FC BMWCAR 0415 06/03/2015 15:07 Page 1

PLUS E38 750i remembered | X4 xDrive20i | Geneva Motor Show

AHG M1
Adding some ProCar pizzazz to
create the ultimate road-going M1

the ultimate BMW magazine www.bmwcarmagazine.com

E92 M3
The ultimate guide to buying and owning the V8 M3

Plus ● Stunning 135d and V10-engined endurance racers ● BMW Winter Driving Experience
● 10 Minute Guide: F10 535d ● Aftermarket brake upgrades tested ● E numbers explained
APRIL 2015 £4.50

M235i Convertible driven Ultra-rare Alpina RLE

002 BMWCAR 0415 03/03/2015 16:26 Page 2

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003-005 BMWCAR 0415 contents 06/03/2015 12:36 Page 3

CONTENTS

W
ell that snuck up on us rather quickly – this is our 250th
issue of BMW Car – and while we were tempted to do
another celebratory issue we’re still reeling from putting
together our 20th anniversary issue last year – it nearly Editor Bob Harper
killed us! Features Editor Simon Holmes
Sub Editors Christian Shelton, Rachael Willson
We’ve not been sitting back and resting though so there’s still a jam-
Senior Designer Aaron Batson
packed issue to look forward to and I’d like to get the ball rolling by Designers Kelly Rodgers, Dave Powney
reflecting on the Geneva Motor Show as I’ve literally just returned from it. I Controller Tom Jackson
Retoucher Laurence Green
do need to have a word with the organisers though – having a press day
Contributors Elliott Stiling, Dave Smith, Chris Pollitt,
two days before the magazine has to go to print does make life a little David Ingram-Hill, Andrew Tipping, Matt Richardson,
hectic. While BMW was obviously my main focus of the event, one couldn’t help but be blown away Elizabeth de Latour, Andrew Everett, Guy Baker,
Steve Hall, Mark Williams, Laurens Parsons
by some of the machinery on show, and this year it was a vintage show for fans of the performance
car. Ford was showcasing its new Focus RS, Mustang and reinvention of the GT, and I have to say I
Advertisement Sales Manager
think the latter is utterly stunning and exactly the sort of machine that BMW needs to build for its Claire Hodder, Tel: 01732 748052
100th birthday celebrations next year. Email: [email protected]
Bentley revealed its EXP 10 Speed 6 Concept which to my eyes looked good from the rear but was Production Manager Jo Claydon-Smith
Production Assistant Karen White
utterly gopping from the front; Aston Martin showed its Vantage GT3 and totally irrelevant track-only Subscriptions Robin Philpot
£1.8 million Vulcan as well as an electric four-wheel drive, and Ferrari pulled the wraps off its 488 GTB Accounts Claire Brown
although I couldn’t actually see it for the mass of people trying to catch a glimpse of it. Porsche Financial Director Helen Lawson

revealed its 911 GT3 RS and the Cayman GT4 and Audi seemed to have a plethora of new R8s to
unveil. And BMW had a front-wheel drive seven-seat MPV… To subscribe, call
Traditionally, Geneva isn’t where BMW reveals its next big thing so it shouldn’t have come as too
much of a surprise but one couldn’t help feeling a little underwhelmed with BMW’s presence at the
01732 748084
show. Even the face-lifted 1 Series and 6 Series were hiding their lights under a bushel – there was BMW Car, Unity Media plc, Becket House,
just one LCI 1 Series in evidence on the stand! Vestry Road, Sevenoaks, Kent TN14 5EJ
Fortunately, Alpina more than made up for the lack of performance models on the BMW stand by Tel: 01732 748000 Fax: 01732 748001
Website: www.bmwcarmagazine.com
bringing along its Edition 50 version of the B5 Bi-Turbo Saloon to Geneva. You can read more about it Email: Editorial: [email protected]
in our show report but in short it has 600hp, will do over 200mph and has an array of delicious Production: [email protected]
detailing and clever tech. The only shame is that there will be just 50 Edition 50 Fives and the same Subscriptions: [email protected]

number of 6 Series versions. A surefire collector’s car of the future. Which brings us nicely on to BMW Car is published on the third Thursday of every month
another super-rare Alpina, the Roadster RLE that you can read about on page 30. For those of you not by Unity Media plc © 2015 Unity Media plc
fully versed in Alpina folklore this was the company’s take on the Z1 and while the upgrades were Established July 1994

subtle it’s now become a hugely collectible machine and was a delightful thing to drive.
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BMW Car (ISSN 1353-7954) is published Monthly (12 times per
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Consumer Press for all owners, drivers and enthusiasts of the BMW
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APRIL 2015 3
004 BMWCAR 0415 04/03/2015 15:25 Page 4

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003-005 BMWCAR 0415 contents 06/03/2015 12:37 Page 5

CONTENTS

ISSUE 250 APRIL 2015

T H E U LT I M AT E B M W M A G A Z I N E

006 News Details of the seven-seater 2

Series Gran Tourer are announced and
there’s news of the M6 GT3 race car.

010 Geneva Motor Show All the BMW

news from Europe’s premier show.

016 New Products Everything that’s new

and for you and your car this month.

020 Missing a Trick? We might not be

getting the X4 20i over here but we still
took the chance to try one out abroad.

024 Winter Wonderland Over to Norway

for a fun-filled experience day driving
BMWs of all kinds on the snow and ice.

030 Mythical Beast The Z1 is an icon in

itself but this very rare Alpina RLE version
reaches a whole new level.

038 Second Sight The 2 Series

Convertible has hit the UK and we get
behind the wheel of a M235i and 220d.

044 Racer for the Road Only ten BMW

M1 AHG versions were produced and
here’s one of the survivors.

052 Lap of Luxury We take a fond look

back at the great V12-engined E38 750i.

058 M3 Ultimate Guide As the E9x M3

becomes cheaper we cover all you could
ever need to know when buying one.

068 All in One A trip to Saxon Motorsport

to see its fine array of 1 Series road and
race cars leaves us rather impressed.
SUBSCRIBE AND SAVE 30% (SEE PAGE 104)
078 What’s Involved? A very thorough
aftermarket brake kit test for the E92 M3
yields some surprising results.

086 Tech Focus A comprehensive rundown

on all the E and F model numbers.

090 Longtermers The 135i receives more

go-faster goodies whilst David has taken
the F10 M5 on a road trip and there’s a
new Alpina addition to the fleet.

100 10 Minute Guide Why the F10 535d

is a great bargain buy right now.

102 Postbag Plenty more questions, queries

and opinions from readers this month.

106 BMW Buyer A new section joins the

magazine as we take a look at what’s hot
in the new and used sales market.

114 BMW Concepts This month we look

at the iconic Turbo Concept from 1972.

BMWCarMagazine @bmwcarmag APRIL 2015 5

006-009 BMWCAR 0415 05/03/2015 11:27 Page 6

NEWS

The 2 Series Gran

Tourer offers plenty of
interior accomodation
with flexible layouts

6 BMWcar
006-009 BMWCAR 0415 05/03/2015 11:27 Page 7

NEWS
Seven-seat 2 Series makes its debut
Look away now BMW traditionalists as if the front- seats will be an option) and when not in use they latter (which will only be available as four-wheel
wheel drive Active Tourer didn’t float your boat the fold flat into the boot floor. The load space can be drive with the eight-speed auto) delivers 190hp and
new seven-seater MPV, the 2 Series Gran Tourer, extended or shortened as the middle row of seats 295lb ft. Both should be more sprightly performers
will be sure to upset you further. This is not a sector can be slid fore or aft by 130mm and depending offering sub eight-second 0-62mph times and top
in which BMW has previously been represented but on configuration its load space will extend from 560 speeds in the high 130s. The petrol will return
with its 2 Series Active Tourer and now the Gran to 1820 litres while 40:20:40 split folding rear seats 44.8mpg while the diesel trumps that at 57.6mpg.
Tourer it will now be able to appeal to customers to will ensure that awkward loads can be Prices for the 2.0-litre badged models start at
whom its more traditional line-up of two-door accommodated without adversely affecting £27,490 for the 220i and £32,005 for the four-
coupés, four-door saloons and five-door Tourings passenger carry ability. wheel drive diesel.
have limited appeal. The world, or more specifically In the UK there will be five distinct models – two All models bar the 220d will come as standard
the world of the 20- to 30-something family buyer, petrol and three diesel – and these will all use equipped with the six-speed manual gearbox and
has fallen hook, line and sinker for the MPV as a versions of BMW’s new three- and four-cylinder as an option the two three-cylinder machines can
convenient way of transporting the family, pets and engines. In the UK the entry-level machine (in be spec’d with a six-speed Steptronic gearbox while
associated detritus around the country and it was terms of price) will be the 218i that offers 136hp the 218d and 220i receive the eight-speed auto if
only a matter of time before BMW decided that it and 162lb ft of torque from its three-cylinder you prefer the car to take care of swapping cogs. As
wanted a slice of the pie. There’s money in these 1499cc engine with the promise of 0-62mph in you’d expect, all models benefit from the full range
vehicles and it would have been somewhat 9.8 seconds, a top speed of 127mph and economy of BMW’s EfficientDynamics technologies along with
perverse if BMW hadn’t joined the party – it doesn’t and emissions figures of 53.3mpg and 123g/km the now familiar Driving Experience Control switch
seem to have done Mercedes any harm after all. according to the official stats. The next model up is enabling you to select Comfort, Sport and Eco Pro
So, what do we have here with the Gran Tourer? the £25,110 216d which is again powered by a modes depending on how fast you need to get to
It’s obviously closely associated with the Active three-cylinder engine, although this time drinking your destination. If the adjustable dampers are
Tourer… but bigger. We could just leave it at that diesel. It has a capacity of 1496cc and offers 116hp optioned then the same switch adjusts the
but that would be selling it short and while the 2 and 199lb ft of torque and will be a more sedate suspension, too.
Series ‘GT’ (the shortened moniker just seems so performer taking a leisurely 11.4 seconds to reach For the UK there will be the four familiar trim
wrong on an MPV) won’t float everyone’s boat 62mph and managing just 119mph flat out. It does levels that you can order with most models – SE,
those who feel the need for this type of machine hit back though with 68.9mpg and 108g/km – Sport, Luxury and M Sport. All models come with
will no doubt want to know a little more. The Gran figures which should find it plenty of admirers. seven seats, high-quality AM/FM radio, Bluetooth
Tourer is 214mm longer than the Active Tourer, but The 218d weighs in at £26,255 and if you look with audio streaming, iDrive, a 6.5-inch monitor,
at an overall length of 4556mm it’s still comfortably at the raw stats it looks like it would definitely be two-zone air-con, rear PDC and a multi-function
shorter (by 68mm) than a 3 Series Saloon. The worth finding the additional £1145 over the 216d steering wheel. Sport adds 17-inch alloys, sports
Gran Tourer also has a longer wheelbase (by as not only do you get four-cylinders with the new seats and exterior detailing in High-gloss black.
110mm) than the Active Tourer so there really B47 engine but you have 150hp and 243lb ft at Luxury brings chrome and wood trim, leather
should be acres of rear seat legroom in there as we your disposal which should be good for a 0-62mph upholstery and a different set of 17-inch alloys
were hugely impressed by the amount of space in time of 9.5 seconds and a 127mph top speed yet while M Sport brings the expected aerokit, High-
the AT. The Gran Tourer is also 53mm higher than still have the capability of returning 64.2mpg on the gloss shadowline trim, leather sports seats, an M
its smaller sibling to ensure that there’s enough rear combined cycle and 115g/km of CO². multi-function steering wheel, 18-inch alloys and a
headroom for those in the third row of seats. The top dogs as far as price and performance are 10mm drop in suspension height. The 2 Series
In the UK that seven-seat configuration will be a concerned are the 220i and the 220d xDrive. The Gran Tourer will go on sale in the UK on 9 June
standard fitment (in other markets the third row of former develops 192hp and 206lb ft while the and will cost from £24,175 for the 218i SE.

APRIL 2015 7
006-009 BMWCAR 0415 05/03/2015 11:28 Page 8

NEWS
MSV and BMW renew partnership
MotorSport Vision (MSV) has extended its partnership Kent and Oulton Park in Cheshire, and the M4 Coupé
with BMW UK, making BMW’s high-performance M GTP will be part of the PalmerSport corporate driving
cars available to thousands of enthusiasts at some of event at Bedford Autodrome from March.
the UK’s best motor racing circuits for another three In the five years since MSV and BMW first entered
years. As part of the new agreement, the M3 Coupé, into a partnership, more than 90,000 guests have
previously featured in MSV driving experiences, will driven BMWs at speed, with expert instruction, at
be replaced this spring by its successor, the lighter MSV venues. For further information about MSV
and faster M4 Coupé. The M4 Coupé will be driving experiences visit www.msvdrivinggifts.com and
available to drive with the RaceMaster and M4 Master for information about PalmerSport go to
experiences from May onwards at Brands Hatch in www.palmersport.com

M6 GT3
goes testing
At the end of February BMW’s latest weapon of
choice for GT racing, the M6 GT3, embarked
upon its first testing steps at Monteblanco in
Spain. The car’s initial roll out had taken place
South African milestone earlier in the month when Jörg Müller drove the
car at the test track at the Dingolfing plant. In
As February drew to a close, BMW South Africa corporate strategy for more than four decades,” Spain, works drivers Lucas Luhr and Maxime
was celebrating the milestone of producing its one commented Harald Krüger, member of the Martin were at the wheel as its engineers
millionth vehicle at its Rosslyn plant. Management Board of BMW AG responsible for continued the extensive development
Plant Rosslyn was the BMW Group’s first plant production. “Plant Rosslyn was BMW Group’s first programme with the prototype GT car. “The
outside of Germany and was set up in 1973 and foreign plant and represents a cornerstone of our engine really impressed me. It is powerful and
has grown to become a key link in its global global production network with presently 30 sites has good torque, which is important for a car
production network – in 2014 alone its 2900 in 14 countries. To this day, the South African like this. I am confident that BMW Motorsport
workers at the site built an impressive 68,771 production site remains a vivid example of a will provide its customers with a fantastic racing
BMW 3 Series Saloons for local and export sales. successful market entry through local production,” car in the BMW M6 GT3,” commented Müller
“Globalisation has been an inherent part of our said Krüger. after his first drive.
The M6 GT3 is powered by a 4.4-litre V8 M
TwinPower Turbo production engine, which has
More gongs for the i8 been the subject of modifications for its use on
the race track. It has dry sump lubrication and
Since its introduction, the plug-in hybrid sports car generates over 500hp, with a total car weight of
has done rather well as far as awards are concerned less than 1300 kilograms. Further features of
and it’s just added two more to its bulging trophy the BMW M6 GT3 include the transaxle drive
cabinet after having been awarded Performance Car concept, a six-speed sequential racing
of the Year and UK Car of the Year at the UK Car of transmission, and powerful motorsport
the Year awards. Since the car’s introduction over 450 electronics. The chassis’ aerodynamic properties
i8s have been registered in the UK making it the car’s were optimised in the BMW wind tunnel.
biggest market in Europe.

Shell becomes BMW Motorsport partner

When BMW Motorsport races in the DTM, the United M4 DTM race cars, as well as on the team apparel
SportsCar Championship (USCC) and the 24-hour and drivers’ helmets and overalls while the Shell
race at the Nürburgring-Nordschleife in 2015, it will BMW M4 DTM race car will also bear the company’s
be joined by Shell as its new Premium Technology striking red and yellow design.
Partner. From 2015, Shell is the only “recommended BMW Motorsport engineers will also work
supplier of genuine BMW engine oil” and “BMW’s alongside Shell scientists to develop high-
only recommended oil supplier for aftermarket performance oils for use in BMW Motorsport race
engine oils”. This exclusive cooperation is now being cars. This development will be on-going during testing
extended to the race track, where the teams will race and the course of each respective race season. It will
on Shell Helix Ultra and Pennzoil Platinum engine focus on sequential improvements of performance
oils. The Shell Helix Ultra logo will appear on all eight factors such as reducing friction and wear.

8 BMWcar
009 BMWCAR 0415 05/03/2015 09:40 Page 9

BMW
M Performance
Accessories

The Ultimate
Driving Machine

TAKE THE RACING LINE.

FROM THE RACETRACK TO THE ROAD
WITH BMW M PERFORMANCE ACCESSORIES.
Give your BMW 1 Series, 2 Series, 3 Series or 4 Series unrivalled racetrack character with BMW M Performance
Carbon Mirror Caps for just £400* and BMW M Performance Black Grille for £95*.

Other offers are available across the M Performance range, delivering an exhilarating racing feel and the highest
quality components at competitive prices.

For more information on the full range of BMW M Performance Accessories offers,
visit www.bmw.co.uk/mperformanceoffers

*Participating Retailers only. Offers valid from 1 March until 31 May 2015 and are applicable to BMW 1, 2, 3 and 4 Series models only.
Prices exclude any labour costs that may be required.
010-014 BMWCAR 0415 06/03/2015 10:45 Page 10

NEWS: GENEVA SHOW

Geneva Gems
All the BMW-related news from Europe’s premier show
Words: Bob Harper Photography: Bob Harper/Newspress

The Geneva Motor Show traditionally kicks off the performance car with Porsche showing the Cayman ‘BMW’s Zafira’. The headline machine might not have
European show season and this year’s event was jam- GT4 and the 911 GT3 RS, Audi unveiling a plethora been the most jaw-dropping one at the show but
packed with high performance machinery. Virtually of new R8s, and Aston Martin pulling the wraps off there was still plenty to see and if BMW wasn’t
every manufacturer seemed to be demonstrating that several mega-buck bruisers. And then there was majoring on high performance then AC Schnitzer and
while the legislators might be demanding lower and BMW, keeping it real with the world’s first view of Alpina certainly were. Here’s our whistle-stop tour of
lower emissions there’s still plenty of life left in the what one observer dismissed rather unfavourably as the BMW-related highlights from the show…

10 BMWcar
010-014 BMWCAR 0415 06/03/2015 09:29 Page 11

NEWS: GENEVA SHOW

AC Schnitzer

It’s some years since AC Schnitzer

went to town with really wild show
cars for its Geneva stand but
despite this the M4 it had on
display was pretty tasty. The car
made its debut at Essen but since
then it’s been further honed with
what Schnitzer describes as a
‘Racing’ aerokit. At the front there
are carbon front spoiler extensions
either side and a new front splitter
that’s painted in high-gloss black –
carbon was considered but was
deemed to be slightly too
vulnerable as it’s so close to the
ground. Either side there are two
little carbon winglets to further
increase downforce on the front of
the car.

At the back of Schnitzer’s M4 there’s a substantial rear spoiler that’s mainly destined Naturally enough Schnitzer has breathed a little extra life into the M4’s S55 straight-
for the export market after the lower version of the wing was deemed to be too six which now develops 510hp and 476lb ft of torque – gains of 79hp and 70lb ft.
small for some markets. A carbon rear diffuser sits between the exhaust and the Its 0-62mph time has been improved by 0.1 of a second but the performance gain
exhaust tips themselves are also clad in carbon. The car’s lowered stance is thanks between 50-112mph (80-180km/h) gives a better idea of the improvements, dropping
to a Clubsport suspension setup that’s adjustable for compression and rebound. by 1.7 seconds over the standard car to 6.2 seconds.

