his cars. When his colleagues took holidays to get away from work, he’d take a week off so he could spend a week at the dealership, using the ramps in the garages to work on his own cars. His colleagues thought he was mad, rather than recognising the innate passion for cars that Barry had running through his veins. His mantra: if it could be unbolted then it could also be put back together. Some of Barry’s cars only stayed a short while, all were driven hard. An early purchase was a Nissan Bluebird bought as a temporary means of transport for
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£50 from a street near his home at the time in Croydon, it lasted a whole week, a trashed gearbox sending that one straight to the great scrapyard in the sky. Some stayed longer. Some were cherished, sold and regretted. A Dolphin Grey E28 M5 (number 88) is a particular sore point for Barry. Fortunately, it resides with a friend far enough away in Oxfordshire to not be a constant reminder of his mistake in letting it go. And some of his cars have stayed with him, well into their second decade, a Diamond Schwarz Metallic E30 325i Sport Tech2 to name just one. So, as you may imagine, his stunning OEM-exact M5 Touring is causing Barry a bit of a dilemma. Asking Barry where this M5 rates amongst his favourites elicits a slightly offended response, much akin to asking him to choose a favourite child. But I can sense, as our day together progresses, this particular M car has got right under his skin. Time to find out why. The E39, to my eyes, is such a resolved design. At its most basic, a simple three-box design with softly rounded edges, but which seems to be perfectly proportioned front to back and side to side. There isn’t a bad line anywhere. For sure, it doesn’t carry the boldness and confidence of the Bangleera E60 that came after it, nor the more angular edges of the E34 before. It also doesn’t have the strength and cleanliness of the shark-nosed E28 before that. Yet somehow it just looks right, and in the Touring body style even more so. The Shadow Chrome 18” Style 65 alloys on this example combined with the dark
green metallic paint give it an understated and classy look. It’s under the skin where all of the special bits live, starting with that 4.9-litre S62 V8 engine. When released in 1998, it was the first V8 with an S code that BMW had ever produced and the second BMW engine to have Dual VANOS that altered the timing of both intake and exhaust camshafts. It also featured a semi dry sump oil system and both engine block and heads made of aluminium. And, like its six-cylinder predecessors, it used a throttle body for each cylinder to precisely meter fuel and air. The result of this engineering? An engine that produced a staggering 394bhp and a sizable 369lb ft or 500Nm of torque, enough to propel this near 1800Kg executive bahnstormer to 62mph from rest in just 5.3 seconds. Chassis-wise, this Touring remains faithful to the M5 Saloon apart from the suspension where higher quality parts have been used. Up-front the car has MacPherson aluminium struts and control arms, an M5 anti-roll bar, Bilstein B8 dampers and Eibach springs. At the www.bmwcarclubgb.uk
rear, the car retains the self-levelling air suspension from the 540i base car that Barry sourced, with Bilstein’s B8s and an Eibach rear anti-roll bar to keep that additional touring mass in check. Michelin Pilot Sport 4s sit on each corner of the Touring and provide the final piece to what is a highly competent chassis setup. Inside, the E39’s interior is, for me, at the height of BMW’s late nineties and early noughties driver focused cockpit design. It was a time at BMW where the accountants had not yet taken over from the engineers. It’s a machine which oozes quality. The 540i SE Touring base car originally had a full beige interior, but this www.bmwcarclubgb.uk
has been replaced with a black M5 interior. The front seats cosset you like a favourite armchair, providing great comfort yet with enough side bolster on the seat base and back to keep you firmly in place when pushing on. The M5 binnacle has been refurbished and looks brand new. All of the dot matrix screens, which were in a sorry state as they often are after twenty years, have been replaced with new. One of the classiest touches is that the M5 binnacle was re-flashed to ensure it carried the correct mileage, thus following the shell and chassis of the car, not the M5 donor car. Perhaps the most impressive part of the transformation for me lies under the boot’s carpeted floor panel. It was here that a significant amount of metal work took place, the 540’s wheel well cut and removed, replaced with a smaller tray to hold the air suspension pump and electronics, with the battery repositioned to sit directly behind it. And why? So, the factory-correct routing for the M5 exhaust and silencers could sit exactly where their
maker intended. Now that’s attention to detail. Driving With only a handful of summer days left before Autumn makes its appearance, the weather gods have blessed us with a colourful and dry start to the day, and we’re heading out early. It’s Goodwood’s Revival weekend, and if we don’t head out on Sussex’s finest driving roads at the crack of dawn, then there’s a high chance the roads won’t be empty enough for the M5 Touring to show us what she really can do. As we meander through Horsham town centre, the first thing I notice is just how docile the car is at these low speeds. The Getrag 420G 6-speed manual gearbox is a peach, no baulking at low engine rpm, that torque just pulling us smoothly between the traffic lights and roundabouts up to the 30-mph limit. Eventually we reach the edge of town and join the A24’s dual carriageway. Now for the first time the engine’s full 7,000rpm rev range are available to me. The engine BMW Car Club Magazine November 2021
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Life Feature – E39 M5 Touring oil is up to temperature, confirmed by the orange rev counter lights which have slowly extinguished. Coming off the roundabout in second I start to wind the big V8 up and the car starts to come alive. The faster it goes the more natural the car starts to feel, the sweet sound of that V8 permeating through the expanse of glass sand the larger box-like interior of the Touring. The space only adds to the driving experience. We soon turn onto the A272 and head west towards Petworth and along some of Sussex’s greatest driving roads, which are virtually empty at this time in the morning. Now I’m really enjoying this six-speed gearbox. It’s really sweet on this car, offering slick yet precise changes both up, down and across the gate, encouraging me to change gears more often than is strictly necessary when there’s so much torque on tap. I crack open the driver’s window slightly, not because I need the air, I just want to hear more of that sweet S62 V8 wind up towards the redline. It’s such a fantastic V8 engine, totally different in character from the frenetic S65 V8 that came after it. This S62 just builds and builds up to its 7,000rpm redline, it goes like schnell and has such an addictive V8 soundtrack that I’m still dreaming about it days later. The great chassis and tyres Barry has fitted to this Touring enables this near two tonne family wagon to be hustled in a way which initially seems contradictory to the way it looks. But grab it by the horns and this M5 will play, and play like an M car should. It’s as happy to drift all four wheels at once as it is to have its back end hanging right out, although, I’m sure it might have been a little livelier had it been built back in the day on late 90s rubber compared to the modern Michelin’s it’s wearing now. The body control is phenomenal considering the physics at play, no doubt due to the combination of the Bilsteins, the self-levelling air suspension and that rear Eibach anti roll bar. Although, I feel it would feel even more settled and up for the fight with a couple of big mates in the rear and some luggage thrown inside the split tailgate, it would just give it a little more composure and weight over the back end. The brakes feel strong and really inspire confidence when you want to explore the outer edges of its performance, no nasty artificially assisted brake pedal here, it’s all down to how hard I press the pedal. It’s a car that is happy and composed enough to brake deep into the corner.
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The only area of the driving experience that I’m left a little wanting is in the steering. The size of the S62 V8 is such that BMW were unable to fit a rack and pinion set up, having to make do with a recirculating ball arrangement. At 14.7.1 and 2.66 turns lock to lock, it is on paper much quicker than the non-M E39 V8’s rack, but the lack of feel on offer somehow makes it feel slower and less responsive on turn in, with a dull dead ahead feeling. On occasion it’s reminiscent of some of the more modern electric steering set-ups. I put it down as one of those issues that great cars sometimes have, something that doesn’t ruin the car but just requires you to drive around it. And anyway, once you have got beyond the vague initial turn in feel, the chassis balance lets you know exactly where the car beneath you is. One particular feature of this generation BMW is the early DSC (Stability Control). If you’re really misbehaving and driving like a hooligan, then it will cut in pretty aggressively. And when you’re at the car’s adhesion limits, when cornering hard, it flashes away like it’s trying to communicate in morse code. Apparently, so I’ve been told. Nothing to see here. Ehmm.
fancied creating. And when I ask him what he is most proud of about the car, he doesn’t talk about the immense engineering achievement or the way it drives, he simply and very humbly says, “The car’s overall look and feel. It’s like something you would have seen in a BMW showroom in 1999”. It’s hard not to fall for this E39 M5 Touring. Not only is it a subtle and fabulous looking car, particular because it’s covered in Oxford Green metallic paint, but the way it has been bolted together is hugely impressive. Sure, it needs a few small cosmetic bits like the wiper arms replaced, and Barry will point out that really the window and door surrounds need to be changed to high gloss Shadowline from Satin Black to be on point, but these are straight forward fixes. The overall quality of the conversion and the attention to detail is simply mind blowing, it really does drive like a brand new 20-year-old car, and one that BMW really should have built, but didn’t. But luckily for us, Barry did, and for that we should all be very grateful. A big thank you to Barry Sheward for letting us experience his E39 M5 Tourer first hand.
Conclusion Barry built this one-of-a-kind M5 Touring just because it’s something he had always www.bmwcarclubgb.uk
BMW 503 Cabriolet
From Surtees to Grenfell
Words Michael Grenfell/Jeff Heywood Photos Michael Grenfell & BMW Press
BMW’s wonderful and rare 503 Cabriolet 26 BMW Car Club Magazine November 2021
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BMW’s 503 model is often overshadowed by its sporty brother, the charming and revered 507 roadster. But that’s not to say the 503 is in any way inferior to the 507. Some, including the author, enjoy its Gran Tourismo nature, its spaciousness, refinement and the power from its 3.2-litre V8. It’s designed to cosset you as it whisks its passengers across countries in comfort and style. This particular (and very rare) right hand drive example also benefits from leaving BMW’s Munich factory a cabriolet, allowing the driver and passengers to enjoy wind in the air motoring. Read on to discover how the 503 came into being, and how this car’s past owners make for fascinating reading.
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BMW Car Club Magazine November 2021
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BMW 503 Cabriolet
Elegance personified, BMW’s 503 Cabriolet perfectly captured in a delightful English garden setting
P
ost WW2, BMW was in a perilous financial state. Its Eisenach factory now lay in East Germany and was in the hands of the Russians and the Munich plant had been heavily bombed by the allies. The way it survived, by patching up some of the buildings at the Munich plant and producing pots, pans, bicycles and other metal based products, is nothing short of a miracle. The company finally received the go ahead to return to automobile production in 1949 and famously chose to go down the route of making low production, luxury cars, starting with the 501 ‘Baroque Angel’. By the mid-1950s, BMW was still a relatively small concern and, due to the hardship that WW2 brought, it was anxious to expand internationally. In particular it was jealous of the success Mercedes-Benz was experiencing with its 300SL. The problem BMW had was the need for a more powerful engine to power these new, heavier vehicles. The 501, which began production in 1952, was powered by the 64hp 2-litre BMW M337 straight-six engine, which was based on the pre-war BMW M78 engine. The M337 straight-six struggled with the 1,285kg mass of the 501, allowing the competing and cheaper Mercedes-Benz W187 to outperform the 501. Thankfully, BMW had the foresight, thanks to the persistence of chief engineer Alfred Böning, who persuaded the board that the new, luxury (and heavier) BMWs needed a more powerful engine to provide the motive force required to compete with Mercedes. The solution was an all-alloy overhead valve V8 based loosely on the Oldsmobile Rocket V8. Böning began work on the new engine in 1949. After a delay, the V8
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was completed by engineer Fritz Fiedler, who returned to BMW in 1952, and it was introduced at the 1954 Geneva Motor Show in BMW’s new luxury 502 Saloon. With a 2.6-litre displacement, the new engine produced 100bhp, giving the new 502 model a top speed of 99mph. Buoyed by the fact that the company now had a modern, powerful engine, BMW’s sales manager Hanns Grewenig, persuaded the board that they needed some decent new models, including a sports car, to put it in. He was helped in this by the influential Max Hoffman, who imported European cars to the US. Hoffman told BMW’s management that
if they made a sports car retailing for about $5,000 (12,000DM) he could sell thousands of them. Hoffman had been largely responsible for the successful introduction of the Mercedes 300SL Gullwing in America, but he was also an avid enthusiast for all things BMW. In fact, in 1955 BMW’s management, influenced by the public reaction to the appearance of Mercedes-Benz’ 190SL and 220SC show cars in New York in February 1954, approved a project to produce not one but two sports cars, the 503 and 507. The 503 was based on the 502 chassis and the 507 on a shortened 502 chassis, which Fiedler modified. Although the 503 was conceived as a large GT type tourer, it was marketed as a sports car. Both it and the 507 were powered by the new V8, with power increased to 140hp and then 150hp once it reached a larger 3.2 litre capacity. Even more power could be extracted by the factory, though, the V8 in Surtees’ 503 reputedly had over 160hp. Where BMW slipped up was by not going down the route suggested by Hoffman. BMW regarded itself as a supplier of cars to the elite. It was not interested in competing with the budget Mercedes 190SL. It considered the more expensive 300SL as the real competition. It therefore decided to concentrate on quality and style. Ernst Loof, BMW’s designer, produced the preliminary drawings for the 503. When Max Hoffman saw them he asked if a young industrial designer he knew, Albrecht Goertz, could take a look at them. Goertz’s suggestions for improvement were so good that the
Something as simple as the door card sums up the 503. Exquisitely trimmed, pleated and piped in leather, the chromework is deep and lustred and the panel itself has been worked so there are recesses for the chrome door opener and the two separate storage compartments are just quite special with small leather pulls mounted on them. Also look at the door hinges, they are huge. Rolls Royce was mentioned in the main body of the article and the hinges resemble something from a Rolls or a Bentley www.bmwcarclubgb.uk
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BEE 46 looking magnificent at Blenheim Palace. A pillarless design with a hood that almost folds flat always looks best on a cabriolet
Sat in the solid cast aluminium dash is the exquisite Telefunken radio, which has an Art Deco feel. The heating controls look almost bomb-proof in their construction
The 503’s set of clocks. The dials and numerals look quite Americanised in their style. Quality touches abound with Bakelite covering the steering wheel and control knobs
designs for both the 503 and the 507 were handed over to him. His full name was Albrecht Graft von Schlitz gennant von Goertz Von Wrisberg. As if that wasn’t enough, he called himself Count Graf von Goertz, assuming a courtesy title he was not entitled to use on the death of his father and elder brother. He did however marry The Baroness of Bodenhausen before they separated in 1942, so perhaps the title had come in useful. Both the 503 and the 507 were exhibited at the 1955 Frankfurt Motor Show, where Battista “Pinin” Farina declared the 503 to be the prettiest car in the show. After the Geneva Motor Show in 1956, Hansjoerg Bendel, a motoring journalist for Road and Track magazine said in June 1956: “The 503 [as] tried proved to be, at least for my taste, the car of the show… I found out that it represents a well-nigh ideal combination of really outstanding performance, first
rate road holding and a high degree of comfort… I regard the BMW 503 in every respect a dream come true”. And so he should, for the 503 was heroically over engineered, each car being handbuilt by BMW’s craftsmen in Munich, with the aluminium bodywork hand beaten by Karrosserieentwurf, BMWs bodyshop. The dashboard alone was a work of art in itself, manufactured from solid cast aluminium. The complicated cantilevered and spring assisted glovebox lid (again in cast alloy), weighed more than most ordinary dashboards on its own. Each car was custom built, with no two bodies or specifications the same. The 503 was produced in left hand drive configuration as both a fixed head coupé and in cabriolet form in tiny numbers, 412 in total. It won numerous gold medals and was purchased by both the aristocracy (e.g. Count Faber-Castell) and the very wealthy. Instead of selling them for $5000/12,000DM in the US,
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as Hoffman had requested, they initially retailed for $7988/29,000DM. This was more expensive than an Aston Martin and getting into Rolls Royce territory. The workmanship that went into the 503 was better than Aston’s and on a par with Rolls Royce. Yet, although they were among the most expensive cars in the world, they were still sold for far less than the cost of producing them. Hoffman cancelled his orders and BMW were unable to sell them through their own network in quantities sufficient to make a profit. Only 138 of the Cabriolets were built between 1956 and 1959 when production ceased, having nearly ruined BMW.
BMW 503 Reg No BEE 46 The importer of BMWs into the UK at the time of the 503 being on sale was AFN Ltd, run by the famous H J Aldington, or Aldy as he was known throughout the motoring industry. AFN had been the sole importer of BMW automobiles since 1934 having been impressed by the sophistication of the German products compared with their own agricultural offerings, the chain driven Frazer-Nashes, beloved of enthusiasts. BEE 46 was manufactured on the 27th May 1957 and delivered to AFN Ltd on the 18th June 1957. It was one of only three right-hand drive 503 Cabriolets built to order by BMW. Only one other survives, thought to be in the Far East. Since the 503 was configured as a lefthand drive car, building a RHD version BMW Car Club Magazine November 2021
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BMW 503 Cabriolet
(not even listed as an option) was a highly expensive exercise available to very special clients only. In 1957, Aldy’s wife Ivy wanted a 503 Cabriolet, and Aldy carried sufficient weight to persuade BMW to build one for her in RHD format. Ivy then allowed Dr Noel Bee, the family doctor, friend, confidante and a very loyal pre-war customer of AFN, to use it. Dr Bee was an avid enthusiast of BMW and also a financial supporter of AFN. All the doctors in his Lincolnshire practice purchased cars through AFN and he had owned a succession of their cars. He was also a breeder of Hackney horses, part-time sculptor, harness maker and cartoonist. Dr Bee had bought his first car from AFN in 1936, a Type 34 Frazer Nash-BMW, which he used on his doctor’s rounds for the two years that he owned it. Or, at least, this was the story given to John Surtees CBE the subsequent owner. However, having researched this story, it appears that a surprising number of cars imported by AFN were said to be for the use of the wives of directors, probably for tax or import regulation reasons. The story cannot be true in any event as Ivy didn’t drive. BEE 46 was registered to AFN Ltd on the 19th September 1957 and appeared on their stand (133) at the International Motor Show held at Earls Court between the 16th and 26th October 1957. It was so expensive that at the end of the
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The rear seating area is nicely trimmed, but obviously it isn’t expected to be used as much, maybe by small children, as there is less fuss back here and very little kit. Although the rear bench looks very comfortable
The BMW OHV V8 in all its glory. The engine’s block and head are cast from aluminium with cast iron wet liners. The twin Zenith carbs and their filters are quite prominent. This particular example is good for 155hp
catalogue, which listed the prices of the cars displayed, interested parties were referred to ‘The Exhibitor.’ It seems pretty clear that this car was ordered for Dr Bee who selected its equipment, including an engine specced to BMW 507 levels. Those who knew him thought the car was his and when he took possession of the car, his private plate, BEE 46, was transferred from his AFN-acquired Bristol 400 to the new 503 and from then on the car was taxed by the good doctor and used for his rounds in Lincolnshire. However, it still remained the property of AFN Ltd. The plates still on the car are those original 1949 ‘Ace’ plates. Dr Bee was to save Aldy’s life a few years later when, in 1965, Aldy was involved in a minor car accident. Dr Bee saw at once that his behaviour after the accident was odd and insisted he was taken straight to hospital, rather than being
taken home. A stroke was diagnosed at the hospital. He lived until 1976, but was disabled and partly blind. Tragically, Ivy died of cancer in March 1966. The standard 503 in 1957 was equipped with a 140hp engine, giving a 0-60 time of approximately 12 seconds. Top speed was around the 120mph mark. The engine breathed through twin Zenith 32 NDIX carburettors. The rear axle ratio was 3.90, although 3.42 was an option. Initially, the gearbox was remote from the engine with the gear shift on the steering column and there were drum brakes all round. BEE 46 had a higher spec from the factory. Along with the 507-spec engine, it had the gearbox mated to the engine with a floor mounted gear change, necessitated because the column mounted change lever would have been too close to the driver’s door in a RHD car. This was www.bmwcarclubgb.uk
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The red leather trimmed interior is sumptuously finished, with quality touches everywhere one casts an eye
‘They don’t make them like they used to’ and the same could be said for the standard factory toolkit that is impressively equipped
something that was common to all three RHD Cabriolets and to all LHD 503s from 1957 onwards. It also has disc brakes on the front wheels, an option not available to other 503s until later. The last time the car was taxed during Dr Bee’s use (as evidenced by the tax disc still attached to the screen 25 years later) was on the 9th January 1967. The disc was issued by Holland CC, the area in Lincolnshire in which Dr Bee had his practice, and is still with the car. In that year the car was returned to AFN, who still owned it, and was consigned to AFNs collection of Historic Vehicles in the Showroom at The Falcon Works, Isleworth, where it remained owned and displayed by AFN until it merged with Porsche in 1987. Denis Jenkinson (Jenks) saw it there in 1985 and described it as “a rare Cabriolet beast” in his book on the history of Frazer Nash. www.bmwcarclubgb.uk
John Surtees CBE John Surtees, the only man to have won a world championship on two and four wheels, had been a long time BMW fan. When he won the 500cc World Championships in 1956 for MV Augusta, Count Augusta provided sufficient funds for him to buy a BMW 507. Surtees was unhappy about some aspects of the car, particularly the braking and was instrumental in persuading BMW to start fitting disc brakes to their cars. In 1992, Surtees was tipped off by a friend at AFN that one of its assets, of which Porsche was disposing of, was a very well preserved 503 Cabriolet, chassis No 69141. Surtees found it at the back of AFN’s workshop and was allowed to buy it. It was in remarkably good and totally original condition having been unused but cosseted for 25 years.
