RECENT ARTICLES
The BMW M8 Went Out of Product in October
We’ve known for a while that 8 Series production was coming to an end, but we just didn’t know when. Now, we have dates. A source familiar with BMW’s plans confirmed a report from BMW Blog to BimmerLife that the M8 ended production in October, with the rest of...
Self Propelled | Add “Load-Test Battery” To My Pre-Trip Checklist
I’ve never been shy about driving my 2002s on long trips. Heck, when I bought them—the ’69 (Wolfgang) new, the ’73 (Ludwig) in 1978—they were our daily drivers and vacation cars. Less than a month after taking delivery we departed with Wolfgang on a 2000-mile trip through New England...
Re-Resurrecting Bertha (Part IV: Brake Master Cylinder Replacement)
Last week, I was less than thrilled to find that Bertha’s low brake fluid was caused by it leaking out the master cylinder’s rear seal and into the brake booster, but that disappointment was nicely mitigated by remembering that one of the parts hoards I’d inherited a few years...
Here’s What Bob Lutz Thinks of Modern BMW Design
For the next issue of Roundel, I asked former BMW exec and all-around car guy Bob Lutz to write about the E24 6 Series, which celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2026. Even though that car was released after he left the automaker in 1974, Lutz was involved with the early...
Team WRT Snagged a Podium in the Sepang Round of the Asian Le Mans Series
The Asian Le Mans Series (ALMS) opened its short season with a pair of four-hour races at the Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia, and Team WRT came away with a second-place finish in race two after struggling in race one. Team WRT has two entries in the ALMS, with...
BMW’s IMSA and WEC GT4 Driver Lineups for 2026 Are Set
BMW M Motorsport has finalized their driver lineups for M4 GT3 EVO entries in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship as well as the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC). In IMSA, the teams will remain the same. Paul Miller Racing will compete in GTD Pro, but with a single car,...
Tech Talk | VANOS Conundrum, Parking Brake Issues, and an Alarming Discovery
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. MAYBE IT’S VANOS SPLINES I’m a long-time BMW CCA member (#103837) and have owned too...
The Full History of the BMW i3 and i8 Is Deeply Interesting
The i3 and the i8 were massive departures for BMW. Both of these cars were more about efficiency and mobility than being the Ultimate Driving Machine. But they were both deeply interesting cars that incorporated technology and materials that were advanced, and both seemed to be built for a...
Meet the Members Who Willed Their Dream Car Into Reality
When Katrina and Eric Anderson left Georgia for South Carolina, they figured they were simply picking up a new BMW. What they didn’t expect was how surreal it would feel to pull into the BMW CCA offices, see the lights flash on the Ruby Star Neo M3, and realize...
Safety Third | Which Car Will Be the Last One I Sell?
I have two cars remaining at my business, the 2001 740i M Sport which I wrote about in March and the E36 M3 Lightweight race car. Once those are gone, I’ll suspend my dealer license, officially close the dealership, and in words any fan of The Wire will recognize,...
Re-Resurrecting Bertha (Part III: Where the Brake Fluid Went)
Last week, I punted the issue of brake fluid loss in Bertha, my ratty ’75 2002ti tribute car that had seen little road time since returning from The Vintage in 2019, and instead, inexplicably focused on replacing its Momo Jackie Stewart steering wheel with a slightly larger, slightly thinner...
The Full History of the BMW i3 and i8 Is Deeply Interesting
The i3 and the i8 were massive departures for BMW. Both of these cars were more about efficiency and mobility than being the Ultimate Driving Machine. But they were both deeply interesting cars that incorporated technology and materials that were advanced, and both seemed to be built for a...
Meet the Members Who Willed Their Dream Car Into Reality
When Katrina and Eric Anderson left Georgia for South Carolina, they figured they were simply picking up a new BMW. What they didn’t expect was how surreal it would feel to pull into the BMW CCA offices, see the lights flash on the Ruby Star Neo M3, and realize...
Safety Third | Which Car Will Be the Last One I Sell?
I have two cars remaining at my business, the 2001 740i M Sport which I wrote about in March and the E36 M3 Lightweight race car. Once those are gone, I’ll suspend my dealer license, officially close the dealership, and in words any fan of The Wire will recognize,...
Re-Resurrecting Bertha (Part III: Where the Brake Fluid Went)
Last week, I punted the issue of brake fluid loss in Bertha, my ratty ’75 2002ti tribute car that had seen little road time since returning from The Vintage in 2019, and instead, inexplicably focused on replacing its Momo Jackie Stewart steering wheel with a slightly larger, slightly thinner...
Shifting Gears: How the BMW CCA Foundation Plans to Top the Alpina Exhibit
If 2025 was the year of the Masterpiece, 2026 is shaping up to be the year of Evolution. As the BMW CCA Foundation wraps up its highly successful Alpina exhibit, a display that brought together some of the rarest and most bespoke BMWs ever built, our Foundation President, Bruce...