While the M4 was the

performance-orientated
Schnitzer offering, the
company also brought
along its new generation
of X6 with a new front skirt
and rear diffuser. Along
You may well have spotted that both the M4 and the X6 pictured are both sporting with a slightly lowered ride
AC Schnitzer’s new wheel design, the ACS1, which will be available in 18-23-inch height and performance
diameters. Running from left to right we have the Forged Racing wheel which is a upgrades for several
multi-piece design available in 21-, 22- and 23-inch diameters, in the centre is the different models, it looks
forged 20-inch one-piece wheel which will only be available in a 20-inch size, while like a good upgrade for
on the right there’s the one-piece cast AC1 that will be offered in 18-, 19-, 20- and those who really want their
22-inch diameters. X6 to stand out.

APRIL 2015 11
010-014 BMWCAR 0415 06/03/2015 09:30 Page 12

NEWS: GENEVA SHOW

Alpina

While BMW was concentrating on

its MPV, the Alpina stand was a breath
of fresh air with talk of limited production
numbers and 600hp outputs. The main star
of the show was its Edition 50 version of the B5
Bi-Turbo shown in Saloon form, although a Touring
is also available, as is a B6 Coupé and Convertible. It
shouldn’t come as a huge surprise that the model has
been produced to celebrate 50 years of Alpina and its
certainly a fitting tribute with plenty of delightful detailing.

The twin-turbo V8 has been given a comprehensive going over and now produces Inside the Edition 50 Alpina has drawn inspiration from one of its other limited edition
600hp at 6000rpm along with a substantial 590lb ft of torque. 0-62mph takes a scant 4.2 machines, the B7 S Coupé from 1982. There are black seats with their centres finished
seconds while 0-125mph is despatched in just 12.7 seconds on its way to a 204mph in Forest green with chequered yellow/black stitching. It doesn’t sound like it would
maximum. To help put the power down there’s a revised Drexler limited-slip differential work but in the flesh looks fantastic. The dash is leather topped and there’s piano
that’s been designed to work in conjunction with the wider wheel and tyre setup. black trim with Edition 50 script and Burkard Bovensiepen’s signature.

The wheels for the Edition 50 were designed

specifically for the model and are a forged
design, saving nearly four kilos per wheel.
When viewed dead-on they look pretty similar
to the Classic Alpina wheel but when viewed at
an angle cut outs along each spoke appear to
give the wheels an even more intricate look.
Nestling behind the wheels on the show car are
optional 395mm front brake discs clamped by
Brembo callipers painted in blue. The wheels
themselves measure 9x20 inches at the front
and 10x20 inches at the rear and are wrapped
in 255/35 and 295/30 Michelin Pilot Super Sport
tyres respectively.

12 BMWcar
010-014 BMWCAR 0415 06/03/2015 09:30 Page 13

NEWS: GENEVA SHOW

Other highlights are the bespoke exhaust designed in partnership with Akrapovic that’s made entirely of titanium, saving over 17 kilos when compared to an all stainless steel setup,
and the exhaust also features an active exhaust valve to allow you to fully appreciate the engine’s aural delights.

It wasn’t all about the Edition 50 on the Alpina stand, though, as it had also brought along
the face-lifted B6 Gran Coupé – a machine that’s done extraordinarily well in the US since it
made its debut there last year. Like the Edition 50 the Gran Coupé has also been endowed
with the 600hp twin-turbo V8 and that, combined with the model’s four-wheel drive setup,
enables it to be the fastest accelerating Alpina ever made, with 0-62mph taking just 3.8
seconds. One interesting facet of the Alpina B6 Gran Coupé is that Alpina thought the bonnet
looked a little bit anaemic for a 600hp machine so it has had the panel specially modified for
the car with two bold lines running down the centre of the car which does add some
aggression to the car – it’s a nice touch and typical of the company’s attention to detail.

It wasn’t all about the twin-turbo V8 machinery on the Alpina stand, though, as the company
also brought along a D4 Bi-Turbo Coupé and the face-lifted XD3 to remind us that these days,
for many markets, your Alpina is much more likely to be sipping from the diesel pump. Both
models have proved to be massively popular since their debuts and Alpina’s only regret is that
the production volumes for the XD3 are severely restricted as the car is built at the Spartanburg
plant in the US and it could sell considerably more than it can actually manufacture!

APRIL 2015 13
010-014 BMWCAR 0415 06/03/2015 09:31 Page 14

NEWS: GENEVA SHOW

BMW
The big reveal on the BMW stand was for the 2 Series
Gran Tourer and while you can read all about it on
page 7 this did give us a chance to have a little bit of a
crawl around the car. While rear legroom (for the
middle row of seats) is very impressive, we did
discover that the rear seats aren’t really designed with
six-foot adults in mind! One other thing that struck us
as a little odd about the 2 Series ‘GT’ is that the 2.0-
litre models feature twin-exit exhausts – one either side
of the car – something BMW usually restricts to the
higher performance models, such as the M235i.

BMW also brought along its M4 MotoGP Safety Car which looked dramatic in black
Tucked away at the back of the stand was an M235i Coupé with the tri-colour stripes. Technically it differs from the production version by having
sporting the full range of M Performance accessories, and it did a water injection system to aid in keeping the charge temperatures down. It was also
look good, especially with its painted lower front spoiler section. announced that M will soon bring a production model to market featuring this system.

As Switzerland is such a large market for xDrive models just about every car on display was of the four-wheel drive variety and many were sporting Individual paintwork, too. An X5
M50d looked particularly fetching in Ruby black with the show lighting really picking up on the Ruby rather than black tone. A face-lifted 650i xDrive Convertible showed off its
minorly reshaped bumpers in Jatoba brown while a 435i xDrive Gran Coupé looked particularly fetching in BMW Individual Moonstone.

14 BMWcar
015 BMWCAR 0415 04/03/2015 09:51 Page 15

The full Monty.

WARRANTY-FRIENDLY UPGRADES FOR BMW M3/M4.
It’s not often the AC Schnitzer engineers get to work on a brand new M car. So when the M4 arrived, they didn’t hold
back. A whopping 510hp was unleashed with an engine warranty that lets you sleep at night, along with a full program
of upgrades including lowered suspension, forged alloy wheels, sports exhaust and aerodynamics to make the most
of the increased muscle.
See our website for details, or call us for your nearest AC Schnitzer dealer.

510hp performance upgrade Carbon fibre front spoiler elements, Suspension springs optimized
inc. 3 year engine warranty rear wing, diffuser & mirror caps for handling, traction & comfort

Quad sports exhaust with 90mm Type VIII 21” lightweight forged Full conversion available with
tailpipes & high flow catalyst alloy wheels for superior response collection & delivery service

Warranty
friendly
TUV
approved
Model shown ACS4 Sport based on M4 Coupé (F82). Also available for M4 convertible
(F83) and M3 (F80). E&OE. Finance available subject to status.
016-018 BMWCAR 0415 06/03/2015 09:41 Page 16

NEW PRODUCTS
AP Racing brake
kit for F10 5 Series
For those owners looking for a comprehensive
braking upgrade for their F10, AP Racing has
answered the call. Featuring its own Radi-CAL and
carbon ceramic technologies the big brake kit
features six-piston, lightweight callipers with 370mm
floating discs. It’s designed to suit vehicles fitted with
19-inch aftermarket wheels. Response is improved,
MagnaFlow exhaust
braking effort is reduced and the kit is developed to
resist fade. The callipers also feature dust seals and
for M3 and M4
durable, anti-corrosion paint making them ideal for The American-based brand MagnaFlow has just
full time road use and there’s a choice of red or developed a cat-back exhaust system designed to
black finishes. improve the sound from the current S55 engine found
Price: TBC in the M3 and M4 models. It retains the use of factory
Contact: www.apracing.com valves so it can still be driven quietly if need be, but on
full-throttle the note changes to a more furious tone. It
features a Tru-X crossover pipe, optional black or titanium
finishes and is constructed entirely from stainless steel,
with a lifetime warranty. Power gains of up to 10hp and
12lb ft of torque at the wheels can also be expected.
Price: POA
Contact: www.magnaflow.com

Milltek exhaust
solutions for E36 M3
As the second generation of M3 becomes rarer and
more valuable proud owners are seeking effective,
tasteful enhancements, so exhaust specialist Milltek
have developed an all-new system. Designed to fit
all models including the coupé, convertible and
saloon in both 3.0- and 3.2-litre guise, the system
from the downpipe back gives improvements to
both power and sound. There’s also a back box
option that is hand-finished with OEM style twin
tailpipes and a there’s a choice of either sports cats
or cat bypass kits available to give a further increase
in performance and throttle response. All parts are
made from stainless steel in the UK.
Price: From £408
Contact: www.milltek.co.uk

Manhart MHX5 M
German tuner Manhart Racing has just announced
details of its enhancement package for the current
X5 and X6 M models. Power has been increased to
a colossal 740hp with an accompanying torque
figure of 701lb ft and that equates to some
staggering performance; 0-62mph comes in just 3.9
seconds and top speed is 197mph for the giant SAV.
The uprated suspension also lowers the car 20 and
25mm respectively and the monoblock wheels
measure 22-inches in diameter. There’s also a
menacing looking aero kit consisting of a carbon fibre
diffuser, mirror caps, bonnet vents and a front splitter.
Price: POA
Contact: www.manhart-racing.de

16 BMWcar
016-018 BMWCAR 0415 06/03/2015 09:41 Page 17

NEW PRODUCTS
MOMO Quark
steering wheel
A fresh new product from MOMO for the
2015 season is this steering wheel, named
the Quark. It features striking blue inserts
made from real leather and the iconic
MOMO-Italy push button horn in the centre.
The sculpted polyurethane rim has been
ergonomically designed to offer both
comfort and optimum grip in order to
enhance the overall driving experience,
making it ideal for both street and
off-road use.
Price: £128.99
Contact: www.momo-uk.co.uk
or call 01268 764411

Autoglym Wheel Protector

Car cleaning expert Autoglym has launched a new and improved version of its wheel cleaner,
which it states lasts up to 30 per cent longer than its rivals. Autoglym has developed a superior
AEZ straight alloy
formulation that imparts a super hydrophobic film on to the wheel. It lasts up to six weeks, This striking new cast, single piece wheel from AEZ is
repelling brake dust and dirt, resulting in cleaner looking wheels between washes, which are simply named the Straight, due to the shape of its
easier to maintain. spokes. It features an elegant ten-spoke design with an
Price: £9.99 interplay of dark and polished surfaces whilst the
Contact: www.autoglym.co.uk concave dish accentuates the aggressive lines. It
comes in a range of fitments and sizes ranging from
17-inch to 20-inch, and is suitable for a large number
of BMW applications.
Price: POA
Contact: www.aez-wheels.com

APRIL 2015 17
016-018 BMWCAR 0415 06/03/2015 09:41 Page 18

NEW PRODUCTS
KW Automotive
coilover kit for M4
Own a new M4 and plan on taking it to the
track? KW Automotive has developed a Clubsport
coilover kit for the car. The two-way adjustable
coilovers offer a variety of compression and
rebound settings, adjustable top mounts and it
lowers the car between 15 and 40mm. Handling
is also improved, body roll is reduced and
steering is more precise. The adjustment also
allows for particular driver preferences or to work
in unison with other modifications.
Price: POA
Contact: www.kwautomotive.com

Bilstein B8 dampers
The hugely respected suspension manufacturer
Bilstein has released a new line of finely
engineered damper upgrades for a wide range
of current 1, 2, 3 and 4 Series models,
excluding xDrive applications. The B8 damper
package helps to significantly enhance the
dynamic abilities of each car, working in perfect
harmony with either the OEM springs or any
quality aftermarket offerings. All of these new
dampers are also compatible with M Sport
spring packages. The range is designed for
Cobra Nogaro seat those looking for more damping capability, with
improved handling and reduced squat and
Respected seat manufacturer Cobra has just dive, without ruining everyday ride comfort.
released its latest all-new seat design. Named the Price: From £130.80 per damper
Nogaro, it’s aimed at the fast road and track day Contact: www.bilstein.de or call
market and has been designed to suit a wide 0116 2898345
variety of sports, classic and GT cars. It features a
carefully sculptured shell to support the hips and
shoulders but a lower profile seat bolster also
allows quick and easy entry. This makes it ideal for
comfortable everyday driving too. There is also a
lightweight version made from carbon fibre, a
‘Street’ or ‘Circuit’ style to choose from and a range
of trim choices.
Price: From £729
Contact: www.cobraseats.com

Fidanza
lightweight flywheel
An easy to way to improve your car’s performance is
by changing to a lightweight flywheel. Fidanza
Performance can supply a flywheel constructed from
6061 T6 aluminium for optimum weight reduction
and tensile strength. This, in-turn, delivers faster
acceleration, quicker throttle response, better vehicle
braking, increased clutch efficiency, and long lasting
durability. The flywheel also features a precision
machined, Rockwell hardened ring gear, along with
Fidanza’s signature replaceable friction surface. It is
designed to fit a number of models, including the
E53 X5 3.0i, E38 530i and 528i, E46 330i, 328i,
325i and 323i.
Price: POA
Contact: www.fidanza.com
019 BMWCAR 0415 03/03/2015 16:24 Page 19
020-022 BMWCAR 0415 04/03/2015 10:41 Page 20

BEHIND THE WHEEL

Missing
a trick?
In the UK you can’t order a petrol X4 so we travel to
Norway to put an xDrive20i through its paces to find
out whether we’re missing out. Words & photography: Steve Hall

20 BMWcar
020-022 BMWCAR 0415 04/03/2015 10:41 Page 21

X4 xDRIVE 20i

arbella, California, South Africa. Just

M three of the places manufacturers are

sometimes keen to send us lucky
magazine types in search of winter
sunshine to show off the best of their
latest wares, and perhaps hope the natural mood
enhancing effect of 20˚C temperatures will pervade
the verdict of whatever new metal we’re trying out.
So what chance this BMW X4, tried out here for
the first time in 2.0i guise, married to an eight-speed
automatic gearbox, and laden with an extensive
checklist of equipment? Given that the temperatures
are hovering just below zero at our pickup point at
Oslo’s Gardermoen airport, and the prospect of snow
packed roads and -9˚C lies ahead, you might suspect
the verdict would be a foregone conclusion. As it
happens, a Norwegian winter proves the perfect
place to test the X4’s mettle in an environment more
extreme than anything we’re likely to encounter on
our island, and if nothing else will give a de facto
impression of how your X4 might cope with the
seemingly obligatory sojourn to Alpine ski slopes.
We were off on our own little snow and ice based
adventure (see page 24 for more), and our friends at
BMW Norway had kindly arranged to tie this in with a
chance to sample the X4 in full winter mode, with
aggressively ridged Nokian Hakkapeliitta R2 winter
tyres making the best of the xDrive system’s ability to
find purchase. Base camp is the town of Gol, three
hours north west of Oslo on a route which will test
motorway comfort and B road abilities, before we
push on past Gol to Lake Tisleifjorden for a preview
of the events BMW Norway has in store for us. This
will mean a good 20km on a surface which is white
as far as the eye can see…
We get off to a good start. Our X4 is fitted with a
nicely optioned interior which raises the feel-good
factor the moment you climb in – brown leather
seats are matched by similarly coloured inserts

APRIL 2015 21
020-022 BMWCAR 0415 04/03/2015 10:42 Page 22

BEHIND THE WHEEL

throughout the cabin, just enough to give a semi Soon, we reach the snow-covered roads where our
bespoke feel. As with any X4, it’s easy to find a winter tyres go from nice-to-have to necessary. On
comfortable driving position, and I’m glad for the normal roads, the winters contribute to a welcome
powerful seat heaters doing their bit to fend off the improvement in ride quality, the extra sidewall and
sub zero ambient. The 2.0i petrol engine fires up to a softness of compound making for a loping pliancy
near silent idle and we quietly drift out onto the alien to the usually optioned 19-inch wheels with
motorway heading north. sporting rubber. When the surface turns white, grip
It doesn’t take long to realise that the Twin Power levels are impressive. You have to be circumspect and
petrol engine is better suited to something lighter and it’s best only to ask the tyres to do one thing at a time
more compact. A 320i or 120i are happy with this – brake in a straight line, turn in, then let xDrive
engine under the bonnet, but the X4’s extra 150kg shuffle power around as you scurry off down the next
over an xDrive 3 Series seems to ask too much of the straight. Mashing the brake gives an impressive
torque curve; consequently a hefty right foot and demonstration of the retardation available – you can
plenty of revs are required to get the X4 up to speed. almost feel the tyres clawing into the surface.
This, in turn, delivers a double negative in that the We’re lucky enough to get a few laps of an ice track
previously refined and quiet motivations of the engine with our X4, and whilst it’s as far removed from
are replaced with a less than pleasing drone normal use as you could imagine, it gives an
emanating through the bulkhead. Actual performance exaggerated look at the dynamics in extremis… and of
levels are fine, but it all feels strained; even the usually course, it’s fun. With stability systems off, there’s turn
butter smooth eight-speed auto slurs shifts in a slow, in oversteer followed by power understeer if you’re
deliberate fashion that encourages you to relax the heavy with the throttle – wait for the corner to open
pace. Economy takes a hit too – despite the majority up, then you can gently add power and feel xDrive
of our time being spent cruising at 60mph, we barely shuffling torque rearwards for an amusingly sideways
broke the 30mpg barrier overall. Unless emissions or exit. Braking on pure ice is precarious, so we
local policies dictate, we’d recommend the torque deliberately brake on the snow covered sections,
laden 2.0d over the 2.0i every time, and live with the where the X4 again delivers amazing retardation.
slight increase in audible machinations up front. Frankly, the combined abilities of xDrive, winter
To be fair, the majority of our trip is relaxing – the tyres and the stability systems are well beyond that
Business Nav guides us via the HUD, whilst the radar which most owners would ever expect, or need. It’s
cruise control manipulates our speed; only the odd easy to see why BMW built its own winter test centre
overtake prompts the worst of the engine’s abilities. in Arjeplog, Sweden – once your systems perform
One thing Norwegian roads do uncover is the well in a Scandinavian winter, you can be sure they
inadequacy of the auto wipers – months of snow, salt will be absolutely fine in the rest of the world. Our test
and grime combine to create a sludgy mess on most pointed a magnifying glass at the X4, and it impressed
surfaces that the auto wipers don’t register, so it’d be with its unruffled all surface composure in the
useful to have an intermittent setting to fall back on. harshest of environments ●

F26 xDrive 20i

ENGINE: Four-cylinder, petrol, turbo
CAPACITY: 1997cc
MAX POWER: 184hp @ 500-6250rpm
MAX TORQUE: 199lb ft @ 1250-4500rpm
TOP SPEED: 132mph
0-62MPH: 8.1 seconds
ECONOMY: 38.7mpg
EMISSIONS: 171g/km
WEIGHT (EU): 1810kg
PRICE: Not on sale in UK

22 BMWcar
023 BMWCAR 0415 04/03/2015 09:41 Page 23

e Original Groovers
Stunt driver and Tarox founder Gianni Taroni set about revolutionising the braking game as
far back as the mid 70s. Aer developing F1 world championship winning brakes for Keke Rosberg,
aentions turned to the road car market. In 83 Tarox manufactured the world’s first ever grooved
brake disc, which has since been developed into the range of styles that we offer today.
Every one of our discs are manufactured from the highest quality casts and steel billets
before being heat treated and balanced by hand for the smoothest possible surface.
For a brake manufacturer with innovation in its DNA, look no further than Tarox.