This became one of his favourite cars and he rejuvenated it, kept and used it sparingly until his death. He left copious handwritten notes on the work carried out over the years with the help of German engineers and his own team of mechanics. It was kept with his 507 and other cars and bikes in his collection. As an engineer he did some of the work himself, too. He was fastidious about keeping the car as original as possible. He was still personally working on the car the year before he died in 2017. The result of his efforts is a fabulously low mileage (70,700 miles) original car, complete with all its original tools, jack and handbook. The interior, with the exception of the carpets that have been removed for safe keeping, is original. So too is the engine and all the running gear, including the shock absorbers. New carpets have been manufactured to original specification. The hood and windows are raised and lowered by the original electro hydraulics, the 503 being the first German car to have a power assisted hood. It is still equipped with its fully working Telefunken Autosuper radio and electric automatic aerial. The car has all matching numbers as confirmed by BMW, with Engine 30166. It also has with it a large ring binder containing comprehensive, dated notes on the work Surtees carried out on the car after it had been repainted and detailed by Mototechnique in 2004. The notes are handwritten and the numerous diagrams which accompany them are hand drawn by Surtees or his mechanic. Some remanufactured suspension parts have ‘SURTEES’ stamped on them. He also designed and fitted an updated antiroll bar. The two tone colour of light metallic grey/blue over dark grey is original, and repainted using the same colour codes as original. Because the car was in such good condition, Surtees didn’t so much restore it as refresh it. Apart from the respray and exhaust system (replaced by a stainless steel item) all other parts of the car have simply been retained and maintained, other than obviously consumable items such as tyres and fan belts. The hood and hood bag are replacements. All mechanical parts have been examined and any work necessary to improve performance without destroying the original parts has been carried out. For instance, the shock absorbers are the originals which were sent away for servicing rather than being replaced. The engine was examined by Surtees, including the big end bearings and no work was deemed to be required. The compressions are that of a virtually new engine. BMW Car Club Magazine November 2021
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BMW 503 Cabriolet
Roof up and the 503 retains an elegant look, the hood following the lines of the coupé model quite accurately
Current condition Michael Grenfell, the current owner of this 503, has carried on the improvements on the same basis as Surtees. Exploratory dismantling has revealed original factory numbers written on the rear of the dash, the top of the solid cast aluminium dash and on the rear of the upholstery panels. On a rolling road test it was established that the engine was developing 155bhp, slightly higher than the nominal output for a 507, giving a theoretical top speed of about 125mph. The car seems to have had only modest use by Dr Bee for the 10 years he drove it. After that, from 1967 to 1992, it was in AFN/ Porsche’s possession as a museum piece in their showroom. From 1992 until 2020, it resided with Surtees collection in specialised heated accommodation in a converted barn next to his house in Kent. The mileage records he kept show that he covered barely 1000 miles in the last 14 years that he owned it, but kept up a continuous programme of maintenance and improvement, which as a trained engineer he obviously enjoyed. It is clear that AFN continued to maintain the car and its equipment whilst in its possession. Labels on the original Telefunken radio showed that they returned the unit and its ancillaries to Germany in the 80s for servicing, as
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Here’s BMW’s 503 Coupé for comparison purposes…
did Surtees in 2011. Kevin O’Rourke of Mototechnique, who carried out the respray in 2004, told me that the bodywork was in extraordinary condition for its age and completely original and unmarked apart from some minor work on the sills. John Giles of TT workshops (and once Chairman of the UK BMW Historic Car Club), who did some maintenance work to it shortly after Surtees acquired it, said the same. Michael came into contact with Jeff via well-known journalist David Lillywhite, editorial director of Hothouse Media, who oversees the content in Magneto Magazine, amongst others. David was in attendance at this year’s Salon Privé Concours d’Elegance at Blenheim Palace and suggested that Michael and myself touch bases, which I’m eternally grateful. Michael’s 503 was invited to take part in the concours and was the only BMW in attendance.
Legacy The 503 was much more important in the continuing development of BMW than the 507. The 503 laid down a path for BMW in subsequent decades in a way that rendered the 507 irrelevant for the next 30 years. The 503 embodied many of the distinct characteristics that subsequent BMWs followed: superb build quality, high performance four seaters for wealthy buyer and the sharp but conservative styling that BMWs are known for have their ancestry in the 503. That it wasn’t a sales success was almost entirely due to the obsession with quality and the resulting price tag. It nearly bankrupted BMW but left us with a fabulously glamorous legacy in the few surviving cars. A huge thank you goes to Michael Grenfell for allowing the club to run this article in Straight Six and for the supply of photos, and also to David Lillywhite for kindly introducing me to Michael - Jeff www.bmwcarclubgb.uk
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ALPINA Tour
Sytner BMW Nottingham ALPINA Tour
Words & Images by Mani Singh Hayer
34 BMW Car Club Magazine November 2021
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ALPINA Tour
A
lpina. A name to me that oozes heritage, performance, comfort, exclusivity, elegance and luxury. I am sure there are a few more I could add, too. Now that may sound like something out of a sales brochure, but these are the attributes and principles that I feel underpins the Alpina brand and their product offerings. Indeed, their slogan is “The will and the passion”. Due to work commitments, schedule clashes and Covid-19 getting in the way resulting in a two-year delay, I was invited to the home of Alpina in the UK based at Sytner BMW Nottingham for a chat regarding Alpina GB operations, a tour of the facility and to see a very special vehicle with Alpina’s GB Brand Manager, Gary Lott. Firstly, a quick history lesson. Alpina is very much a family business and its founder, Burkard Bovensiepen is still involved in the business today, albeit retired from day-to-day duties. Burkard Bovensiepen’s sons, Florian and Andreas, now run the business, including the wine side of the enterprise, which is still going strong. Alpina has close links with BMW through long standing technical, development and testing services. That partnership has helped forge an outstanding working relationship, to the extent that Alpina cars themselves are made by BMW on their production lines using Alpina-built parts. Then, once
36 BMW Car Club Magazine November 2021
mostly built, the vehicles are shipped to Alpina HQ in Buchloe for finishing and final inspection. Alpina is a manufacturer that produces about 2,000 vehicles a year. In terms of Alpina in the UK, or more precisely, Alpina GB to give the business its correct name, Sytner are the only and official importer of Alpina cars for the UK market and it all started in Nottingham. When the relationship first started between Sytner BMW Nottingham and Alpina in 1983, Gary advises me that Nottingham would receive several large cases of components and materials directly from Alpina HQ. It would be up to the team at Nottingham to fit these materials to specific BMWs and build them into Alpinas following the highquality standards and procedures the brand is famous for. It was all done by hand, which is absolutely incredible to think of when, as we know that now the cars are built on the same production line as standard BMWs. There are, of course, many benefits to having Alpinas built by BMW on their production lines, such as quality and consistency. But it really shows how much things have changed since 1983. I was really surprised to learn that the relationship between Alpina HQ in Germany and Alpina GB is very close. So much so that, whilst I was with him, Gary took a phone call from Alpina HQ. Other than the sporadic phone calls and emails,
there are set meetings between the two companies which happen weekly with topics covering sales, forecasts, stock, etc. Since January 2021, every Sytner BMW retailer in the UK is now approved to sell a new Alpina vehicle. In practice, what this actually means is that every centre now has an Alpina specialist on hand who has undertaken the relevant product training and knowledge as well the dealer having an Alpina vehicle on display. Given that every Sytner BMW retailer can sell new Alpinas now, I was interested to learn how this is all managed. I learnt from Gary that everything is filtered through Nottingham and that there are weekly meetings with Nottingham and all of the other Sytner BMW retailers to discuss all things Alpina. As we all know, especially those who attended my tour of BMW Thorne, BMW Killingholme Vehicle Distribution Centre and BMW Southampton VDC are where new BMWs destined for the UK and Irish www.bmwcarclubgb.uk
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markets end up for pre-delivery checks before their delivery to BMW retailers. For Alpina though, this is very different. This is where the exclusivity and the real sense of personal service comes in. New Alpinas are actually collected by Nottingham from Alpina HQ in Buchloe directly. Depending on how many are ready for collection, Nottingham may arrange to collect just one Alpina, but it’s more likely they will pick up several as a batch. Now once built and ready, rather than the cars going to a BMW Vehicle Distribution Centre, like Killingholme or Southampton, the cars are actually delivered directly to the selling Sytner retailer. So, for example, if Nottingham ordered a new D3 Touring and, once it was built and ready for collection from Buchloe, Nottingham would arrange to go and collect it and have it delivered directly to Nottingham. Then it would undertake the pre-delivery checks. What this means is that there is no waiting for a huge vehicle container ship to make its way from Europe to the www.bmwcarclubgb.uk
UK. It is very much a direct delivery, which also saves considerable time. At the time of writing this, there are 12 Alpinas on the way from Germany to their very lucky owners in the UK. Whilst Sytner is the only official importer of new Alpina cars for the UK, used Alpinas are a different story. As some of you may have seen, Sytner does sell used Alpinas too, but so do their competitors under the Approved Used Car (AUC) programme. However, Gary is keen to point out to me that they often receive phone calls from competitor retailers asking for valuations and technical details of a used Alpina they wish to retail and, in the good spirit of things, Gary does try to help where possible. I wanted to quiz Gary on the entrylevel product of an Alpina. Back in the mid 2000s, Alpina decided to launch an entry-level car for the UK market, the E90 Alpina D3. And later the E90 D3 Bi-Turbo. Whilst this was a great success for Alpina,
the main driving factor behind it was to generate brand awareness and make an Alpina more affordable. Since then, there really has been no other Alpina at a similar price point and Gary explains that doing something like this is very expensive for the business. It requires a huge research and development investment. Bespoke parts and future parts availability need to be created and production lines also need to be adapted, so we are very unlikely to see a more affordable Alpina on the market soon. Such as one based on a 1 or 2 Series, for example. The current biggest seller is the G21 B3 Touring, which received 5 out of 5 by Autocar UK when it was reviewed. Whilst the flagship Alpina may be the B7, there are also a couple of new additions to the family, including the huge XB7 and the stunning B8 Gran Coupé. Unfortunately, on the day of my visit, the B8 Gran Coupé, of which the Sytner-owned one is the only one in the UK, was out with the press for review. BMW Car Club Magazine November 2021
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ALPINA Tour
One thing that I was really interested to hear was the Alpina customer profile. Generally, a customer does not walk into a Sytner BMW centre wanting to buy a 3 Series Touring and then decide to buy a B3 Touring. Gary stated that following some correspondence, an Alpina customer walks into a Sytner BMW centre with the intention of buying and only buying an Alpina and not a BMW or M product. Alpina customers tend to know what they are getting with an Alpina and all of the specialness and exclusivity it brings over BMW and BMW M’s offerings. Gary has been in this role for several years now and I wanted to ask him the biggest thing that has changed over the last 10 years. I grinned at his response. Technology was the swift response. Whereas before drivers would be driving their cars, drivers now also talk to their cars and use the BMW Assistant to undertake various functions such as changing the heating or the radio station, just by saying “Hey BMW!” and telling the car what you want. But what about the future for Alpina? What does Gary see as some of the things to watch out for over the next few years. Electrification of cars is something that he is all too aware of and Alpina HQ must decide how they will accomplish this. Reduction of emissions is always an on-going discussion as well as incorporating some form of mild-hybrid into Alpinas. Gary was keen to point out
38 BMW Car Club Magazine November 2021
that diesel Alpinas are still a great seller since they still work for so many people. And I think that pretty much justifies one of Alpinas biggest strengths: comfort, luxury, power and performance twinned with diesel power. Other than getting to spend time with Gary, the other outstanding highlight of my tour was getting to see the Sytner owned E21 323 C1 2.3 (conversion). The car was not on display at the centre on the day I was there and so, after a short five-minute walk to a secure facility, tucked away in a corner I saw the stunning E21. I was told by Gary that it runs fine and all work is complete on it. It just needs an MOT, taxing and, above all, a really good run. My photos really do not do the car justice, but it is in outstanding condition having covered just over 30,000 miles. The interior looks as if it has never been sat in, although this is also partly down to the fact that the seats and leather have recently been refurbished and retrimmed. Not by
anyone, either, but by the same person who did them all those years ago and who came out of retirement recently to do the work. I should add that Sytner BMW have absolutely no intention of selling the car since they love to bring it to the centre for display where possible or have it on display at shows. And with that, my tour and time with Gary ended. The standout headline for me was how much of a personal service it is for buying such an exclusive car and the operations that go behind it to make it all happen. Coupled with all of those traits I mentioned at the beginning of this article, Sytner BMW Nottingham really do have a fantastic and bespoke operation and Alpina HQ should be very proud of the job that Nottingham does. My sincere thanks to Gary and Matt at Sytner BMW Nottingham for their valuable time and allowing me to come down to have a good chat and look around. www.bmwcarclubgb.uk
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Show Report
Goodwood Revival 2021 W Words: Will Beaumont Images: Chaydon Ford
e don’t want to get into a discussion about which car show is the best. We all have different criteria, different expectations and different views. But, whether it’s the ultimate or not, I think we can all agree that the Goodwood Revival is one of the best car shows in England. Possibly one of the best on the planet. And after a year off, with just a smattering of events in between, it was a pleasure to pull on the tweed, yank on the braces and breathe in that heady mixture of race fuel, overpriced coffee, musty vintage clothes and burning rubber that is unique to Goodwood. As luck would have it, we were there for two days this year. Luck because the tickets for the first day were kindly donated to us, my girlfriend and me, as we diligently collected our Sunday tickets a day early. You see, we left the ticket office and disappeared back towards the car park. A generous couple saw us
40 BMW Car Club Magazine November 2021
make this unusual move and gifted their spare passes to us for the Saturday. With free entry, we decided to try out all the aspects of the show we usually avoid. Who wants to pay a fortune, which the cost of going to the Revival can be, and watch a film, go shopping or view
some races on a screen when it is playing out live just over the road or fence? But we weren’t dressed up. We weren’t prepared to enter the circuit, so why would we be? Walking around Goodwood Revival in jeans and a t-shirt just doesn’t cut it. That sounds elitist, www.bmwcarclubgb.uk
Feature
snobby even. But one of the joys of the Revival is the sense that you’ve stepped back in time. The cars, the clothes, the music and the buildings all combine to create an atmosphere that’s not only rather exceptional but really quite dignified. The smarter clothes make people more polite too, I am sure of it. Seeing a flash of Gortex or a branded t-shirt shocks you back to reality and erodes away at that time travel experience. We didn’t want to spoil anyone’s fun, because that’s how it feels if you don’t enter into the spirit of the show. And I’m not one for dressing up, I don’t need a dress code or an excuse to wear something out of the ordinary. Without our old-style garb, we stuck to the fringes of the event. Mostly the ‘over the road’ section, which used to be open to the public but you need to ticket to access it now. We shopped, and could easily have found ourselves a pair of outfits for the day in the shops, but all I could afford was a hat. We ate, we scoured the car park full of classics and finished the day watching Back To The Future on some deck chairs. A lovely day, that’s for sure. Not one you’d want to pay £80-or-so for the privilege, though. Sunday, and it was time to do www.bmwcarclubgb.uk
Goodwood properly. And, to make it truly traditional, it rained a little bit too. It does it every year. Togged up in our best ye olde outfits, a double-breasted suit for me (plus my new hat), a tea dress for Colleen and macintoshes for us both,
we got stuck into the paddock to stare down carbs, let the bellow of engines being warmed reverberate in our chests and see if we could spot some famous drivers. Or, failing that, a TV chef. As we were prepared, the rain made no difference to our mood. I am not sure the same could be said for the drivers of the day. The wet weather made the really old cars look very slow on the fast Goodwood circuit. Slow but spectacular, as their skinny race rubber kicked up rooster tails of water as the cars slipped around. By the time the RAC TT – the race with the Cobras, E-Types and Corvettes BMW Car Club Magazine November 2021
41
Show Report
– started, the track was drying out. Not enough, however, for the big V8-powered cars to get all their power down. You could hear the engines blip and the revs flare as the wheels spun all the way down the straight. Watching these overpowered and under-tyred cars being hustled around the fast corners is impressive enough, but we were treated to some fine racing too. As impressive as it was, watching Oliver Bryant and Romain Dumas snaking around one another in vicious sounding Cobras, the next race, the early 1960s Touring cars in the second round of the St Mary’s Trophy, put on an even better show. On-the-edge Jaguars being hassled by little Austin, screaming Alfas nibbling on the bumpers of big American brutes. It was a template for just how to create engaging, thrilling motorsport. Almost, anyway. The only downside is that, as Goodwood is such a fast circuit, the big hot rod American saloons, with their colossal power and equally large size, often win the touring car races. You can almost guess the eventual winner based on engine capacity, and Bill Shepherd in the Ford Thunderbird proved the theory. Still, it didn’t stop it from being spectacular to watch.
