RECENT ARTICLES
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...
This Is the Final Edition Z4
Next year is the last for the co-developed BMW Z4 and Toyota Supra, with production at Magna in Austria slated to end. Toyota has already announced its send-off for the Supra, and now BMW is doing the same with the Z4 Final Edition. While this package can be ordered...
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...
Enjoy the Sound of this Group A E30 M3 Rally Car
The S14 is a magical engine. No, by modern standards it is not the most powerful, torquiest, or make for the fastest car, but it sounds incredible. That little beast that dominated race circuits around the world is still at the top of the list for cars that make...
Act Fast! 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...
Paddock Talk | BMW M Team WRT’s Vincent Vosse on 2026
Vincent Vosse is the Team Principal of BMW M Team WRT–which ran the BMW Hypercar program in the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) over the last few years–as well as GT programs with the M4 GT3 in GT World Challenge Europe, WEC and the Intercontinental GT Challenge series. In...
Jordan Pepper Is BMW M Motorsport’s Newest Factory Driver
BMW M Motorsport has a new factory driver, with 29-year-old Jordan Pepper set to contest GT programs with the M4 GT3 EVO in 2026. Pepper and fellow BMW works drivers Sheldon and Kelvin van der Linde grew up racing against each other in South Africa, so it’s a bit...
Help Me Pick My Next BMW
Community, Featured, Lifestyle
It’s now been about seven weeks since I joined the CCA as the new editor of BimmerLife and Roundel. While I’ve spent a lot of that time preparing the next issues of the magazines and filling this website with stories, I’ve also found moments to scour Facebook Marketplace, Autotempest,...
Brakes Squealing? Don’t Blame the Car, Blame Yourself
I am probably going to get some flak for this. When it comes to brake squeal on our BMWs, it’s your fault. Yes, you are the problem. Let me explain. Brake squeal is a vibration caused by the brake pads making contact with the brake rotor in a very...
Enjoy the Sound of this Group A E30 M3 Rally Car
The S14 is a magical engine. No, by modern standards it is not the most powerful, torquiest, or make for the fastest car, but it sounds incredible. That little beast that dominated race circuits around the world is still at the top of the list for cars that make...
Act Fast! 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...
Help Me Pick My Next BMW
Community, Featured, Lifestyle
It’s now been about seven weeks since I joined the CCA as the new editor of BimmerLife and Roundel. While I’ve spent a lot of that time preparing the next issues of the magazines and filling this website with stories, I’ve also found moments to scour Facebook Marketplace, Autotempest,...
Brakes Squealing? Don’t Blame the Car, Blame Yourself
I am probably going to get some flak for this. When it comes to brake squeal on our BMWs, it’s your fault. Yes, you are the problem. Let me explain. Brake squeal is a vibration caused by the brake pads making contact with the brake rotor in a very...
Running on Empty | The Ones That Got Away—Or That I Threw Away
Just about the time I thought I had experienced another Brilliant Epiphany—in my case these are so rare that they deserve capitalization—I discovered that I was wrong again. It’s not that my memory is becoming more faulty; it’s always been this way. I’m blaming the electric Mini. Oh, not...
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...
A Visit to BMW Group’s Designworks Sheds Light on the iX3
If you’re on this site, that means you’re a BMW fan. And it’s likely the comments below will sound familiar: For long-time enthusiasts, the new direction feels like a loss of ‘soul’ and a departure from the driver-first engineering and distinctive look that initially attracted them to the brand....
Want To Show Off Your Garage? Submit Yours to Our Winter Garage Tour
Attention all CCA members: Do you have a cool garage you want to share with your fellow members? We are on season six of our annual Winter Garage Tour where we showcase garages from all across the country, and we want to see where you keep your cars. Cool...
How to Support the BMW CCA Foundation’s Future on Giving Tuesday
This Giving Tuesday, a global celebration of kindness and generosity, we invite you to join the BMW CCA Foundation in a journey that honors our history and looks to the future. Founded by philanthropists passionate about the BMW brand and giving back, the BMW CCA Foundation is committed to...
Tech Talk | Shock Talk, Pro Help, and Bundling Repairs
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. OEM OR AFTERMARKET SHOCKS Background: South-East Florida-housed 2000 BMW Z3 roadster, owned for four years....
A Brief Look at the National Capital Chapter’s Summit Point Time Trial
By Mike Saul Sixteen National Capital Chapter instructors and advanced students participated in a Time Trial event at Summit Point Main Circuit on Halloween weekend. Time Trials is a race against the clock where drivers compete to set the fastest lap time in their class over the course of...
Street Survival | Braking Is the Most Important Skill for New Drivers to Master
You might think that the first time you get behind the wheel, the most important thing is making that car move. And while that is an important part or learning how to drive, learning all about braking is undoubtedly the most important part of learning how to drive. While...
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...
Lime Rock Park’s Historic Concours Is a BMW Goldmine
Lime Rock Park is the picturesque ideal of a race track, nestled in a beautiful valley in the northwest Connecticut hills. Lush green hills and lawnchairs replace grandstands, while elegant, thoughtful structures designed by former BMW racer, broadcaster, artist, and now track co-owner Sam Posey dot the grounds. It...
This M4 Has a 2.6-Liter Single-Turbo S55 That Revs to 9000 RPM. It’s Amazing
I tend to be rather curated about who I follow on social media. I don’t want my apps flooded with slop, and I’d much rather hear about people I know than every brand known to man. But, sometimes, I just have to follow something if I can’t get enough...
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...
The BMW Road Trip That Wasn’t
To give context to this piece, I need to summarize events in the Lotus end of the world. The one-year anniversary of my buying the ’69 Elan +2 was on Halloween. Well, actually, that was the day I trailered it home. I drove up to southern NH in Hampton...
The Annual Used Wheel and Snow Tire Search
Well, okay, maybe it’s not annual, but it feels that way. Actually, what it feels like is somewhere between having a colonoscopy and wearing a hair shirt. My 2003 E39 530i has been my daily for nearly ten years. I love it. But like most rear-wheel drive BMWs, there’s...
Sharkie Passes, But Does Not Go Gently
A few weeks ago, I wrote about the in-process sale of my 1979 Euro 635CSi. On the first day of fall, I’d pulled the car out of storage in the Monson warehouse, brought it home, floated it for sale on my Facebook page for the third time, and this...
