RECENT ARTICLES
BMW NA Hosts Chapters For New Vehicle Distribution Center Visit
By Mike Bevels, National Capital Chapter Does an afternoon of special access to BMW North America’s newest Vehicle Distribution Center (VDC) sound like a dream? Yeah, I thought so too. Well, on May 6th, 2022, that dream came true for nearly 140 BMW CCA members thanks to the passion...
The Power of M Exhibition Hosts Vintage Open House
In conjunction with The Vintage event for 2022, The Ultimate Driving Museum hosted an open house of the Power of M exhibition in Greer, SC. The museum’s doors were opened for BMW enthusiasts traveling themselves or in caravans to the popular event. Travelers parked their vehicles on the museum...
BMW CCA Women’s Driving Experience At Indianapolis Motor Speedway Scheduled For August 9–10
Ladies, start your engines! The BMW CCA, in conjunction with the BMW Performance Center, is offering a once-in-a-lifetime experience to drive on Indianapolis Motor Speedway for one full day on Wednesday, August 10, 2022. As your hosts, Jackie Bechek (right) and I are excited to offer this exclusive Women...
The Vintage 2022 (Part I)
I ended last week’s piece by saying. “If I still had the stones I had five years ago, I’d put a few hundred local miles on Carter, then pack it with parts and tools and road-trip it down to the Vintage in Asheville this coming weekend. Right now, however,...
Gas-Free Racing: Summer SIM Racing Begins
The BMW CCA National Capital Chapter launches its Summer 2022 SIM Racing Program on June 2. The 10-week virtual-racing series uses the iRacing platform to schedule and host league-based racing events. Participants must have an iRacing road racing license and follow specific rules of the league. This year, the...
New BMW 3 Series Feels Familiar And Futuristic
BMW’s recently released 3 Series updates reveal a more angular, modern conveyance that should give pause to and receive praise from reviewers obsessed with grille sizes. With updated looks, cutting-edge interior, expanded feature set, and recognizable grilles, BMW’s 3 Series models will continue the 45 year tradition of balancing...
M4 CSL Unveiled: Racing Passion Plus Technology
BMW M4 CSL teasers are done. The extreme performance model has been hyped on the company’s Instagram feed, and hints about it’s pedigree alluded to repeatedly. Finally, it stands revealed in sleek grey and black with red accents. And only 1,000 will be made. Thought your BMW M4 Competition...
BMW Manufacturing Donates To Preserve Wetlands in Greenville, SC
Spartanburg, S.C. BMW Manufacturing pledged to donate $1.25 million to restore and preserve eight acres of urban wetlands at Unity Park west of downtown Greenville, South Carolina. The donation will also support the construction of a series of low-impact boardwalks and overlooks through the wetlands, which occupy the northern...
BMW i Ventures Invests In Lithium Technology
BMW’s venture capital firm, i Ventures, announced an investment aimed at improving the sustainability of lithium for battery technology. The investment in Mangrove Lithium supports the goal of a sustainable and less resource-intensive method of producing battery-grade lithium hydroxide and lithium carbonate. Lithium is a key ingredient for current...
Limited-Edition BMW M4 50 Jahre BMW M Revealed
Woodcliff Lake, NJ – May 24, 2022…On this day in 1972, the agreement that created BMW Motorsport GmbH was signed. Over the past 50 years, on streets and tracks around the world – corner by corner, lap by lap – BMW M has built a passionate community of extraordinary...
Paint Without Petroleum: BMW and BASF Make Waste Biomass Pretty
In pursuit of sustainability, BMW Group and BASF have developed matt paints made from biomass instead of crude oil. It’s also created innovative forms of corrosion protection that don’t use fossil fuels. The new innovations reduce fossil fuel resources needed and lower C02 emissions by 40 percent, according to...
Enough Teasing! The BMW M4 CSL Debuts
If you follow BMW M’s Instagram feed, you may have noticed several close up teaser shots of the M4 CSL. Starting with a quite blurry photo of the new model speeding across the frame, to a close up of the front BMW M Roundel that shows red accents in...
The Power of M Opens At The Ultimate Driving Museum
By Michael Mitchell, Museum Curator, and Len Rayburn. Photos by Mike Ura. The Ultimate Driving Museum launched The Power of M: Celebrating 50 Years exhibition on Friday, May 13. This is the first exhibition under the new museum name, but the sixth overall for the BMW CCA Foundation. Starting...
Registration Open For M Intensive At Indy
The M Chapter and the National Capital Chapter of the BMW CCA are once again going to the world-famous Indianapolis Motor Speedway for an exciting opportunity to drive M cars at Indy! The Indianapolis Motor Speedway is one of the most famous tracks in the country, and now you can experience...
What Does This Button Do? BMW Remote “Genius” To The Rescue
If you’ve bought a new BMW in the last few years, you have likely looked at the myriad buttons and iDrive options and found a few that you aren’t quite sure what they do. The technology in vehicles has evolved rapidly, and mastering the increasingly complex options can require...
