RECENT ARTICLES
Tom Tang vs. The Mountain: The Prep
The Pikes Peak International Hill Climb (PPIHC) is now just one month away and preparations for the car and the crew are getting more critical. Tom Tang has already been preparing for months to reach his goal to get up the mountain in less than 10 minutes with his...
Turner Motorsport Wins in GT World Challenge America at Sebring, BMWs Win in GT4 America
The SRO Motorsport America series—including GT World Challenge America (GTWCA), GT America, GT4 America and TC America—visited Sebring International Raceway in Florida the weekend of May 9th-10th for the third round of the season. It was a very productive weekend for BMW teams in the Florida heat, with Turner...
BMW M3 CS Handschalter: The Sharpest M3 Sacrifices Power for Three Pedals and a Stick
The BMW M3 CS is getting a manual transmission. I’ll give you a moment to collect yourself. Good? Okay, let’s dig in. For the 2027 model year, BMW will be building a very limited number of BMW M3 CS Handschalter (literally “manual transmission” in German) models, which comes with...
The Vision BMW Alpina Concept Is Achingly Gorgeous
BMW may have recently taken total control of legendary German tuning house Alpina, but the plans have been in motion for years. In 2022, BMW announced it had agreed to purchase the brand and bring it in-house, with the sale being finalized and ownership transferred in January, 2026. Now,...
Tech Talk | N52 Misfire, M2 Break In, and Z4 M Recommendations
Welcome to Tech Talk, where our resident BMW tech Nick Owen answers all your pressing BMW technical questions, frustrations, and issues. Have a question for Nick? Email him at techtalk@roundel.org. Let’s get into it. E90 N52 Misfire My 2007 325i, Steptronic, w/331,440 miles has a misfire. I’m the original owner...
BMW M Cars Get F1-Style Pre-Chamber Ignition Technology in 2026
BMW M is about to upgrade its S58 engine in the M2, M3, and M4 starting in mid-2026, with technology more typically found in Formula 1. It’s called pre-chamber ignition, and it’s designed to make engines both more efficient and more powerful. BMW isn’t the first brand to use...
Pour One Out For the BMW Z4: It’s Officially Dead
These are sad days. The BMW Z4 is officially dead, as the final one just rolled off the assembly line in Graz, Austria. While the Z4 was never a perfect sports car, and occupied a weird space in a segment dominated by the Porsche Boxster, it was one of...
Don’t Toss That Dead VDO Windshield Washer Pump!
Having the washer pump quit working on a vintage BMW, or buying a car where the pump is non-functional, is a very common problem. For decades I appeared to have an inexhaustible supply of old VDO washer pumps that I could just swap in, but when I was readying...
Want Tartufo Buckets in Your M3? You Can Get Them, and They Aren’t Even Expensive
If you live on the BMW configurator like I do, you’ve probably noticed that you can spec a G80 M3 with bucket seats in every color option except one: Tartufo. For reasons that were always unclear to me, Tartufo is the one interior option that is not compatible with...
BMW Will Show Off Its First Alpina Concept at Villa d’Este
If like me, you’re anxiously awaiting the first-ever Alpina product entirely under the BMW umbrella, you won’t have to wait much longer. BMW is set to show off its first Alpina model at the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este on Lake Como, Italy and it’s shaping up to be something...
BMW M Team WRT Earns 1-2 Finish in FIA WEC at Spa
BMW M Team WRT scored an impressive one-two finish in the second round of the FIA World Endurance Championship (FIA WEC) race at the Spa-Franchorchamps circuit in Belgium on Saturday, which was the teams home race. It was the first FIA WEC victory for BMW since entering the series...
Don’t Toss That Dead VDO Windshield Washer Pump!
Having the washer pump quit working on a vintage BMW, or buying a car where the pump is non-functional, is a very common problem. For decades I appeared to have an inexhaustible supply of old VDO washer pumps that I could just swap in, but when I was readying...
BMW Will Show Off Its First Alpina Concept at Villa d’Este
If like me, you’re anxiously awaiting the first-ever Alpina product entirely under the BMW umbrella, you won’t have to wait much longer. BMW is set to show off its first Alpina model at the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este on Lake Como, Italy and it’s shaping up to be something...
Tech Talk | A/C Issues and E46 ZHP Mirrors
Welcome to Tech Talk, where our resident BMW tech Nick Owen answers all your pressing BMW technical questions, frustrations, and issues. Have a question for Nick? Email him at techtalk@roundel.org. Let’s get into it. 2022 840i Coupe A/C Issue My 30,000 mile, 2022 840i Coupe has developed an A/C...
BMW Could Be Responsible for Your Next Economy Class Seat
BMW’s Designworks studio is no stranger to aircraft designs. It’s been working with airlines to help improve first-class and business class cabins for more than a decade, including doing the first-class cabin for Singapore Airlines’ Boeing 777-300ER in 2012. However, according to the Airline Passenger Experience Association (APEX), it’s...