Since 76

Tel +44 1706 222 872 / www.tarox.com / [email protected]

All Tarox products are manufactured in Italy

under stringent ISO9000 and TUV regulations
024-028 BMWCAR 0415 06/03/2015 10:09 Page 24

Winter
Wonderland
uha Kankkunen, Tommi Mäkinen, Stig

J
crash, or learn to become comfortable driving in a in the north, and it’s easy to see why this part of the
Blomqvist… the list of Scandinavian world fashion which sees you sliding almost constantly, world is the go-to place for winter testing. Every
rally champions is long and illustrious. And manipulating grip levels by balancing the car with major manufacturer tests here now, and BMW was
if you’ve ever wondered why, a trip to both throttle and brake inputs. It also helps that so the first to open its own permanent test centre, 34
Scandinavia – particularly a north bound much of the beautiful Scandinavian landscape miles from the Arctic Circle in Arjeplog, Sweden back
sojourn – in the long winter season will deliver all features lakes, which become frozen playgrounds in in 2006. The proliferation of xDrive in the last
the clues you could need, for anything off of the the long, dark months of winter, and so you have a decade is clearly no coincidence…
main roads are snow-bound most of the time. place that’s second-to-none for learning the craft of Indeed, xDrive is becoming an ever-larger part of
Therefore, you have three options; drive very slowly, car control. Add to that the low temperatures found the BMW brand, and where better to test the latest

24 BMWcar
024-028 BMWCAR 0415 06/03/2015 10:10 Page 25

BMW WINTER EXPERIENCE

A trip to an ice covered lake in Scandinavia to take part in a BMW backed

winter driving experience day is about as good as it gets for a lesson in
car control, safety and technology… Words and pictures: Steve Hall

all-wheel drive models than on the 13.5 square wooden lodge overlooking the lake, which acts as drivers,” he tells me. It was clear from the images
kilometres of lake Tisleifjorden, located three hours base camp for the event. Suitably fuelled for a day we were shown that this section focused strongly on
north of Oslo? In comparison it takes 11 hours to spent in the middle of the lake at minus seven driver education, with the presentation highlighting
reach Arjeplog from Stockholm, so the lake is a great degrees celsius (mild for this time of year) we head everything from sight lines to hazard perception,
venue for the BMW Winter Experience. Beautiful, to the briefing room where guests are taken through particularly on low grip surfaces. We finish up with a
accessible, and most importantly, we have an invite a comprehensive hour-long presentation where I ask short health and safety briefing from our chief
to the final day of running in mid-February. event organiser Christian Lauenborg for more instructor for the day, and a short presentation about
The day starts with a hearty Scandinavian information on the Winter Experience: “We want the current BMW and MINI range.
breakfast at the wonderful Golsfjell Fjellstue, a huge people to have fun, but also to become better, safer Then it’s off to the lake. We jump into a dozen

APRIL 2015 25
024-028 BMWCAR 0415 06/03/2015 10:05 Page 26

xDrive BMWs and make the short trip a few hundred tyres. The available grip is amazing, probably better to the lodge to try some off-roading. Primarily an
metres down the road. We assemble at the muster than summer tyres on a wet track, but they work exercise designed to demonstrate the performance
point in the middle of the lake, where thankfully, best with a bit of slip angle and the track layout of the various systems on our X5 and X6 test cars,
there are hot drinks on tap, and organise ourselves. lends itself well to perfecting the Holy Grail of ice there was plenty fun to be had in attacking various
At the lodge we’d been split into six groups of six, driving in this part of the world – the Scandinavian snow-covered inclines. First, we stop halfway up a
each cycling through the six activities that lie ahead: flick. Taking the opening right-hander foot to the hill with the traction control systems switched off
Braking, Slalom, S-Curve, Rally, Off-Road and High floor with just a bit of opposite lock sets the E36 up and are greeted by various wheels spinning power
Speed. We’re in Group 4, which means a baptism of perfectly for the left-right-left that follows, a simple away as we try to get moving again. In fact, we end
fire – we’ll start with the Rally activity! lift of the throttle swiftly engages a change of up rolling back down the snow-covered incline as
There isn’t a better surface to drive a car on than direction each time. It’s very satisfying and we all get the wheels fight for traction. The same exercise with
frozen ice. Equip your car of choice with 7mm rally- a good few laps to acclimatise to the experience of the traction systems switched on sees the X5 gently
studded tyres all-round and you’re approaching the studs digging into the ice. In truth, this was the move away, just the odd slip indicating how little
motoring nirvana. The E36 3 Series is a great one I’d been looking forward to the most and it traction there is; it’s an impressive display of
handling car, and our stripped out 323i is the perfect didn’t disappoint. computers versus physics. We cycle through
tool to get to grips with the feel of driving on these Next up, a complete change as we head back up variations of this before testing the hill descent

26 BMWcar
024-028 BMWCAR 0415 06/03/2015 10:05 Page 27

BMW WINTER EXPERIENCE

“We want people to

have fun, but also
to become better,
safer drivers”

system by stopping at the top of a hill and, counter talk you through ice driving at 140km/h (87mph) is the braking performance available, but it’s eye
intuitively, keeping our feet well away from the a humbling, but great experience. opening to see how seemingly small speed
pedals as the systems manage our descent. It feels A welcome hour-long buffet lunch punctuates our differentials affect control.
even stranger to repeat the exercise backwards. day before moving on to the final half of The last two stages demonstrate the effectiveness
Back to the lake and it’s time for a demonstration proceedings; we’re back to the lake for the braking of the stability and xDrive systems, but also succeed
of what’s truly possible on the ice as we’re taken for exercise. Essentially there are two disciplines here; in painting a huge grin on the faces of participants.
high-speed laps in a current BMW M3 equipped with braking from different speeds at the same point and We start out in a selection MINIs, including a two-
rally-studded tyres. Our pilot for the day is Swedish braking from high speeds through a curve. The intent wheel drive Cooper S and a four-wheel drive
Touring Car champion Tommy Rustad, and despite is to provide (very successfully) a stark Countryman and Paceman, for the small slalom
this not being his usual racing surface we’re treated demonstration of how much braking is affected by course, where cones are just a few metres apart.
to an awesome display of precision and control as speed. After stopping from 40km/h, it’s a little scary Stability systems are progressively relaxed for each
the M3 dances from lock-to-lock, passing within to see us sail past the same stopping point, having run until we’re on our own with the cones in mortal
inches of marking cones, sideways, at the top of added just 10km/h. Changing speed from 80 to danger as the MINIs swing ever wider until the
third gear. No matter how good a driver you think 90km/h sees braking through the cones go from inevitable spin. Familiarity brings a calmer approach
you are, sitting next to a professional as they casually comfortable to right on the edge. I’m staggered at and we’re able to zig-zag through the course with a

APRIL 2015 27
024-028 BMWCAR 0415 06/03/2015 10:05 Page 28

little tailslide to help direction changes. taking a calmer approach gets things nicely under enjoyable day on the ice, but the underlying driver
This is perfect preparation for the next stage; the control, and it’s possible to get the Five turning improvement message is abundantly clear
S-Curve, which is essentially the same course but with nothing more than gentle throttle throughout the event. Many of the exercises have
considerably faster with cones now 75 metres manipulation and barely any steering lock. The an educational aspect and relay their message by
apart. I try the 5 Series xDrive first and have an same exercise in the lighter, manual-equipped getting you behind the wheel and mimicking real
absolute blast using the considerable weight to 118d xDrive is a blast. world situations. It also leaves a strong impression
swing one way and then the other before And then we’re done; it’s nearly 4pm and I of just how capable modern BMWs are when
performing (in my mind at least) an elegant wonder where the time has gone – I think there’s equipped with xDrive; departing in my X4, I
pirouette after the last cone. As with the MINIs, a saying about that. It’s been a thoroughly certainly feel like a better, safer driver ●

There isn’t a better surface to

drive a car on than frozen ice

28 BMWcar
029 BMWCAR 0415 03/03/2015 16:22 Page 29
030-036 BMWCAR 0415 05/03/2015 10:40 Page 30

The Z1 is a pretty rare beast in its own right but

the Alpina version, the Roadster Limited Edition,
ranks almost as high as the unicorn in the rarity
stakes with just 66 examples manufactured
Words: Bob Harper Photography: Dave Smith

Mythical
BEAST

here’s something about the Z1 that’s just

T
On a dark and dour day with heavy clouds virtually Z1 exudes a certain type of feel-good factor, but it
utterly mesmerising. As you’d expect we’ve the same colour as the car threatening to deposit probably doesn’t do to drive one if you are a bit of a
driven our fair share of them over the their load on to the freshly polished machine, ‘our’ Z1 shrinking violet.
years, from BMW UK’s heritage car to had the desired effect as we dawdled for two miles As if any further proof was required as to the Z1’s
several belonging to our publisher as well from 4 Star’s HQ to the nearest petrol station with the traffic-stopping ability, our stop for a splash and dash
as various modified examples with all manner of fuel gauge’s needle being brightly illuminated in the at the first petrol station we come across
engines. And the one thing all these Z1s have had in diminutive dial by the amber low fuel light. Lorry demonstrates it perfectly. There’s a hand car wash
common has been their ability to drop jaws, set drivers towering above us swivel their necks to get a situated on the forecourt and a guy is expertly hosing
tongues wagging and fingers pointing. And our recent second look as we burble past and even the coolest down a car with the high-pressure washer when his
trip out in this delightful Dream black example that’s of dudes passing the other way in some sort of Audi gaze turns from the task in hand as the Z1 pulls on to
up for sale at 4 Star Classics was no exception. with LED lights blazing gives a thumbs up. Yup, the the forecourt. His mind wanders further from car

30 BMWcar
030-036 BMWCAR 0415 05/03/2015 10:40 Page 31

ALPINA RLE

washing as he witnesses the Z1’s driver’s door the headlights didn’t have the traditional four round While the Z1 was lauded on its arrival for its looks,
window drop into the door as the door seamlessly units and the kidney grilles didn’t exactly look BMW- charm and chassis, the one area where it was
drops into the sill and he’s only awoken from his Z1 esque either. These days we have got used to criticised was for its comparative lack of grunt. Not
daydream by his colleague who is being soaked by kidneys in all shapes and sizes but back in the late that there was anything desperately wrong with the
the now forgotten and misdirected pressure washer 1980s their design was pretty set in stone and they M20 straight-six that had been borrowed from the
lance. Highly amusing. were always chrome. The Z1’s body was made out of E30 325i it was just that the chassis felt like it was
As well as the Z1’s door-dropping party piece plastic, it had a separate backbone chassis and the capable of handling so much more. Where the E30
there’s something about the car that’s so un-BMW door mirrors jutting out from the A pillars haven’t with its semi-trailing arm rear suspension could feel
that you almost wonder why the design was given really been replicated either before or since. In short, like a bit of a handful, the Z1 with its multi-link Z-axle
the green light for production. There’s no Hofmeister it was a unique piece of BMW design. Brave and (that went on to feature in the E36 3 Series) just felt
kink (to be fair, there rarely is on a convertible) but incredibly forward thinking. utterly planted and it didn’t take long before Europe’s

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030-036 BMWCAR 0415 05/03/2015 10:41 Page 32

The Alpina Classic wheels

actually feature centre caps
individual to each particular
build number, in this case 54
of just 66. The build number
also features in the centre
console plaque, steering
wheel and key fob

tuning houses went to work on the car. Perhaps the set in stone and you could bet your bottom dollar reason for this is that as a pretty bespoke design
most successful approach was by Mosselman with its that any given BMW would be subjected to a BMW got it virtually spot on with the Z1 from the
turbo conversion for the car which we drove back in thoroughly comprehensive makeover prior to being outset which left Alpina with less to do when
2009 and in more recent times the car has still signed off by Alpina’s boffins and receiving the manufacturing the RLE. Alpina traditionally had to give
attracted attention from the modifiers and we’ve coveted production plaque. Engines would be hand- BMWs a bit of a helping hand on the aerodynamic
driven ones with fettled M20s along with M3 six- built at its Buchloe HQ, the traditional Alpina aerokit front, especially as with more power they tended to
cylinder power and even one packing an M5’s V8. would be in place and you’d just know that it had be a fair bit faster than their BMW production
However, there was only one version made by been designed first and foremost with aerodynamics counterparts but with the RLE, Alpina wisely decided
BMW and more or less the only thing you had to in mind with aesthetics coming in second place. not to try and improve upon the original design. The
decide when ordering your Z1 was which colour to Suspensions would be altered, seemingly offering a low nose, flat floor and very clever rear exhaust box
choose. For a few favoured customers, though, Alpina much better blend of ride/handling and comfort than which helped to generate downforce at the rear as air
also made a Z1, and it’s that car you can see before you would find in either the contemporary BMW or M flowed over it ensured that Alpina didn’t need to
you here. Known as the Alpina RLE (with the car and to set everything off you’d find a set of Alpina change the car’s aerodynamics so it left well alone
acronym standing for Roadster Limited Edition) it was Classic alloys shod with tyres that would have been and instead concentrated on improving the Z1 where
one of the rarest of modern day Alpinas with officially tailored to the car’s chassis or vice versa. These were it mattered most – the engine.
just 66 examples being constructed, half of which the days of such comprehensively altered machinery No doubt there must have been the odd
were destined for export to Japan – a country that’s as the iconic B10 Bi-Turbo, a car that was lauded for a conversation in Buchloe aimed at making the Z1 a
very, very keen on bespoke products from Buchloe. time as the world’s fastest four-door production car. real performer but shoehorning one of the company’s
By the time the Z1 came along in the late 1980s And with this in mind it hardly seems possible that larger straight-sixes into the engine bay would have
Alpina’s set of upgrades for a BMW were pretty well Alpina’s work on the Z1 was so minimal. Part of the severely upset the handling balance and as Alpina

All Japanese
specification examples
of the Alpina RLE came
fitted with these arch
extensions in place to
cover the larger wheels

32 BMWcar
030-036 BMWCAR 0415 05/03/2015 10:42 Page 33

ALPINA RLE

As Alpina had the perfect engine sitting on the

shelf for the Z1 it made perfect sense to drop
in its version of the M20 ’six in 2.7-litre form

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030-036 BMWCAR 0415 05/03/2015 10:43 Page 34

had the perfect engine sitting on the shelf for the Z1 Other changes were exceptionally minimal. The
it made perfect sense to drop in its version of the Z1’s suspension was deemed to be well suited to the
M20 ‘six in 2.7-litre form as used in the E30 C2 and car and rather than installing one of its bespoke
B3 2.7. Once the M20 had had its capacity increased setups all Alpina did was to swap the standard front
to 2651cc and had been fitted with a slightly more springs for slightly shorter items. Over the years,
aggressive camshaft it was good for up to 204hp in Alpina had also become famous for its interior
E30 guise although for the Z1 it was rated at 200hp upgrades – hip-hugging seats clad in its trademark
as its exhaust was ever-so-slightly more restricted. To blue and green striped cloth was a common upgrade
back up the 200hp at 6000rpm there was 193lb ft of in the 1980s, but once again Alpina decided against
torque at 4800rpm and these figures were enough to going wild with the Z1’s cockpit, relying on the
really raise the Z1’s game in the performance stakes standard BMW seats and trim instead. There was a
with 0-62mph now taking just 7.1 seconds while its bespoke Alpina steering wheel with the company’s
0-100mph time had dropped to 17.8 seconds. That trademark stitching and in the centre of the steering
might not be anything to write home about these wheel boss was an Alpina logo with the famous carbs
days but back in its day the standard Z1 could only and crankshaft symbols and around the edge it bore
muster an 8.4 second 0-62mph time and its 0-100 the words ‘Limited Edition’ and the car’s production
time was a very leisurely 23 seconds. For those who number — in our case 54/66. There’s also a
intended trying to hog the outside lane on the production plaque behind the gear lever which
Autobahn the RLE’s top speed was now 142mph, up eschews the normal black oblong style as this one’s
from 136mph. more or less square and made of silver metal.