42 BMW Car Club Magazine November 2021
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Feature
A Hidden Gem
ARM Motorsports and Mapfreaks Tuning
Words by Jim Husband Photos by ARM Motorsports and Mapfreaks, Adam Harber and Jim Husband
W
hen the BMW Car Club sent out a request to the Regions for information on any local BMW specialists, restorers or other car related businesses that come highly recommended by club members, I was made aware of ARM BMW Motorsports and Mapfreaks Tuning here in the Cornwall Region. I had heard of them before and recall seeing their stand at a local well-supported car show. Following initial contact with Tim and Joe, who own and run the business, I asked if it would be possible to hold an event or open day at their premises. They were extremely keen to do this and, as members of the BMW Car Club GB, they were happy to support the Club and the Cornwall Region. ARM BMW and Motorsports and Mapfreaks Tuning carry out a range of services, not just for BMWs. They offer a comprehensive list of services specialising in classic and modern BMWs. They have the facilities to offer full dealer services such as servicing, software updates, coding, as well as the expertise in restoring and upgrading classic BMWs from the last 50 years. Their website will give full details of everything they offer www.armbmwandmotorsport.co.uk. In addition to preparing cars for others, they also prepare race cars and engines for themselves and Joe competes in the BMW Car Club Championship. Both Tim and Joe have collectively been Club members for many years and it was very obvious both have a real passion for BMWs old and new. Once the date had been set, I kept in contact with Tim to arrange how the day would go ahead. To be fair, it didn’t take a lot on my part. I just had to let the members know when to turn up, all the hard work carried out by Tim and Joe. It was also decided to open up the event
44 BMW Car Club Magazine November 2021
for other BMW owners, which could raise awareness of the BMW Car Club GB and potentially recruit new members. They had some ideas for the day and during the final confirmation call they had arranged for food and drink and a raffle with some great prizes. As usual, on the arranged day, the weather first thing in the morning was not good. However, by the agreed meet time it had cleared and in total we had ten club members (nine Cornwall and one Cotswold Region, thanks Adam) attended the ARM and Mapfreaks premises for what proved to be a really great event. We had some fantastic BMWs attend, as the photos show. Tim, Joe and their families and team had really done us proud on the day. I knew that they had some things up their sleeve but they really provided us with an excellent day and their hospitality was amazing. Initially we all met and chatted outside the workshop inspecting each other’s cars and introducing ourselves. On entering the workshop was a beautiful 1980 535i, then as your gaze went further you observed other BMWs in various stages of preparation for both track and rally work. A rolling road, body shop and spraying facilities, plus all the expected equipment for servicing and restoration are all within the ARM and Mapfreaks premises. A fantastic E30 rally prepared car caught my eye along with a Ford Anglia,
which had been completely stripped and the engine bay set up and prepared to take a Subaru engine. Tim and Joe had provided us with burgers, coffee, tea and other food and drinks all covered by them. They had also set up a raffle with some great prizes, with all the proceeds going to the Children’s Hospice South West. A fantastic £400.27 was raised. Members certainly kept Tim and Joe busy answering questions and giving advice. We learnt a lot about what ARM and Mapfreaks offer and the work they can carry out on our BMWs, as well as information on the cars and engines they were working on. The time flew by, but before leaving we all posed for a group photo and expressed our thanks and gratitude to Tim and Joe of ARM and Mapfreaks for allowing us this opportunity to see their race cars up close, the services they offer and for their amazing hospitality. If anyone is looking for a BMW specialist in the South West then the hidden gem that is ARM Motorsports and Mapfreaks Tuning is definitely worth a visit. It is obvious both Tim and Joe are extremely knowledgeable, passionate in what they do and work to a very high standard. Thanks to all who attended, ARM and Mapfreaks are already talking about the next time. It is hoped to attend a race meet to support Joe in the BMWCCR series as soon as the car is ready to go. www.bmwcarclubgb.uk
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REDUX E30 M3
Born to Run… Words – Jeff Heywood/Redux/Simon Lord – Photos Redux/Drew Phillips
The launch of Redux E30 M3 002 moves ever nearer as the Redux-tuned 2.5-litre S14 enjoys its first dyno runs. The paint job is looking more Caravaggio-like by the day, too.
T
he Redux E30 M3 002 is edging ever closer to her first test run. The recent dyno sessions have confirmed her re-engineered naturally aspirated 2.5-litre four-cylinder S14 engine is delivering the target performance figures. Redux boss, Simon Lord, tells me that hearing the S14 come to life was amazing. He said the sound
www.bmwcarclubgb.uk
of the air sucking through the individual throttle bodies is incredible as the engine winds its way up to the 8,000rpm redline. All that is missing from the engine photo is the carbonfibre airbox. Details of the specifications will be shared at a later date. Now out of the paint shop, the 002 bodyshell looks amazing. The
painted surfaces are now mirror-like after hundreds of hours were spent wet sanding by hand and then polishing. The Nappa leather and Alcantara-trimmed interior components are striking, and the visual carbonfibre trim details are unique to the Redux E30 M3s. The hundreds of zinc-plated nuts and bolts highlight the care lavished on every feature of the build.
BMW Car Club Magazine November 2021
47
REDUX E30 M3
The Redux-tuned 2.5-litre S14 engine is like a piece of automotive art with quality touches abound. I can’t wait to see it with the carbonfibre airbox fitted
I just had to include a photo of the Redux-designed expansion tank, manufactured from an aluminium billet. The engine bay is going to sparkle like a treasure chest Previous page and above: Redux’s 001 E30, to give you an idea of how 002 will sit on its 18-inch wheels with widened arches.
With the engine, gearbox, prop shaft, front and rear subframes, suspension and wheels fitted, it is the first time since late in 2019 that the shell is rolling again. The new 18-inch wheels sit perfectly in the bulging redesigned carbonfibre front wings and rear quarters. Whilst remaining true to the iconic box-flared design, the Redux enhancements create a subtly more aggressive stance. Simon has a couple of interviews lined up with Top Gear and Carfection, and he added: “there are so many details to discuss during the interviews it will be difficult not to get carried away.
48 BMW Car Club Magazine November 2021
The obsessive attention to detail and craftsmanship expressed throughout this E30 M3 build raises the bar for the niche restoration and modification sector. The team has given 100% to this build, and the results are breathtaking. Seeing everything coming together is an incredibly satisfying experience.” Simon says that the hardest part of any project is the final 10%. “The multitude of components to be fitted back onto the shell, at times, looks daunting. However, incremental wins along the way, tasks ticked off the to-do lists, or a part fixed into position for the final time,
makes the enormity of it all seem less intimidating.” Can I also add frustrating to the list? All us petrolheads and BMW and M fanatics can’t wait to see 002 in the metal, and how Simon and the team have kept the colour choice made by 002’s owner secret is mind-boggling. They seem to have security in place that even the CIA, Mi6 or FSB would be proud of. There’s nothing like taking a punt though, and my money (if I had any) would be on red, either Misano or Brilliant…
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SAFETY FIRST – DON’T GET CAUGHT OUT IN THE RAIN
T
he autumn months have soon arrived. With rain inevitable, it’s important to understand how to drive safely in wet conditions. Wet roads can have a major impact on tyre grip and pools of water on the road can cause aquaplaning – the frightening situation in which a build-up of water prevents contact between tyres and asphalt. Conditions are particularly hazardous in the autumn when the weather tends to be wet and cold and fallen leaves form a slippery mass on the roads. Here are four ways to drive more safely in rainy weather: 1. Avoid deep water If you cannot easily judge the depth of a puddle, be extra cautious. It could conceal a pothole capable of causing serious damage to your tyres, rims and suspension – or even loss of control. 2. Drive cautiously The key to driving in the wet is to adopt a more cautious style, moderating speed and avoiding distractions. You should also increase the distance between your car and the one in front – ideally allowing around five seconds’ braking distance, to ensure you have enough time to react.
50 BMW Car Club Magazine November 2021
3. Steer carefully With caution and moderate speed, most dangerous situations can be averted, but there is still a risk of oversteering or understeering in wet conditions. Instinct may lead us to accentuate steering movements, but this must be avoided because it makes the situation worse. The correct response is to lighten the throttle and straighten the steering wheel slightly until the wheels regain the right course.
4. Understand aquaplaning Even at just 30mph, driving through puddles can cause aquaplaning. Water is not expelled quickly enough through the tyre tread and this can make the car ‘float’ and lose direction. Dips in the road surface are not the only cause, progressive tyre wear and incorrect tyre pressures can also play a part.
Pirelli Pre-Paid Mastercard Offer BMW Car Club members can benefit from an exclusive offer of a Pirelli pre-paid Mastercard. Available only when purchasing Pirelli tyres from a Pirelli Performance Centres or official BMW dealer, the card’s value depends on the size and quantity of tyres purchased as follows: Rim Size
Two Tyres
Four Tyres
16” and below
£10
£30
17”
£30
£70
18” and 19”
£50
£100
20” and above
£60
£120
Where can you get your tyres fitted? Visit pirelli.co.uk/bmwcarclub for nearest participating dealers. Terms and conditions apply.
www.bmwcarclubgb.uk
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CHOOSE PIRELLI AND BE REWARDED
BUY 2 OR MORE PIRELLI TYRES FROM A PARTICIPATING DEALER AND CLAIM UP TO £120* Find your nearest dealer and full details at www.pirelli.co.uk/bmwcarclub
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£120 R E WA R D
crossword Across 1. 9.
BMW Car Club GB Crossword 1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
10. 11. 13. 14.
19.
11
10
13
14
16
17
21
22
23
26
27
32
18
28
15
19
24
12
20
25
29
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Winner of last month’s crossword Peter Keneally
November 2021 All entrants for Crossword the November issue’s crossword must be
received into the office by 11th November. Winner will be announced in next issue. The first correct crossword chosen at random will receive Meguiars Goodies. Please email all completed crosswords to office@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk or post it to BMW Car Club GB, Unit 5h, Glan Yr Afon, Aberystywth, SY23 3JQ
Answers to October 2021 Crossword Across: 1. Fallout, 7. On, 9. Fleur, 10. Ante, 12. Pani, 13. Derv, 14. MIN, 15. NW (North West), 17. An, 18. Roam, 20. ML, 21 SA, 22. ACDC, 23. OL, 24. OS, 25. One, 26. Easy, 30. La La, 32. Lode, 33. Evict, 35. LL, 36. Heywood Down: 1. FF (Ferguson Formula), 2. Alpina, 3. Lean, 4. LUN, 5. Orinoco, 6. Tad, 7. OTR, 8. Neville, 11. NE (North East), 14. Maskell, 16. Wadsley, 18. Ra, 19. MC, 20. Monaco, 25. Olio, 27. AoL (America Online), 28. SD (Secure Digital), 29. Yeh, 31. A VW, 34. TD
Sponsored by
Down Across 1. …Leclercq: Designer of the BMW X5 (E70) and 1. Large UK motor retail group, owning X6 (E71) and in 2013 made Head of BMW M Design, Stratstone BMW dealers at Derby, Doncaster, 21. 22. currently Head of Design at Citroën (6) Harrogate, Hull, Leeds and Tyneside (9) 23. 2. Fixes, or firmly implants e.g. an idea in the mind 9. Multinational UK-headquartered motor 25. 26. retail group, owning BMW dealers at Colchester, (7) 28. Chelmsford, Ipswich, Norwich and Reading (8) 3. Initials for a California-headquartered business that 32. 10. First name and first letter of surname of an engineers convertible versions of vehicles including 34. opinionated Yorkshire-born former “Top Gear” the BMW i8 and Rolls-Royce Cullinan (1,1,1) Down presenter (6,1) 4. Could be Deputy Head of Mission (1,1,1) 1. …Leclercq: Designer of the BMW X5 (E70) and X6 (E71) and in 2013 made Head of BMW currently at Citroën (6) 11. Shortform forM Design, US State ofHead Herbof Design Chambers 5. Could be Red Cross Youth (1,1,1) 2. Fixes, or firmly implants e.g. an idea in the mind (7) 3. for a California-headquartered BMW ofInitials Boston dealership (1,1)business that engineers convertible 6. Could be Association of Ambulance Chief versions of vehicles including the BMW i8 and Rolls-Royce Cullinan (1,1,1) 4.13. Spanish Could be Deputy Head of Mission or Italian word for(1,1,1) ‘”gold” (3) Executives (1,1,1,1) 5. Could be Red Cross Youth (1,1,1) 6. Could be of Ambulance Chief Executives (1,1,1,1) 14. Initials forAssociation founder of eponymous car brand 7. Commonly-used initials for a Formula 1 race (1,1) 7. Commonly-used initials for a Formula 1 race (1,1) founded in Molsheim, Alsace 8. Initials used to refer to the manufacturer of vehicle 8.initiallyInitials used to in refer1909 to the manufacturer of vehicle parts made for and installed during construction, as opposed to aftermarket (1,1,1) (1,1) ... Cecotto: Venezualan racing driver (on 2 wheels and 4) who was in 1989 parts made for and installed during construction, as 10. honoured by BMW with a run of 480 special edition E30 M3s (6) 16. London-headquartered retail(6) opposed to aftermarket (1,1,1) 12. Volkswagen pickup, named after high-end a wolf deity in motor Inuit mythology 15. Italian motorcycle brand originally founded in 1911, perhaps most famous for group that represents including of 10. ... Cecotto: Venezualan racing driver (on 2 wheels being the first to launch brands an in-line six-cylinder roadthat bike (7) 17. Trim level designation, first introduced on the E46/5 BMW 3 Series Compact 14. Across and 4) who was in 1989 honoured by BMW with a run (1,1) and Rolls-Royce (1,1,4) 18. Initials for US city and State, home to BMW of Brooklyn (1,1) 19. Initials forthat British of 480 special edition E30 M3s (6) 20. Something you willracing have to docar moremanufacturer often if you drive your non-electric (6) active BMW fromenthusiastically! 1933 to 1954, putting name 24. Initials for a lightened version oflater the BMW M2, M3, its M4 and recently M5,12. Volkswagen pickup, named after a wolf deity in followed by those of BMW's most prestigious brand (1,1,1,1) to a turbocharged versionMarathon of the(1,1,1) Mini (1,1,1) Inuit mythology (6) 27. Could be Original Mountain 29. In demonology, a Great President of Hell, ruling 3 legions of demons (3) 21. What you might have to stop items sliding 15. Italian motorcycle brand originally founded in 30. Commonly-used initials for ultra-high Pasteurized milk (1,1,1) 31. Commonly-used initials for the state-owned flag carrier airline of South Africa around(1,1,1) in the boot of your BMW (3) 1911, perhaps most famous for being the first to 33. Could be alloy wheels (1,1) 22. Motor retail group founded by British racing launch an in-line six-cylinder road bike (7) driver ‘fearless’ Frank and his brother, currently 17. Trim level designation, first introduced on the owning 17 BMW and 17 MINI dealerships (6) E46/5 BMW 3 Series Compact (1,1) 23. Initials for US State, the location of BMW’s 18. Initials for US city and State, home to BMW of Spartanburg plant (1,1) Brooklyn (1,1) 25. Could be Experimental Factor Ontology 20. Something that you will have to do more often if (1,1,1) you drive your non-electric BMW enthusiastically! (6) 26. Slang interjection and greeting associated 24. Initials for a lightened version of the BMW M2, M3, with North American English. Also the name of a M4 and recently M5, followed by those of BMW’s most popular chain of sushi restaurants (2) prestigious brand (1,1,1,1) 28. A short-tailed ground squirrel native to 27. Could be Original Mountain Marathon (1,1,1) Eurasia and the Arctic (7) 29. In demonology, a Great President of Hell, ruling 3 32. Another large UK motor retailer, owning legions of demons (3) BMW dealers at Bournemouth, Grimsby, Hook, 30. Commonly-used initials for ultra-high Pasteurized Salisbury and Scunthorpe (8) milk (1,1,1) 34. Business division for BMW’s own sales 31. Commonly-used initials for the state-owned flag network, including online presence and the Park carrier airline of South Africa (1,1,1) Lane dealership (1,1,1,6) 33. Could be alloy wheels (1,1) 16.
9
Large UK motor retail group, owning Stratstone BMW dealers at Derby, Doncaster, Harrogate, Hull, Leeds and Tyneside (9) Multinational UK-headquartered motor retail group, owning BMW dealers at Colchester, Chelmsford, Ipswich, Norwich and Reading (8) First name and first letter of surname of an opinionated Yorkshire-born former "Top Gear" presenter (6,1) Shortform for US State of Herb Chambers BMW of Boston dealership (1,1) Spanish or Italian word for '"gold" (3) Initials for founder of eponymous car brand initially founded in 1909 in Molsheim, Alsace (1,1) London-headquartered high-end motor retail group that represents brands including that of 14. Across and Rolls-Royce (1,1,4) Initials for British racing car manufacturer active from 1933 to 1954, later putting its name to a turbocharged version of the Mini (1,1,1) What you might have to stop items sliding around in the boot of your BMW (3) Motor retail group founded by British racing driver 'fearless' Frank and his brother, currently owning 17 BMW and 17 MINI dealerships (6) Initials for US State, the location of BMW's Spartanburg plant (1,1) Could be Experimental Factor Ontology (1,1,1) Slang interjection and greeting associated with North American English. Also the name of a popular chain of sushi restaurants (2) A short-tailed ground squirrel native to Eurasia and the Arctic (7) Another large UK motor retailer, owning BMW dealers at Bournemouth, Grimsby, Hook, Salisbury and Scunthorpe (8) Business division for BMW's own sales network, including online presence and the Park Lane dealership (1,1,1,6)
CLASSIFIEDS FOR SALE: TAZ8 Registration. Genuine calls and offers invited. Please contact Alan on alanbuchanan@hotmail.com / 07790 380515
WANTED: New or used set of mud flaps or at least front mud flaps for E70 X5 40d M Sport with 20” wheels, no side step - original part number for front set is 82162154284. Or if you have any information as to where I can get some would be great. Contact David on 07954752876 or stooksey@gmail.com
52 BMW Car Club Magazine November 2021
FOR SALE: 1997 BMW Z3 1.9 £3,500 1997 BMW Z3 1.9 for sale due to a club members bereavement, finished in Arctic Silver Metallic with a Tanin Red leather interior and a (manual) black roof. Wheels are BMW Style 43 5-spoke 16” alloys. The owner kept the car in excellent condition, with no expense spared in its upkeep. The car had been owned by the present owner for twenty-one years and has only covered 71K miles in total (an average of just under 3K per annum) and has a full service history – the car was serviced in June 2021 and the MoT is valid until June 2022, plus a new battery has just been fitted. £3,500 serious enquiries only please on 07866 007210.
www.bmwcarclubgb.uk
FOR SALE: BMW 528i SE Automatic. 43,000 miles. We have owned it since 1998, the second owner. It was first registered in 1997. It is our second car which belongs to my husband, and he is now too old to drive. As it is no longer required we are rather reluctant to sell as it is still a lovely car to drive. The car has always been kept in a garage at our home and has never been involved in an accident. We would accept £3,900 for it. Tel. 01978780785 or email a.brookshaw@btinternet.com
FOR SALE: 1999 BMW 540i Auto Saloon with Sports Pack Cream Nappa leather comfort seats with Blue piping. Three position memory seats. Individual Velvet Blue Metallic. Double glazed windows. Electrically adjustable steering column. M Sport steering wheel. Auto dimming, folding and heated mirrors. 57,000 genuine miles with four careful owners from new. FSH, MOT until July 2022 with no advisories on the last three MOTs. New Genuine 17” BMW M Sport Star alloys with Continental tyres. Recent battery with 5-year warranty. 6 disc CD multichanger. Rear parking sensors. Good overall condition. Viewing highly essential. Contact no. 07772232587. Price: £9,995 ovno
FOR SALE: 2019 BMW Z4 G29 M40i First Edition in immaculate showroom condition. This model was limited to 444 units worldwide with 45 officially sold in the UK. This car has only done 799 miles since new and never used in the winter and never used in the rain. It is always garaged in a dehumidified garage. The car is finished in Frozen Grey with Ivory White leather upholstery with decorative stitching. A long list of BMW accessories plus many more A private number is included in this very reluctant sale. This vehicle cost just over £55,000 when new, and is immaculate throughout. Genuine reason for this very reluctant sale. SENSIBLE OFFERS PLEASE and no time wasters. Contact Keith on k.landa1612@gmail.com or tel: 01132675005. FOR SALE: 2004 530i SE Auto. Current owner for over 12 years. In good condition inside and out. Mystic Blue metallic with black Dakota leather interior. Comfort front electric seats with memory. Satnav, electric glass sunroof, Xenon head lamps, split folding rear seats, fog lamps, radio and 6 CD player. Four excellent Goodyear tyres (6mm) unscuffed alloys and space saver, puncture monitor. Phone cradle, voice control, Bluetooth. 129,500 miles, service history. £2,250 A matching set of very good alloys with Dunlop winter tyres available for £250. Phil Robertson 01284 735848. Bury St Edmunds.
