RECENT ARTICLES
BMW Fleet Electrification Tech Becomes More SAVvy—The 2024 X5/X6
See what I did there? SAV stands for Sports Activity Vehicle, and—oh, right, explaining the joke ruins it. Well, there’s no turning back now, so let’s charge forward. Get it?! (Oops, I did it again.) BMW has just announced the updates for the 2024 X5 SAV and X6 Sports...
Helping An Elderly Neighbor With A Parasitic Drain
Ah, the parasitic drain—the thing that drains your battery when you haven’t driven your car in a week. On a vintage car, these aren’t usually a big problem. If they occur, they’re usually something dumb, like a power amp or other aftermarket sound-system component that’s accidentally wired to be...
BMW EV-Production Timeline Shortens With 16.4-Billion-Peso Investment
BMW recently announced that Plant Spartanburg wouldn’t be the only North American plant receiving a substantial investment for the production of Neue Klasse electric vehicles. Plant San Luis Potosí in Mexico joins the fold to ramp up BMW EV vehicle and battery production with an 800-million-euro (or 16.4-billion-peso) infusion....
BMW M Team WRT Finishes Fourth, Sixth At Bathurst
The first round of the 2023 Intercontinental GT Challenge championship took place this past weekend, with the Bathurst 12 Hour race on the fantastic Mount Panorama circuit in Australia. BMW M Team WRT came to the race with a loaded roster in their pair of M4 GT3s, with Sheldon...
ST Racing To Contest GT World Challenge America
ST Racing is set to compete for a full season in the Fanatec GT World Challenge America series with their #38 M4 GT3 this year. Samantha Tan will be behind the wheel with co-drivers to be announced. The team has prior experience in the SRO-sanctioned series, having competed at...
Collector Chassis Showcase: 1995 BMW M3 (E36)
In November of last year, we introduced Collector Chassis, a new online platform for enthusiasts, hobbyists, and collectors to showcase, spectate, buy, and sell vintage, classic and special-interest vehicles. Through our partnership with Collector Chassis, BMW CCA members may list vehicles for free, and benefit from reduced selling fees,...
The Ultimate Driving Museum Welcomes the Wundercar Collection
The BMW CCA Foundation and The Ultimate Driving Museum are pleased to welcome the Wundercar Collection from Germany. This exquisite group of E3s is on loan from Dr. Christian Zschocke and have traveled from Germany to tour the United States. This tour is the first time all four vehicles...
Daytona Weekend Wrap-Up
The dust and flying rubber bits have finally settled, and the teams and crews are homeward-bound. The Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona was one for the books—literally the record books. The fans in attendance would agree that the weather was the best in years for this IMSA kick-off event,...
Avoiding The $80 Recaro Seat Knob
A few weeks ago, I wrote about driving to Connecticut to score a very well-priced Recaro office chair (if you don’t know, that’s a Recaro car seat on a rolling office-chair base) that was upholstered in the same orange spectrum fabric as the two Recaros in Bertha, my ratty...
Upcoming M Chapter Events: The M Market, M Intensive, Club Day
2023 State of the Market: BMW M Join us for our annual update of the BMW M market, presented by Hagerty. This national webinar will discuss current market trends and helpful advice on picking up and/or maintaining your dream Ultimate Driving Machine. Hagerty market expert James Hewitt will lead...
BimmerLife’s Live Blog From Daytona!
Hello BMW racing fans! We hope you’re as excited as we are for the Rolex 24 at Daytona International Speedway. For this epic weekend of Racing and Revelations, Kyle van Hoften will be live-blogging right here on BimmerLife! So stay tuned to this story for continuing updates on Friday,...
Racing And Revelations Coming At Daytona
‘Tis the season—or ’tis the start of the season—for IMSA racing teams. In fact, the IMSA racing season just kicked off this past weekend with the aptly named Roar Before the 24 at Daytona International Speedway. And right on its heels is the Rolex 24, the highlight of a...
Calling All Kugelfischers: New Product Debut
The mighty Kugelfischer—a mechanical fuel injection pump that was factory-installed on a variety of performance-oriented vehicles of the late 1960s and early 1970s. This included the BMW 2002tii, various Porsches, and even the BMW M1, which carried Kugelfischer production into the early 1980s. It has been over 40 years...
The Mutant Distributor
The distributor in the photo below looks normal, but don’t let it fool you. It is evil. It is a mutant. It is an abomination. Okay, let me back up. One of the most common 2002 questions—after “What’s this car worth?” and “I changed X, Y, and Z ,and...
Recognition Program Committee: Last Call!
The Recognition Program Committee (RPC) would like to thank everyone who has submitted an award nomination for 2022. The accolades and stories about fellow Club members, BMW centers, and independent businesses that went over and above to support the members of the BMW CCA are inspirational. It is not...
