RECENT ARTICLES
Failing State Safety Inspection Like a Pro
There’s nothing quite like celebrating ten years of 2015 328i Sports Wagon (F31) ownership by failing Virginia State Safety Inspection! What an embarrassment. When the inspector called out “BMW , come here.” I heard Winnie the Pooh’s voice in my head, responding with, “Oh, bother.” Actually, it may have...
BMW Motorrad Motorsport Ready to Rumble Down Under
After intensive preparations and successful tests in Jerez and Portimão, BMW Motorrad Motorsport starts the new season of the FIM Superbike World Championship (WorldSBK) with great confidence. The team travels to the season opener in Phillip Island (AUS) with the new BMW M 1000 RR and a strong foundation,...
BMW Motorrad USA Announces BMW Motorrad Days Americas 2025
BMW Motorrad USA is proud to announce BMW Motorrad Days Americas 2025 and its return as the title sponsor for the famous Barber Vintage Festival. BMW Motorrad Days Americas began in 2023, helping BMW Motorrad celebrate its 100 Year Centenary. Now in its third year, BMW Motorrad Days Americas...
50 Stories for 50 Years Chapter 5: “BMW Motorsport and the Mighty CSL Win The 1975 12 Hours of Sebring.”
If you’re an automotive executive in charge of sales and marketing, how do you raise the company’s profile when you’re unable to advertise? That’s the situation faced by Bob Lutz in 1974 when he was attempting to replace Max Hoffman’s independent US distributorship with a wholly-owned sales subsidiary. Lawsuits...
The Joy of Color
Colors are more than simply design – they express emotions and identity. They reflect lifestyles, make statements, and define character. BMW transforms color into an experience. BMW offers an impressive range of paint finishes – from legendary classics to innovative shades – allowing customers to express their individuality with...
New X3 With Extended Wheelbase Set for Launch
The latest version of the BMW X3 is poised for market launch in China. The country’s most successful Sports Activity Vehicle will arrive at Chinese dealerships in just a few days and will go on sale later in February 2025. Drive system: two petrol engines to choose from. This...
BMW Teams on Hand for IMSA Testing at Sebring
The IMSA schedule is unique in that the first two races on the calendar are two of the most prestigious on the entire schedule; they’re the two longest races, and they’re both in Florida. After the opening Rolex 24 at Daytona in late January, the next race coming up...
Endurance Test for “Heart of Joy”: the BMW Vision Driving Experience
World-class dynamics, precision, efficiency, and driving pleasure. New “Heart of Joy” central computer works ten times faster than current systems. Extending the recuperation range increases efficiency by 25%. Woodcliff Lake, NJ – February 16, 2025… Showcasing driving pleasure up to the physical limits is BMW’s mission with its new high-performance...
The Two Estate Sale Roundie 2002tiis in Virginia
I field a fair number of “What’s this 2002 worth?” questions through my Roundel email address and Facebook presence. When these are posted for general feedback on the Facebook 2002 forum, and when, reading between the lines, it looks like the person asking the question just picked up the...
Farewell Colin Turkington
The name Colin Turkington may not be well-known among BMW racing enthusiasts here in the US, but he’s very well-known to racing fans in Europe who have followed the British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) over the last twenty years. Since joining the BTCC in 2022, Turkington has become one...
BMWBLOG: ALPINA B8 GT Debuts With Upgraded Engine
The BMW 8 Series is facing retirement, but not before ALPINA launches the ultimate version of the Gran Coupe. The B8 GT borrows the upgraded twin-turbo V8 4.4-liter engine from the B5 GT, with an identical 625 hp and 850 Nm (627 lb-ft). You won’t see much of this car...
BMW Donates $1 Million to Support Those Impacted by the L.A. Wildfires
The BMW Group in the U.S. is donating $1 million to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund to support those impacted by the Los Angeles wildfires. The company is a long-standing partner of the American Red Cross and remains committed to supporting the organization’s work to care for...
The Bavaria and the Red Herrings
The Inauguration Day surprise for me turned out to be a nasty case of COVID from which I am only beginning to recover. So, while the FrankenThirty’s compressor is still apart on the workbench, I’m going to re-tell a story that’s still one of my favorites in the car-died-while-running-and-it-turned-out-to-be-THAT...
FAQ – Electrification: The Community Asks, BMW M Answers
1. Why is M going electric? As BMW M, we recognize the increasing significance of sustainability, environmental considerations, and government regulations, which are profoundly influencing our operations and products. Electric drivetrains are a prerequisite for climate-neutral mobility of the future. And, of course, the electrification of our M models...
50 Stories for 50 Years Chapter 2: “Before BMW of North America: The Max Hoffman Era”
If one character could be said to dominate BMW’s early years in the US, it’s Max Hoffman. As BMW’s sole distributor in this country from 1962 to 1975, Hoffman was a champion of the marque, one whose belief in BMW allowed cars like the 2002 to reach a broad...