www.bmwcarclubgb.uk
FOR SALE: This stunning 2006 550i M Sport Auto in Individual Le Mans Blue with Individual Black/ Cream Leather with Piano Black Trim is extremely rare with low mileage of 71,293. The V8 4.8 litre engine’s a technology powerhouse producing 360 horsepower and 360 pound-foot torque with driving performances that creates confidence, solidarity and precision to whet any enthusiast’s appetite. Options include Head Up Display, electric sunroof, auto dimming interior and folding exterior mirrors, front comfort seats with heating and memory, visibility display, navigation, media package including TV function, Westfalia/BMW detachable tow bar and aerodynamic bodykit Superchipped primarily improving economy, c 27 mpg. Front discs and pads replaced. Genuine Alpina 19” wheels refurbished, fitted with almost four new (not run flat) tyres. Summarising this M Sport is extremely comfortable and thrilling to drive. Genuine realistic offers welcome. For more info contact email@jeffleeks.com
FOR SALE: 1998 BMW 540i Automatic. 120,000 miles – not driven for approx. three years, but engine run regularly and driven within confines of private drive. Kept under cover, with body work and paint finish very good – Colour: Burgundy. Black Leather Interior – Walnut Dashboard finish. Onboard TV – Mobile Phone facility wired in. Hi Spec originally, including Alloy Wheels. Basis of a rewarding project with a short completion period. MDP 72 registration NOT included. £3,750.00. Based in Hampshire – PO11. Contact Mike – Mobile: 07531 065661 FOR SALE: BMW 840Ci 1993 Finished in Racing Green. New engine with paperwork, new discs and brakes, new sensors back and front, new tyres and BBS wheels refurbished. New pressure hoses, new shocks, new off-white head liner. 131,000 miles on clock, new engine done 50 thousand. Up and down headlights, new rear suspension struts, new batteries, ECU, Shelby stainless steel rolled ports exhaust, disc changer and phone. Private number plates. Contact Andy on 07788915137. East Sussex. Price: £18,000 ovno.
BMW Car Club Magazine November 2021 53
FOR SALE: 1998 Hartge E36 M3 Evo Coupé This was one of 5 or 6 Hartge BMW E36 M3 Coupés built for the UK market by Birds Tuning. My understanding is that this maybe the only surviving one in the UK and has undergone an extensive restoration over the last 3 years to bring it back to an exceptional condition. The vehicle has only covered just over 68,500 miles. Full details of the restoration are available on request. This extensive body restoration, completed last year, was carried out by a BMW dealer. It includes a BMW Body and Paint Certificate of Repair. The vehicle was at various stages SORNed, but other than that has a full service record. A photographic record of the body restoration is available. The car was featured in the BMW Car Club magazine and a link to the article can be viewed on the Turn&ClipiT website. Price: £37,000 Contact Dean on 07801 700274.
FOR SALE: 2002 E46 330Ci Track prepared with mild re-map. AC Schnitzer body/suspension kit, M Sport trim. Ideal entry level for track days or for a track performance build project. All new cooling system, pump, radiator, thermo, belt, sensors and hoses. Immaculate 19” Schnitzer road wheels used for road but perfect for wet track work and also has a set of 18” staggered track wheels and NS2R tyres. Bilstein shockers, new Eibach Sportline springs and poly suspension bushings all round. Engine has FSH/receipts, and is serviced before track days. Spreadsheet available of all work done in our ownership. Odometer shows 171k miles. Car has enjoyed road trips to BMWCC Angelsey, and Oulton track days, MVS Donnington and Croft as well as BMWCC and MVS Snetterton and Cadwell outings. MOT mid-2022, no advisories, solid body and frame, some E46 bubbles on wings. Rear seat removed. All removed parts included. Only selling as going overseas. We have called this beauty “The Chosen” as it took a bit to find, is much loved and fully enjoyed with many more fun track days ahead. Our last BMWCC track day together is Oulton Park, November 12th. Car is garaged in Bedale, North Yorks. Price: £2,500 Contact Greg on 07942206144.
yourletters A LETTER TO THE STRAIGHT SIX EDITORIAL TEAM ON ULTRA LOW EMISSION ZONES I went to an auction at Ascot with a couple of club members earlier this year. On the way I noticed big signs about the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ), costing up to £12 per day to enter The Smoke, so I investigated further. I applied to register my 7 Series, a 2001 740i with a 4.3 nominal engine capacity. I filled in the online form and my car was immediately rejected. But, I thought, three years ago my car was given a European permit that allows it to drive in any EU pollution zone. The green badge on my windscreen proves it. The car’s CO2 rating was tested by the DVLA when the car was imported from Japan in 2017 was 0.000. It was classified as equal to an electric vehicle and I paid no road tax in the first year, despite it being built in 2001. I later
54 BMW Car Club Magazine November 2021
queried this reading and asked for it to be tested again. This found a level of 0.0001! Note the extra decimal place. I then appealed to the London ULEZ board. A week later I received a letter from them, undersigned by no less than the infamous Mayor of London, Mr Khan. It apologised for their mistake, and gave me a pass for their ULEZ. This now sits in my car along with my International driving licence clipped to my sun visor. With typical UK inconsistency, the situation in other UK zones is different. Bristol, Birmingham and Edinburgh have different systems and rules. So to travel in their zones you will need additional documentation or just be refused admission with or without penalty. It’s about time that the UK adopted a standard system for these zones like they have in the EU. I have complained to my MP, but it
seems he does not care about it. So if you own a 2001 E38 740i Japanese import, then follow my lead by complaining and appealing. The UK and EU cars don’t have the same anti-pollution gear fitted as the Japanese version. Japan is way ahead of the UK in this field. If we followed their lead, perhaps fewer people would die of pollution here every year. Strangely enough, the new MOT certificate no longer comes with any exhaust emissions on it. I wonder why this is? But you can have your own tests done. The manufacturer’s data has been proven wrong in many cases. Howard Walker BCEF Delegate (Retired)
www.bmwcarclubgb.uk
regionalnews Central & Thames Tony Skerrett Central Region sponsored by
07879 404648 central@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk
Barons Bedford
After multiple events held in late August and early September, we are now in October. The autumnal weather is taking its toll on Central activities so it’s been pretty quiet on the Central front. However, the Regional meeting held at the Aviator Hotel on September the 13th was a pretty lively one, and was well attended too. So thanks to Russ Wyatt, Peter Minchington, Peter Collison, Stephen Bailey, Alan and Eddie Fletcher (father and son combo), and Joe. A successful and interesting evening incurred mainly about cars and some interesting technical issues were aired for; like an E36 M5 and paint jobs on an E46. Future Events Christmas Dinner might be held at the Aviator Inn Sywell or Delapre Abbey Northampton on December 13th 7 for 7.30pm. Further details will be discussed at the November Regional meeting, but in reality the venue will be decided in good time prior to the end of October. The long range weather forecast seems to suggest an Indian Summer for the latter part of October, and, if so, we will take advantage and inform you all of potential events. An afternoon tea time trip to a cosy venue seems to be on the cards; again all members will be kept informed on developments.
01234 362 400
www.baronsgroup.co.uk/bmw BARONSCC20133 = 15% discount code
Brunhilda E9 Restoration Project by Niek Nijsen It’s been a while since a real update passed in front of you, up to now it’s been mostly extracts from my monthly newsletters, with the odd unintentional scale model update. After many months I’ve finally been able to visit the body shop again. Despite the slight delay we had at the start, they’re now working on the car fulltime and the progress has picked up massively. At the time of writing, the right side is almost finished; hardly any of the original metal work is still left there. The rear portion of the car will be next, allowing me to commission the construction of the custom fuel tank later next month when the boot-box becomes available. Because the car itself wasn’t ready for seat-fitting just yet, I had the opportunity to sit in their race CSL (a magnificent car to say the least) so we could get the required measurements. All in all, with a bit of luck, the body will be ready and primed come Christmas. Fingers crossed.
Past Events were all reported in October Straight Six! Technical Issues The dreaded Air Bag Warning Light
In the meantime, I’ve continued work on the engine which is still at home. The carburettors are now mounted (again, although a third time will be needed as I’m changing the securing nuts) and I’ve connected the levers that control each carb. Obviously, finetuning is still required which will happen once the engine is fitted back in the car and everything is hooked up. I’ve also connected the new AN-06 PTFE fuel lines, thereby also avoiding the whole E10 fuel issue. Looking at issue 40 of Straight Six magazine from 2001 there is an article on the airbag warning light showing on a member’s Z3. As I have had similar issues with this fault on an E46, I’m pretty sure some members may also have experienced the same problem. “The owner suggested he had a recurring problem with the airbag light coming on. This was diagnosed by a dealer to a faulty Loom. The answer from a well-known BMW dealer is that problems with faulty airbag lights are relatively rare, but should be easy to resolve. All you need is the disabling code as interference will set it off. The dealer advised that BMW will not release details of this code to anyone but a registered dealer. Please take the car to your dealer and get it resolved, it will cost £250.00 to put right.” Remember reader this is in 2001. I have a bypass fitted, which gets round the issue, but it’s only a temporary measure. Any ideas please from hands-on members to resolve the situation, please send them to central@bmwcarclubgb. co.uk Diary Date: 13th November 7.30pm Central Regional Meeting at Aviator Hotel, Sywell, Nr Northampton. www.bmwcarclubgb.uk
Until the car comes back, updates and new episodes on YouTube will most likely be minimal. I’m still working on all the new schematics for the wiring and a few other small projects, which will be updated when possible. Thank you for your continued interest and following. Niek Nijsen www.nieknijsen.com/projectcar
BMW Car Club Magazine November 2021
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regionalnews
Central West Dave Evans Central West Region sponsored by
07800 616500 centralwest@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk
Autobahn Servicing Ltd Unit 11, Pitcairn Drive Halesowen B62 8AG Tel 0121 585 9146 www.autobahnservicing.co.uk info@autobahnservicing.co.uk
Rybrook Wolverhampton 01902 457000 rybrookwolverhamptonbmw.co.uk
Where does the time go? It seems no sooner the events season gets under way before it’s time to put the clocks back again. Anyway, after 2020’s non-event season it has been fantastic to get back on track in 2021 and attempt to attend the plethora of events out there, it’s been impossible to fit them all in. We all have our own favourites from drive outs, static car shows, track days and live action events, but the one thing they all have in common (apart from the vehicles) is the ever-growing petrol head community that we all belong to. I have made so many friends and I now have an amazing catalogue of contacts that are always ready to help with advice. At the time of writing this article I have just got back from Bibury Motor Hub breakfast meet near Cirencester. Myself and Jan visited for the first time in our 1964 700 Luxus. We were extremely impressed with the setup, there was even live music which enhanced the atmosphere greatly. I was rather taken aback when approached by the head marshal, Ben, to be awarded a prize of a valeting kit for the favourite car of the day chosen by the Bibury team. Unfortunately, there isn’t another breakfast meet until April 2022 but I would recommend it highly to you all. Dave Evans – Central West Regional Chair Recent Events A few members from our region ventured further afield to Strassenkultur, an event held at Caffeine and Machine, Ettington, Warwickshire. The German street culture meet was attended by some fabulous cars and these included a fine collection of Alpina’s finest, a total of 12. The food was also a highlight from various onsite outlets, the smells definitely made your tummy rumble. The sunny weather and atmosphere certainly added to the gathering. I continued the nostalgia theme after attending Classic Nostalgia at Shelsley Walsh with BMWCC, I went to the Historic Rally Festival at Weston Park. They were doing a rerun of the RAC Rally stage including the water splash. The displays invoked a lot of memories of marshalling at Weston Park and in the depths of wet Welsh forests where I often thought I must have been mad. Then, as the light improved, you could see hundreds of spectators probably thinking the same. It appeared the water splash was not compulsory this time, but a cheer went up when a car came through it. Unfortunately, the nectar to the nostrils, hot Castrol R40h, was missing as the wind took it in the other direction. However, your ears had the bark of weber carburettors and waste gates to enjoy. There was also a little rain to make it a true rally experience, but it didn’t last long. Even more travels by some members, this time to Coffee and Chrome at Impney Estates, Droitwich Spa. A cool morning which warmed up after the bacon bap and coffee. There were approximately 500 vehicles expected, so plenty to see and appreciate. Amongst the exotica were cars from your childhood, plus some outstanding BMWs: an E30 M3, E24 635CSI and a rarity, a Hartge E28. Brian Elliott - Central West Editor Future Events The Lancaster Insurance Classic Motor Show Friday 12 November – Sunday 14th November The three day event, held at the NEC Birmingham, will have
56 BMW Car Club Magazine November 2021
displays from a great array of classic car and motorcycle clubs along with trade stands, an autojumble, a Silverstone Auctions sale, and a live stage featuring celebrities and specialists from the motoring world. Please drop by the club stand and say hello, the club office staff and volunteers will be on hand to answer your questions or point you in the right direction. Oulton Park Trackday Friday 112th November 8am-4pm This will be the final trackday of the year and it always provides a great finale for all the drivers and passengers. It is very popular, as are all the club trackdays throughout the year. Monthly Pub Meet Our monthly pub meet is held at 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 too. Best wishes Dave, Dean, Brian & Jan www.bmwcarclubgb.uk
regionalnews
Cheshire & Staffs Steve Cooper Cheshire & Staffs Region sponsored by
Blue Bell
cheshireandstaffs@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk Blue Bell Fourth Avenue, Weston Road, Crewe Cheshire. CW1 6XH. Tel:01270 212525
Knights
DISCOUNT OF UP TO 10% IS GIVEN TO MEMBERS WITH VALID MEMBERSHIP CARD *Conditions apply
Cornwall Jim Husband
Knights Bede Road, Radial Park, Stoke on Trent Staffordshire. ST4 4GU Tel:01782 572100
cornwall@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk
Hello to all existing members and to Geoff, a new member of the Cornwall Region. I hope you enjoy being a member of the Club and the Region. If you need any information on meets, events or activities please contact me. I hope to see you at one soon. If you are a Facebook user please check out the BMW Car Club GB – Cornwall page. Details of meets and events are posted on this page along with any last minute changes or updates. Please also check the Cornwall page of the club website for details of events. I will update this as events are confirmed and everything will be printed in Straight Six as deadlines allow. Hopefully you will have all received the email I sent out via the club informing you that I plan to stand down as the Cornwall Region Chair at the end of 2021. If anyone is interested in taking up the role and in keeping the Region going please either contact me or the club office. Recent Events The monthly pub meets have resumed and details can be found below. The planned drive out on the 26th September had to be cancelled due to the fuel shortage. If it’s not Covid stopping us it is something else. As there have been no other events there is not a lot else to report. Events / Monthly Pub Meets. Pub meets – The second Monday of the month at the Plume of Feathers, Mitchell at 7:30pm.
Christmas Meal 17th December – The Britannia Inn between St Austell and Par is booked. Meet at 7pm to eat at 7:30pm. There are still some places left on my original booking number, if you are interested in coming along let me know and I will pass on the menu and information. Car of the Month If you would like to have your car featured please send me details with a maximum of 100 words and a good quality photo. Even if you have had your car featured previously but have since modified it, an updated report would be good. Photos If you do have any photos of past events or of your cars suitable for inclusion in the magazine please send them to me.
Dates: November 8th, December 13th and January 10th
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
cotswold@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk 01242 335 335 01242 335 345 01242 335 355 01242 335 365 01242 335 375 01432 375 555
Cumbria James France Hello to all Cumbria Region members, Nothing much to report this month, however a few members attended Hutton in the Forest on September 12th. We did not attend as a club but we did park together, myself and another member went in our Porsche 944 Turbos. It was a good show in a lovely setting, if you have not been before keep an eye out for it. A stunning white E30 M3 was there, I got talking to the owner who lived locally and told me it had been imported from California. He and his wife were in the middle of packing up and I forgot to get his details with a view to letting him know about future club events. Now that autumn is here and dark nights are coming along, www.bmwcarclubgb.uk
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
cumbria@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk
club meets will be few and far between but if we have decent long term weather forecasts I may look at arranging a weekend morning meet. So, as usual, watch your email inboxes. On a personal note I have been given my mother’s car as she has decided to stop driving, a two owner Audi S3 8L 225 BAM model with only 56k on it (52 plate). This means I have to move something on, and it looks as though my Mini Cooper S R53 is going to go to a new home. That means I am now down to one BMW, my daily and trusted ‘06 X3 M Sport in Silver grey metallic. Be careful, stay safe and be kind. Regards Jim.
BMW Car Club Magazine November 2021 57
regionalnews gearbox oil in my hair along with a full swear box, too. Hope to catch up with you, if you are a new member please feel free to come along to our meets and events.