Time to Order Our Annual Wall Calendar
The 2026 BMW CCA National Capital Chapter & M Chapter wall calendar makes a great holiday gift and/or stocking stuffer for any BMW enthusiast. This is a limited run of 50 calendars, once they are sold out, no more will be available; guarantee yours by placing an order now....
Ends This Week!! Win a 1998 BMW E36 M3 Refreshed by BimmerWorld! Reveal Video!!
Enter to Win a 1998 BMW E36 M3 Sedan. The Ultimate Mid-’90s Dream Drive. Boot up your memories. This isn’t a throwback… it’s a time warp. We’re taking you straight back to the garage menu of Gran Turismo 2, the car-select screen of Need for Speed II, and the...
Racing Lines | An Exciting Weekend at Road Atlanta
The November Tire Rack BMW CCA Club Racing weekend at Road Atlanta featured close racing at the front of the pack in every class. Forty-five racers contested the event that featured an enduro on Friday, two sprints on Saturday, and a final sprint on Sunday. Todd Brown and Robert...
Re-Resurrecting Bertha (Part II: Taking Stock)
Last week, I talked about bringing Bertha (the ’75 2002 I bought in Austin in 1984, brought back to Boston, drove off from my wedding in, heavily modified, sold to a friend in 1988, bought back 26 years later, revived, drove to The Vintage in 2019, then didn’t use...
We Want To Know Your BMW Heroes
We all have favorites. Whether it’s a person, place, or thing, it doesn’t have to be rational. It doesn’t need to be something you justify to someone else. It just has to be something you like for your own reasons, and that’s it. If you’re reading this site, it’s...
Racing Lines | The 2026 BMW CCA Club Racing Schedule Is Here
While 2025 isn’t quite over, we’re already getting excited for 2026. The Tire Rack BMW CCA Club Racing series schedule is out. There are 15 events in 2026, including a race at the National Corvette Museum Motorsports Park in Bowling Green, Kentucky, and a return to Mid-Ohio, two tracks...
A Letter From the BMW CCA Foundation on Giving Tuesday
Today is Giving Tuesday, the global day of generosity. At the BMW CCA Foundation, we have one mission: Saving Lives and Saving History. This year, your support helped us achieve incredible results on both fronts. Saving Lives: The Real Impact—First and foremost, our Tire Rack Street Survival program is...
Tech Talk | Transfer Case Woes, Code Breaker, and Hot Start Solutions
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. TRANSFER ME OVER I have a 2011 F25 X3 2.8i with ~125,000 miles; it is...
The First BMW M Car Is For Sale
The M1 might have been the first BMW to have an M badge, but the 3.0 CSL was the actual first car from BMW’s Motorsport division. And this 3.0 CSL, E9/R1, is the actual first car built by BMW Motorsport. Now, you can own it. I shudder when I...
Would You Drive an Electric 2002?
For the 1972 Munich Olympics, BMW built two electric 1602s. Part of their job was to serve as VIP transport, but it was also used to lead the marathon and other long-distance running races. The idea being that it’d be much more pleasant to run behind a quiet car...
Re-Resurrecting Bertha (Part IV: Brake Master Cylinder Replacement)
Last week, I was less than thrilled to find that Bertha’s low brake fluid was caused by it leaking out the master cylinder’s rear seal and into the brake booster, but that disappointment was nicely mitigated by remembering that one of the parts hoards I’d inherited a few years...
Re-Resurrecting Bertha (Part III: Where the Brake Fluid Went)
Last week, I punted the issue of brake fluid loss in Bertha, my ratty ’75 2002ti tribute car that had seen little road time since returning from The Vintage in 2019, and instead, inexplicably focused on replacing its Momo Jackie Stewart steering wheel with a slightly larger, slightly thinner...
Re-Resurrecting Bertha (Part II: Taking Stock)
Last week, I talked about bringing Bertha (the ’75 2002 I bought in Austin in 1984, brought back to Boston, drove off from my wedding in, heavily modified, sold to a friend in 1988, bought back 26 years later, revived, drove to The Vintage in 2019, then didn’t use...
Re-Resurrecting Bertha
In 1984, as Maire Anne and I began preparing to leave our stint in Austin and return home to Boston to get married, I began looking for a big-bumpered 2002 that would survive Boston’s demolition-derby traffic. I found a rust-free air-conditioned ’75 and christened it Bertha, as with those...
My Final Roundel Magazine Column
When I first began writing online content for BMW CCA, it was hosted behind the bmwcca.org paywall, but at some point it was recast under the publicly-available BimmerLife.com banner. As such, I don’t know how many folks who read my pieces here are BMW CCA members and also read...
The BMW Road Trip That Wasn’t (Part II)
Last week, I wrote about nearly taking my 40-year-owned 1973 3.0CSi for a weekend in Vermont with my wife until a cursory pre-flight check revealed that it was surprisingly low on brake fluid. Even though the car likely won’t see much asphalt until spring, I didn’t want to leave...