34 BMWcar
030-036 BMWCAR 0415 05/03/2015 10:44 Page 35

ALPINA RLE

Inside is remarkably untouched

for an Alpina with only a few
choice additions in place
instead of the usual complete
retrim with the blue and green
stitching we’re used to seeing

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030-036 BMWCAR 0415 05/03/2015 10:45 Page 36

Alpina RLE
ENGINE: M20 straight-six, 12-valve
CAPACITY: 2651cc
MAX POWER: 200hp @ 6000rpm
MAX TORQUE: 193lb ft @ 4800rpm
WHEELS: 8x17-inch Alpina Classic
TOP SPEED: 142mph
0-62MPH: 7.1 seconds
0-100MPH: 17.8 seconds
WEIGHT: 1250kg
TYRES: 235/40 ZR17 Michelin MXX3
NUMBER MADE: 66

You can hear the sonorous straight-six singing

away to itself and the slick five-speed ’box
enables you to play a decent set of tunes

The RLE package was finished off with a set of You feel low and the dark cockpit on this dour day grip but we don't push too hard partly in deference to
trademark Alpina alloys measuring 8x17-inches, an makes it feel claustrophobic with the hood raised. the car's value — 4 Star has it up for sale for a fiver
inch up in diameter from the standard Z1 items and Slow, pockmarked side roads aren’t its forte with the shy of £70k!
the wheels were shod with 235/45 Michelin MXX3 ride feeling a little lumper than what we expected. And that high price might be a stumbling block as
rubber. In the centre of each wheel was an Alpina logo Eventually we emerge on to some wider, more far as we're concerned. RLEs hardly ever come up for
that mirrored the one on the steering wheel in that open A roads and with the rain still being held at bay sale with most of them snuck away in collections so
they bore the car’s production number. This was we decide to pull over and drop the hood to get the this is around what we'd expect to pay for an Alpina
unique to the RLE with no other Alpina extending the full Z1 experience. Entry and egress with the roof in Z1 in good condition, but at this point the car’s
production number to the wheel centres. Even the key place isn’t the easiest of manoeuvres especially if almost too expensive to be enjoyed unless money
fob bore the production number! you're an old man with a dodgy back, but once the really is no object. Wouldn't you be better off buying
That’s enough on the history front though, what we simple manually folded hood is dropped under its a ‘regular’ Z1 for a third of this and actually be able to
want to discover now is what the Z1 is like to drive rear deck cover hopping in and out is much easier enjoy driving it, and give other folk the pleasure of
today. Does the extra oomph offered by Alpina and the RLE starts to come alive. Driving with the seeing one on the road? The Z1 in all its forms is still
endow the car with enough power to bring the doors down is a bit of a hoot, but you feel really a mesmerising machine and with the RLE Alpina
chassis alive? Once we’ve fuel on board and we’ve exposed and at anything much above walking pace endowed it with just about enough go to accompany
stopped sniggering at the antics of the car wash boys there’s tremendous buffeting from the wind. You’re the show, but despite its obvious charms we reckon
we head off in search of some decent driving roads better off raising the doors and windows and driving we’d be more than happy with a standard example
on the way to our photo location and we’re thus the Z1 feels remarkably snug. You can hear the even if it might feel a little lacking in oomph when
immediately struck by several thoughts. Compared to sonorous straight-six singing away to itself and the compared to the Alpina ●
modern machinery the Z1 really does feel small — it’s slick five-speed ‘box enables you to play a decent set
over 30cm shorter than the current Z4 and it feels of tunes through the bespoke Alpina exhaust. As CONTACT:
narrow too, and compared with a modern machine speeds rise the suspension that seemed a little 4 Star Classics
there’s little in the way of space to store your uncompromising earlier has smoothed out and even Tel: 01420 479909
oddments bar a small cubby next to the handbrake. in these cold and damp conditions there’s plenty of Web: www.4starclassics.com

36 BMWcar
037 BMWCAR 0415 03/03/2015 16:20 Page 37
038-042 BMWCar 0415 04/03/2015 10:21 Page 38

We’ve sampled the 2 Series Convertible in warm American weather but the acid
test is whether the 220d and M235i versions impress on cold UK roads in
February – a tough ask for any soft-top
Words: Bob Harper Photography: BMW

38 BMWcar
038-042 BMWCar 0415 04/03/2015 10:21 Page 39

M235i & 220d CONVERTIBLES

APRIL 2015 39
038-042 BMWCar 0415 04/03/2015 10:21 Page 40

Not only does the M235i impress with its

pace but it also inspires with its soundtrack

ast month we became acquainted with the

L
over 130,000 owners during its life, with nearly pretty attractive piece of kit, and in M235i guise
new 2 Series Convertible for the first time at 21,000 of those in the UK. With the 2 Series BMW there’s enough extra muscle in the aero kit to make it
the car’s international launch in America. UK hopes it can add another 3000 or 4000 to that look like it means business. And with the Twin Power
Today BMW’s entry-level cabrio will face a total. The initial line-up will include the 220i and 228i turbo 3.0-litre ‘six under the bonnet it certainly has
slightly sterner challenge: proving it can cut it along with the models we have here today and enough firepower to match the looks. There’s 326hp
in the UK on a chilly winter’s morning. We’ve further down the line there will also be a 218i on tap between 5800 and 6000rpm and that’s
previously sampled the 228i but today we have the powered by the new three-cylinder petrol unit. Trim backed up with a meaty torque curve offering 332lb
220d and M235i versions to hand and these levels will be SE, Sport, Luxury and M Sport although ft from 1300 to 4500rpm.
machines will be much more relevant to the UK the 228i will only be available as an M Sport version, Despite having gained quite a bit of girth over its
market than the 228i, which will no doubt be a niche and overall BMW UK expects 60 per cent of all Coupé counterpart (the Convertible weighs 145kg
seller over here. BMW UK reckons the 220d will take models to be spec’d with this package. more than the Coupé) it’s still a very, very fast car
the lion’s share of sales – around 35 per cent of The M235i is, of course, an M Performance model with BMW quoting a 5.0-second 0-62mph time for
buyers will opt for this model – and while the M235i and it’s the one we decide to sample first. Despite the eight-speed auto and 5.2 seconds for the manual,
is only projected to garner 10 per cent of sales, in its the pictures showing a vehicle with a manual and out on the road it certainly feels this rapid. The
Coupé form it’s currently doubling that figure transmission we actually elected to sample the eight- 2979cc blown ‘six really is a peach and unlike some
demonstrating just how popular the pocket rocket is speed auto on this BMW UK launch as we’ve already other BMW turbo engines it’s happy to rev past its
proving to be. spent plenty of time using the manual ‘box on our peak power point staying creamy smooth and
The 2 Series Convertible’s predecessor, the 1 sorely missed M235i Longtermer. There’s no getting decidedly tuneful as you do it, too.
Series, was a good seller for BMW, managing to find away from the fact that the 2 Series Convertible is a We’ll come onto the car’s handling in a minute but

40 BMWcar
038-042 BMWCar 0415 04/03/2015 10:21 Page 41

M235I & 220D CONVERTIBLES

There’s still a soft-top roof rather than the metal folding type found on the
4 Series. It’s been engineered to reduce wind noise further this time and
it seems to have worked. Visibility is still a little restricted though

to start with it’s a case of sampling the car with the down to see if we can make the most of the sharp as the Coupé but it’s not exactly a blunt
hood up as that’s probably more important if you conditions in the 2 Series. Lowering the hood is a instrument either. It turns-in well and grips hard and
drive a convertible in the UK than how the car doddle – simply hold the switch down and the ultimately any (very small) dynamic shortcomings
performs when it’s down. If there was one main area electrics do the rest in a scant 20 seconds. This can when compared to the Coupé really can simply be
where the old 1 Series soft-top fell down it was in be done at speeds up to 30mph so it’s perfect for put down to the extra weight it’s carrying. Structurally
terms of refinement. As a result BMW has increased when trickling along in traffic. Once we’re exposed to it feels very solid – it’s a long way off an E30 or even
the insulation on the hood and used materials with the elements we need to boost the heater, switch on an E36 3 Series Convertible and BMW reckons that
improved sound deadening qualities which, along the heated seats and raise the wind deflector; it does the car’s torsional rigidity has been improved a further
with a reprofiled rear side window surround, has led seem a little mean that you need to shell out for both 20 per cent over the old 1 Series Convertible.
to a drop in interior decibel levels. Well, that’s the these items as cost options – they’re almost At £37,710 for the manual (or £39,255 for the
theory and we’d have to say that once out on the obligatory for a Convertible and should really be Sport auto we’ve driven) the M235i is not what you’d
road the car does feel well-insulated from the chilly, standard fitments. Still once we’re nice and cosy it consider cheap but to get anywhere near the same
blustery morning. There’s no need to raise your voice gives us a chance to sample the performance on level of performance from the Audi line-up you’ll
to hold a conversation at highish cruising speeds and, some decent stretches of Tarmac. Not only does the spend the same amount of money on an S3 Cabrio,
bar the poor rear three-quarter vision that almost M235i impress with its pace but it also inspires with only get four-cylinders and 300hp, and won’t
inevitably comes with this type of soft-top, it’s as its soundtrack – dropping the hood really does allow accelerate so fast. From the BMW stable you could
pleasant a place to spend time as in the Coupé. you to properly hear the straight-six. get almost the same performance from a 435i M
Despite the low temperatures it’s a gloriously When it comes to the twisty bits the M235i Sport Convertible but it won’t be as much fun and
sunny winter’s morning so we elect to drop the hood Convertible is pretty convincing, too. It’s not quite as you’ll need to pay £8500 extra for the privilege, too.

APRIL 2015 41
038-042 BMWCar 0415 04/03/2015 10:21 Page 42

With the roof down the M235i version with its

F23 220d & M235i Convertible aero kit looks rather smart. It also means you
can hear the engine and exhaust note better
220d M235i
ENGINE: Four-cylinder, diesel, turbo Six-cylinder, petrol, turbo
CAPACITY: 1995cc 2979cc
MAX POWER: 190hp @ 4000rpm 326hp @ 5800-6000rpm
MAX TORQUE: 295lb ft @ 1750-2500rpm 332lb ft @ 1300-4500rpm
0-62MPH: 7.5 seconds (7.4) 5.2 seconds (5.0)
TOP SPEED: 140mph (140) 155mph (155)
ECONOMY: 60.1mpg (64.2) 33.2mpg (35.8)
EMISSIONS CO2: 124g/km (116) 199g/km (184)
WEIGHT (EU): 1610kg (1630) 1675kg (1695)
PRICE (OTR): £29,965 £37,710
Figures in brackets refer to eight-speed auto

Our second test car, though, has a far more although an adult will still struggle somewhat to fit the 220d executing rev-matching downchanges of its
palatable price tag – in Sport guise the 220d behind a six-foot driver. Boot space is improved, too – own accord on the back roads and this is something
Convertible weighs in at £29,965 – and while not as 280 litres with the hood down and 335 litres with it that will be spreading across the range for cars with
overtly rapid as the M235i it still boasts a pretty raised makes it pretty much the class leader and with manual transmissions in the coming months. It’s very
decent set of vital statistics. It’s equipped with the a through-loading system on the options list fitting clever and does make a ham-fisted driver look like
new B47 1995cc diesel that offers 190hp and 295lb golf clubs and the like into the car shouldn’t be a they can drive very smoothly, although die-hard
ft of torque and promises a 0-62mph time of 7.5 problem at all. manual drivers would probably still prefer to do it
seconds, a 140mph top speed and, according to the Once we’re under way with the hood in the 220d themselves. That apart, the 220d is a very
EU test figures, is capable of 60.1mpg in the manual the refinement the B47 four-pot has brought to the accomplished machine recording just over 45mpg on
guise we have here. Without the benefit of the M car is immediately apparent. It’s a much quieter unit our drive, which was pretty creditable given we were
aerokit that adorns the M235i it doesn’t look quite so than the old engine yet is still punchy and using most of the car’s performance.
sweet but it’s still a pretty thing to look at and it’s also economical. Our route on the return leg of the launch Overall you’d say it was a job very well done on
worth pointing out that thanks to the soft-top design takes us along plenty of fast dual carriageways and the 2 Series Convertible. To our eyes it looks pretty,
(as opposed to the 4 Series’ folding hard-top setup) motorways and with the hood stowed it becomes performs well and, unless you’re really going for it,
it’s a practical proposition, too. It’s bigger than the old apparent that any speed over 80mph will have you you won’t notice any particular shortcomings from the
1 Series (72mm longer and 26mm wider) and with a raising your voice to speak to your passenger but lack of a roof. And if the 220d and M235i can
wider track front and rear it also appears more even at these speeds the cockpit remains pretty impress on a cold winter’s morning we reckon they’ll
muscular. 30mm of that extra length is in the warm and snug. be hugely entertaining when the weather warms up.
wheelbase so rear passenger room is improved, Once off the motorway we were surprised to find Roll on summer ●

42 BMWcar
043 BMWCAR 0415 03/03/2015 16:01 Page 43

BMW

The Ultimate
Sytner Leicester Driving Machine

WE’RE ON THE HUNT FOR CERTAIN BMW MODELS.

At Sytner Leicester we’re on the look out to purchase the following BMW models:
• 1M • M1 • E30/E36/E46 M3 • M3 CSL • E39/E60 M5 • M6 • 330ci Clubsport • Z1 • Z3M and
Z4M Coupe/Roadster • Z8 • All ALPINA models • Any individual paint/leather/specification models
If you own one of the above and are interested in selling or part exchanging then for a valuation please call:
Greg Smith on 07973 841399 or our Group Buyer Richard Gant on 07887 906622

Sytner Leicester
Meridian East, Meridian Business Park, Leicester LE19 1UY
0116 282 7700 www.sytnerleicesterbmw.co.uk
044-050 BMWCAR 0415 06/03/2015 12:48 Page 44

44 BMWcar
044-050 BMWCAR 0415 06/03/2015 12:48 Page 45

AHG M1

Racer for the

Road
BMW’s M1 was a stunning road car and in its ProCar form was a pretty
dramatic race car, too. German tuner AHG decided to combine the best of both
worlds and created ten stunning bespoke M1s for the road
Words: Bob Harper Photography: Andrew Tipping

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044-050 BMWCAR 0415 06/03/2015 12:49 Page 46

46 BMWcar
044-050 BMWCAR 0415 06/03/2015 12:49 Page 47

AHG M1

espite having British parents my wife and

D
made of it back in the day. I’d probably have lumped
her siblings (there are six in total) were all it in the same category as the Koenig as the notion
born in Peru and my wife lived there for that anyone was actually going to be able to
the first ten years of her life. Naturally successfully modify Giugiaro’s strikingly simple lines
enough they were all pretty fluent in of the M1 was utter heresy. But that would have
Spanish with the odd phrase of the indigenous been doing the car an injustice as there’s actually
Quechua language thrown in for good measure. quite a lot to like about the AHG M1 and it does now
While the majority of them have forgotten most of have bags of period charm going for it. But before we
the language they spoke as kids there are a few go any further we should have a very quick recap on
phrases that still get bandied about when they all get the M1 itself.
together these days. Most of these words seem to Designed from the get-go to be a racing car that
centre around food but there’s one in particular that would be able to take on, and beat, Porsche in Group
has always fascinated me: ‘huachafa’. 4 racing the M1’s long gestation period and
It took me quite a while to work out what they protracted and complicated production cycle meant
were going on about and I still haven’t really that by the time the car was ready the rules had
mastered the perfect translation, although ‘naff’ changed and the car wasn’t able to compete
comes pretty close. It’s generally aimed at someone competitively. This wasn’t really BMW’s fault, although
with more money than sense, someone who’s a little you could argue that BMW Motorsport shouldn’t really
nouveau riche and has yet to develop a proper sense have put so much trust in Lamborghini’s ability to
of style to go with the accompanying cash. If you had manufacture the car in the first place. Eventually,
ventured to the Geneva Motor Show this week you’d though, cars did slowly begin to trickle down the
have seen plenty of machines from some styling ‘production line’. The fibreglass bodies were joined to
houses (that I won’t name here for fear of being the tubular space frame chassis by Ital Design in Turin
sued) daubed in dubious paint finishes or wraps, before being transported to Baur in Stuttgart who
slathered in carbon and wearing quite ridiculously installed the engines and running gear (supplied by
large wheels and bearing equally ridiculous price tags. BMW) before the cars then returned to Munich for
These machines would have all have fallen into the the final finishing and sign-off. Given this complicated
huachafa category. process there was no way BMW could produce the
You could argue that this makes me sound like a 400 road-going examples to homologate the car for
frightful snob but to my mind there are some things racing in the required time and as a result the ProCar
in life that simply shouldn’t be messed with. Those Series was born. For two years this was a glorious
items that appear to be so intrinsically right from the support series to the F1 circus and had F1 drivers
get-go that trying to improve upon them is a massive pitting their skills against racers from other disciplines
folly. Friends at school used to lust after Koenig – have a look for some of the period footage on
512BBs but I just couldn’t stand the wide-bodied YouTube – it was quite a sight (and sound!).
bespoilered monsters, preferring the delicacy and Sadly the ProCar series ran for just two years –
purity of the car’s original form. These days I’ve 1979 and 1980 – and the production cars continued
mellowed my views somewhat and machinery such to trickle their way to market until the middle of
as Koenig Ferraris do exude a certain period charm, a 1981. At the time there were plenty of small BMW
reminder of some of the excesses of the 1970s and tuning companies out there, some of them based in
1980s; who knows, perhaps some of those machines BMW dealerships, and one such dealer was AHG in
in Geneva that I’ve just vilified will one day be looked Bielefeld in the north of Germany between Hanover
upon just as kindly? and Dortmund. It had a proactive MD, Peter
But if we turn to the matter in hand, this AHG Gartemann, and it was his idea to do something a
modified M1, I’m not entirely sure what I would have little special with the M1. The company already had a

APRIL 2015 47
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“With the AHG engine upgrade this M1

moves the way you’d expect a
’70s supercar should”

48 BMWcar
044-050 BMWCAR 0415 06/03/2015 12:51 Page 49

AHG M1

decent sideline going tuning the E30 3 Series, E28 to fall foul of what was permitted and in the end AHG performance upgrades for the car, which we’ll come
Five, E23 7 Series and the E24 Six. We’re not talking had to resort to designing a new rear spoiler made onto in a moment.
about just adding a set of spoilers and wheels here, from a softer material. The front spoiler was This particular machine that’s for sale at Canepa in
the company offered engine conversions and redesigned with ducting for the brakes and the three the US is number 94 of the 454 M1s that were
suspension upgrades, too. centimetre wider sill extensions blended in well with produced and actually started its life as a spare body
Gartemann wanted to produce an M1 that was the new front end design. As well as the extended for a ProCar. It was subsequently assembled as a
closer to the ProCar than the production car but bodystyling Gartemann wanted his M1s to stand out series production car and sold by BMW AG
wanted it to still be usable on the road. The result is from the crowd, so once the bodies were completed Niederlassung to its first owner from Mainz in
the machine you can see before you. It would appear they were sent to the artist Hermann Altmiks for the November 1979. It then changed hands in late 1981
that the original idea was to simply install modified distinctive paintwork. and was then owned by an artist who used the car to
ProCar spoilers while retaining the road car’s interior In an article in a 1982 edition of German display his designs and it was featured at shows and
but pretty soon it became apparent that fitting the magazine Sport Fahrer the impression was given that in contemporary newspapers.
racing aerodynamic parts was going to be a bit of a Gartemann thought that the standard car’s It wasn’t until 1983 that the M1 was delivered to
nightmare if AHG wasn’t going to fall foul of the strict performance would be more than adequate, and AHG ready to be transformed. As well as the special
German TüV authorities which would mean its whether he had a rethink or his customers decided aerodynamic package it was treated to the Hermann
modified machinery would not be legal for the road. that the car needed more go to match the show isn’t Altmiks paint scheme and then underwent a series of
The main problem was that the rear spoiler was going known but he did subsequently offer some mechanical upgrades, too. The most significant of

AHG wanted to endow the M1 with some extra visual drama. The result was a ProCar-inspired set of modifications to the front spoiler, sills and the fitment of a rear wing

APRIL 2015 49
044-050 BMWCAR 0415 06/03/2015 12:52 Page 50

AHG offered plenty of upgrades for the interior of the M1 but this particular car only had a partial retrim with the seat centres and door trim panels being changed

these was an engine rebuild to 350hp spec and this once done the car was often seen on the BMW show Ultimately this really is a car of its time. If you
was mated to a sintered clutch and a freer-flowing scene before it entered long-term storage. It emerged proposed doing this to an M1 today you’d probably
exhaust system. It sits on a custom suspension setup from storage in 2012 before being given a thorough be shot by the BMW community but it’s a real
and is finished off with a set of period BBS alloys. recommissioning, so it’s done less than 5000 miles throwback to a time when a few discerning owners
As each AHG machine was built to its owner’s since it was converted by AHG over 30 years ago! wanted something a little different from a
instructions there were plenty of different interior As you can see from the images, we weren’t able contemporary Ferrari or Lamborghini. How the car
treatments available. In this particular machine the to drive the car but we spoke to Canepa’s marketing would have been seen back when it was transformed
houndstooth cloth seat centres and door trim panels director, John Ficarra, about it and he was very in the 1980s I’m not quite sure, but I’m almost
have been retrimmed in Alcantara and this also enthusiastic about the AHG machine. “The car drives certain it would have divided opinion between those
features on the dash pod, too. Presumably some great. M1s are beautifully balanced cars but in my who thought Koenig Ferraris were the last word in
owners wanted to go further than this as, truth be opinion they have always been woefully style and those who thought they were a byword for
told, the standard M1’s interior was more functional underpowered. With the AHG engine upgrade this nouveau riche naffness. Today I think it’s a brilliant
than opulent and AHG’s price list of the day has M1 moves the way you’d expect a ‘70s supercar period piece and dream purchase for someone after
plenty of ‘price on request’ categories for special should, and the sound of that normally aspirated an ’80s icon with added ProCar-style aggression.
leather finishes and the installation of more powerful BMW straight-six through a racing exhaust is sweet, Huachafa? Not a bit of it ●
speakers for the stereo. sweet music.”
This machine was only very lightly used after its Having experienced the aural delight of a standard CONTACT:
conversion, covering less than 750 miles, before M1 and watched plenty of M1 ProCar videos we can Canepa
being imported into the US in the mid-1980s. Getting only say that John is a very lucky man indeed to have Tel: +1 831 430 9940
the M1 through strict US regulations was tough but sampled this car. Fax: www.canepa.com