KathyJemfrey Jemfrey Devon DevonKathy
Devon Region sponsored by
Be careful, stay safe and be kind. (It’s free!) Phone 07799 620 381 or email jimfrance1@hotmail.co.uk Regards Jim. 01626 330436 330436 01626 devon@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk devon@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk INDEPENDENT BMW & MINI SPECIALISTS
The Sidmouth Car Show has been cancelled, if anyone Sunday 27th and September 10am Come and go as Hellohowever and welcome to all new members welcome backuntil to all4.00pm. our existing members. wishes to attend, we will be attending the Our Crash Box End have of resumed youatplease. pub meets the Hare & Hounds, Kingskerswell. Get there between 7 Season Car Show it is at Lady’s Mile Holiday Dawlish, Take care and month, see youexcept all soon. andPark, 7.30pm on theonlast Wednesday of every December. If chatting about your car with likeminded people is up your street, please come and join07514 us for216660 a meal or Georgea Champ drink. eastanglia@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk What a wonderful day Saturday 18th September turned out to be. It was a misty start Barons offers members East Anglia Region sponsored aswww.barronsbmw.co.uk we left Newton Abbot, but as we neared this orange appeared in the • GenerousExeter discounts off the new BMW and thing MINI range • Aus minimum discount £500 on approved used cars in stockattended had a Cambridge : 01954all 784day 500 and those of sky. The sun shone from theof Devon Region who by Barons Cambridge • 15% discount on parts and accessories 10% off servicing, excludes Value Line Servicing which Stansted : 01279 day 755 906 wonderfully relaxing as our photograph proves. applies to cars over 4 yrs The old. three ladies deny we chose our & Stansted seating because of the proximity of the kitchen for our nourishment. To have the day off from organizing an event was cartruly but enjoyable. I always felt the BMW was a bit ‘sportier’ and less Hi everyone, Photograph taken by Jason Sandland. ‘company car’.Thank you for forwarding a copy to me. To say 2020 has been a strange and difficult year would be an
East Anglia
Scouring the local magazines and papers I found an interesting understatement, but nonetheless I am delighted to say we still looking E34 540i for sale near Watford. The advert mentioned have new members joining the Club, so welcome to you all, the 07514 216660 an GeorgeasChamp interesting previous owner buteastanglia@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk did not give any more details. A good times will return. In the meantime I remind you all every phone call was made and a trip to Watford arranged. month, keep up to date with your respective Facebook pages Barons members The car was offers a beautiful Forest Green E34 540i with a and enjoy reading the contributions think about sharing your East Anglia Region sponsored by andwww.group1auto.co.uk/bmw • Generous thefilled new BMW MINIsuch rangeas a remote parchment leatherdiscounts interior off and with and ’toys’ stories and photos with everyone as well. • A minimum discount of £500 on approved used cars in stock Barons Cambridge Cambridge: 01954 784 500 controlled radio and aoncar phone, completed a personalised We have a little glimmer of hope that we will be able to enjoy • 15% discount parts and accessories 10%with off servicing, excludes Stansted: situation 01279 755 906 Barons Stansted Value Line Servicing which applieswas to cars over 4 yrs number plate, A2HKJ. The interior perfect andold.the rear at&least a couple of events and/or pub meets if the seats looked almost new. I still remember looking at the massive allows, hence I still produce a rather small list. I am sure like We’ve had another exciting month, we managed to attend many Essex Pub Meet also on 12th September; very enjoyable as V8 engine under the bonnet and thinking to myself that while I me you all miss shows and events. Personally I have found it great events which I hope you all enjoyed. The Essex Facebook always for those who attended. could afford to buy the car, if anything ever went wrong with the frustrating that the only reason I have forced myself to get my page has reached a milestone with 100 members in the group. Pistons at the Park, 26th September. Photo of Sarah who 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 Keep signing up to all our other branch Facebook pages as well. outshone her dad’s E21, plus a line-up of others with a Vauxhall 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 Little Easton Manor on 5th September was the first time sneaked in. from new but it had never been serviced by a BMW main dealer! whatsoever. I miss meeting members and strangers at events we had trialed this venue and we were blessed with sunshine It transpired that the previous registered owner of the car was and don’t mind talking at length about my 2002 even if the same and stunning surroundings. We had one of the most diverse His Royal Highness, the current King of Jordan, and that the questions keep cropping up; how much is it worth, and are you selections of BMWs I have seen for some time. Such diversity person selling the car was his chauffeur who had bought the selling it? I also get asked if I know of any classic or interesting is becoming more keep them coming. car from the King (although he was a Prince at the time). The BMWs that are forfrequent, sale, andso sometimes the answerMustered is yes so amongst a great ofifother makes, wechanging had a 2002, number plate, A2HKJ, which had been added later, stood for keep sending merange details any of you are your E36 BMW M3, E46reason. M3, E21, E63, plus Apologies if I have Abdullah the 2nd, Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. for any It isE30, not aZ4, substitute forothers. advertising your car missed the list, please photos. to visit My 540i proved to me that large cars could be reliable, properlyyou butoff sometimes word see of mouth canScheduled help. again on 3rd October www.littleeastonmanor.co.uk. and apart from the fuel costs she was surprisingly cheaper to maintain than any of my previous ‘big’ cars. After a few years ownership, in 2007 I began to look for a replacement and finally bought my B10 V8 Alpina which I still own.”
East Anglia
Little Waltham Open Gardens and Classic Car Show clashed with the above meet, but some members were able to enjoy this event too. be fascinating if you would send me a few lines It would Lynn Day, Only myself and andKings photos of Heritage your BMW so12th that ISeptember. can share these with other Barry attended, but we had a great day in the historic Tuesday members. I am delighted to be able to share the following market place, 2002so photo. thanks to Carlsee Pereira, 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 owned a couple of Alfa Romeo 164s. With each ‘upgrade’ the engines got bigger and/or the number of cylinders increased or often both, with the last 164 having the Busso V6 3 litre engine (a work of art). After years of temperamental French and Italian cars I decided to venture into the world of German cars and in particular BMWs. My father often had Mercedes as a company www.bmwcarclubgb.uk
58 BMW Car Club Magazine November 2021
Forthcoming events Sunday 6th September - Classics by the Lake. CANCELLED Sunday 6th September – Classics at Glemham. Sunday 13th September – Kings Lynn Heritage Open Day and Classic Car Show in Market Square. Book direct west-norfolk. gov.uk/classiccarday. Sunday 27th September – The Warren Supercar and Classic Car Show. CANCELLED Sunday Octoberon – Lodge Coaches including Ipswich18th Air Museum 2nd and 3rd October and Auto Little Jumble. Easton Manor on 3rd October. There will be a report to follow next month. The Castle Pub Meet willBMW hopefully be on the 14th November Car Club Magazine September 2020 51 9am onwards, but double check Facebook first. www.bmwcarclubgb.uk
regionalnews Suffolk Pub Meet, 16th November at 7pm and every third Thursday of the month. West Norfolk Pub Meets have moved to The Ploughshare, The Street, Beeston, Kings Lynn, PE32 2NF. Still on the first Wednesdays of the month. Cambridge Pub Meets and Coffee mornings, please double check their Facebook page as well as all the other Facebook
Eastern Paul Rice North Yorkshire Run We were disappointed at the cancellation of the Bridlington Festival of Motoring, especially as several of our members had hotels booked for the weekend. The opportunity to cancel the bookings was there, but instead we decided to make a weekend of it. After meeting up at the services on the M18, we made our way across the Yorkshire Wolds. It’s not quite as panoramic as the North Yorkshire moors but it has all the same some great flowing roads and some lovely scenery. Plus, who can resist saying they have been to Wetwang. Next stop was Pickering and NY500, fast becoming a regular stop for tea and a bacon butty. Fully refreshed, we made our way across the moors following the North Yorkshire Heritage railway line diverting through Goathland. It’s a detour always worth doing, thanks to stunning scenery and roads, and a drive through the picturesque village of Goathland for good measure. The village is probably better known as Aidensfield, featured heavily in the TV series Heartbeat. Diverting around Whitby, taking the Sleights to Rustwarp road and meeting up with the coast road south of Whitby, we headed off for our overnight stay in Scarborough. It really was a great day, some fantastic driving roads, good company and all done at a steady pace. We finished the afternoon off at a local pub for a late lunch. We had a table booked, an extra surprise was the welcome board, pure coincidence but it raised a laugh. On Sunday we all decided to take a stroll around Scarborough before setting off along the East Yorkshire coast, the weather was not as promising as the previous day so we set off for our next stop off in Hornsea. The route took in the small coastal villages before we arrived at a very wet Hornsea. We took a quick dash to the Fish Shop, which I can highly recommend, Sullivans Takeaway and Restaurant. The service was good and the fish was probably the best haddock I have ever tasted. That’s coming from someone brought up in a fish shop, so that’s a big compliment. With the rain still coming down at quite a lick we decided to go our separate ways. All in all, a great weekend, one we intend to repeat next year hopefully finishing off attending the Bridlington Festival of Motoring in 2022.
pages to see what we have been able to magic up for you as we sadly head towards the Winter season. Rest assured we will keep looking for events and bring them to your attention via Facebook and emails. Unfortunately there were no takers for a drive to Star Wing Brewery, so I will take a ride there myself and perhaps something can be scheduled for 2022 as the brewery is happy to host us. eastern@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk
award (highest mileage) and Car of the Show all going to Andrew Barrett with his E28 M5. Thanks to Nick Wright for organising the day and the assorted routes for the run to Whitby for Fish and Chips and a look around this popular seaside resort. Car of the Month As we had no candidates for Car of the Month, I thought I would show my 320 GT as it approaches its third birthday. The car has now travelled just over 16k miles and is really loosening up. The eight-speed gearbox is a delight and with 183bhp it has more than enough power. Although I believe, with a remap, this can be increased considerably. Although I don’t get the same thrill and enjoyment I get from my Z4, it’s a great all-rounder. If you would like to have your vehicle included in our Car of the Month feature, please send a good quality picture, details and history, in no more than 300 words to eastern@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk.
Regional meets Toast2Coast was the buzzword for this month’s breakfast meet at NY500. The challenge was to reach the far ends of the Eastern area. For October we visited the NY500 situated just outside Pickering on the Malton Road. This new location is becoming a very popular venue for car and bike clubs. With the far north location it was great to see members from both the North East and North West joining us for the day, along with other members from further afield. An extra addition was the X Register meet, a first I believe with everything from X3 to X7 on show with an X3 Alpina taking the X Register award on the day. Other awards on the day were Old Timer award, Starship www.bmwcarclubgb.uk
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London Anthony Mason London Region sponsored by
london@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk
BMW PARK LANE
BMW Park Lane, 70 Park Lane London. W1K 7TT www.bmwparklane.com mail@bmwparklane.co.uk 020 7514 3559
Barons Watford 01923 700 217 and Barons Borehamwood 02089 512 600 www.baronsgroup.co.uk/bmw Another month with an amazing turn out at The Crooked Chimney pub meet (they happen on the second Monday of every month, come rain or shine). I’d like to thank all the regulars for coming as, without the cars, I’d have nothing to smile or write about. If you haven’t already, please pop down to us before we lose the good weather. Although, when the weather turns we just go into the pub, sit by the open fires and have some lovely pub grub and a chat about all things cars. In September we attended the Simply BMW show in Beaulieu, at the national motor museum right on the cusp of the New Forest. Driving down to the show you can see wild horses and deer bounding around the fields. We started early, Milan and I met at 07:10 at Andy’s place and we then went to our usual preadventure meeting place, Starbucks Chiswell Green for a 07:30 meet up. It’s on the grounds of a Shell station, which is an added bonus and meant we could all brim our tanks with the finest V-Power and grab a coffee for the road. The drive down there is mainly large speed camera-controlled motorways and so we set up in a five car convoy and cruised down there nice and relaxed. When we got to the show, we were ushered off the main road and into a holding pen. Once the gates opened, we filtered in and
North East Nick Thomas We are drawing to the end of 2021 and it is time to start looking forward to 2022. Our plans come together at our AGM on 24th November. We will again hold it via Zoom as it worked well last year. Details will be sent out via email a week-or-so beforehand. In the meantime, if you have ideas for next year or would like to organise an event please get in touch.
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went to find our hosts; the Wessex region. Tim Maltby met us with a huge smile and ushered us into position. We had six spaces, but sadly one of our group dropped out for personal reasons. We were welcomed and then started the mammoth task of seeing what was where. So many Insta-famous machines all sat there and lots of the owners stood polishing, giving us a chance to get the low-down on what they had done to their cars to get them to the show standard. The last time I attended Beaulieu was for the show, Vanity and I was in my 130i. This time, I was brimming with joy showing the 1M and, between the club members, we had two E92 M3s and two E46s; one being a low mileage 330i and the other a high mileage M3. All the cars were pristine and you wouldn’t have been able to tell which had the most miles under its belt purely from their condition. I actually had my girlfriend with me this time and even she said she had a nice day. The photos speak for themselves. Those who are on social media might have seen the below images, if you want to follow us on Instagram, I set up @bmwcclr as a dedicated page for the London Region. I try to keep members up to date on Facebook and some readers email me with questions and queries, which I will respond to as quickly as I can.
northeast@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk
Recent Events Our September monthly meeting was held outdoors at the Car Barn and drew a small but eclectic mix of cars from members and visitors alike. Members’ 2002 tii, Z3M Coupé and E12s were joined by a stunning white M3 V8 and a slightly modified E30. Then, late in the morning, a fabulous race prepped E9 turned www.bmwcarclubgb.uk
regionalnews we enjoyed the sun, wandering around the open air museum and looking at the eclectic variety of cars that NECPWA always attracts, including a good selection of nice BMWs. At the start of October quite a few North East members joined the Eastern Region for toast2coast. This started at NY500, a new car based venue near Pickering. Hopefully we can continue meeting up with Eastern at NY500 next year. Forthcoming events Events are subject to last minute changes so keep an eye on the North East Region Facebook Group for the latest information. • Sunday 14 November – Monthly Meet • Wednesday 24 November – NE Region Zoom AGM • Sunday 28 November – Vertu Teesside • Sunday 12 December – Monthly Meet • Saturday 18 December – Christmas Dinner Car of the Month Mr Jonathan Mortimer duly won the September COTM award sponsored by The Polishing Company with his stunning V8 M3. All BMWs are eligible to win COTM and a goodie bag supplied by The Polishing Company. Join us at our next monthly meet to be in with a chance of winning.
up meticulously built by its owner of 22 years. A local E30 M3 completed the line-up. Thank you for bringing your cars and we hope to see you again at our next meet. We went to the resurrected NECPWA End of Season show at the Beamish Museum. Despite the poor weather forecast
North Wales David Allen
northwales@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk
September saw the end of most of the Covid restrictions, and sadly the end of the shows for this year. The Anglesey trackday was an enjoyable day out, meeting lots of members, some from North Wales and others who had travelled a good distance to enjoy the track time. Recent Events In addition to the Anglesey trackday, we enjoyed the Classic Car Show at Bodrhyddan Hall near Dyserth on the 19th September. It was well attended and our thanks go to the lads from Mid Wales and Shropshire Region, who were able to keep everyone dry with their marquee when we were subjected to heavy rain late morning into early afternoon. Fortunately, we were then all
spoiled as the warm sunshine took over. The show hosted many cars and rumour had it that Doctor Who was in attendance in his car. Car of the Month If you like your car and story featured, please let me know. www.bmwcarclubgb.uk
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North West Jeff Heywood
07801 506632 Search for: BMW Car Club GB North West Twitter: @BMWNW northwest@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk
Tally’s Valeting Service Experienced mobile valeting service covering the North West region. We offer a range of valeting services for your BMW to give it that ‘good as new’ look inside and out, using the best products. News Welcome to November’s North West News. I’d like to welcome all new members to the club and the NW region, we’d love to see you all at the events and meetings we organise. There are no cliques, everyone will be made very welcome, so why not come along and share in your passion for BMWs. Moving into December, we are now taking bookings for our Christmas Lunch on Sunday 12th December. Please see below for more details and please book early to avoid disappointment as spaces are limited. We have been approached by mobile valeting company tallysvaletingservices.co.uk who are offering some decent discounts for NW members. A full valet costs £40, a full polish of the bodywork costs £100 for club members (normally £120) and a ‘Winter Package’ will cost club members £185, a saving of £15 off the normal price. Ian, the proprietor, is Preston-based but covers most of our region, so why not give them a try? Contact details are in the trade recommendations below.
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.darren-wood.com / 0161 425 7403. Class Alloys. Mobile service, repairs and refurbs alloy wheels. All finishes, including perfectly matched chrome shadowline. Covers most of North West. Discount given to club members – contact Steve on 07594 018525. Facebook - Class Alloys. David Tully Bodyshop (Tully’s), Rochdale. For all body/paint requirements, comes highly recommended. 01706 643866 / www.davidtullyltd.co.uk Facebook – David Tully Ltd. Express Dent Removal. For those niggling dent/dings to your BMWs bodywork. Speak to Simon Robinson on 0800 998 9828 or 07767 832255, or visit www.express-dent-removal.co.uk 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 Tallys Valeting Services for detailing and valeting. Mobile service, covers most of the North West Region. Give Ian a call on 07397 516149. Facebook – Tallys Valeting Services, or visit www.tallysvaletingservices.co.uk
For more information visit our website www.tallysvaletingservices.co.uk Visit our FB Page for offers. Call Ian on 07397 516149. Tallysvaletingserices@gmail.com
his wife Lynne, at most NW Region events and pub meets in his trusty silver Z3*. After Lynne passed away in 2018, Bernard cut back on the events he was attending but still came to the Swan pub meets before the Covid pandemic. I first met Bernard and Lynne at Oulton Park a good number of years ago. I remember flagging down their Z3 as they drove into Oulton Park on a race day. We had a regional display of club members’ cars in support of the BMW-Kumho Championship and I asked if they’d like to join us. We all got on famously and I subsequently signed up Bernard as a member and both he and Lynne became active within the club. Bernard will be sadly missed by everyone in the BMW Car Club who knew him, our sincere condolences go out to his family. Rest easy our good friend. *Bernard’s Z3 is for sale in the classified section of this magazine if anyone is interested.
Bernard Craven as many of us remember him in his beloved Z3, seen at many a NW Region event and pub meets
Forthcoming Events 2nd November & 7th December – Manchester Meet at Sheldon Arms Let’s see a good turnout for the November meet. October’s meeting was sparsely attended, so it would be nice to see a few more faces. 21st November – NW Pub Meet at Kilton Inn, Cheshire We’ll be hosting the latest round of the NW Quiz, kindly sponsored by Darren Wood BMW Specialists, while the committee men will be choosing the Kilton Car of the Month. A nice box of goodies will go to the winner, kindly supplied by Swades Car Detailing.
Bernard Craven RIP We bring you the sad news that Liverpool-based long-time club member, Bernard Craven, sadly passed away in September. Bernard was an active member who could be found, along with
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regionalnews 12th December - NW Xmas Lunch + Pub Meet at Kilton Inn, Cheshire We’ll be back at the Kilton in December for our Festive Fayre three-course lunch. The lunch will be served in the Kilton’s conservatory, which is reserved exclusively for club members, but it does mean spaces are limited. The lunch costs £21.99 per person and there are vegetarian options. Please book with Jeff as soon as possible to avoid disappointment. I’ll then email you a copy of the menu so you can give me your choices in good time. Thanks to the generous support from Darren Wood BMW Specialists, we’ll again be giving away a wonderful Christmas hamper. Plus there will be prizes for everyone who attends. We’ll be dining from 12 noon as well as holding the final round of the NW Quiz for 2021 with the league winners taking home a nice bottle of Champers. We’ll also be choosing the Kilton Car of the Month, so please make sure you give those BMs a good wash.
Mark Riley’s immaculate E89 Z4 35i took the overall Best in Show prize with a perfect score. A first and something that I’ve never experienced before. Mark’s car was truly immaculate. He was presented with the NW Show & Shine glass trophy and a nice box of detailing goodies from sponsors Swades Car Detailing. I must also give a honourable mention to Class C entrants Norman Bull, whose stunning E31 840Ci came second with 56 points, while father and son team Tony and Michael Berry’s equally immaculate E46 M3 came third with 55 points. Both would have won class prizes if they had been in a different class. Finally, a big thank you to Keith Bridge for his help with the judging of the Show & Shine.
