




RECENT ARTICLES
The First-Ever M3 CS Touring, The Ultimate Wagon?

According to BMWBLOG, the answer is yes. The ultimate wagon America won’t get. With the first-ever BMW M3 CS Touring, BMW M GmbH is adding another special-edition model to its high-performance sports car segment lineup. The latest addition to the manufacturer’s most popular range builds on the success of...
Experience the Ultimate BMW Enthusiast Weekends: Motorsports & Mascara & BimmerLife MiX!

BMW enthusiasts, get ready! Two can’t-miss events are coming your way, and you won’t want to miss a single second of the action. Whether you’re looking to refine your skills behind the wheel, connect with fellow BMW lovers, or simply immerse yourself in the thrill of driving, Motorsports &...
BMW 2025 Spring Model Updates

Electric drivetrain upgrades, new engine variants, as well as additional standard and optional equipment features will make the current BMW model range even more attractive and versatile in spring 2025. The use of new components for the power electronics and other measures designed to optimize efficiency have resulted in...
BMW M Motorsport Becomes iRacing’s “Official Safety Car Partner”

As in real-world motor racing, a lead car will take the field around a formation lap at classic iRacing events such as the 24 Hours of Daytona (USA), the 24-hour race at the Nürburgring (GER), or the “Petit Le Mans” at Road Atlanta (USA), before the participants launch their...
IONNA Enters National Release Phase

IONNA, the joint venture founded by the world’s leading automakers – BMW, General Motors, Honda, Hyundai, Mercedes-Benz, Kia, Stellantis, and Toyota – today announces its transition from public beta to full-scale national release. This milestone marks a historic moment for the American road, as eight global automakers join at...
BMW i Ventures Invests in Athenic AI to Democratize Data Analysis

BMW i Ventures announced investment in Athenic AI, a data analysis and business intelligence (BI) pioneer. The $4.3 million round was led by BMW i Ventures, with participation from TenVC, Scrum Ventures, Stage 2 Capital, Beat Ventures, SpaceCadet, Boost VC, and Abstraction Capital. With its LLM-enabled, self-serve platform, Athenic AI simplifies...
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...
BMW Goes 1-2 in Bathurst 12 Hour

Just one week after competing in the Rolex 24 at Daytona, four BMW M Motorsport drivers got on a plane and took a long flight to Australia to compete in the Bathurst 12 Hour. Three of them were rewarded with a victory, while the fourth ended up next to...
Random Vandals Racing Brings Strong Driver Lineup to GT World Challenge America

The Random Vandals Racing team has become one of the most competitive and successful teams in the SRO GT4 America championship over the last few years and will expand into a full-time effort in the SRO GT World Challenge America (GTWCA) championship in 2025 with an impressive array of...
BMW CCA Award Season Is Here! Deadline Extended!

UPDATE! Award nomination deadline has been extended to February 28, 2025! Your BMW CCA Recognition Program Committee (RPC) would like to remind you that it is time to recognize your fellow members and BMW Centers and Independent Businesses, who have gone above and beyond in 2024 for the betterment...








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...
E30 A/C Rejuvenation – Part I (of many)

Last week, I whined that when I bought the ’69 Lotus Elan +2 a few months after I’d bought the FrankenThirty, the former kicked the latter out of the garage, which not only forces the E30 to sit outside over the winter (hey, ratty rebuilt-salvage E30; the world will...
100 Years of BMW Motorrad Exhibit to Close in 2025

The major anniversary exhibition at the BMW Museum, which marks 100 years of BMW Motorrad, opened its doors on May 12th, 2023. Visitors were able to embark on an intense, exciting journey through 100 years of BMW Motorrad history over the exhibition’s approximately year-long run. The exhibit has been...
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...
E30 A/C Rejuvenation – Part I (of many)

Last week, I whined that when I bought the ’69 Lotus Elan +2 a few months after I’d bought the FrankenThirty, the former kicked the latter out of the garage, which not only forces the E30 to sit outside over the winter (hey, ratty rebuilt-salvage E30; the world will...
The Winter Space Crunch

There are certain automotive beds we make in which we must lie. My big one is owning a dozen vehicles and not moving out of my house in Newton to a car-centric property with a big metal outbuilding. Instead, I continue to rent space for five cars in a...