50 BMWcar
051 BMWCAR 0415 04/03/2015 09:55 Page 51

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APRIL 2015 51
052-056 BMWCAR 0415 05/03/2015 10:56 Page 52

Lap of
Luxury
Back in the day the E38 750i was right at the cutting edge of technology
but how well has it lasted the test of time? Mark Williams finds a
superb shortwheelbase example to find out
Photography: Mark Williams/Lullingstone Cars

ack in the days when I was obsessed with

B
me it’s now starting with the E39 M5 although race started with these two), but piloted by a driver
Mercedes, a word I would often hear was bizarrely (a last example with a six-pot, hand-built and who seemed to be just that tad cooler, more engaged
‘youngtimers’. A youngtimer car would an analogue driving experience) it’s yet to really kick with the process and ultimately, having a better time.
always be at least one generation off with the E34. It will though, I’m sure of that. As the The E38 Seven Series is a youngtimer candidate and
removed from the contemporary models, years pass, one starts to realise these cars stand as no mistake.
probably already been through one or two owners footnotes in history, and reverence inevitably follows. BMW stuck to evolution and not revolution in its
and had lost that new car, latest thing appeal. And yet However, even though BMW’s rich and dominant unveiling of the E38 generation 7 Series in 1994
it would be parked very carefully, with the wheels history over the last 30 or so years is littered with (from a design perspective anyway, electronically it
devoid of careless curbing and equipped with machinery capable of creating youngtimer status, I’ve contained more computing power than it took to put
expensive (i.e correct) tyres. The paintwork would never really seen or heard the phrase associated with man on the moon and represented a massive leap
have a lustrous shine and the little details like window their products. And this is strange because for every forward, but we’ll come to that later). A little too
and ‘screen surrounds demonstrated the owner’s model Mercedes has offered up in that timeline, conservative for some, elegant, understated and
care and attention. Fast forward a few years and we’re BMW has an equally compelling riposte, something quietly stylish to others, the shape has aged with a
talking about cars which were too old to be quietly confident and beautifully engineered like an timeless grace which (in my opinion) the E65/66
considered as daily propositions, yet too young to be E34 535i Sport or more brutish and blunt like an E31 generation which succeeded it will struggle to
classics, whilst at the same time having successfully 850 CSi. Laid back luxury more your thing? Then at emulate. Vindication perhaps of BMW’s decision at
managed to avoid the crusher’s claws or those awful some point in the past you’ve either owned or the time to not mess with the formula which proved
government-funded scrappage schemes. fancied having a 140 Series S-Class Mercedes. Slab- so successful with the E32? Think of today’s F01/02
It was (and indeed, still is) a byword for growing sided, two-tonne-plus leviathans with so much room and consider this; as a design statement, is it an
old gracefully. These are well-cared for cars in the you loll around, have a get-out-of-my-way road evolution of the E38 or E65? To this day the E38 is a
homes of owners with the necessary open minds to presence and an armageddon-surviveable build design which endures, even portraying a certain
maintain them to the appropriate degree, whilst not quality (decomposing wiring loom aside). And if you roguish appeal and informing BMW’s current design
being overly concerned at the otherwise depressing believe in doing things properly, you’ve probably language amongst its saloon output. Ideally
decline in their value, nor with following fashion. This hankered after the V12, given once they pass a proportioned on 18s, but still appealing to the eye on
is the natural selection process which, in BMW land, certain age they’re worth less than a cauliflower. Wait comfort-orientated 16-inch wheels, it just works.
eventually distilled the E30 M3, E34 M5 and E39 M5 a moment though, during the same period BMW Inside it’s much the same story. I’ve owned three
production runs down into a concentrated group of produced something equally tasty and V12 powered, of these, and in each I would invariably adopt a laid-
survivors, whereupon economics will not be denied right? Understated, quite often eclipsed behind the back, quietly contented driving position, sunk low into
and these victors then start to creep up in value. It’s mega-Merc’s footprint and horsepower figures (it’s the comfort or sports-contoured seats, admiring the
happened already with the M3, those in the know tell always been my belief that the German horsepower layout and architecture of the dashboard and interior

52 BMWcar
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E38 750i

APRIL 2015 53
052-056 BMWCAR 0415 05/03/2015 10:56 Page 54

design. The sweep of the burr walnut on the and groans to itself. It seems wide, too. The lanes needed to slow this thing from speed. It’s no surprise
passenger side, the ‘come sit here’ look to the front down here are pretty narrow, and today they’re that these days there is talk of harvesting the heat
seats, all snuggly bolstered and with their upper occupied by a thousand cyclists too, so these factors caused by braking.
portion angled just so to support one’s upper back. combined with my relative unfamiliarity makes those Tip the nose into the corner and in this age of
Then your eyes fall to the palm-shaped gear lever few moments a bit fraught. active dampers the amount of lean on display will be
before a glance in the rear reveals chairs which seem We’re soon on to faster and flowing roads though, a tad disconcerting at first. It’s not untidy, but you’re
to envelope their occupants, complete with headrests and the 5.4 litre M73 V12 starts to make its presence aware of the suspension working to keep the whole
apparently melted over the tops of the seat backs. I felt, both aurally and physically. Muscular low down, caboodle aiming towards the apex one way or
don’t honestly think BMW has produced such a but tending to sound a bit strained higher up, it another. And it lets you hear it working, too. Although
intrinsically correct interior since the E38, although the seldom needs to be revved beyond 4k and between that’s forgiveable given the 88k miles this example
E39 is a possible exception, sharing as it does so idle and this useable ceiling it offers up a quietly had covered at the time of the test.
much of the same flavour (not to mention the enveloping soundtrack and respectable if not earth- Back in period, the E38 always seemed a more
electronics, but we’ll come back to that). The E65/66 shattering acceleration. It’s natural gait is seven tenths, incisive drive than the 140 Series Mercs, and that still
was too cold, and the F01/02, whilst clearly a product working seamlessly with the five-speed auto to holds true today. The latter isn’t a bad steer per se,
of the same line of thinking, seems to have lost the ensure you cover the ground with minimal fuss. A but its sheer mass discourages this kind of driving, as
welcoming ambience somewhere along the line. mournful moan from up front signals a big hearted capable as it is. A motor this big occupies a lot of road
Or is all this just a bad case of rose tinted assault on the horizon and whilst a moderately well- when travelling sideways. In the BMW though, one is
spectacles? After all, the examples I had weren’t driven Golf GTI will soon disappear into the future, aware of the slightly reduced mass and it’s this,
exactly paragons of reliability and they’re long gone
now. How have these things actually aged? A chat
with old friend Ian Lockwood at Lullingstone Cars
(www.lullingstonecars.co.uk – erstwhile Ultimate7 and
before that Oakriver Cars) offered up the opportunity You simply cannot beat a torque-rich V12
to find out. Where he once would deal in E38s
almost weekly, today Ian tends to deal in more
pouring its power into the transmission
contemporary BMWs (X5s and the like) as the old
Sevens are proving hard to source in the required
condition which makes them worthwhile retail
candidates. But they do crop up occasionally, and the you simply cannot beat a torque-rich V12 pouring its coupled to the lower and more intimate driving
arrival of W52 GYW (now sold), an excellent power into the transmission and feeling that elasticity position and allied to BMW’s own particular take on
condition 2000 model year SWB 750i for £6k contained before it shoves you up the road. Provided chassis dynamics which swings the balance in the
afforded me the opportunity to wind back the years you can stomach the fuel bills of course, more of BMW’s favour if you have even the remotest interest
and dial back into the appeal. which in a moment. in vehicle dynamics.
It’s dry and clear, but damn cold on the agreed When the corners arrive, and as they often do A left click of the auto lever engages sports mode,
date and as I arrive at Ian’s premises not far from around here, the brakes slow the car with that which is mostly ill-advised as it kicks the ‘box down a
Swanley, I draw up alongside the freshly polished and notable effort-to-effect multiplication ratio which will gear or two. This in turn sends the revs soaring and
prepped Seven. I’m again under time constraints so be familiar to anybody who has driven an older the V12’s exertions can now by fully heard – not
after a quick hello, I climb aboard the idling 750i and Bentley. One presses down on the pedal to what is always a good thing. Best to use kickdown in order to
head off down the drive. Already I’m spotting the thought a suitable degree, and the car responds by get up ahead of steam then lift in order to prompt the
narrow diameter to the steering wheel rim and standing on its nose as a dinner plate-sized servo ‘box into changing up. It’s a little like asking your
smiling quietly as the layered-in-leather interior creaks takes your input and ramps it up to what is actually grandmother to do a sports day; you can ultimately

54 BMWcar
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E38 750i

ask the question, but the answer isn’t necessarily depending upon your disposition. them should have been replaced with the later plastic
what you expect to hear. Plus plenty of fluids are Even though modern BMWs don’t seem as well item). They fail to vent properly as the filter loses its
required to maintain this kind of behaviour. In the made as the older ones were (or at least, ability to breathe, the whole tank gets sucked in,
M73’s case, it will already be happily dispensing a comparatively speaking, as well built as today’s used metal fatigue results and hairline cracks start to
gallon of unleaded every 20 miles or so at best, examples did in period) they are at least new and appear in the centre of the tank. And be careful how
maybe a tiny percentage more on a run, but a damn ergo, less likely to go wrong. Alas that is not you put the new tank in; always make sure you fit
sight worse around town, so it’s perhaps best to not something we can say about the E38 and if you are new seals to the sender pump fitted to one side
encourage it. Still, as I think I’ve said before, V12 looking for one, best pay attention. Here comes the (which is responsible for picking up fuel and sending
owners don’t lie awake at night sweating over the sobering bit… it over to the other side of the tank as you fill up, as
price of a barrel of crude and besides, it’s relatively If you intend on owning the car for any significant on the 750s there is one main tank split into two
cheap these days… We recorded 18mpg on test and period, odds are you will need to change the radiator, sections either side of the diff) otherwise you will
given the country roads and total absence of open which always tend to split at the top hose. Modern have fuel spilling out over the top of the tank when
country, I was quite pleased with that. replacements are better made, but still not immune. you fill it up. With hot exhausts close by, this clearly
In terms of equipment, accepting the fact that The V8s suffer from the usual array of oil leaks but isn’t good.
radar-guided this and that, night vision, blind-spot the 12s are actually pretty solid, so long as you keep If you’re still not dissuaded then you’ll also have
monitoring, reversing cameras and head-up displays the servicing up to date. The intake cyclones can split the prospect of ruinously expensive wiper
etc are very much a modern phenomenom, you (due to rubbish plastic which dries out with age) mechanisms to deal with if they ever do pack up
don’t really want for much inside an E38. Later causing a hunting idle but otherwise, and partly due (they were rumoured to be £2k from BMW years ago,
models benefit from a wide-screen nav display, but to the chain-driven valve gear, these old engines are but of course much cheaper options now exist and
even so the combination of leather and inlaid walnut, pretty sturdy. there’s always eBay), door handles which come off in
allied to electric everything, blinds in the rear, soft- Alas the rest of the E38 isn’t ageing as well and the your hand as metal fatigue sets in here, too, plus rust
touch headlining, double-glazing and heated seats do three I had suffered from the following at some point in the usual BMW E3x hot spots such as bootlids and
make you feel good about life. Then you notice that (although none of them where afflicted with all)… fuel filler areas. And we can’t talk about E38 reliability
this example has a powered bootlid (which I’ve never The charcoal filter for the fuel tank gets clogged up without mention of the infamous wheel wobble
seen on an E38), plus powered rear seats (rare on and requires replacement, as soon as possible really (which, bizarrely, the test car didn’t suffer from at all).
the short wheel base models) and you start to think because it will only accelerate the wear of the metal This sets the steering wheel off ever so slightly at
‘crikey that’s a lot to go wrong’ or ‘nice touch’ fuel tank (if still fitted, although by this point most of around 45mph but then goes a short while later. You

APRIL 2015 55
052-056 BMWCAR 0415 05/03/2015 10:56 Page 56

can pull your hair out worrying about this, and I’d
almost recommend just living with it once you’ve
changed the pads, discs and bushes and been
advised that the suspension is pretty solid.
Oh, and the electrics too of course. Which aren’t
actually that bad in all honesty, except for the
maddening rear light clusters, whose bulbs respond
to electrical impulses across the whole board in which
they’re located, as opposed to individual wiring, but
whom seldom sit in their apertures with anything
remotely approaching a good connection. Eventually,
‘check brake light’ will appear in the instrument
cluster (assuming you’ve paid the inevitable £150 or
so to one of the firms who are now – mercifully –
able to repair the straps within the cluster which fail
and take all the pixels with them) and you’ll duly go
and buy a new bulb. Fitting that results in a good
connection for a day or so, then the message
reappears and the reality begins to set in…
Other electrical gremlins are the sat-nav monitor,
which can suffer from failed pixels leading to vertical
green lines and a particular favourite, the two
batteries on 750 E38s. Many head-scratching
evenings were spent at various BMW specialists with
my E38s, using hidden menus in the dashboard
(check it on Google) to locate the voltage reading

Today’s plastic-clad powerplants really can’t

compete with the M73’s installation

and ascertain whether the batteries were kaput or

there was a drain somewhere…
If all this sounds like I’ve got a downer on the E38
then that’s not the case. They’re fantastic machines to
drive and own but ultimately, caveat emptor reigns.
One needs to go into E38 ownership with eyes and
wallet open. Buy a good one like W52 seemed to be
and you’ll hopefully only experience a few of the
above. But buy without due diligence and you’ll pay
for it dearly.
Back at Ian’s base I marvel at the underbonnet
packaging and mourn the loss of good engine bay
visuals. Today’s plastic-clad powerplants really can’t
compete with the M73’s installation; all intake
plenums and trunking. It’s a marvellous sight. And I
simply love the turbine startup on these things, plus
the fact that the whole car gently rocks on its springs
as it fires up.
It’s worn the years well the E38, and this particular
example even more so. The product of several careful
and loving owners, who both understand what the car
is and how it should be maintained, it’s a survivor and
a real youngtimer. Hopefully it will continue to enjoy
careful maintenance consummate to its mileage and
condition now it’s being enjoyed by its new owner.
You can see more of this Seven at my QuentlyBentin
YouTube channel and Lullingstone Cars will have
more for sale at some point if you see the appeal.
I wouldn’t blame you for taking one on, despite
their flaws ●

THANKS TO:
Lullingstone Cars
Tel: 07907 676780
Web: www.lullingstonecars.co.uk

56 BMWcar
057 BMWCAR 0415 04/03/2015 09:50 Page 57

Contact us on:
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APRIL 2015 57
058-065 BMWCAR 0415 06/03/2015 11:31 Page 58

BUYING GUIDE

58 BMWcar
058-065 BMWCAR 0415 06/03/2015 11:31 Page 59

BUYING GUIDE

E92 M3
If you’re looking for performance, driver involvement
and practicality all wrapped up in a reliable package,
then you really need to look no further than the E9x
generation of M3. It’s a brilliant used buy
Words: Bob Harper Photography: BMW

o this is it. The last of the great line of

S
blend of style and aggression. The front bumper
naturally aspirated M cars, and unless features three large air intakes to feed the engine and
some scientist discovers irrefutable proof radiators with as much cooling air as possible, hence
that CO² and hydrocarbons are good for the lack of foglights as is now commonplace on M
you and actually slow the rate of global cars. The bonnet has an almost comically large power
warming its ilk will never be seen again. It’s all about bulge but this was a necessity to accommodate the
the turbocharger these days and it won’t be long V8 – when viewed in profile with the bonnet open,
before wringing the neck of a glorious NA V8 such as the engine clearly juts out above the wings. The right-
the one under the E9x M3’s bonnet will just be a hand vent next to the bulge is a dummy, merely
distant memory. Time to enjoy one now before it’s existing to mirror its partner for aesthetic purposes,
too late. And the good news is that unless you’re but the left-hand vent acts as a secondary feed for the
doing mega mileage, running an E9x M3 really air intake and the V8 needs it because at maximum
shouldn’t break the bank. They’re generally reliable revs it ingests 400 litres of air every second. The
and surprisingly practical too and as there’s the option arches are lightly flared all-round and the front wings
of the four-door E90 version you should be able to house functioning cooling vents while the
come up with a pretty good case of man-maths as to aerodynamic mirrors were wind tunnel tested in order
why it’d be perfect family transport. to reduce drag. Viewed in profile, those sculpted skirts
As most will know, the generations of M3 that give the car a more muscular look while the shapely
proceeded this machine were powered by four- (E30) rear bumper features a central diffuser with the meaty
or six-cylinder (E36, E46) engines and that makes the quad pipes poking out from beneath it while the sliver
E9x M3 unique in that it’s the only non-turbocharged of a rear spoiler helps to reduce rear axle lift.
V8 M car BMW has ever made. The S65 V8 is the BMW M worked hard to try and keep the M3’s
heart and soul of the car and to chase down the weight down as low as possible although at 1655kg
redline on one of your favourite stretches of Tarmac (when measured to the EU standard) it’s not exactly
borders on automotive nirvana and something that what you’d call a featherweight, but part of the
any petrolhead should definitely put on their hit list. brilliance of the car is the way it manages to hide this
It’s not perfect – monumental thirst when driven hard bulk when on the move. Weight-saving measures
being its main bugbear – but it’s a small price to pay included a carbon roof, which not only helped to
for the performance that’s on offer and the way in reduce weight but also lowered the car’s centre of
which it’s delivered. gravity, and beneath the surface you’ll find all-
The V8 was around 15kg lighter than the E46 M3’s aluminium front and rear suspension and compound
S54 straight-six, despite the increase in capacity and brake discs. The suspension features ally spring struts
the addition of two cylinders. Revving to a heady at the front with swivel bearings, a central subframe
8400rpm, the S65 V8 develops 420hp at 8300rpm and additional thrust plate with increased stiffness and
along with 295lb ft of torque, produced at 3900rpm cross-wise stability for the whole frontal section. The
though 85 per cent of this is spread across a rear suspension features an all-new construction, with
6500rpm rev range, making it feel far more muscular the exception of one single track control arm, and the
than the figures would have you believe. The M3 was use of forged aluminium, in conjunction with
blisteringly fast – covering the 0-62 sprint in a scant aluminium dampers, helps to reduce rear suspension
4.8 seconds, just two fractions off the E63 M6’s time weight by 2.5kg. Even the anti-roll bars are weight
which was the fastest accelerating M car up until that optimised and the suspension geometry, which
point. Top speed was limited to 155mph as per usual, featured two additional longitudinal bars, was revised
but let off the leash the E9x M3 would happily run to to make the M3 an even sharper tool. Electronic
180mph and possibly even beyond. Damper Control (EDC), with three settings for
Externally the E92 M3 gained the sort of pumped- suspension stiffness, was available as an option. Dark
up stance you’d expect from an M car without graphite 18-inch wheels were standard, shod with
appearing too overblown and the result is the perfect special 245/40 and 265/40 Michelin Pilot Sport tyres