A great turnout of BMWs for the NW Show & Shine competition, including in the foreground, a lovely pair of Sharknoses
Event Reports 26th September - NW Show & Shine We had an excellent turnout of club members and their cars for the NW Show & Shine at the Kilton Inn, especially when one takes into account the panic to buy fuel that weekend. The glorious weather also helped as over 25 BMWs contested the prizes and trophies. There were some stunning cars in attendance, including Gareth Fielding’s mint Henna Red E24 635CSi, Mark Irwin’s Schnitzered E31 840Ci and Gaven Tilbee’s stunning BMW Individual F82 M4 in Fire Orange with lots of M Performance carbon goodies. It’s just a shame that I can’t include all the photos here, although they are all available for viewing on the NW Facebook page. We split the Show & Shine into five sections, with Class A for BMWs aged up to ‘85, Class B ’86 – ‘95, a hotly contested Class C covering ’96 – ‘05, Class D ’06 – ‘15 and Class E from ‘16 to present day. 60 points were on offer, with the points split three-ways, 20 for the paint and body, 20 for the interior and 20 for the wheels. Here are the results: Class A Winner – Gareth Fielding’s E24 635CSi with 52 points Class B Winner – Keith Bridge’s E28 M5 with 51 points Class C Winner – Dave Walmsley’s E36 M3 Evo Convertible with 57 points Class D Winner – Mark Riley’s E89 Z4 sDrive 35i with 60 points Class E Winner – Nick Taylor’s F22 M240i with 55 points Overall Winner – Mark Riley E89 Z4 sDrive 35i
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Flying the flag at the Kilton
Mark Riley (left), winner of the NW Show & Shine, receives his detailing goodies and an engraved glass trophy from Darryl Curran, proprietor of Swades Car Detailing. All while young Wadey has his mischievous head on and Angela photobombs the picture
All the class winning cars and their owners, from left to right, Nick Taylor’s M240i, Dave Walmsley’s M3 Evo Convertible, Gareth Fielding’s 635CSi, Keith Bridge’s M5 and Mark Riley’s Z4
On the same day we also ran our usual NW pub meet. We all enjoyed the excellent food on offer while most took part in the latest round of the keenly contested NW Prize Quiz, sponsored by Darren Wood BMW Specialists. Steve Nightingale’s B10BOY team finally prevailed, with the Tucan-Bridge team of Keith & Lynn Bridge coming a close second, closely followed by the Taylors2 team in third place. All received prizes kindly donated by Darren Wood. Kilton CotM – Mark Riley’s E89 Z4 sDrive 35i Mark Riley’s Z4 not only won the NW Show & Shine with a perfect score, he also ran away with the Kilton Car of the Month prize with his immaculate Z4. First registered in November BMW Car Club Magazine November 2021 63
regionalnews 2010, the original owner ordered the car in Titanium Silver with a red leather interior, seven-speed DCT gearbox and running on Style 32 19-inch M double spoke alloy wheels. The car is highly specced, with heated electric seats, heated steering wheel, BMW Professional iDrive and audio, front and rear Park Assist, Aluminium Carbon Shadow trim while the electric folding metal roof is a standard feature. Mark hasn’t owned the car long, having owned a very nice E46 M3 and a 2.0 Z4. He purchased the E89 in early August from Independent dealer James Paul in West Sussex, with just 25k miles on the clock. Although the car has had five owners, it is in stunning, as-new condition. There were no issues with the car on delivery, although James Paul agreed to replace a slightly off-colour battery, which was the 11-year-old original. Mark loves how the car drives, saying “you wouldn’t think it was a turbocharged car, it feels more like a large, powerful naturally aspirated engine, having bags of torque low down in the rev range which is maintained right to the redline.” He adds, “the Zed handles neutrally, and there’s plenty of grip from the nearly-new runflats.” Although he says he would like to change them in the future for a set of Michelin non-runflats. “The ride isn’t too bad on the runflats, just a little knobbly on broken or rutted surfaces. It goes like stink in a straight line, the linear
Mark Riley (third right) with his spoils of victory as he also took the Kilton Car of the Day award as well as winning the 2021 NW Show & Shine competition with his immaculate Titanium Silver Z4
power delivery making it a very quick car. I’m going to have some fun learning its limits.” With a car boasting 306hp and 400Nm of torque it’s certainly no slouch, being able to hit 60mph from rest in 4.7 seconds before topping out at an electronically limited top speed of 155mph. Mark is certainly going to have some fun in his hot Zed, although I would advise him to replace the runflats as soon as economically possible, then he can really explore the E89s chassis potential.
South East Ian Bryant South East Region sponsored by
Chandlers Brighton 01273 423 312
So what a month September has been. The weather was really good and there were plenty of events running. At the beginning of September, on a Saturday morning, we visited Hack Engineering near Lewis in Sussex. We were greeted with a warm welcome from Ben, Alex and the team. Ben explained that he and Alex came through from a historic motor racing engineering background and after struggling with getting a repair for a Vanos system, they set up Hack Engineering, which has steadily grown over the years with a strong following from m3cutters. Hack specialises in engine and Vanos rebuilds. They prepare track cars and are currently working on an N54 that will be the most powerful in the UK. They also perform BMW servicing and upgrades and carry a comprehensive stock of parts on-line with immediate delivery. They have adopted an engineering approach to their work that seemed to resonate with the members and they also manufacture certain parts and intend to expand this area. It was a relaxed, informative morning followed by a BBQ that went down rather well. Thanks, Ben and Alex. A couple of weeks later, on a Friday evening at B Road
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southeast@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk
Hailsham 01323 844 032 Worthing 01903 784 147 www.baronsgroup.co.uk/bmw
BARONS CC20133 =
15% discount code
Hunting Club, Hack Engineering hosted another event and it was great to talk with long term Hack customers, who provided very positive feedback. Next up was the combined Mercedes, BMW and Porsche event at The Hawth in Crawley. Around 75 cars arrived, including over 25 BMWs, which was pretty good considering this event clashed with Simply BMW at Beaulieu and the Goodwood Revival. Thanks to Nigel for organising, we had a great selection of cars and raised £241.16 for St. Catherine’s Hospice. Having mentioned the Goodwood Revival, I attended on the Friday with friends and had a great day, my favourite car being the V16 BRM. What a machine; 1500cc and 500hp with the most credible sound. Sticking with the Goodwood theme, I’m really looking forward to the 78 Members Meeting. This is my favourite motorsport event, where else do you experience Edwardian race cars with huge engines and no front brakes actually racing? The Micro Meetings have continued to benefit from good support. We plan to run these until the end of November then www.bmwcarclubgb.uk
regionalnews take a break over Christmas. So the last Micro Meeting this year will be 7th November for Kent and 28th November for Sussex. We expect the Micro Meetings to resume earlier next year. Details of all events can be found on the BMW Car Club site under South East Region homepage; www.bmwcarclubgb.uk/ regions/south-east Kent Micro Meeting – The George, Taylors Lane, Trottiscliffe, West Malling, ME19 5DR Sussex Micro Meeting – Billy’s on the Road, Stane Street, Billingshurst, RH14 9AE
South Wales Jonathan Bamford ‘German Car Evening’ hosted by the South Wales Region Words: Peter Sherratt Back in August, it was suggested that we organise and host our own German car evening. Jon Bamford and myself had a chat with Dan Stickland, the proprietor of Unit 7 where we have our Cars, Coffee and Bacon Rolls meets on a Sunday, and he was more than happy for us to hold it at his premises in Llanelli in South Wales on Thursday 9th September from 6pm to 9pm. Jon, our Chairman, put an event together on Facebook and I posted it on a load of BMW-related groups, plus some Audi, VW, Mercedes and Porsche ones too. We seemed to have quite a bit of interest, but I think people were probably a bit cautious, as they’d not heard of our BMW Car Club before. Also the weather looked a bit on the cloudy side. However, we were lucky as it stayed dry until we were driving home afterwards. I also bought a German flag ready to fly at the venue, as I hadn’t had any reason to buy one until now. On the day of the event, Jon and I went down to Unit 7 an hour early at 5pm to set up all the flags, poles and sail banners, to make the venue attractive for when everyone arrived. Once we’d been there about half an hour, all the cars soon started to turn up, one after the other, so we got them all parked up tidy. Prior to the event, I contacted SCM Tuning and Performance Centre, to see if they could supply a couple of drift cars for the night. I was chuffed when they agreed, as it certainly added to the atmosphere, when their two high powered BMWs started doing burnouts and making lots of noise and tyre smoke. Although
www.bmwcarclubgb.uk
southwales@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk
their E46 had a Japanese 2JZ engine in it, nobody questioned it, as it was very impressive. I think the size of the turbo distracted everyone anyway. Unit 7 was the perfect venue for our event, as there was ample parking, and plenty of facilities and toilets on site. There was also plenty of food and refreshments too including cappuccinos, Budvar German lager, soft drinks, Bratwurst German sausage hotdogs, pasties and cakes. The majority of the 20-plus cars that turned up were mainly various BMW models, including a couple of M2 Competitions, M3s and a good selection of 1 and 2 Series cars, including my tuned and modified Alpine White M235i. There were also a few Audis and one Mercedes-AMG C63, which sounded gorgeous on arrival and departure. Everyone seemed to enjoy the event and it was great to look around the interesting array of Bavarian metal on site. Not to mention how lovely it was to meet a lot of new faces we hadn’t seen before. Dan, the proprietor, has offered the use of his unit to us again for a whole Sunday event, maybe, over the winter months coming up. So we’ll look forward to that now too, weather permitting of course Thanks again to Dan, the proprietor of Unit 7 in Llanelli, for allowing us to use his premises. Thanks also to SCM for bringing their drift cars along, for some great petrol head action. Plus thank you to all the guys and their cars that turned up to make our first German Meet so successful. Cheers to you all.
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Wessex Julian Pickering
Snows BMW snows.co.uk/bmw
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
Barons Farnborough 01252 518 185 Outside of the regular club nights, which have been very well attended since the release of lockdown, Wessex Region has held two car events this month. The first was a visit to The Antelope Inn at Hazelbury Bryan in Dorset, where we held a skittles evening. John Munyard writes: “With the summer evenings beginning to close in, members enjoyed a final opportunity this year to trace a route of just over 40 miles across rural Dorset to The Antelope Inn, a charming pub with a skittles alley in the Dorset village of Hazelbury Bryan. Dorset is littered with pretty villages and we took a scenic route passing through Sixpenny Handley, Gussage St Michael and Tollard Royal. We had the usual fun navigating Zig-Zag Hill – officially the UK’s twistiest section of road – before driving on to The Antelope. These ‘Dorset Dawdles’ are proving increasingly popular as, not only do they give us an opportunity to give our cars a gentle stretch, we can bring partners along. The skittles, food and good company made for a great evening out. The skittles tournament was won by Dave Clayton with Deborah Sanders a close second. We are already planning a few more similar adventures for next year.”
Barons Hindhead 01428 605 000 The Wessex Working Group assembled at the Cliffhanger Cafe in Highcliffe last Saturday morning for a breakfast meet and we made some serious progress at engineering the Wessex 2022 programme. We are always on the lookout for new ideas and venues for visiting and so if you have any suggestions please get in touch. Forthcoming Events All confirmed Wessex Region events are published on the club website events area and on the Wessex Facebook page. Wessex has also set up a very successful WhatsApp group, which we are now using to notify members of all events. If you haven’t joined this already, please send an email to wessex@bmwcarclubgb. co.uk to be added. As from October, all our club nights will have to be indoors because of dark evenings. We discussed this at the Working Group meeting and agreed that providing members are double vaccinated they are welcome to attend. Still, we ask everyone to take due care when socialising in areas that may be crowded, such as bar areas. All Bournemouth club nights, for the remainder of this year, will be at the Tyrrells Ford Hotel and the Basingstoke area will continue to meet at the Fox Inn as usual. Members will have to make their own decisions on whether they are comfortable attending indoor meetings. November/December • Winter breakfast meetings – We plan to hold a few of these informal get-togethers over the winter period at different venues. Details will be sent out on WhatsApp (another reason to join the group) and on Facebook. The first is proposed for Leckford (just North of Stockbridge) at the Longstock Park Water Gardens over the weekend of 20th to 21st November. We will visit the Longstock Park Farm shop, café and plant nursery and there may be an opportunity to see the water gardens on the estate, if they’re open. • Christmas Dinner – At Tyrrells Ford Hotel in early December, date to be confirmed.
The second Wessex event was Simply BMW at the Beaulieu Motor Museum on Sunday 19th September. Wessex Region had a reserved stand arranged by Tim Maltby and after a mysterious delay of 30 minutes, when all cars arriving at the show were marshalled into a holding area for reasons that nobody understood, we arrived in the main exhibition area to witness the largest numbers of BMWs that I have ever seen in one place. Our Wessex stand had in excess of 30 cars, including members from the Devon and London Regions. The event was an extremely sociable occasion with opportunities to talk to owners of a tremendous variety of models. We also met some new faces who were interested in joining BMWCC and so hopefully we will see them at club nights sometime soon. The only disappointment for me was the very low number of traders that attended. I can understand it, though, because it is a big cost and time commitment for traders to attend. But I come from the world of Land Rover shows, which are always bristling with traders providing endless opportunities to do some serious damage to your credit card.
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registernews 02 Richard Stern It was great to catch up with a few familiar faces at many of the events I attended this year, including Dave Smith in his Marlborolivered 02, Tony Forbes-Marsden in his newly restored grey 2002 Touring, Perry Collins in his Turbo replica, Borislava Pepelyashka in her E28 and all the usual suspects. As we head into winter and the shows wind up, we are planning big things for the Car Club in 2022. We’re celebrating 70 years, yes 70 years of the BMW Car Club GB Ltd and 50 Years of M Power, so I encourage the 02 Register fraternity to join in these monumental celebrations. If you have any experiences to share or just want to reach out to the 02 world, feel free to email me your 02 stories, I am always looking for more Car of the Month’s for www.bmw2002.co.uk
07770 443373 02register@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk
last seen in 2016. The final night’s send-off dinner included a visit from Prince Leopold of Bayern. A fellow BMW enthusiast who joined us by driving over in his beautiful rally prepped Inka and black 02. Also in attendance was BMW/Mini rally legend Rauno Aaltonen (former World Rally Champion), whose short speech (perfect in both languages) made us laugh and smile. As with each Bavaria tour, things go too fast and Sunday morning we gathered at the Ammergauer Haus one last time to say our goodbyes and start our journeys home. Fingers crossed for an event in another four years.
Bavaria Tour 2021 Words: Martin Meissner Wednesday, the first day, was registration day at Ammergauer Haus. The city was a buzz with 02s arriving from throughout Europe and North America. On Thursday, those taking part were divided into four groups driving two routes. The routes were day-long drives through the foothills of the Alps, with a lunch stop at the mid-point. Friday was an activity day and there were various activities to choose from, the most popular was a visit to BMW Classic and the BMW Museum. BMW Classic welcomed attendees with tours of their display hall, all arranged to keep numbers small due to Covid. In addition, they showed us their collection of significant motorbikes. On Saturday, the final drive day, all groups switched and drove the opposite loop to the route they had driven on Thursday. As always, the routes were fantastic and the views absolutely spectacular. Dinner each night was in the Ammergauer Haus as one big group, with a chance to visit and reconnect with friends
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Above image BMW Classic Support 2000 NK Touring (more soon)
Above image centre Prince Leopold, left of him Andy Andexder and far right Martin
Images with thanks to Olaf Nattenberg (Dr. No), Jeffrey Kok and Martin More images here; www.bavariatour21.blogspot.com/?m=1 Rauno Aaltonen driving a 2002 Tii on the Bavaria Tour: www.youtu. be/k9U_MKDcwCc This fantastic cartoon of Richard Jones 2002 by Jodie Knowles, who is a tattooist by trade. You can find Jodie on Instagram @jodieknowles7 Tail Pipe Adrian Flux 02 feature; www.adrianflux.co.uk/cult-classics/bmw-02series-sheer-driving-enjoyment/?fbclid=IwAR2-W-OsMF71N6noFf-naU A63TDT0774AeRK0BWeA5OBtiuU1Ffp8zXQwvc Twin cam M10 F2 engine for sale; www.moreschi.info/motori/bmw_ m12-7.htm
3 Series E36 Michal Michalski It’s November and it’s about time I introduce myself. My name is Michal, but everyone calls me Mike. I started my E36 journey in a rather unusual way. During university I traded cars and parts as a side job. At the time I wasn’t interested in BMWs, or older cars, as I always thought it was a burden to have one. I came across my current E36 (and only one so far) during one of my visits for parts to a scrap yard. The car stood out due to its sheer grandpa factor, it’s an early model with bumpers in grey primer.
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e46register@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk
You must understand that I don’t use social media and I like classic stuff. Most people would not give it a second glance, but I thought it was cool and unique in the way it presents itself. That day I became a BMW owner, with one of the best models: the E36. My ownership did not start easily, though. The car came with the usual classic problems. The immobiliser was intermittent and sometimes the car wouldn’t start, the front suspension required new end rods, wishbones and the rear brake pipes were corroded. However, when I bought it, the mileage was only 23k and it was a single owner-car and had a full service history. The car has taught me a lot about classic car ownership, I learned how to wrench, find and diagnose faults, read wiring diagrams, use Real OEM to locate parts numbers, but most importantly how great it is to be part of the knowledgeable E36 community. My first spare money went on a decent Halfords advanced tool case, so that I could take care of the front suspension. I had to bite the bullet and pay a local garage to do the rear brake pipes as I knew I would not feel safe driving the car around if I did it myself. The most annoying thing was the immobiliser fault, I kind of ignored it as it was only happening sporadically, but one
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registernews day I had enough. It was winter and freezing cold, my wife and I went out for a movie that finished way past midnight. It was so cold, and when we ran to the car from the shopping centre the E36 failed to start. We had to abandon it and get a taxi. That day the car had seriously lost my trust and I was ready to sell it. Emotions settled and I decided to give the immobiliser problem a go and fix it. Firstly, I tried to look for someone who could scan the car and give me some fault codes, but I quickly realised that there is no one out there with the old PACMAN interface. So, I did my research, bought an interface from Texas US, an old laptop and got a copy of INPA (by the way, if you need help with diagnostics reach out to me). All this took about six months, after which I learned that my car is the pre-immobiliser version. All the time it was a dodgy dealer fitted alarm system, thanks Williams! Long story short, I fitted a modern Clifford alarm and not only has it been working flawlessly for the past five years, I can close my sunroof and all windows from the remote. I think that the E36 interior has that sturdy driver focussed look, and it’s one of the reasons why I bought the car. However, being the early model, my car lacked features. The first E36s were in poverty spec, even the radio was an upgrade. I still have the original BMW blanking plate from when my car had no radio. I have fitted lots of original equipment parts to make the car more appealing and comfortable to drive. Check out the pictures below for before and after shots. Despite the low mileage, I do drive the car. It has helped me to move homes, I took it on bike trips and there are plans in 2022 to take it on a North Coast 500 road trip to Scotland, which I am hoping to organise with other E36 owners. Who knows what else I am going to do and what I am going to need to learn thanks to the E36.
3 Series E46 Simon Maskell
e46register@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk
It’s happened again, the thing I seem to constantly try to avoid. You know that disease we all have and the fact I am writing this article? I have bought yet another car and this time it is one I have previously owned. The silver 330d Touring has returned and is currently sitting on my father-in-law’s drive, waiting to be pressed into daily use once more. Its back story is one worth revisiting, so let me remind you of my history with it. I bought the car sight unseen, from a fellow club member as it turned out, with a failed auto ‘box. I brought it home and Keith Bates, who is often mentioned in hushed tones on these pages, fixed it for me. Then, for reasons that are not interesting, I sold it to our regional chair and co-owner of The Vibrator (aka our track car) about 18 months ago, Nick Thomas. Mrs Thomas has been using it as her daily, but she now has a 535d Touring, so it came back up for sale. This allowed me to revive a cunning plan. Those of you with a good memory will remember me babbling on about creating a German Polizei kind of replica/homage. This plan is rearing its head again, I am afraid. I cannot tell you why I www.bmwcarclubgb.uk
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registernews thought it was a good idea, think of it as a ‘build it and they will come’ type of vibe. So, with that in mind, I will include a photo of the before and then a photo of the type of proposed design that is a front-runner, at the time of writing. Oh, did I mention that this car is to be my new daily, once the 330i Convertible is sold? I should not have any problems spotting my car in the car park. Nick has kindly bought some magnetic flashing blue lights, for use at car shows and the graphics should really make it a talking point; probably the main topic being ‘why?’ But I feel it is something I must do, so I have made peace with this fact. As stated in last month’s article, I have finally prepared the Convertible for sale, just at the best time of year to sell one too.