Collector Chassis Showcase: 1981 Alpina B6 2.8 (E21)
In November of last year, we introduced Collector Chassis, a new online platform for enthusiasts, hobbyists, and collectors to showcase, spectate, buy, and sell vintage, classic and special-interest vehicles. Through our partnership with Collector Chassis, BMW CCA members may list vehicles for free, and benefit from reduced selling fees,...
Waging War On Water Spots
Water spots aren’t a big deal, right? Those hard-water mineral deposits of magnesium, calcium, or something similar should just wipe off with some window cleaner and a cloth. Or, in a worst-case scenario, you may have to wash your vehicle again and then quickly dry the windows before any...
The Collected Fake Book Covers (And Other Silliness)
My four-hour drive last weekend to pick up the orange spectrum Recaro office chair and the replacement front bumper cover and fender liners for Zelda the Z3 angered up the back injury I’ve been nursing since August. So, no wrenching for this guy this week—just a lot of sitting,...
Recognition Program Committee Reminder
January is the last month to submit your nominations for the year 2022. All nominations must be received by January 31, 2023, midnight EST, and must be submitted through the BMW CCA website. You can access the Recognition Nomination Form here. Again, the Award Categories are: Friend of the BMW...
Recognition Program Committee: Gratitude
Sooner or later all, of us experience unexpected challenges with our vehicles and we’re thankful when there is someone to help. These people often portray the ideals of the BMW CCA. If they are your follow club members, BMW centers, or independent businesses, take time now to recognize them...
What Was Your Automotive Highlight Of 2022?
When you look back at 2022, what was your automotive highlight of the year? What made that particular experience special and memorable? Was it a road trip, a unique opportunity with special access, or something else? When I look back at my 2022 calendar, aside from the semi-weekly Cars...
Collector Chassis Showcase: 1975 BMW 2002 Turbo
In November, we introduced Collector Chassis, a new online platform for enthusiasts, hobbyists, and collectors to showcase, spectate, buy, and sell vintage, classic and special-interest vehicles. Through our partnership with Collector Chassis, BMW CCA members may list vehicles for free, and benefit from reduced selling fees, in addition to...
Recognition Program Committee: 2022 In The Rearview
As we begin 2023 and look forward to the year ahead, we look back at the year that was 2022 and those that have gone above and beyond in supporting the members of the BMW CCA. This includes your fellow members and BMW Centers who championed, advocated, and promoted...
Sim Racing With National Capital Chapter Starts January 5th
For the third year running, National Capital Chapter is hosting a nation-wide, broadcasted sim racing league for BMW CCA members. The winter season kicks off January 5th and there will be nine non-stop weeks of racing. The automotive weapon of choice? All GT3 cars this season. The race format?...
Member Benefit: Collector Chassis Connections
Most enthusiasts are familiar with car-selling sites, from AutoTrader to Bring a Trailer, a site which has morphed from a collection of interesting references to other sites into a significant auction venue itself. But there are also other ways to display your car—or cars, plural—on the Interwebs, sharing your...
Helping An Elderly Neighbor With A Parasitic Drain
Ah, the parasitic drain—the thing that drains your battery when you haven’t driven your car in a week. On a vintage car, these aren’t usually a big problem. If they occur, they’re usually something dumb, like a power amp or other aftermarket sound-system component that’s accidentally wired to be...
Avoiding The $80 Recaro Seat Knob
A few weeks ago, I wrote about driving to Connecticut to score a very well-priced Recaro office chair (if you don’t know, that’s a Recaro car seat on a rolling office-chair base) that was upholstered in the same orange spectrum fabric as the two Recaros in Bertha, my ratty...
The Mutant Distributor
The distributor in the photo below looks normal, but don’t let it fool you. It is evil. It is a mutant. It is an abomination. Okay, let me back up. One of the most common 2002 questions—after “What’s this car worth?” and “I changed X, Y, and Z ,and...
The Collected Fake Book Covers (And Other Silliness)
My four-hour drive last weekend to pick up the orange spectrum Recaro office chair and the replacement front bumper cover and fender liners for Zelda the Z3 angered up the back injury I’ve been nursing since August. So, no wrenching for this guy this week—just a lot of sitting,...
I DID Buy Myself a Christmas Present, After All!
Thanks for all the comments about the needy six-speed X3, and for not egging me on to do something that didn’t make a lot of sense. As it happens, I did buy myself a Christmas present. It’s just smaller. My ’75 2002, Bertha—the car that I bought in Austin in...
Searching For My Christmas Present (Part III—Did I Or Didn’t I?)
Last week, I left you with a cliffhanger: Was I really going to pull the trigger on a thousand-dollar 2005 six-speed X3 for which I had zero lust, whose mismatched front body panels severely capped its value, and whose main value in my dystopian Hack Mechanic world was that...