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that were designed specifically for the M3, while 19s headlights, heated seats, Comfort Access, a Climate means the Coupé is also the fastest version by 0.1
were available as an option (and most were spec’d Comfort windscreen, Bluetooth, Individual High End seconds compared with the Saloon and by half a
with these) and they also came with Michelin Pilot audio, voice control and a TV function among others. second compared to the Convertible. In Autumn
Sport tyres designed specifically for the car. The range of exterior colours was a bit staid with two 2009, when the E90 received its face-lift, the M3
The M3 did face criticism for not having the sort of solid colours and seven metallics – including Le Mans Saloon also received the updates which included a
interior that went hand-in-hand with a £50k car, and blue, Melbourne red and Jerez black (essentially new rear light cluster design with L-shaped light strips
while it might be a little plain for some tastes it’s Carbon black) – along with three Individual colours. and LEDs, a revised rear bumper and bootlid, a
generally well put together and has plenty of kit, both The two matt metallic colours – Frozen grey and newly conceived fresh air grille located in the centre
as standard fitments and as options. The seats not Frozen black – came along later. Inside there were of the cockpit, a newly designed storage area under
only look good, with their embossed M logos in the four different leather colours to choose from and the armrest on the centre console and a
headrests, but they are extremely comfortable too, extended leather trim was also offered. pearlescent chrome light switch cluster. All M3s also
and offer exceptional levels of support across your Standard interior dash trim was simply matt black received crash-active headrests, which were designed
whole body thanks to the large bolsters. The chunky while brushed grey and the sexy carbon leather were to reduce the risk of cervical injury in the event of a
steering wheel is unique to the M3 and as well as the available as options along with four differently rear-end collision and more colours were added to
usual controls features an M button, and the coloured wood trim choices. In 2008 the seven- the line up, including Space grey for the Saloon and
functions attached to this can be set up via iDrive, speed DCT dual-clutch transmission was introduced Le Mans blue for all variants.
allowing you to configure the throttle, steering, as an option, costing £2590. Not only did it improve Over the years there were a number of ‘Edition’
suspension (with EDC present) and DSC settings to fuel economy by 2.4mpg it also reduced the car’s models which were mainly trim packages and the
your liking and store them to the M button, letting emissions to 263g/km from 290 and made the M3 specifics of these are detailed on page 61. In 2010
you employ your ideal setup at the push of a button. faster to boot, chopping 0.2 seconds off the 0-62 the Competition package was added to the options
The speedo and rev counter are also M3-specific sprint time. In 2009, when the 3 Series received its list and not only was this more performance-
items, the latter featuring variable warning zones to let face-lift, the M3 gained LED rear lights and hard drive orientated than the Edition models, it was also better
you know when it’s safe to give the engine its head. based sat nav with an 8.8-inch high definition screen value. Only available for the Coupé, the Competition
The gear lever is also different than in other E9x and 12GB of storage for music files. package was priced at £3315 when launched and
models – it’s actually quite tall, much taller than the In 2008 the M3 line-up grew to include both the included 19-inch CSL-style alloys, which were only
perforated M Sport item, and the leather covers the Saloon and Convertible. Aside from the physical available as part of the package, revised EDC with a
knob and the lever itself in one single piece. differences between the cars, they are technically Sport setting, a 10mm lower ride height and a
The M3 came well spec’d as standard, with leather, identical to one another. The Convertible is 32mm recalibrated DSC system. The unique 19s and EDC
cruise control, xenons, rear PDC, air-con, Professional lower than the Coupé while the Saloon is 23mm were worth the entry fee while the further revisions
sat nav, anthracite headlining and an auto dimming taller as well as being 35mm shorter and 13mm sweetened the deal making it an attractive package
rear view mirror among the usual array of equipment. wider. The Coupé is the lightest of the trio, weighing worth opting for. All-in-all BMW UK sold around 5500
The range of options was even more impressive: in at 1655kg compared with 1680kg for the Saloon E92 M3 Coupés, just over 2000 E93 M3
aside from EDC and 19s you could have adaptive and a slightly portly 1885kg for the Convertible – that Convertibles and just under 600 E90 M3 Saloons.

Which one to choose?

Your first decision will centre around body style – for yourself – some folk love the interaction that How much to pay will depend on your budget
Coupé, Convertible or Saloon, and it is worth comes with using the third pedal, some fall hook but E92 M3s now start at around £15k for a rough,
pointing out that if it’s the latter you’ve got your eye line and sinker for the seven-speed DCT with its miley example and rise all the way to £45,000 for a
on then you might have to be a little less fussy over lightening-quick changes and brilliant rev-matching late, low mileage Edition model at a main dealer. If
the spec you want, especially if it’s a face-lift you’re down shifts. Our best advice is to sample both, and you like the peace of mind that comes with buying
after as approximately only 250 of these were preferably for an extended test drive. from a BMW main agent and the benefit of an
made for the UK market. Once you’ve settled on Once you’ve done that you’ll need to know your extended warranty then the good news is that
your body the second major decision will be options – EDC, Bluetooth, DAB, adaptive headlights, prices for these machine start at around £22k – or
manual or DCT. It’s not for us to say which is the heated seats, TV – decide which ones are must- to put it another way, less than you can buy a new
better ‘box – that’s something you’ll have to decide haves and which ones you could live without. 316i for – we know which we’d rather be driving!

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Know your M3 Editions
More than any other M3 there have been a plethora introduced to boost flagging sales – the V8 M3 had M3s but only 65,000 E9x M3s, and that was
of Edition models for the E9x generation of M3, a tough time on the showroom floor thanks to the despite offering an additional body style too. We
mainly aimed at the Coupé buyer. The vast majority global economic meltdown that hit just a year after don’t have space to list all the various Edition
of these were country specific and were generally the car went on sale. BMW produced 85,000 E46 models, but these were the ones on offer in the UK.

M3 Edition M3 Edition 500

In an attempt to entice buyers back gloss black as an option. Despite tough economic conditions All models featured extended
into the showrooms, BMW UK There were upgrades to the interior the E92 M3 sold in decent numbers Novillo leather interiors with contrast
launched the M3 Edition in mid-2009 too, with exterior body-coloured stripes – around 700 in 2010 and nearly stitching on the seats and door trim
and dynamically it was identical to the on the Novillo leather. Additionally they 800 in 2011. However, by 2012 the panels. Imola red cars had black
standard machine bar a ride height came with some contrast colour car was getting a little long in the leather with Mugello red stitching,
that was lowered by 10mm. stitching on the seats and armrests tooth and to prevent a falling off of Mineral white cars featured Fox red
These M3 Editions were available in while Alpine white cars also had sales, BMW UK launched a run of leather with black stitching while
three colours; Alpine white, Individual contrast stitching on the standard fit 500 Coupés and Convertibles with Santorini machines were trimmed
Dakar yellow and Individual Monte carbon structure leather dash. some exclusive colours and interiors. with black leather and Tobago blue
Carlo blue. Their exteriors had dark The Edition models had an on-the- Available in either Imola red, Mineral stitching. Each car had Piano black
chrome shadow highlights – kidney road price of £53,435 (£2500 more white or Santorini blue, all models interior trim with ‘One of 500’ laser
grilles, side vents, bonnet vents and than the standard M3) but given their had their kidney grilles, side gills and cut into the left-hand side dash inlay.
exhaust tips. Mirror caps were black enhanced spec and bespoke interiors exhaust tips finished in dark chrome The Coupé cost £55,690 and the
and High-gloss Shadowline exterior the cars were seen as desirable by and High-gloss Shadowline exterior Convertible £59,785 – a price hike
trim was standard. Wheels were 19- customers and the limited run of 330 trim and 19-inch high-gloss black of just £1000 despite featuring over
inch items and these could be painted machines soon sold out. rims completed the exterior package. £4000 worth of extras.

M3 Performance Edition
In the middle of 2012, BMW UK Competition package with 10mm
announced a limited run of 30 M3 lower suspension and revised DSC
Coupés and 30 M5 Saloons under the system. Additionally, it boasted an array
‘M Performance Edition’ banner and of extra standard equipment including; M3 Frozen Silver Edition
while they were certainly exclusive 19-inch M Y-spoke matt black alloy To celebrate BMW M’s 40th High-gloss Shadowline trim.
they had eye-watering price tags too. wheels, Dark Chrome exhaust, side anniversary BMW launched the Inside there was black Novillo
The cars were to showcase BMW gills and kidney surround, Jet black Frozen Silver Edition and just 100 of leather with contrast stitching with
Individual’s talents and were available bonnet intakes, carbon-fibre front these models were destined for UK Palladium leather armrests and
in three Frozen paint colours; Individual splitters, high-gloss Shadowline exterior consumption. They were all based inserts. The steering wheel was
Japan red with a Frozen red wrap, trim, folding exterior mirrors and sun on the Competition package covered in Alcantara, the handbrake
Individual Frozen white and Individual protection glass. Adaptive headlights, machines so had 10mm lower handle had M Power stitched into it
Frozen blue. To complement the DAB digital radio, a Harman/Kardon suspension, Electronic Damper and there was a plaque indicating
exterior colours, they came with 13-loudspeaker system, Professional Control, 19-inch alloys and a revised the limited edition nature of the
extended Black Novillo leather Media Package, mobile application DSC system. All 100 cars were also car. There were liberal applications
upholstery with contrast stitching. An preparation, telephone USB audio equipped with the seven-speed M of carbon fibre interior trim while
Alcantara steering wheel, Piano black interface and internet, front seat Double Clutch Transmission. the steering wheel and the door
interior trim with a ‘One of 30’ laser heating and front and rear Park Externally they were all painted in shuts featured an M3 chequered
cut designation, front headrests with M Distance Control added to the M3’s Frozen Silver Metallic paint – not flag motif.
stitching and door sills with ‘BMW M extensive list of equipment. All-in-all seen on any BMW before – and had The Frozen Silver Edition cost
Performance Edition’ designation BMW said that the M3 M Performance matt black alloys, Dark Chrome £58,720 when it went on sale –
completed the look of the interior. Edition had £9790 worth of additional exhaust, side gills and kidney £4000 more than a regular M3,
The M3 M Performance Edition had kit which made its £74,080 price tag surrounds while the bonnet intakes despite having over £9000 worth of
the standard V8, M DCT ‘box and the seem somewhat excessive. were finished in Jet black along with additional equipment.

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Wheels, tyres and brakes
The vast majority of M3s were fitted with the optional
19-inch alloys and they do look good, filling the
arches more convincingly than the 18s and the Comp
pack CSL style wheels look better still to our eyes. The
car does ride better on 18s though – the choice is up
to you. Check tyres for tread depth and sidewall
damage and look at the brand too – you really want
to see a matching set of quality tyres on there. If an
owner can’t afford a set of decent boots what else
have they skimped on?
Brakes are pretty simple really, although if you do
drive very enthusiastically and see the DSC light
illuminated often you will go through rear pads pretty
quickly as they’re used to brake individual wheels.
Replacement front pads shouldn’t cost more than
£250 and rears about £225 – and that’s at a main
dealer. How long your discs last will be down to
driving style but if you need pads and discs all-round
you’ll be looking at about £1200.

Exterior
The M3’s still quite a new car, but the oldest are yourself it’s not been in a major prang. Are there different colour or one side comes on faster than
now eight years old so it’s inevitable that some cars any stone chips? A few are acceptable, serious the other then repairs will be needed soon.
will have a hidden past of one sort or another. The stone rash isn’t. And if there aren’t any at all this On Coupés check the condition of the carbon
first thing to say is that if you’re looking at a white might indicate that a car has had a front end blow fibre roof, stone chips can lead to the lacquer
Coupé then make sure it wasn’t used on track as over – not a problem if it’s just been done to get rid peeling and over time the panel can discolour too.
one of the Motorsport Vision or Palmer Sport cars. of stone chips, but could it have been done to hide On Convertibles you obviously need to check the
While these cars will have been impeccably something more sinister? roof operates seamlessly – in general they’re pretty
maintained they will have spent many hours on While you’re about it check the lights for stone reliable but microswitches can fail leading to a jerky
track and may feel a little tired. chips too as you don’t want moisture getting in operation or failure to function and a lack of
Examine all cars for consistent panel gaps, that which looks unsightly. Also check that the xenons lubrication can sometimes cause the mechanism to
the paint matches well between panels and satisfy light up quickly and uniformly – if they look a stick and fail to raise without assistance.

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Servicing
Servicing shouldn’t break the bank but as the
M3 uses the condition-based servicing system
it can feel like they come round quickly. An oil
service at a main dealer will be about £240 (or
£370 if the microfilter’s done at the same time)
and if you need an oil service, air filter, plugs
and microfilter all doing at once you’ll need
around £750. A vehicle check will cost £60-70
and a brake fluid change should be less than
£100. Independent specialist should be able to
beat those prices, too.
If you have an Approved Used or a BMW
Extended warranty then you must use a main
dealer for servicing. Block exemption that
allows you to have a new car serviced
anywhere (so long as OEM quality parts are
used) without invalidating a manufacturer’s
warranty doesn’t apply to extended warranties.

Interior
Interiors are generally pretty durable but do all the is significantly better than the one in pre-face-lift
usual check that the wear on seats, gear knob and machines. The LCI system is easily spotted by the
steering wheel are commensurate with the car’s different controller with favourite buttons around it.
mileage. Checking the leather will be your main Glitches with the iDrive should be able to be
concern as significant damage could be expensive sorted by a Software update, but it’s not unheard
to put right, especially on one of the Edition cars. of for the system to fail completely which could
The seat belt ‘butler’ that gives you your seat leave you staring down the face of a £2k bill.
belt in a Coupé are notoriously unreliable but it’s Surprisingly, Convertible owners have
not the end of the world – replacing the complained of leaks from the roof, which mainly
mechanisms will sort the problem. occur around the A-pillar area where the roof joins
Check the iDrive works properly, and while the windscreen. Rattling windows with the roof
we’re on the subject of iDrive it is worth pointing down is also a common complaint, though they
out that the system fitted to the face-lift machines can be adjusted to alleviate the problem.

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Engine
Given that the 4.0-litre V8 is kicking out over
100hp per litre it’s looking to be remarkably
durable but like any engine there are a couple
of niggles. It can suffer the occasional sensor or
coil failure but you’re most likely to suffer from
failed throttle actuators. There are two, one for
each bank of cylinders and at over £700 for
each of them once labour’s been factored in
you could be looking at a £2000 repair bill to
replace a pair. The first warning sign will be a
series of warnings that will flash up on the
iDrive monitor – ‘Engine fault! Reduced power’,
‘DBC failure! Drive moderately’, ‘Start assistance
inactive!’ and ‘DSC failure!’ being the most
common. There was a time when replacement
was you’re only option but there are now
companies offering replacement gear wheels
inside the actuators which can result in a
considerably lower bill.
Another point to note is that as the S65 is
very closely related to the S85 V10 from the
E60 M5 it’s possible that the same rod shell
problem that’s now becoming a problem for
the V10 will affect the V8. There do seem to
have been a few isolated cases of premature
wear happening and bar having them replaced
there’s not a huge amount you can do about it
other than have frequent oil changes and be
careful not to rev the engine hard until the oil’s
properly warmed up. If a major engine repair
would break you financially then an Extended
Warranty from BMW is a must.

Verdict
Overall we absolutely love the M3. It does have
a couple of foibles that could rear their ugly
heads and end up being costly but generally
speaking it’s been one of the most reliable M
cars of recent years. Go in with your eyes open,
do lots of research and don’t be afraid to have
a car independently inspected – it’ll be money
well spent. Buying from a BMW main dealer
will give you peace of mind and the BMW
Extended Warranty is a major plus – you’ll very
rarely have any quibbles over warranty work
and you’ll be able to sleep easy at night
knowing that if your throttle actuators do fail
you’ll be properly covered.
But when you’re behind the wheel any
reliability concerns will be blown away by the
car’s mesmerising performance. It devours back
Suspension and drivetrain roads like they’re going out of fashion and to
hear that V8 sing is to witness greatness. There
Other than the need for replacement bushes the usually resolving this problem. DCT has suffered won’t be another so snap one up before it’s
M3 is good on the suspension front, but bear in from numerous problems, the most dramatic of too late
mind that a car with EDC will be more expensive which being that the gearbox would refuse to
over the long term than one without it. So far the change down under braking and as a result the car
EDC has proved to be reliable and parts costs are would stall and a common complaint is DCT ‘lag’
more palatable than for other EDC-equipped where you need to apply a lot of pressure on the
BMWs, but you could look at it as just one more accelerator to get the car to move off at which
thing to potentially go wrong and another good point it accelerates more quickly than you actually
reason to opt for an extended warranty. need it to. There have been numerous software
Clutch and flywheel noise when in neutral with updates issues to deal with these and other DCT
the clutch engaged is nothing to be concerned problems so a DCT car should feel healthy though
about – it would appear that the manual gearbox never assume that updates have been applied,
is quite noisy. If the noise becomes anything more often you have to ask if there are any specific
than a light ticking/rattling sound, however, then updates available for a certain area of the car.
we’d advise you to have this investigated. Owners Overall, though, barring software issues the DCT
have also reported noisy diffs, especially when does seem to be massively more reliable that the
manoeuvring at low speed, with a diff oil change SMG ‘boxes in the E46 or E60 M5/E63 M6.