4 Series Paul Roberts It looks like autumn is now upon us here in Norfolk, so the weather, to say the least, is a bit unpredictable. I can now report back from our Welsh Experience and it was a game of two halves. We set off on Monday morning with glorious sunshine for the fairly long drive to Llandrindod Wells and the Metropole Hotel. We had a few diversions due to traffic hold ups, but we arrived there safely in late afternoon in time for a swim and a dip in the Jacuzzi. This is a hotel that does a significant amount of catering for car tours (the BMWCC Welsh Weekend being one), so they are geared up accordingly. My wife has a gluten and dairy free diet and the hotel catered for her exceedingly well, adjusting the menu and breakfast as appropriate. On the Tuesday we decided to follow one of the route maps that Scenic and Continental had provided us, and we set off for the Brecon Beacons. The weather was really good, so the roof came down and we really enjoyed the drive. I guess because the roads aren’t used as frequently as normal, the road surfaces were really smooth and the scenery breathtaking. Some pictures are attached.
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It is looking so much nicer now I have done all the work to it, so hopefully it should sell soon. It has been a blast to own and has proven what we all knew, namely that the E46 is a fantastic car to own and drive and I would argue that in 330i form, the bang for buck is off the charts. The roofless experience is one to be savoured, too, the sound of those six cylinders and the birds singing as you drive along is a hard one to beat. That is why I have bought the E36 328i Convertible. It makes sense. In the coming month I hope to have begun Project Interceptor and cannot wait to see my dad’s face when he realises that our traditional Christmas day trip to the pub will be in that car. That’s it for this month, hoping to have your company in the next edition, until then bye for now.
4series@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk
We got back to the hotel in the late afternoon for a quick drink, then dinner. At that point we did meet some of the other participants and realised that there were quite a difference in cars being driven. We were the only BMW, with a few MGs, a couple of TVRs and a couple of Mercedes. All in all a mixed bunch. On Wednesday, we then drove the famous Top Gear road and spent a couple of hours wandering around Aberystwyth. Sadly we didn’t have time to pop into the BMWCC office so sorry for that Lisa. Thursday saw us head off for Caernarfon and our next home for three nights, the Celtic Royal Hotel. Initial impressions were fine, but that soon changed when we went down for dinner. Sadly the restaurant and kitchen had no idea on how to cater
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registernews for my wife’s gluten and dairy intolerances. In addition, the upgraded room we had was far too hot and the windows only opened a couple of inches. The weather also changed with light rain most of the days, so it was roof up driving. Nevertheless, the roads and routes were really good around Snowdon and Betws-Y-Coed. The car performed faultlessly over the whole trip. Unfortunately, due to the really poor hotel, we called it a day on the Saturday and came home early. An official complaint has already been registered with the tour company and the hotel. That’s it for now, with nothing further in the diary. I’m hoping we can start the BMWCC monthly meetings soon and perhaps see what other events are likely. So I’ll sign off for now, until next time.
5 Series E28 Tim Maltby
e28register@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk
Doesn’t time fly when we are enjoying ourselves? Along with getting my 520i back on the road, I had some wonderful distractions. Notably a trip to Gaydon Motor Museum, to meet up with Ian and Keith with his 528i ahead of our forthcoming ownership articles, and the Simply BMW day at Beaulieu in September. With Gaydon being 90 miles north of my home I felt it would be churlish not to take the long way back via Caffeine and Machine near Stratford. Then I went across to Chipping Camden to compare the coffee at KOTI Autotalli, the bike hut featured recently on one of Henry Cole’s motorcycle programmes. Simply BMW, as many of you know, was a large gathering of one our favourite marques. I spotted a couple of lovely E28 M5s and a fabulous 528i on an E plate, but I was surprised at just how few E28s were present. Admittedly, I didn’t see all of the cars but I certainly saw the majority. I have finally sorted the 520i, which is now back on the road as my daily. The cold start issue is fixed, which was due to an air leak on one of the vacuum hoses attached to the cold start thermostatic valve. With the anti-roll bar links, track rod ends, drag link and the idler bush replaced, the steering was a lot less woolly but the work has highlighted some play in the steering box. As I had only approximated the tracking, as evidenced by the now off-centre steering wheel was, I booked the car into Bromspec Motorworks in Salisbury for the full wheel alignment and adjustment of the box. Andy also tweaked the timing and mixture so the car was an absolute delight to drive back home. MOT next week, that should be a formality.
5 Series E34 Manj Sandhu
e34register@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk
Hi all. No decision has been made so far on the alloy wheels and, if I am honest, I do not think I will pull the trigger on some new rims this year. With other priorities in place, it will have to go to the back of the line. As I write, I was still waiting on Sam to find me a slot to replace the electric throttle body assembly, that included the pedal, for the 535i, which he found last month. I thought he had been busy, but he just forgot to reply to my message. Bless him, he has been extremely busy over the past few months. He even messaged me last month teasing me with a picture of an E34 M5 he had on the ramp that was in for some maintenance work. It was a beauty in Avus Blue with the M-cloth interior and around 130,000 miles on the clock. I was so jealous. It made me realise I need to get back on track and build up the M5 piggy bank that was decimated by my gym build and is continuing to be drained by the imminent carport project. www.bmwcarclubgb.uk
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registernews I mentioned last month that Sam had sourced a fully refurbished and tested throttle assembly for £300. Which was a bargain, I assure you. Let me drive the car about with the new throttle body and I will report next month on whether it has solved the problem. Another addition this month was an interesting email from Malcolm Borg on his 530i. I will let Malcolm pick up the story and give you the details. “I have owned F572 NTW for the past ten years. It is a 1988 530i. Mechanically, it is good and is rot free underneath. I got it after an E39 528i, and that I bought to replace an E28 527i that had been written off. The 528i lasted three weeks before the engine self-destructed. Over the past ten years, the 530i has been overhauled with new brake and fuel lines, and new suspension. I deleted the air con/climate control as it was too expensive to fix. However the replacement heater matrix did burst, requiring another matrix to be fitted. I do not mess about with the car when it comes to maintenance. Now it is time for a respray, but some of the exterior trim has seen better days. Sadly, what I need is NLA from BMW and that is posing a problem. Either bits of black door and wing trim will have to be made somehow or another source found. Every bit of exterior trim that BMW can supply has already been bought. The engine is in fine form. A FRITZ manifold and exhaust system has been fitted, but the car only has an M30B30. A B35 would nice, so... Sitting at Radco Engineering, a local firm to me that mostly builds Ford race engines, is a M30B35 bottom end, a spare B35 head and a B35 inlet manifold. Along with that is a copy of the Alpina cam for their take on this engine, a full gasket set, new valve train parts (everything except the valves, which are good on the cylinder head). New parts include rocker shafts, rockers, eccentrics, valves springs, rocker shaft springs, valve guides, valve stem oil seals, valve collets, valve plates, thermostat housing, thermostat, water pump, timing sprocket, timing chain tensioner and chain guide, oil pump, oil pump chain and chain tensioner. For the bottom end: conrod bushings, ARP bolts, E12 M535i era light weight flywheel, new OEM main shell and conrod bearings and custom pistons with a 10.5:1 CR are on order. The original crankshaft and conrods from the block will be retained as they are in fine order. The valve guides should arrive next week. I even snagged the last camshaft-timing sprocket from a BMW dealer in Harrogate. I’m not sure what I want to do with the B30 engine. Shoving it into an E28 518i springs to mind, unless anyone needs a M30B30 which is in very good condition.
5 Series F10/11 Dave Routledge
I hope that a tatty old E34 will have a new lease of life this year. It’s actually in regular use and is quite dependable. That damage on the wing has been there since I bought it. It has not rusted, pictures show the worst of the rust; hence, it is worth tidying up.”
f10register@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk
Hello my fellow F10 and F11 enthusiasts. I hope you’re all safe and well. It has been a pretty quiet month with Boris, just the dreaded MOT which I am pleased to report he passed with flying colours. The next job to tackle will be the repainting of my brake callipers, either in blue or black. I would be interested in hearing if anyone has done the same and how difficult a job it was to do. I’ve got a nice trip planned for this weekend to Donnington Park to watch the British Touring Car Championship and to cheer on Mr Turkington. So, no doubt I will be telling you about our adventures next time. Talking about the BTCC and Colin Turkington,
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registernews please have a look at the pictures of the Scalextric layout I built through lockdown, and of course the cars on it. Mrs R thinks it’s great as she can get rid of me up the loft. Anyway, that’s it for this month, short but sweet. I know I keep asking, but please send in details of your own cars so that they can be included. See you next month. All keep safe. Dave and Boris
6 Series E24 Simon Maskell
e24register@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk
It’s time for TEA By David White My love of BMWs started during the early 1980s when I first saw a row of BMW’s on the forecourt of our local BMW dealership in Ipswich. My first purchase was an entry-level four-year-old E30 316i automatic in Zinnobar Red.I loved it, especially as it was so light in the rear. But I wished for something with a lot more grunt. After a year with the 316i I opted to upgrade to 1988 E30 325i, again in Zinnobar Red. The car was so rewarding, I kept it for over eight years and clocked up over 100,000 joyful miles. During the period when my business continued to flourish, BMW had just launched the Z3 and my eyes lit up again, so I test drove a 1.8 model. I immediately loved the feeling of open top driving, however I waited a little further until BMW released the 2.8 version. This really appealed to me and I ordered a new model, again in red. Following this model, would be the M roadster in Dakar yellow (we all make mistakes!). This was my first introduction to M motoring and I loved it. Unfortunately so did the East Suffolk coppers, who had just been issued hand held speed cameras. However after an accident (which wasn’t my fault, officer), things were never the same again. The panels didn’t quite fit after some time in an approved bodyshop, and I was sick of the colour. So it was back to the dealership, and I was introduced to a new E46 M3 coupe, in granite black. Now we’re talking. Not only was it a comfortable sports car, it was also practical. It was indeed a terrific car to drive, and in hindsight I should have never parted with it, but I had just won a lucrative contract at the same time BMW brought out the E63 M6. After an arrangement with the dealership, I stepped into a demonstrator M6 in the launch colour Indianapolis Red. I felt extremely proud to own this car. I had reached the peak of the BMW range. I had achieved all I could ever have wished for. Except for one thing… I didn’t like it. I didn’t like the gear change, or the optional paddle shifts on the steering wheel. I didn’t like the technology. Why was entering an address on the sat-nav so damn difficult? Why did the rear sensors alert me only AFTER I reversed into a granite bolder in a car park? Where has the fun gone? I know Jeff’s article in the January 2021 edition was complimentary about the M6, but at the time I personally felt this was the worst BMW I had ever driven. This brought me back to remembering the heydays of ‘80s BMWs, the one’s I fell in love with. What I wanted was a reminder of how BMWs were back then. So I started to investigate and I stumbled upon a 1984 E24 635CSi in Henna Red, which I found on eBay for £2,500.00. The advert said very little about the car, but what could www.bmwcarclubgb.uk
possibly go wrong? I picked the 635CSi up from Chertsey and, once parted with my cash, I jumped into the car and started her up. It didn’t run well and after a few miles I realised there was a huge gap around the driver’s door which wind whistled through so loudly you couldn’t hear the engine. I took it to the dealership for an assessment. The car was examined and I was given a list of parts to replace. “Okay,” I thought, “I’ll throw a few quid at it to get it as I’d like it.” After all that, however, the running was never right and the whistling remained. But, and this was a big but, the happiness had returned. Eventually, and after spending a lot on this car, I realised it was never going to be perfect and, whilst I had found happiness in an ‘80s Beema again, I felt it was time to research into a replacement 635CSi. This was when I discovered E33 TEA. She was well marketed. Everything was working and listed in great detail with a full service history from three previous owners. She is a 1988 E24 Shadowline in Lachs silver, and I bought her with 92,000 genuine miles on the clock. As soon as I saw her I thought she looked even better than the photographs I’d seen! I immediately took her for a drive and was instantly impressed as to how smooth and gracious the drive was and despite being 20 years old, she felt like a new car. We had booked a holiday to Southern Ireland that summer and after purchasing a tomtom sat-nav, I felt so confident in TEA I opted to take her instead of the M6 (which I sold later that year). I was so glad I did as I discovered the roads in Ireland are riddled in pot holes, all of which she just glided over. After buying her I found a used pair of front wings which BMW Car Club Magazine November 2021 73
registernews I knew were a weakness with E24s, so a recommended bodyshop in Tunstall, Suffolk replaced them both. A few other small parts have rusted through, but they have been made good when needed. Mechanically we have had a few issues, the radiator, master cylinder and rear diff have been replaced and recently the distributor cap and inhibitor switch. This year marks her 33rd birthday, which works rather nicely with the plate! A truly rewarding car indeed, and I have finally found total
7 Series Matthew Swanborough What a year it has been, who knew 2021 would be some kind of 2020 version 2.0? At least some of the motoring events were back on the calendar and the sun shone for a week here and there. Apologies for the lack of news last month. These monthly deadlines roll around so quickly. This month I am going to hand over to my friend in all things motoring who also has a shared love of the E38, Joe Koa. He wrote to me sharing his view of the humble 2.8-litre engine in the E38 lineup: “The BMW E38 7 Series will forever be remembered for the V12-powered car in Tomorrow Never Dies with its M Parallel alloy wheels. As an affordable Bond car, a BMW E38 makes an excellent choice for impressive daily transport, but should you overlook the six-cylinder cars in favour of the more punchy V8 and V12 engines? Anyone who has ever tried to sell a BMW 728i E38 can attest that the first thing buyers ask is ‘is it a V8?’ Even though it probably says it’s not in the advert and on the boot lid. It’s no secret that buyers seek out the 740i and 750i, with many turning a nose up at the 2.8-litre straight-six. Is this obsession with displacement entirely justified? Having owned a number of these cars in recent years, I felt the need to put together some words in defense of the 728. Modern driving is a far cry from a Hollywood road trip, with surveillance cameras, poor roads, heavy traffic and inattentive drivers being a constant concern for the modern motorist. While a 740 or 750 might prove its worth on that long-legged blast to Southern Europe, on the highways and byways of Britain there isn’t much that the more economical and easier-to-live-with sixcylinder models can’t do that the V8 and V12s can. The ability to win a game of Top Trumps is largely irrelevant when it comes to real world driving and running costs. The 728 can achieve over 30mpg if driven carefully, and maintenance of the straight-six is more affordable than the V8 and significantly more affordable than the notoriously complex V12. Whilst writing this piece a thread popped up on Facebook with the writer debating the differences (or similarities) between the BMW E38 and Bentley Arnage, noting that the BMW can ‘reach 170mph in
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driver satisfaction again - in the shape of a 1980s BMW. Finally as a footnote, after reading Dan Norris’ feature on ‘Be a Covid Winner’ in the May 2021 edition of Straight Six, it would appear I have ticked almost every box with my choice of BMW’s (E30 325i, E46 M3 and my 653CSi), all of which I would happily endorse as being true ultimate driving machines and the very best BMW’s I have ever driven.
7series@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk
seconds and cruise in absolute luxury’ but the key question has to be why? Is marketplace pricing really set by the maximum speed possible in some imaginary wonderland where roads are perfect, traffic is zero and ‘Gatso’ is just a misspelt pudding? The gulf that exists in the price of a usable 728 and any 750 seems to suggest that it does, but rarity also comes into the fray. The 728 is more numerous, but that only gives the buyer more choice. A welcome bonus for the six-cylinder-seeker, whilst other buyers squabble over a handful of high grade V12s. At the time of writing, the very best 728s are commanding £5,000-8,000. Their V12 brethren are either non-existent or priced at roughly double. A usable 728 comes in around £1,500, pocket money in luxury car terms and representing somewhat of an automotive bargain. That a luxurious large saloon can be purchased for the price of three months finance payments on a modern car is a bizarre juxtaposition of the world in which we live. These prices are sure to rise as more people wake up to the wonder that is the BMW E38. For enthusiasts who see the potential in the power of six, there has never been a better time to buy into the world of James Bond on a budget. www.bmwcarclubgb.uk
registernews Just don’t tell anyone, or those good, drivable BMW E38 7 Series will do what E30 values have done in recent years. You have been warned.” Thank you Joe. I am sure many will agree, engine size is likely to be a much debated topic by 7 Series owners past, present
and future. To get in touch with me anytime, email 7series@ bmwcarclubgb.co.uk, follow me on Instagram @e38th and @bmw_7seriesregister or find me on many of the 7 Series Facebook pages as Matt Bavaria.
Alpina Simon Alcorn
alpina@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk
Words by Norman Burnham Several Club members have noticed there have not been any submissions to the Alpina Register page for some time, therefore I have agreed to help redress that situation. The Club representative for Alpina is still Simon Alcorn, there is no change in respect to his position despite me writing this update. Here is what some of us have been doing. Due to the relatively small number of Alpina owners in the Club, we are often part of events which are not Alpina-specific. Many of these events welcome us as visitors because members of the public are not often familiar with these models. It is often a good point for a discussion, which starts ‘what is an Alpina?’ The major Alpina exposure this year was at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in July. Sytner had a very large stand with a host of new models on display. I was very fortunate to be a passenger in the new Alpina B8 and got a very fast trip up the hill. Back in April, a few of us went to HPC Classics in Eastbourne. This is a very enterprising classic car service and sales business. There have been one or two Alpina cars for sale and the owner, Miles Hardy, had a green E34 which has now been purchased. They have sporadic breakfast meets and these are always well attended. Silverstone Classic was an opportunity for a few owners part of an Alpina independent group to meet up, we had our own small marquee and Alpina sail flags flying. The best day weatherwise was probably setting up on the Thursday, but intermittent rain didn’t dampen the spirits of those who attended. A range of Alpina cars spanning over 40 years were on display. August was the key and most active month. We did the Basingstoke Festival of Transport, the Cowfold (West Sussex) show and rounded it off at the Chris Evans Car Fest South. This is located at Jody Scheckter’s farm, Laverstoke Park in Hampshire. This is effectively another three day event with a day either side for set up and close. Camping is the choice of some, I must confess I had booked a hotel not too far away. Car Fest particularly required vehicles of special interest and Simon had a mixture of Alpinas and BMWs from a small group of
Image courtesy of Kelly Dube
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Image courtesy of Mark Wells
Image courtesy of Mark Wells
owners. This event was advertised in Straight Six. Many thanks to Simon Alcorn and Tracey Boulter who, without them, most of these activities would be a challenge to attend. The contribution they make is often not seen by others and it has been dedicated and consistent for many years. Furthermore, acknowledgment to Simon who receives random emails asking many questions about Alpinas. This is open to non-members and often there are no simple or easy answers, time invested in helping others is not easily quantified. There will be a far larger and more detailed article submitted for a later edition of the Straight Six. This will help define, for owners, exactly who does what, where to look, how to find events, technical information, historic information and assist with the complex structure that is the Alpina community.