E30 A/C Rejuvenation – Part III (Yeah, I’m Trying To Rebuild The Compressor)
Last week, I drained the oil in the FrankenThiry’s Behr “wing cell” compressor and found it was filled with black particulate matter. In the post, I said the particulates “were likely from the seals in the compressor itself, but I suppose it’s remotely possible that they could’ve originated elsewhere...
Petersen Automotive Museum: January Cruise-In Benefitting First Responders
Mark your calendars for Sunday, January 26th, and be part of a special event that brings together car enthusiasts and compassionate individuals for a vital cause. As devastating fires impact the Los Angeles area, our heroic first responders work tirelessly to protect lives, homes, and our community. This unique...
50 Stories for 50 Years Chapter 1: “Turn Your Hymnals to 2002”
Can one magazine article change the course of automotive history? Though it’s hard to imagine in today’s fractured media landscape, that’s exactly what happened in April 1968, when Car and Driver published “Turn Your Hymnals to 2002,” an ecstatic review of a new BMW by contributing writer David E....
BMW M Breaks Sales Records in 2024
BMW News, Community, Motorsport
BMW M GmbH broke historic sales records in 2024, selling over 200,000 vehicles for the first time, continuing a 13-year sales-growth trend for the high-performance brand. Enthusiasts have enjoyed the variety of models, styles, and performance levels available from BMW M GmbH, with executives crediting their technology-neutral stance, making...
BMW Works to Recycle EV Batteries
Recycling the massive batteries of electric vehicles, which lose potency over time, remains one of the criticisms of the environmental “green” labels often used to promote EVs. Historically, recycling batteries has been problematic and expensive. So, BMW, with other technology partners, continues to develop new approaches to making the...
M Chapter Virtual Garage Webinar Series – Creating the Ultimate BMW Garage
The BMW CCA M Chapter is preparing to launch the 2025 episode of its Virtual Garage webinar series, Creating the Ultimate BMW Garage! This year, we will hear what projects fellow club members have worked on over the last year and eagerly look forward to live virtual tours of...
A Ford Raptor and Hyundai Ute lead to the BMW G60 5 Series
The closing months of last year required me to head back east to Maryland to help transition my mother into assisted living. This happened over multiple trips requiring several rental cars, including a stint in the relatively new G60 BMW 5 Series. First, let’s talk trucks. For the initial...
E30 A/C Rejuvenation – Part II (Trying To Reuse the Compressor)
Last week I took the first steps to resurrect the a/c in the FrankenThirty 1988 325is. Its wing-cell compressor turned freely but had no belt on it, and due to the car’s salvage title history, it makes me wonder whether the a/c was ever even fully reconnected and recharged...
YouTube: The Invitation – BMW at CES 2025
Welcome to CES 2025. Join our cast of Hollywood stars and tech geniuses as we take over the entertainment capital of the world for our very own party to celebrate our new innovative in-vehicle experience. Be sure to follow BMW on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/@BMW
Bring A Trailer: Collection of BMW and Alpina 2002/1600 Parts
This collection of BMW and Alpina parts was assembled by the selling dealer and comprises hundreds of pieces that are said to be suited for 1600 and 2002 cars built from 1966 to 1971. The selling dealer states that it includes an engine camshaft, an Alpina radiator, Italian-made Weber...
The Two Estate Sale Roundie 2002tiis in Virginia
I field a fair number of “What’s this 2002 worth?” questions through my Roundel email address and Facebook presence. When these are posted for general feedback on the Facebook 2002 forum, and when, reading between the lines, it looks like the person asking the question just picked up the...
E30 A/C Rejuvenation – Part V (Digging myself out after trashing the compressor rebuild)
Last week, I patted myself on the back for having rebuilt the Behr wing cell compressor in the FrankenThirty for $17, the price of a Santech gasket and o-ring kit. I had it all back together and then had a qualm of concern that I hadn’t correctly installed the...
E30 A/C Rejuvenation – Part IV (Finishing the Compressor Rebuild)
It took me the full ten days from the onset of my first symptoms to test negative for COVID, but by the end of the week, I was up and around again. I figured that the basement and garage qualified as self-isolation, so I began chipping away at putting...
The Bavaria and the Red Herrings
The Inauguration Day surprise for me turned out to be a nasty case of COVID from which I am only beginning to recover. So, while the FrankenThirty’s compressor is still apart on the workbench, I’m going to re-tell a story that’s still one of my favorites in the car-died-while-running-and-it-turned-out-to-be-THAT...
E30 A/C Rejuvenation – Part III (Yeah, I’m Trying To Rebuild The Compressor)
Last week, I drained the oil in the FrankenThiry’s Behr “wing cell” compressor and found it was filled with black particulate matter. In the post, I said the particulates “were likely from the seals in the compressor itself, but I suppose it’s remotely possible that they could’ve originated elsewhere...
E30 A/C Rejuvenation – Part II (Trying To Reuse the Compressor)
Last week I took the first steps to resurrect the a/c in the FrankenThirty 1988 325is. Its wing-cell compressor turned freely but had no belt on it, and due to the car’s salvage title history, it makes me wonder whether the a/c was ever even fully reconnected and recharged...