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E90, E92 and E93 M3

Coupé Saloon Convertible
ENGINE: V8, 32-valve V8, 32-valve V8, 32-valve
CAPACITY: 3999cc 3999cc 3999cc
MAX POWER: 420hp @ 8300rpm 420hp @ 8300rpm 420hp @ 8300rpm
MAX TORQUE: 295lb ft @ 3900rpm 295lb ft @ 3900rpm 295lb ft @ 3900rpm
0-62MPH: 4.8 seconds (DCT 4.6) 4.9 seconds (DCT 4.7) 5.3 seconds (DCT 5.1)
TOP SPEED: 155mph (limited) 155mph (limited) 155mph (limited)
ECONOMY: 22.8mpg (DCT 25.2) 22.8mpg (DCT 25.2) 22.2mpg (DCT 24.6)
EMISSIONS (CO²): 290g/km (DCT 263) 290g/km (DCT 263) 297g/km (DCT 269)
PRICE (NEW): £50,625 (2007) £49,900 (2008) £55,300 (2008)

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We pay a visit to Saxon Motorsport to have a

look round the fleet of innovative 1 Series road
and race cars it has been busy building…
Words: Simon Holmes Photography: Laurens Parsons

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s Nick Barrow, owner of Hereford based

A
rallies Nick quickly found that a simple15-lap race
Saxon Motorsport, walks me through his didn’t quite scratch the itch he was looking for. It just
vast workshop, warm cup of coffee in wasn’t enough seat time. Then, around 20 years ago,
hand, the sheer magnitude of what I’m Nick was invited by a friend to drive a stint at an
taking in, both visually and verbally, has endurance race in a Peugeot 205. The seat time was
caught me a little off guard. We have travelled up to more in keeping with Nick’s taste and it wasn’t long
see Nick’s rather interesting 1 Series race car that before he was taking drives in other cars at other
competes in various endurance races around the endurance events, including the iconic 24-hour race
world. It’s interesting because it happens to be at the Nürburgring.
powered by the slightly unusual choice of a 3.0-litre, At this stage, Nick was racing in other people’s cars,
twin-turbo diesel engine donated from a 535d. simply sharing the seat time as a part of the team of
When I first spoke to Nick he mentioned that he drivers required to do these kinds of gruelling events.
was just carrying out some modifications on his other The type of car he was racing was not important, as
1 Series race car that we may be interested in, this long as it was well built, competitive and, above all,
time powered by the V10 engine from an M5. Quite safe. He did well in this field and in 2008 he raced in
a contrast there. When he then told me he was just an E36 M3 that managed a very impressive ninth
finishing the build of a third racing 1 Series, powered place overall at the 24-hour Nürburgring event.
by the current diesel engine from an X5 M50d, I Since then things have progressed somewhat for
promptly set a date to see for myself. Nick. The Saxon Motorsport race team he now heads
Of course, that phone call alone should have given designs and prepares the endurance cars Nick and
me a big clue as to what to expect but I hadn’t the other drivers race. Saxon Motorsport was, in fact,
guessed Saxon Motorsport’s abilities would be quite up and running some years ago but it primarily
so comprehensive. Yet here is Nick, very matter-of- concentrated on go-karting – hence the decorative
factly pointing out items of interest on my tour, such engines that adorn his build room. The company was
as complex hand-made suspension components he first formed largely to aid his children who, at the
designed and fabricated himself. Or a 5.8-litre stroker time, actively competed in the sport. Being a man of
kit waiting to be fitted to the stripped down V10 block many talents, Nick took it upon himself to build the
sitting close by on an engine stand. He shows me the karts and the engines and in doing so gained quite a
soundproofed dyno cell, a separate storage unit successful reputation. However, when his children
where the M5-powered car resides and an engine grew up and decided to move on to other pastimes
room decorated with two-stroke go-kart engines, Nick seized the opportunity to expand his hobby –
many of which he built himself. It is these very and Saxon Motorsport – and build his first circuit car.
engines that have, in fact, proved to play an integral The decision to utilise a 1 Series diesel came
part of Saxon Motorsport’s history. about around five years ago, when Nick was asked to
It all started for Nick when, at an early age, he race in an E90 3 Series diesel that had been
developed a passion for racing. Influenced by his prepared for endurance racing. Although the overall
father, who was also a keen and talented driver, Nick result was disappointing, the process did serve a
began with go-karting and quickly moved on to purpose, as it opened Nick’s eyes to the potential of a
motocross events as a cheap form of motorsport, using a fast diesel. The car had been fitted with the
before settling on road rallying some time later. He M57 engine found in the 335d and it not only
enjoyed the rallying days and, as a keen engineer, produced plenty of usable power but it was also able
began preparing and building the cars he competed to go for longer on a tank of fuel.
in himself. However, as road rallying evolved to A plan was soon devised and Nick began his
become more stringent, an experienced Nick began research. The E87 1 Series was notably lighter than
looking at other motorsports. Circuit racing was the the 3 Series counterpart and it was a rarer sight on
obvious choice, but after having done 200-mile road the track, which also appealed. The rules allowed any

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135d Endurance Car

ENGINE & GEARBOX: M57 3.0-litre, twin-turbo diesel,
Bosch Motorsport ECU, Saxon Motorsport radiator and
intercooler, 330d six-speed gearbox with CAE shifter
CHASSIS: KW Automotive Competition three-way
adjustable coilovers with remote reservoirs, Saxon
Motorsport anti-roll bars, front subframe and rose-
jointed, double wishbone rear subframe, air-jacks
BRAKES: AP Racing six-pot callipers, 360mm discs,
AP Racing pedalbox, standard rear brakes, new brake
lines throughout
WHEELS & TYRES: Braid lightweight alloy wheels in a
range of sizes and with tyres to suit
INTERIOR: Full integral roll-cage, Saxon Motorsport
dashboard, carbon fibre door panels, driver’s seat
moved back
EXTERIOR: Full Flossman aero body kit made from
carbon fibre, Saxon Motorsport rear wing,
polycarbonate windows, Saxon Motorsport livery

engine from the same car manufacturer to be fitted, engineer is a very talented guy,” explains Nick. and it’s proved to be reliable during two 24-hour
so the idea of creating a 135d seemed feasible. A “Everything we farm out never tends to work as well races at the Nürburgring. In fact, the only time it failed
lightly crash-damaged 1 Series was sourced and as we hoped so we end up doing it here. That way to win was when it came second at a 24-hour event
promptly stripped down to a bare shell, acid dipped we’re not waiting on people either. And having the after it crashed, requiring over two-hours in the pits
and fitted with a comprehensive roll-cage that was dyno here means we can spend as much time as we whilst it was fixed before being sent back out where it
designed and constructed by Nick and the team to need to playing with the car.” battled back to a second place finish.
the correct regulations. They then began investigating The car took around 18 months to finish, which is Throughout the season the only real problems with
the ins and outs of fitting the M57 engine and, being good going considering the amount of design and the car have been cooling related as the car was
new territory to them, actually asked a rival race team fabrication undertaken. With the car complete it was running hot, particularly when abroad. “It ran hotter
for some advice which proved to be very helpful. So inevitably time to hit the track for a couple of than we would have liked it to but it never actually
an engine was purchased, mounted and plumbed in, shakedown sessions, although this wasn’t without its overheated,” explains head mechanic and engineer
although there were other areas to consider when it problems. During the very first practice at Silverstone Johnny. “We initially countered the problem by fitting
came to reliably racing the car on track, which is why the sump plug was ripped out running over a curb, a secondary radiator in the boot but we eventually
a mule car was built in the meantime (see page 76). taking the engine out in the process as it was starved redesigned the front end setup to gain more airflow
Elsewhere, the rule book was fairly open allowing of oil. “That was an expensive mistake. We always and we found we could then remove the second
substantial modifications, so with his previous move the sump plugs now,” tells Nick. radiator. We’re a good team as we tend to bounce
experience preparing rally cars Nick took the The session also revealed the car struggled to keep ideas off each other like that. Optimising the aero has
opportunity to redesign key items such as the planted at speed, so a rear wing was designed and also been a constant challenge and so has battling
complete subframes, the anti-roll bar setups, the installed to gain some much needed downforce at weight. We use carbon fibre panels but we do have
cooling systems and, well, just about everything else. the rear. But since then the 1 Series has performed to compromise but we love a challenge.”
“We know what we are looking for so we do as faultlessly and it’s been very successful, too. It’s won The vital experience gained from building,
much as we can on site and luckily, Johnny, my main its class in virtually every VLN race its been entered in developing and successfully running the car over a

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1 SERIES RACERS

S85 V10 1 Series Racer

ENGINE & GEARBOX: M5 V10 engine, Pectal
Motorsport ECU, Drenth six-speed sequential gearbox
with paddleshift, M5 differential and driveshafts, Saxon
Motorsport exhaust system, mounts and radiator
CHASSIS: KW Automotive Competition three-way
adjustable coilovers with remote reservoirs, Saxon
Motorsport anti-roll bars, front subframe and rose-
jointed, double wishbone rear subframe, air-jacks
BRAKES: AP Racing six-pot callipers, 360mm discs,
AP Racing pedalbox, standard rear brakes, new brake
lines throughout
WHEELS & TYRES: Braid lightweight alloy wheels in a
range of sizes and with tyres to suit
INTERIOR: Full integral roll-cage, Saxon Motorsport
dashboard, carbon fibre door panels, driver’s seat
moved back
EXTERIOR: Full Flossman aero body kit made from
carbon fibre, Saxon Motorsport rear wing,
polycarbonate windows, Saxon Motorsoport livery

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068-077 BMWCAR 0415 05/03/2015 12:17 Page 74

couple of seasons gave the team valuable system and other associated parts (such as the
experience, and it was from this that the idea to build intakes) were designed and fabricated in-house.
a second car started to form. Although the team originally considered using the
This evolution version would be built to tackle a BMW SMG III gearbox, it eventually opted for an
different task as, although the diesel was undoubtedly aftermarket six-speed sequential from Drenth,
a success on track, it had both plus points and equipped with a paddle-shift. A Pectal Motorsport
limitations. Nick wanted to enter more events, and he ECU controls the engine and the all-important
knew that do be competitive on shorter races he traction control system, as, unsurprisingly, grip is
would need something much quicker. This time, the proving to be an area that needs further
team would need a serious horsepower injection and development. “The traction control system is good
so a 5.0-litre V10 engine from the E60 M5 was but it means we’re not using full power. We know we
selected as the new powerplant. It may seem like need bigger tyres, which is what we’re working on
overkill but the choice was, in fact, very logical. right now. We’ve modified the inner and outer arches
Knowing it would require a power figure around the to run much larger 315 section tyres, which should N57 M50d 1 Series Racer
600hp mark to be truly competitive the team initially give some much-needed grip.” ENGINE & GEARBOX: N57 M50d engine, Drenth six-
looked at the V8 from the E92 M3, with the intention Nick reports that, otherwise, it’s actually a relatively speed sequential gearbox with paddleshift, Saxon
of supercharging it. This idea was then discarded as easy car to drive and despite their different Motorsport tubular exhaust manifold, intercooler and
there was concern that the engine would be under powerplants the cars are similar on track. “Both cars V-mount radiator, Borg Warner twin-scroll turbo,
too much stress. A viable alternative was to choose a are set up to be very neutral, which they have to be pressurised cooling system, Bosch Motorsport ECU
bigger and more powerful engine to begin with, one due to the different drivers that get behind the wheel CHASSIS: KW Automotive Competition three-way
that would make the desired power with less effort. during a race,” reveals Nick. “There isn’t actually a lot adjustable coilovers with remote reservoirs, Saxon
For this the S85 V10 unit was ideal. of difference between the cars, but, of course, the Motorsport anti-roll bars, front subframe and rose-
Happy with the 1 Series platform, the team power is worlds apart. The diesel power band makes jointed, double wishbone rear subframe, air-jacks
embarked on the second build at the end of the it a funny thing to drive: there’s loads of torque and BRAKES: AP Racing six-pot callipers, 360mm discs,
2012 season. It followed the same footsteps as the you can afford to keep it in a higher gear whereas the AP Racing pedalbox, AP Racing four-pot rear callipers,
first, although more time was taken to remove petrol car has to be worked a bit more.” new brake lines throughout
unnecessary weight from the shell as it was being That is why, after another year or so Nick and team WHEELS & TYRES: Braid lightweight alloy wheels in a
prepared. Although it shares similar underpinnings to decided to build another car, an evolution of the range of sizes and with tyres to suit
the previous car, certain areas were also beefed-up to previous incarnations that would be better, lighter and INTERIOR: Full integral roll-cage, Saxon Motorsport
cope, such as the rear cradle which houses the much faster. Here, everything the team had learnt and were dashboard, carbon fibre door panels, driver’s seat
larger and stronger M5 differential and driveshafts. capable of was showcased in a highly-developed car. moved back, adjustable travel pedal box
The engine itself was mounted in position on a Again, a road-going 1 Series was sourced and it was EXTERIOR: Full Flossman aero body kit made from
custom-made subframe and mounts and it’s fitted subject to a weight-saving plan even more rigorous carbon fibre, Saxon Motorsport rear wing,
with a flatter, billet dry sump design to get it lower in than the previous cars. More time was invested polycarbonate windows, Saxon Motorsport livery
the car. Again the complete cooling system, exhaust preparing the shell, stripping the car right down to

74 BMWcar
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1 SERIES RACERS

FOR SALE
With three highly competitive race cars Nick has
decided to put the first diesel that has served him
and the team so well up for sale for £55,000.
Please contact www.saxon-motorsport.co.uk or call
01432 350157 for full details

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068-077 BMWCAR 0415 05/03/2015 12:19 Page 76

nothing to start from scratch. Even the quarter panels different drivers. Overall the car is at least 50kg lighter
were removed and weight removed from every area. and there’s better braking and aero than before.
At first it was fitted with another M57 engine but The plan now is enter the car in Britcar, VLN and
keen for more power and less weight it was soon endurance races across the world and this time eyes
changed to the 376hp version of the current N57 aren’t on class wins but overall results. The car has
diesel engine. This 3.0-litre, all-alloy unit usually already ventured out once with the older M57 engine
resides in the M50d versions of the current X5 and where it managed a promising 13th overall before
X6 M, complete with a triple-turbo arrangement. Nick retiring, so it’s certainly within grasp it seems. “It
sourced the very rare engine from Germany and the retired due to a completely unforeseen issue as it
complex turbo setup has been removed and replaced turned out the fuel was getting too hot,” explains
with a large, single twin-scroll turbo mounted on a Nick. “We have since cured this by redesigning the
custom-made tubular manifold that was designed fuel tank.”
and fabricated by Johnny. The aim is for a reliable By the time you read this, the Saxon Motorsport
420hp and it’s connected to another paddle-shifted, team will have been busy. Both of the cars pictured
Drenth supplied six-speed sequential gearbox. here in pieces will have been completed and sent for
The car also features some extremely clever shakedown tests. There’s more to come, too, such as
innovations such as the pressurised cooling system the aforementioned 5.8-litre stroker V10 engine being
and a V-mounted radiator that allows for lower built to replace the standard M5 engine for some
operating temperatures. Or the driver’s seat, which is added grunt and with a busy season ahead we plan
mounted further back, to aid weight distribution and to keep updated with the Saxon Motorsport team. At
features a pedalbox with adjustable travel to suit least we know what to expect from now on… ●

The 135d mule car…

For some reason or other BMW decided it wouldn’t
be a good idea to build a 135d. By that I mean fitting
the 3.0-litre, twin-turbo, M57 diesel engine into a 1
Series. It found its way into plenty of other BMWs but
clearly it was deemed inappropriate for the entry-level
platform. Subsequently, I’ve often wondered what it
would have been like. I’ve even heard of it being
done before, but only once or twice. On paper, it
would, in theory be a hugely capable road car, but the
chances of experiencing one without actually building
one myself seemed slim. However, Saxon Motorsport
inadvertently solved this dilemma for me when
constructing its first endurance racer. During that build
the main area of concern when it came to the engine
conversion was actually the management side of
things. The options were to either adapt a standard
BMW ECU or use a complete, and costly, aftermarket
replacement. The way to find the answer was simple:
Nick and the team would build a road-going test car
fitted with an M57 engine conversion to find out just
how hard it would be.
So, a standard E87 118d was purchased and
The Saxon Motorsport team certainly know how to put a car together and both the quality of their builds and success relieved of its running gear and an M57 engine from
on the circuit prove that. All of the cars are special but it’s the third evolution that will really be the one to watch and we a 535d was then sourced. Getting the engine fitted in
hope to bring you an update in the coming months as they aim for overall results rather than class wins the car was actually a relatively simple procedure with

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1 SERIES RACERS

the correct parts on hand. The sump and six-speed complex and specialised procedure. Race cars have to with only a set of aftermarket alloy wheels to
manual gearbox from an M57 330d were attached be simple to maintain and the last thing the team differentiate it from a standard car.
and the engine was mounted on an E90 3 Series wanted was to retire from an event due to a wiring However, pulling away it immediately becomes
subframe and bolted into the 1 Series chassis without fault that couldn’t easily be traced. So instead, Nick bit clear all is not as it seems. At low speed there’s
further modification. The 3 Series also donated its the bullet and selected the alternative of a Bosch notably more grunt than you would expect from a
matching rear subframe and axle, which again bolted Motorsport ECU. He then sent Johnny on a course to 1 Series diesel but as soon as you find a stretch of
up without issue. The guys then plumbed and learn how to map and install it so it wouldn’t throw road and press on the throttle a huge wave of torque
connected the engine up and fabricated the custom up any problems the team couldn’t solve. arrives, catapulting you forward. It’s natural to short-
exhaust system and intercooler in-house. With its mission complete, the original mule car shift when this happens but you soon realise you’re
With everything mounted in place the hard part now serves as a rather understated road car that no shifting below 3000rpm and yet the car is still gaining
was then getting the engine to run in its new home. doubt catches a few people off-guard. It’s also speed effortlessly. The mid-range punch it is able to
Not wanting to get involved with the potential ventured out onto the track before with Nick behind deliver for immediate overtaking is colossal and when
electrical nightmare it posed, Nick entrusted the work the wheel. He reports it surprised a few people there, you do keep your foot down past the 4000rpm mark
to another company that had done a similar probably as the 118d badge is still in place! it collects pace relentlessly. Unlike a normal 1 Series
conversion before. However, this car proved The car currently has around 300hp on tap, thanks diesel the power doesn’t even hint at tailing off as the
particularly difficult, as there was now a combination to the bigger intercooler and basic remap and Nick revs climb either and the torque spike is similar to my
of 1, 3 and 5 Series wiring looms to seamlessly splice kindly offers me a drive so I can finally discover what own 135i. And yet, despite the engine’s hard hitting
together as a 3 Series ABS module had also been a 135d is like! Inside the car looks and feels just like delivery, the E87 seems to take it all in its stride.
fitted. It was a task that was expected to take a couple you would expect a well-worn 1 Series to, there’s Although it feels powerful there’s never any sign or
of weeks but, in total, it ended up taking around three nothing to give the game away and all the dash lights indication the car isn’t happy delivering the power to
months to get the engine running and everything and displays work as normal. Amusingly, it requires the road. As a point-to-point car it would
working correctly as it should! both the clutch and brake pedal to be depressed unquestionably be devastating in the right hands and
In doing so, the test car did what it was supposed before the engine will start, traits both carried over it’s a thoroughly impressive conversion. I’ve always
to; the amount of time the wiring took convinced Nick from the mix of 1 and 5 Series starting procedures! wondered what this would be like and now I finally
that converting the standard ECU was too much of a The exterior is much the same; it’s a well-used car know. I want one…

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What’s involved?
E92 M3 brake test
Autobild Sportscars magazine in Germany pitches five brake
manufacturers against the BMW factory brakes in the most
comprehensive test we’ve ever come across…
Words and pictures: Autobild Sportcars

hen it comes to aftermarket brake

W
rather disappointing. At least, that is what some
packages, we have become tuners and brake manufacturers claim. For us, that’s
accustomed to seeing drilled or reason enough to challenge these statements using
grooved brake discs that are larger specially devised tests to gauge their true abilities.
in diameter accompanied by huge The requirements were simple: a matching test car
callipers that incorporate four-, six- or even eight- and ideal conditions. We are talking perfect, dry
pistons. Furthermore, these are usually brightly conditions, appropriate temperatures and a test track
coloured and prominently feature the manufacturer’s that provides suitable grip. We found all these at the
brand logos, so they have a striking appearance. DEKRA test centre near the Lausitzring, in Germany.
However, these packages are not just about looking The contestants are five aftermarket brake packages
good, they have to outperform the stock items and, from AP Racing, Brembo, K-Sport, PFC, and Stoptech
hopefully, by a considerable amount. and these will challenge the stock M3 brake setup.
The trouble is, it’s difficult and time consuming to BMW tuning and brakes expert, Marc Müller from
thoroughly test a brake package and, in most tests Lightweight Performance (www.lightweight-
we’ve performed before, aftermarket brakes rarely performance.de), will also be joining us. He brought
display what they are truly capable of. After three to along the ideal test car in the form of an E92 M3 that
five laps on a race track, most sport brakes are often was modified as a capable track tool. Müller has
only beginning to warm up and even after several already tested various equipment on different BMW
high speed tests some have only just reached their models both on and off the track, so he was
operating temperature so test results from 200km/h particularly useful supporting us with advice and
(124mph) and 100km/h (62mph) to zero are often assistance during the tests.