2027 BMW iX3 50 Officially Has 434 Miles of Range, Starts at $62,850
As much as BMW is a 3 Series company at its heart, it’s really an X3 company now. Compact premium crossovers are among the most popular cars for U.S customers, far more so than sedans, so the X3 and all of its variants matter more to BMW than almost...
Pricing for the Electric and Gas-Powered BMW M3 Will Be ‘In the Same Ballpark’
BMW is getting weird with the next-gen M3, offering not only two different powertrains for the first time, but two entirely different methods of propulsion. When it comes time to buy your new BMW M3, you’ll have the choice of either gas or electric. Thankfully, according to BMW, price...
Nor’East 02ers Spring Meet and Drive
Last week, I wrote about the whirlwind sale of Bertha to Craig B., who flew in from Austin on Friday and set sail that evening for MidAmerica 02Fest in Eureka Springs, Arkansas. We swapped a few messages on the way regarding his discovery of wetness on the back of...
Interview | BMW’s VP of Design on the 7 Series, Neue Klasse, and Design Philosophy
The design of the G70 7 Series ignited a firestorm of opinions from everyone who saw it. This design departed radically from the 7 before it, much like how the E65 created controversy when it was first shown. The giant kidney grilles, split headlights, and really every design choice...
A Look Back at the 2025 Tire Rack One Lap of America
The 41st running of the Tire Rack One Lap of America once again had a massive field, with BMWs and Minis showing up in force. There were nine BMWs and two Minis from 10 different states in the 82 car field, meaning they made up nearly 15 percent of...
Dealer Maintenance for Your Older BMW Is Getting Cheaper
BMW’s Value Service Program has been around for over a decade, offering more competitive pricing for routine maintenance and service on older vehicles. Essentially, the program allowed certain dealers to opt in, letting BMW North America subsidize the cost of routine maintenance to make it more competitive with local...
Tech Talk | Comfort Access Headache, Extended Warranties, and Telematics Problems
Welcome to Tech Talk, where our resident BMW tech Nick Owen answers all your pressing BMW technical questions, frustrations, and issues. Have a question for Nick? Email him at techtalk@roundel.org. Let’s get into it. Key Fob Issues I have an ongoing periodic issue with the key fob on my...
BMW M Reminds Us That It Once Built an M5 CSL Prototype
BMW M has quite the secret dungeon. In it are countless weirdly awesome prototypes that the bigwigs in Munich never had the courage to sell. Cars like an E34 M5 Convertible, an E39 M5 Touring, and an E46 M3 CSL with a V-8 all lurk in the underbelly of...
BMW iX5 60 Will Reportedly Have a Massive 147.8 kWh Battery
BMW is prepping its next-generation of electric vehicles, and it just sent specs of its upcoming 2027 lineup to the EPA. Unearthed by a Bimmerpost user, the spec sheet claims that an upcoming BMW iX5 60 is going to have a massive 147.8 kWh battery back. That will make...
Beyond the Racing at the Long Beach Grand Prix
The only time the entire weekend there was a pause was when they asked, “What’s your favorite part?” Long pause. Pensive expression. Furrowed brow. Then the reply: “Yes.” All of it? Yes, all of Long Beach Grand Prix weekend. Ok, maybe the $18 curly fries were a bit on...
Letting Bertha Go
I’ve told the story of Bertha multiple times—how I bought it in Austin in 1984 because I wanted to bring a big-bumpered 2002 to Boston to survive its demolition derby of traffic and parking, how Maire Anne and I drove off from our wedding in it, how I transmogrified...
Don’t Toss That Dead VDO Windshield Washer Pump!
Having the washer pump quit working on a vintage BMW, or buying a car where the pump is non-functional, is a very common problem. For decades I appeared to have an inexhaustible supply of old VDO washer pumps that I could just swap in, but when I was readying...
Nor’East 02ers Spring Meet and Drive
Last week, I wrote about the whirlwind sale of Bertha to Craig B., who flew in from Austin on Friday and set sail that evening for MidAmerica 02Fest in Eureka Springs, Arkansas. We swapped a few messages on the way regarding his discovery of wetness on the back of...
Letting Bertha Go
I’ve told the story of Bertha multiple times—how I bought it in Austin in 1984 because I wanted to bring a big-bumpered 2002 to Boston to survive its demolition derby of traffic and parking, how Maire Anne and I drove off from our wedding in it, how I transmogrified...
I Wasn’t At The Vintage, But My Cars Were
As I wrote a couple of weeks ago, I missed The Vintage this year, something I’ve only done twice before since 2010 (in 2012 I had a kidney stone, and in 2023 Maire Anne had a cardiac appointment as part of the on-ramp to major surgery). This time, it...
The Fuel Delivery Checklist
A friend messaged me this week with a fuel delivery issue on his ’76 2002. The car had the original-style mechanical fuel pump installed, and a fuel filter before the pump. As I wrote about here, I don’t believe that any carbureted 2002 ever had a fuel filter installed...
The Alfa Valve Shim Trick
Well, Bertha and I aren’t going to The Vintage after all. I have a dear 84-year-old cousin with whom Maire Anne and I have done some travel. She has slow-moving lung cancer, but right now she feels fine and wants to enjoy life. She called us last week and...