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E3 Tony Wilkes Early in September, a friend in the E9 Register asked if I might like a ticket to the Revival meeting at Goodwood. You can imagine my response. Having not been to this excellent event for a few years, due to obvious reasons. It was a real pleasure to be amongst fellow petrolheads again. Despite the very early start, the drive down to the circuit was fantastic and I was reminded, yet again, what a great long distance cruiser the 3.0Si is. I covered several hundred miles quickly, quietly and comfortably without any fuss, and with a boot full of garden chairs and food. I do like to travel in style. One thing I have been astonished by is the incredible improvement in ride quality since I fitted a set of 205/70VR14 Michelin XWX tyres. They really have transformed the car. The drive home got me thinking about something. When I first bought the car, it was apparent that whilst it was mechanically excellent, the bodywork was looking a bit tired. I decided to run it for a few months in order to assess what might be required and then start work. As with most things in life, that plan didn’t really work out. After nine years and nearly 15,000 miles, I finally started the big strip down and, as I type this, the car has just been collected and taken to the bodyshop where I expect it will be for quite some time. As you can see in the photo of the leading edge of the bonnet, a common E3 rust spot, the car has been subjected to some bodywork and repairs in the past, which seemed to consist entirely of liberal applications of filler and not much else. I’ve decided to do things properly, once and for all, so all of the previous repairs will be inspected very closely. Clearly there is a long way to go before the car will be back in my garage, so I have plenty to keep me busy in the meantime; not least restoring the interior as well as plenty of mechanical components. In other news, I did hear of an incredibly rare 3.3LiA requiring a full restoration that has surfaced recently. Only 222 of these
i8 Clive Neville It’s funny how history gets rewritten. Sometimes it’s erstwhile television presenters or pop stars who get found out and their place in the documents of time are quietly erased while they sit out their time at Her Majesty’s pleasure. Sometimes it’s the next big thing that is instantly lauded, then later dropped and never heard of again. Think Betamax (or videos in general actually), DAT tape, the Sinclair C5 and, probably before we know it, CDs and DVDs as global connectivity makes them increasingly redundant. The same happens with cars and it’s just happened to the i8, which of course was fanfared as BMW’s new thinking from 2011 to its introduction in 2014, and then sporadically thereafter. Not now, though. I have been reading the media writings on the new iX, which would have been generated mainly from the launch material by BMW AG. As you would expect, it’s all about the new car’s technological capabilities and its green credentials through sustainable manufacture and subsequent sustainable use. It also covers its place as a proper driving machine in true BMW tradition. Yet nowhere does it, nor does BMW Chairman Oliver Zipse, mention the i8 as the vehicle that, along with the i3, started sustainable production methods and materials. Nor do they mention those cars’ role in adapting the company towards the future. Remarkably, perhaps, cars such as the M1 and Z8 are name checked as historical forebears to the iX even though, other than as leading lights to aspire to, they offered nothing new
76 BMW Car Club Magazine November 2021
e3register@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk
cars were manufactured in right-hand drive form and there are only two or three that we know of still on the road in this country. Details are very limited, but if anybody is interested in taking it on then please drop me a line. I hope that you’ve all taken the opportunity to get out in your cars this year, despite the inconsistent summer weather.
i8register@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk
to the automotive world (as lovely as they were). Nah. It’s clear that the i8 is a major embarrassment to BMW and one that needs to be filed away under the carpet as quickly as they can. After all, it was a project that overextended itself, cost far too much money, used production materials that while sustainable were uneconomic and which gave the punters on the street a car that nobody really wanted. It wasn’t butch enough to be a 911 (or in the US, a Corvette) replacement, and it wasn’t sufficiently eco or practical enough to cater for the others who could cope with a different approach towards sports car design. You have to give credit to BMW, though, to set out and develop technologies in such a niche car. It was therefore bound to fail. But it’s disappointing that big companies such as BMW, and BMW is not alone in having this airbrush-parts-of-history mindset, that don’t have the balls to recognise that perceived failure is still very much part of the route to now and thus should be acknowledged accordingly. The good news is that history also can be rewritten back again... although perhaps not for those hinted at the top of this article. For cars, yes. There have been lots of cars which, after the passage of time, are once again remembered for being important in automotive history. In the meantime, I will continue to drive my car with people still wondering what it is and with them being slightly stunned that the design is nearly ten years old. www.bmwcarclubgb.uk
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M Power Anthony Shilson As I write this on Monday 27th September, we are three days into panic buying of fuel. I went out for an early morning blast with a fellow member and E92 M3 owner, Warren, on Sunday 19th and did consider getting more fuel but I thought, ‘no, I’ll get some on my way to Pistons at the Park car show on 26th’. How I regretted that decision. Following on from cleaning the rear arches, sub frame, wheels and other bits last month, I did the same on the front of the car. After photo shown below.
With the front wheels I decided to use Gtechniq’s Wheel Iron and General Fallout remover. What a mistake that was. Despite it saying it is suitable for black wheels, it turned the finish a horrible milky black, blotchy and streaky colour. And that was with leaving the product on for half the time they recommend. I then had to polish the wheel back up. After that, I used their Panel Wipe to prepare the wheel for the ceramic coating. That did the same thing and I had to re-polish the wheel again. My advice is avoid these products and test any cleaner on a very small area first. Luckily, I only used them on one front wheel. I used my other, unbranded 70% alcohol / 30% distilled water mix on the other wheel and it was fine. This mix is also substantially cheaper than the Panel Wipe. Whilst the car was on the stands I removed all the grass that
X Series Greg Lyons & James Brigginshaw Hi everyone and welcome to the November edition of Straight Six. The first Saturday in October saw us host our eagerly anticipated and first ever X Series Register meet. This was combined with the Eastern Region’s Toast2Coast event, so there was a bit of something for everyone. The event was hosted by NY500, which is a fantastic new purpose-built facility on the outskirts of Pickering, North Yorkshire. It was built especially for wheel and gear enthusiasts to allow organised meetups. With an ample hard standing area for many vehicles and a great in-house café, the venue choice couldn’t have been any better. We had a really good turn out of eight X vehicles which, considering the current so-called fuel crisis and the weather, we were really pleased with. People came from far and wide, including Kent, South Lincolnshire, Yorkshire and County Durham. There was a good mix of different X vehicles on the day including F25s, E70s, an F15 M50d, a G07 M50d and a fantastic Alpina XD3. Stories were shared, cars were admired and new acquaintances were. We also got to see some old faces from previous meets and shows. James and myself had the difficult www.bmwcarclubgb.uk
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was stuck to the underside felt panels that had accumulated from the show at Helmingham Hall back in August. That took a while with the hoover. After I completed everything, I lowered the car down onto the ramps and removed the rear wheel chocks. Well I tried to remove them, but the two nearest the front of the car were stuck to the tyre. I hoped they would come off as I reversed and asked my wife to check as I did so. The nearside one did, but the offside stayed on and went round inside the wheel arch, making a cracking sound. A lot of French words were spoken and I drove the car forwards and again there was a cracking sound. I got out of the car, swore again and prised the chock off with a screwdriver. The handle of the chock had made a small split in the plastic wheel arch liner. More swearing ensued. I then took the car for a test drive and to get some fuel. Ha! My local Esso and Shell garages were closed and completely empty. I returned home with 69 miles of fuel remaining. I got a couple of quotes for a new liner, the cheapest was £75.91+ VAT. I am therefore going to try and repair it and spoke to a company called Bond Tech. They recommended a semirigid two-part component repair, which is black. I believe the rear liner is held in place by screws only, so none of those horrible plastic fasteners or pop-rivets that usually break, will need to be replaced… I hope. For those that use detailing spray. I’ve been comparing Autoglym’s Rapid Detailer vs Meguiars Hybrid Ceramic Detailer. Not only is Autoglym’s easier to use, it gives a better gloss finish. As I finish writing this on Tuesday 28th, there seems to be many idiots panic buying fuel, who are likely the same people that overbought toilet rolls back in 2020. 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
xseries@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk
task of judging the vehicles on show in order to award an X of the Day certificate and prize, which was gratefully sponsored by Vertu BMW Teesside. There was one stand-out winner on the day, partly due to the rarity of the car but also its excellent condition. The winner was Adam Clelland with his Alpina XD3. A worthy winner I’m sure all would agree. You can see Adam receiving his award and accompanying myself and James with his XD3 in the article photos. BMW Car Club Magazine November 2021 77
registernews We are hoping to host another X Series meet in the South Lincolnshire area before the end of the year, so please keep your eyes open on the forums and club newsletters. Any questions, stories or to register your interest in our next meet please drop us an email on xseries@ bmwcarclubgb.co.uk Bye for now.
Z3 Register Alan Jones
z3register@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk
Welcome to the November edition of the Straight Six, I’d like to follow on from the September issue and continue the theme of the door. Whilst using my Z3 over the last few months, I’ve noticed that the driver’s side electric window was definitely struggling with the first few inches of operation. Then, after that, the window resumed normal operational speed. I thought I’d have a look and see if I could see what the problem was. I assumed that the mechanism would only need lubricating and wanted to do that, before any of the plastic components disintegrated under the strain. So first of all, I needed to remove the door card to gain access to the window mechanism behind. The first step is to remove the switch for the electric mirrors, which just pops out using a small flat screwdriver to assist in the removal. Behind the switch is a star head bolt that you need to remove. Once this is done, you have to pull the bottom of the door card away from the door itself. In doing this, sometimes you can break a few of the plastic fixings in the process, which you can easily purchase in preparation. You can use a large flat screwdriver to assist in this operation, but I purchased a tool I first saw used on the TV programme Wheeler Dealers. It resembles a pair of pliers (see photo) and you put the tool between the door card and the door, squeeze the handle and the tool opens up making the gap bigger. You then move the tool around the edge of the door card, until all of the fixings are out. After that, it is just a case of gently moving the door card around until you can remove the top from the door. Once the door card comes away, there will be a number of wires to disconnect to enable you to take it away fully. You then have to remove the plastic membrane, so that you can gain access to the mechanism behind. On inspection of the plastic parts that I could see, they seemed to have plenty of lubrication on them. Still, I wound the window down and sprayed the grove that the window slides up and down in with silica spray. Unfortunately, this had little or no effect on the problem. I decided to spray the plastic window regulator slider clips that slide left and right, and attach the window to the mechanism. Hey presto! I had a smooth running window. Putting the door back together is just the reversal of taking the door apart, but don’t forget to replace the plastic membrane and reconnect the electrical connections. The door card itself
is a little fiddly to install. First put the hole in the top of the door card over the lock button. Ensure that the top edge of the door card is replaced as before and then hit the lower edge of the door card, to ensure that the fastenings hold the it securely.
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BMW Car Club Magazine November 2021 79
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clubpubmeets Please check with the event organiser before attending a pub meet. This section is for those regular pub meets that are on-going within the Regions. You will always be very welcome to attend any of these events, so pop along and introduce yourself. CENTRAL: Central Regional Meet – Second Monday of each month at Aviator Hotel, Sywell, Northampton, NN6 0BN. CENTRAL WEST: Second Tuesday of every month at 7.30pm The Three Horseshoes, Alveley, Bridgnorth, WV15 6NB. CORNWALL: Date, time and venue to be confirmed once the pubs reopen for business. COTSWOLD: Second Wednesday of each month 7.30pm at The Swan at Coombe Hill, Tewkesbury Road, Coombe Hill, Gloucester GL19 4BA. CUMBRIA: 7.30pm – The Sportsman, just off the A66, CA11 0SG. Feel free to contact me beforehand if you have not been to one of our meets. DEVON: Last Wednesday of the month at 7.00pm for 7.30pm at the Hare & Hounds, Torquay Road, Kingskerswell, TQ12 5HH. For further information, contact Kathy or Derek on 01626 330436 or 07971 871739 or email: devon@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk. EAST ANGLIA: Pub Meet Contacts – all members are welcome at any meet. ALWAYS double check with your Branch Rep. as some Pub meets are suspended or venues changed for a variety of reasons. Suffolk Pub Meet – White Horse, Stoke Ash IP23 7ET Contact – David Adams (Suffolk Branch Rep.) bmwccsuffolkrep@btinternet.com 0777 466 8596. Also follow us on Facebook BMW Car Club GB Norfolk and Suffolk Branch. Cambs/Beds Pub Meet – The Royal Oak, Barrington, near Cambridge CB22 7RZ – Recommences April to September, Fourth Tuesday evening of the month. Contact – Matthew Hunt (Cambs/Beds Branch Rep.) matthew.hunt13@btinternet.com 07973986525. See details of coffee mornings on Facebook facebook.com/groups/1795515350724518?ref=bookmarks Norfolk Pub Meet – Last Thursday of every month. Contact Richard Howard on bmwccnorfolk@gmail.com. Also follow us on Facebook: BMW Car Club GB Norfolk and Suffolk Branch. Essex Pub Meet – 9am every second Sunday of the month at The Castle, Main Road, Great Leighs CM3 1NE, refer to Facebook BMW Car Club (GB) Essex Region. Contact Anthony Shilson on essex@ bmwcarclubgb.co.uk. NW Norfolk, South Lincs, Peterborough Pub Meet – The Sandboy Pub, Gayton Road, Kings Lynn, Norfolk PE32 1EP. Contact Aaron Reeve on westnorfolk@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk. EASTERN: Breakfast Meet – Saturday / Sunday of each month between 9am – 12noon. For further information date, venue etc., please visit our Facebook pages or contact eastern@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk Peak & South Yorkshire Pub Meet – Second Tuesday of the month from 7pm at The Elm Tree Inn, Mansfield Road, Heath, Chesterfield, Derbyshire, S44 5SE. Yorkshire & Humberside Pub Meet – Last Tuesday of the month at 6pm at The George & Dragon, Doncaster Road, Whitley, Goole, DN14 0HY. North Nottinghamshire – The Reindeer Inn, Sturton le Steeple DN22 9HQ on the second and fourth Thursday of the month. April to September. LONDON/HERTS: The Crooked Chimney: Second Monday evening of the month from 7.00pm, Lemsford, Welwyn Garden City, AL8 7XE. Ace Café: First Monday of the month. NORTH EAST: Monthly breakfast meetings are held on the second Sunday morning of each month, from 10.00am to 11.30am at Black Horse Beamish, Red Row, Beamish, Co. Durham, DH9 0RW if allowed, or virtually if necessary. 14th November, 12th December NORTH WEST: North West Region Sunday Lunch & Quiz – Sunday of alternate months (all at 12.00 noon) at The Kilton Inn, Hoo Green, Cheshire, WA16 0PZ. Contact Jeff Heywood northwest@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk / 07801 506632. 21th November, 12th December Manchester/NW Local Branch Meeting – First Tuesday of the month at 8:00pm. Sheldon Arms, Ashton under Lyne, M34 5QL. 2nd November, 7th December, 11th January SCOTLAND: See Scottish Region news and Club forum for more information or contact Issy on bmwccscottishregion@ gmail.com. SOUTH EAST: Kent Micro Meet – The George, Taylors Lane, Trottiscliffe, West Malling, ME19 5DR first Sunday of month 10:00am - 12:00pm. Sussex Micro Meet – Billy on the Road, Billingshurst. Contact Nigel to register interest. THAMES: Thames Regional Meet – Last Thursday of every month at Littlebury Hotel, Bicester, OX26 6DR. WALES - NORTH: For more information contact northwales@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk. WALES - MID & SHROPSHIRE: TBC at 12PM, Hanmer Arms, Hanmer Village SY13 3DE. WALES - SOUTH: Third Wednesday evening of the month at 7.00pm (6.30pm for food) at The Twelve Knights Pub, Margam, Port Talbot, SA13 2BN. WESSEX: Bournemouth Pub Meet – First Wednesday of the month. 7.00pm onwards. Regular vanue Tyrell’s Ford Country Inn, Avon, Christchurch but varying during summer months. See Wessex events on Club website for details. Contact Eric Thompson 07722 835930. Basingstoke Pub Meet – Third Tuesday of the month. 7.00pm onwards. The Fox, North Waltham, Basingstoke RG25 2BE. Contact Tim Maltby 07885 252448. WESTERN: First Wednesday of the month: 7.15pm at The Woolpack, Weston-Super-Mare.
82 BMW Car Club Magazine November 2021
Your Region & Register officers Regional Officers BMW Car Club Central Central West Channel Islands Cheshire & Staffs Cornwall Cumbria Cotswold Devon East Anglia Eastern Ireland London North East North West Scottish South East Thames Wales - Mid & Shropshire Wales - North Wales - South Wessex Western
Tony Skerrett central@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk Dave Evans centralwest@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk Jonathan Harris channelislands@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk Steve Cooper cheshireandstaffs@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk Jim Husband cornwall@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk James France cumbria@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk Martyn Goodwin cotswold@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk Kathy Jemfrey devon@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk George Champ eastanglia@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk Paul Rice eastern@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk VACANT ireland@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk Anthony Mason london@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk Nick Thomas northeast@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk Jeff Heywood northwest@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk Issy Phillips bmwccscottishregion@gmail.com Ian Bryant southeast@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk Tony Skerrett thames@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk Phil Pinnington midwales@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk David Allen northwales@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk Jonathan Bamford southwales@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk Julian Pickering wessex@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk Nigel Smith western@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk
Register Officers BMW Car Club Classic Sam Lever classic@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk E3 Tony Wilkes e3register@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk E9 Nick Hull e9register@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk 2002 Richard Stern 02register@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk Sharknose Richard Baxter sharknose@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk M Power Richard Baxter, mpower@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk John Denny/ Tristan Glass ALPINA Simon Alcorn alpina@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk 1 Series Anthony Mason 1series@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk 2 Series VACANT 3 Series Simon Maskell 3series@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk 3 Series - E21 Kyri Nicolaou e21register@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk 3 Series - E30 Neil McDonald neil@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk 3 Series - E36 Michal Michalski e36register@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk 3 Series - E46 Simon Maskell e46register@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk 3 Series - E90/91/ VACANT e90register@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk 92/93 3 Series - F30/31/34 Katie Littler f30register@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk 4 Series Paul Roberts 4series@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk 5 Series Stephen Coulson 5series@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk 5 Series - E12 Pat Tremain e12register@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk 5 Series - E28 Tim Maltby e28register@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk 5 Series - E34 Manj Sandhu e34register@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk 5 Series - E39 Dan Paskin e39register@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk 5 Series - E60/61 Christina Kostova e60register@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk 5 Series - F07 VACANT 5 Series - F10/11 Dave Routledge f10register@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk 6 Series Mani Singh Hayer 6series@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk 6 Series - E24 Konstantinos Loizou e24register@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk 6 Series - E63/64 Mani Singh Hayer e63register@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk 6 Series - F06/12/13 VACANT 7 Series - E23, E32, Matthew 7series@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk E38, E65 Swanborough 7 Series - F01, F02, VACANT F03 onwards 8 Series Debbie Blythe 8series@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk Z Series - Z1 Jamal Blanc z1register@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk Z Series - Z3 Alan Jones z3register@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk Z Series - Z4 Tom Singleton z4register@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk X Series Greg Lyons & xseries@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk James Brigginshaw i. Series Julian Odulate iregister@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk i. Series - i3 Tom Singleton i3register@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk i. Series - i8 Clive Neville i8register@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk MINI David Young mini@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk Concours Dan Wood concours@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk Track Days Neil McDonald trackday@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk
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