“The Power of M: Celebrating 50 Years” Opens May 16 At The Ultimate Driving Museum
The BMW CCA Foundation’s newest exhibit, “The Power of M: Celebrating 50 Years,” will roar into the Ultimate Driving Museum in May 2022. You’re invited to be one of the first to see this exceptional collection of BMW M cars (and the first M motorcycle), celebrating 50 years of...
BMWs Temporarily Shipping Without Apple CarPlay, Android Auto
Buyers will need a software update for the smartphone services. Thanks to the ongoing computer chip shortages, BMW had to change chip suppliers for some of its infotainment services. The new chips are compatible with Apple and Google’s smartphone offerings, but will require an over-the-air software update to get...
BMW Offers “7 for 7” Flagship Swap To Eager South Korean Buyers
BMW enthusiasts in South Korea who can’t wait to get their hands on the new luxury 7-Series G70 can lease a current model and “swap” it for a new one later. While not quite a luxury-car “subscription,” the “7 for 7” program seeks to satisfy those eager for that...
Registration For M Chapter Day At BMW Performance Center West Opens May 10
After attending O’Fest Forever, the M Chapter is headed to the BMW Performance Center in Thermal, California on October 2 for our M Chapter Day event. BMW’s Performance Center West provides current model M cars, instructors, gas, tires, lunch, and a first-class facility for a fun-filled day at the track. Just...
Registration Opens May 16 For Legends Of The Autobahn Presented By Michelin!
The twelfth annual Legends Of The Autobahn West, presented by Michelin, will be held in Pacific Grove, California, on Thursday, August 18, at PG Links. Registration opens Monday, May 16, 2022. Make sure to register early—space is limited, and entries are expected to sell out! ...
The Toyota Supra Is Getting A Manual Transmission—What About BMW?
Toyota recently made a splash when it announced that the six-cylinder Supra will be getting an optional manual transmission starting with the 2023 model year. As we all know, the J29 Toyota Supra was developed in collaboration with the BMW G29 Z4, and the two ride atop the same...
The Ideal Car Is A Hypothetical Ideal
Four cars—a wagon, a sedan, a coupe, and a vintage car—walk into a bar…. No? Okay, how about they drive six hours to Laguna Seca? Actually, this is not really a joke, but a hypothetical situation meant tackle the age-old question, what is the ideal car? (By the way,...
Second-Generation M2 To Be Produced Exclusively In Mexico
The second generation of the BMW M2 will be produced exclusively at BMW Group Plant San Luis Potosí in Mexico. Opened in 2019 after ground was broken in 2016, the plant has quickly realized strong performance and currently produces the G20 3 Series sedan and the second-generation 2 Series...
BMW Explains Engineering Behind The M3 Touring
Even though it’s almost surely not coming to the U.S., the M3 Touring currently in the works at BMW M is one of the most exciting vehicles in the pipeline. We don’t have to extoll the virtues of BMW sport wagon ownership here; BMW CCA members know perhaps better...
BMW’s Ultimate Driving Experience Returns For 2022: Expanded Schedule, New Models
BMW’s Ultimate Driving Experience has returned for 2022 with a broader schedule than ever before and 25 cities on the itinerary. The first two events in Long Island, New York and Washington D.C. have already passed, but nearly two dozen others remain on the calendar, in addition to a...
The Vintage 2022 (Part I)
I ended last week’s piece by saying. “If I still had the stones I had five years ago, I’d put a few hundred local miles on Carter, then pack it with parts and tools and road-trip it down to the Vintage in Asheville this coming weekend. Right now, however,...
Get Carter (Part III: The Rod-Bearing Follies)
When last we saw Carter, my hastily-purchased bargain ’76 2002, I was in the “getting to know you ” phase of ownership. I’d eliminated the egregious suspension thunks and clunks by replacing the rear shock bushings and the front strut tower bushing. I also took a whack at the...
MidAmerica 02Fest (Part II)
Last week, I wrote about the preparation of Louie, my ’72 2002tii, and the two-day, 1,500-ish-mile drive southish to MidAmerica 02Fest in Eureka Springs, Arkansas. Nothing went wrong, but I left out two bits whose importance wasn’t clear until after I’d arrived. Let’s start with Marta Davies. Marta is...
MidAmerica 02Fest (Part I)
It’s been said that, as far as a balance between a low-stress trip and fodder for interesting articles, the perfect road trip is one in which anything that goes wrong can be repaired safely and quickly. I know; I’m the one who said it. A great example was when...
Get Carter (Part II: Getting To Know You)
Last week, a 1976 2002 I immediately christened Carter (due to the original campaign sticker on the rear bumper) fell into my lap for an asking price that made me drop everything, look at it, and buy it on the spot. On the negative side, it had been sitting...
Get Carter (Part I)
I’ve long said that car-buying, at least for me, is best characterized as a crime of opportunity; I never decide, “I am going to buy X,” then go forth in search ofthe finest example of X and buy it. Rather, I look locally for the affordable example of X...