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WHAT’S INVOLVED

AP Racing Brembo K-Sport PFC Stoptech Original BMW

£2714 £3717 £1965 £3470 £2585 £1624

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The test:
So what did we measure and how did we actually Pilot Sport Cup2 tyres, changed for each of the least 30 times from 90km/h to 50km/h, preferably in
measure it? Primarily, we wanted to know how long it participants. Furthermore, the car was refuelled after blocks of five brake stops. At least 800 metres driving
would take each brake package to bring the car to a each test so weight was identical and absolutely distance should lie between the individual stops." So
complete stop. Ten measurements from 200km/h nothing left to chance. that is exactly what we did.
and ten from 100km/h to zero were agreed and Great care was also taken during the initial Elsewhere, we also graded the packages for their
supplemented by ten emergency brake tests from bedding-in procedure for each of these brakes as price versus performance value, which also covered
250km/h (155mph). This speed is realistic for the there is a lot of room for mistakes here. For this the installation and the overall quality of the package.
vehicle, especially on the motorway, and this way all reason, we exactly followed the recommended For example, did everything fit directly as it should?
the systems should reach the necessary operating procedure for each manufacturer. Stoptech was rather Did the package contain everything for a simple
temperatures. We also marked the packages for casual about this; a few brake stops at lower speeds installation? Here, there were positive and negative
weight, response, pedal feel and pressure on a should suffice. Brembo, on the other hand, required cases. AP Racing provided an extremely
handling circuit. the discs to assume a grey colour on the edges comprehensive package, which even included the
To ensure identical test conditions we came before they are ready for use. AP Racing advocated brake fluid. On the other hand, the brake hoses
prepared with six sets of the correctly sized Michelin an even more complex approach: "Brake lightly at supplied by K-Sport did not fit as they should.

AP Racing The two pins pictured here can be removed

so new pads can be installed easily

Big Brake Kit

Price: £2714
Part number: CP5555-49
Disc size: 378mm
Weight: 30kg
Value: 4/5
Response: 4/5
Pressure point: 5/5
Pedal Feel: 3/5
Distance: 5/5
Total: 4.2/5

he name AP Racing is well known in the

T world of motorsport and that is perhaps

the area it is most commonly associated
with. However, the manufacturer also has
something to offer for the road.
Its Big Brake Kit offers fully floating, grooved discs
measuring 378mm in diameter, along with six-
piston callipers that feature removable retaining pins
for faster brake pad changes. For what you get the
price seems reasonable and the assembly process
and package contents were exemplary, as were the
stopping results. No other package managed better
stopping distances for both the 100 and 200km/h
tests. Also, a 30.2-metre stopping distance from
100km/h with a deceleration rate of 12.7 metres
per second are statements in themselves. We did
find that the pedal became a little soft in the most
critical phase however the pressure point always Even the AP-supplied
remained constant. brake fluid is exemplary

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WHAT’S INVOLVED
K-Sport
8-Piston
Price: £1965
Part number: KS-BV-2552
Disc size: 380mm
Weight: 37kg
Value: 2.5/5
Response: 2/5
Pressure point: 3/5
Pedal Feel: 2/5
Distance: 4/5
Total: 2.7/5

or an eight-piston calliper with Pagid RS29

F pads and 380-millimetre discs the K-Sport

kit is very competitively priced. The
equipment is manufactured in Taiwan,
which means some may doubt their
quality, however we found the brakes to not only
look very attractive but also perform well.
The package includes all of the necessities for a
professional installation and we liked that the brake
pads can be easily replaced without removing the
calliper. However, the assembly is not without
problems as the supplied stainless steel brake lines
did not fit the original connection fixture. Also,
during the brake stops, there were notable strong
vibrations and it did not improve after an inspection
in the workshop either, which was a substantial
shortcoming. Therefore, in spite of good
performance and the second-best measurement in
the 200km/h test, this package must settle for the The supplied brake line Despite several attempts to The small aluminium splint
second from last place. did not fit the BMW rectify it, there were vibrations looks cheap but it works

Brembo The solid strap on the seat

prevents rapid pad change

GT-Kit
Price: £3717
Part number: 1M1.9022A
Disc size: 380mm
Weight: 29kg
Value: 2/5
Response: 3/5
Pressure point: 2/5
Pedal Feel: 1/5
Distance: 2/5
Total: 2.0/5

rembo is one of the most famous names

B in brakes and the Italian company has

been catering for both motorsport and
road applications for many years.
Therefore, expectations were high.
However, the results were disappointing. The
installation of the most expensive system here was
completed without complication and after the
specified bedding-in procedure the testing took
place. But the first tests provided a scare due to a
softening brake pedal and a zero pressure point.
After another fluid bleed, the situation then
repeated itself again. It was often necessary to
pump the pedal twice to regain the pressure point
on the handling circuit, and, as if this was not bad
enough, the braking distances weren’t too
impressive either. For the 100km/h test, the system
managed only what the stock brakes could offer, but
from 200 and 250km/h, the package provided the The grey colour indicates that There were big issues with
worst values here. the discs are fully operational the pedal feel sadly

APRIL 2015 81
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PFC
High Performance
Price: £3470
Part number: 3100.0008
Disc size: 372mm
Weight: 24kg
Value: 3/5
Response: 5/5
Pressure point: 4/5
Pedal Feel: 5/5
Distance: 5/5
Total: 4.4/5

erformance Friction (PFC) is again

P primarily known in the field of motorsport.

An increasing number of race teams rely
on these English-made brakes and that’s
no surprise since the system is the
lightest here, weighing in at just 24kg. That makes it
a useful 10kg less than the stock brakes, which is a
huge difference.
However, the lightweight design comes at a price
and also, uniquely, a set of four pads are used per
calliper instead of just two, the aim of which is to
improve the initial pressure point. Unfortunately, the
calliper must be removed to replace the pads.
During the test itself, the PFC package did impress
with the shortest brake distance here from
250km/h. It also offered a very short, constant
pedal travel and excellent response. The overall The discs were the only aftermarket items here
victory was lost primarily due to the high price. to features drilled holes rather than grooves

Stoptech
Big Brake Kit
Price: £2585
Part number: BBM/M3E90-BBK.380x35.ST60
Disc size: 380mm
Weight: 34kg
Value: 5/5
Response: 5/5
Pressure point: 5/5
Pedal Feel: 5/5
Distance: 5/5
Total: 5.0/5

toptech did not shine during any of the

S various Autobild tests in previous years,

so expectations here were modest. No
weaknesses came to light during the
installation of the bright yellow callipers
(black, red, blue, and silver are all available) and the
they feature a bridge that can be opened for easy
brake pad replacement. The weight of the package
is a little below that of the stock system.
After the initial bedding-in, the first attempt from
100km/h took achieved a stopping distance of 31.1
metres, which corresponds to a deceleration rate of
12.3 per m/s2. The best result we managed was
30.6 metres and top results were also rewarded for
the 200km/h and 250km/h brake stop sequences.
There was also a consistently short pedal travel and
the best response behaviour. Fading was not a
problem, even under strong pressure and the In no time the seat …and the pads can
victory in this test is well deserved. cover is opened… be changed quickly

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WHAT’S INVOLVED
BMW M3
Original Brakes
Price: £1624
Part number: NA
Disc size: 360mm
Weight: 36kg
Value: 3/5
Response: 4/5
Pressure point: 3/5
Pedal Feel: 2/5
Distance: 3/5
Total: 3.0/5

MW brakes generally rank amongst the

B best in the sports car scene and the

entire M range has impressed us with
packages that offer consistent and fade-
free stopping. The E92 M3 came stock
with 360mm drilled rotors including single-piston
callipers. The entire system weighs a reasonable
35.8kg; the K-Sport brake system is 2kg heavier in
comparison. Should you decide to replace the brake
setup then the dealer asks £1624 for the complete
package with rotors, callipers, pads and accessories.
As expected, the brakes achieve acceptable results
here. The response is very good and from 250km/h
and 200km/h the M3 stops a few metres earlier
than even the Brembo package. Under stronger
pressure, however, the pedal feel becomes
increasingly soft and the drilled rotors become
noisier. On the handling course, slight brake knock
back was also noticeable after some laps.

CONTACTS:
AP Racing
Tel: 024 7663 9595
Website: www.apracing.com

K-Sport
Tel: 01274 683633
Website: www.ksport.co.uk

Brembo
Tel: 089 3700 1723
Website: www.brembo.com

PFC-Performance Friction
Tel: 01295 221020
Website: www.performancefriction.com

Stoptech
Tel: +31 341 759110
Website: www.stoptech.com

BMW
Tel: 0800 325 6000
Website: www.bmw.co.uk

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100 - 0 km/h AP Brembo K-Sport PFC Series Stoptech

After 1 run 31,0 m (12,4 m/s²) 31,5 m (12,2 m/s²) 32,1 m (11,9 m/s²) 32,2 m (11,9 m/s²) 32,4 m (11,8 m/s²) 31,1 m (12,3 m/s²)

After 10 runs 30,2 m (12,7 m/s²) 32,3 m (11,9 m/s²) 31,8 m (12,1 m/s²) 30,6 m (12,5 m/s²) 31,9 m (12,0 m/s²) 30,6 m (12,5 m/s²)

After 20 runs 30,9 m (12,4 m/s²) 31,7 m (12,1 m/s²) 33,9 m (11,3 m/s²) 31,4 m (12,2 m/s²) 31,5 m (12,2 m/s²) 30,7 m (12,5 m/s²)

200 - 0 km/h
After 1 run 124,9 m (12,3 m/s²) 130,5 m (11,8 m/s²) 122,3 m (12,6 m/s²) 124,7 m (12,3 m/s²) 128,4 m (12,0 m/s²) 123,6 m (12,4 m/s²)

After 10 runs 121,8 m (12,6 m/s²) 137,4 m (11,2 m/s²) 124,0 m (12,4 m/s²) 124,5 m (12,3 m/s²) 131,4 m (11,7 m/s²) 125,8 m (12,2 m/s²)

After 20 runs 124,9 m (12,3 m/s²) 129,2 m (11,9 m/s²) 122,0 m (12,6 m/s²) 126,0 m (12,2 m/s²) 127,3 m (12,1 m/s²) 122,6 m (12,5 m/s²)

AP Racing

30,2 m 121,8 m 195,0 m

Stoptech

30,6 m 122,6 m 191,2 m

PFC

30,6 m 124,5 m 188,9 m

K-Sport

31,0 m 122,0 m 190,4 m

Series

31,5 m 127,3 m 206,2 m

Brembo

31,5 m 129,2 m 214,2 m

0m 110 m 220 m
100 - 0 200 - 0 250 - 0

The conclusion
A surprise here; the brake king Brembo failed in our The clear winner of the test is undoubtedly and 100km/h while PFC offered the shortest braking
comparison test. The Italian premium brand lost by a Stoptech. Its package posted top test results distance from 250km/h and was the lightest package
large margin, too, due to poor stopping results and accompanied with the best pedal feel and high here. K-Sport achieved short braking distances but its
the worst subjective impression when compared to endurance. It also earned the well-deserved win overall result was hampered due to the strong
the others. Even the standard brake system thanks to the attractive price and use of normal pads. vibrations it gave ●
performed better. AP Racing achieved the best braking results from 200

1 Stoptech
Big Brake 2 PFC
High Performance 3 Big Brake Kit
AP Racing
4 BMW
Series 5 K-Sport
8-Piston 6 Brembo
GT-Kit

84 BMWcar
085 BMWCAR 0415 04/03/2015 09:57 Page 85
086-089 BMWCAR 0415 05/03/2015 10:07 Page 86

Number Crunching If you get confused between your E and F numbers then peruse our
comprehensive guide to BMWʼs model numbering system from
the ʼ02 to the latest hybrid and electric machines

E3 2500-3.3Li Saloon
1968-1977
E9 2500CS-3.0CSL Coupé
1965-1975 E10 1502-2002tii
1966-1977 E12 5 Series Saloon
1972-1981

E21 3 Series Saloon

1975-1983 E23 7 Series Saloon
1977-1986 E24 6 Series Coupé
1976-1989 E26 M1
1978-1981

E28 5 Series Saloon

1982-1988 E30 3 Series Saloon
1982-1991 E30 C 3 Series Convertible
1986-1993 E30 5 3 Series Touring
1988-1994

86 BMWcar
086-089 BMWCAR 0415 05/03/2015 10:10 Page 87

TECH FOCUS

E30 Z Z1
1988-1991 E31 8 Series Coupé
1989-1999 E32 7 Series Saloon
1986-1994 E32 2 7 Series Saloon
LWB
1987-1994

E34 5 Series Saloon

1987-1995 E34 2 5 Series Touring
1991-1996 E36 4 3 Series Saloon
1990-1998 E36 2 3 Series Coupé
1991-1999

E36 C 3 Series Convertible

1993-1999 E36 3 3 Series Touring
1994-1999 E36/5 3 Series Compact
1994-2000 E36/7 Z3 Roadster
M Roadster
1995-2002

E36/8 Z3 Coupe
M Coupé
1998-2002
E38 7 Series Saloon
1994-2001 E38 2 7 Series Saloon
LWB
1994-2001
E38 L7 7 Series extended
wheelbase
1997-2001

E39 5 Series Saloon

1996-2003 E39 2 5 Series Touring
1997-2004 E46 4 3 Series Saloon
1997-2005 E46 2 3 Series Coupé
1998-2006

E46 C 3 Series Convertible

1998-2006 E46 3 3 Series Touring
1998-2005 E46/5 3 Series Compact
2001-2004 E52 Z8 Roadster
1999-2003

E53 X5 SAV
1999-2006 E60 5 Series Saloon
2003-2010 E61 5 Series Touring
2003-2010 E63 6 Series Coupé
2003-2011

APRIL 2015 87
086-089 BMWCAR 0415 05/03/2015 10:12 Page 88

E64 6 Series Convertible

2003-2012 E65 7 Series Saloon
2001-2008 E66 7 Series Saloon LWB
2001-2008 E67 7 Series Protection
2001-2008

E68 7 Series Hydrogen

2005-2007 E70 X5 Sports Activity Vehicle
2007-2013 E71 X6 Sports Activity Coupé
2008-2015 E72 X6 ActiveHybrid
2010-2015

E81 1 Series three-door

2007-2011 E82 1 Series Coupé
2007-2014 E83 X3 Sports Activity Vehicle
2003-2010 E84 X1 Sports Activity Vehicle
2009-2016

E85 Z4 Roadster, M Roadster

2003-2009 E86 Z4 Coupe, M Coupé
2006-2009 E87 1 Series five-door
2004-2011 E88 1 Series Convertible
2008-2015

E89 Z4 Roadster
2009 on E90 3 Series Saloon
2005-2012 E91 3 Series Touring
2005-2013 E92 3 Series Coupé
2006-2013

E93 3 Series Convertible

2006-2013 F01 7 Series Saloon
2008-2015 F02 7 Series Saloon LWB
2008-2015 F03 7 Series Protection
2009-2015

F04 7 Series ActiveHybrid

2010-2015 F06 6 Series Gran Coupé
2011 on F07 5 Series GT
2009 on F10 5 Series Saloon
2010 on

88 BMWcar
086-089 BMWCAR 0415 05/03/2015 10:14 Page 89

TECH FOCUS

F11 5 Series Touring

2011 on F12 6 Series Coupé
2011 on F13 6 Series Coupé
2011 on F15 X5 Sports Activity Vehicle
2013 on

F16 X6 Sports Activity Coupé

2014 on F18 5 Series Saloon LWB
2010 on F20 1 Series five-door
2011 on F21 1 Series three-door
2012 on

F22 2 Series Coupé

2014 on F23 2 Series Convertible
2015 on F25 X3 Sports Activity Vehicle
2011 on F26 X4 Sports Activity Coupé
2015 on

F30 3 Series Saloon

2012 on F31 3 Series Touring
2012 on F32 4 Series Coupé
2013 on F33 4 Series Convertible
2013 on

F34 3 Series Gran Turismo

2013 on F35 3 Series Saloon LWB
2014 on F36 4 Series Gran Coupé
2014 on F45 2 Series Active Tourer
2015 on

F46 2 Series Gran Tourer

2015 on F80 M3 Saloon
2014 on F82 M4 Coupé
2014 on F83 M4 Convertible
2014 on

F85 X5 M Sports Activity Vehicle

2015 on F86 X6 M Sports Activity Coupé
2015 on I01 i3
2013 on I12 i8
2014 on

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LONGTERMERS
Another busy month for the fleet with the 135i continuing its journey
down the tuning route, the M5 hitting the slopes, the 520d Touring
departing for pastures new while Elliott introduces his new Alpina

F10 M5
This has been an expensive month for However £400 for a piece of kit that I could fit them and remove them at never feeling too big or overpowered,
the M5. As mentioned in the last am going to get very limited use from the roadside in the snow. I also even on the narrower mountain roads.
installment, the M5 was my chosen seems pretty steep. So I looked to checked that I was carrying all my The car did valiantly, and made it to
transport for a week skiing in the other well-known suppliers. I usual French road trip stuff – first aid within 30m of the chalet with just its
French Alps. I appreciate that a rear- eventually settled on a set of self kit, bulbs, breathalysers, hi viz jackets winter tyres.
wheel drive BMW, and in particular an tensioning Thule Chains for £137.95 and the such like. Unfortunately our chalet was up a
M5, would not be most people’s and ordered them online through The I set off from the UK in the rain, very steep uncleared ice covered road,
choice for a snow-covered winter Roof Box Company. The Roof Box and had an uneventful journey to my and the last, steeper part of this was
driving holiday. Indeed 560 Company was very helpful, its website overnight stop in Reims. The just too slippery for the Sottozeros to
turbocharged horsepower and snow was easy to use, and made selecting Eurotunnel and Liber-t pass find traction. So I rolled back to a flat
are not two things that usually go the correct sized chains a doddle. After performing reliably, much to my relief. portion of the track, and fitted the
together well. However I had been ordering, it phoned to check that my This combined with the excellent chains. I wish I could say that this
very impressed by the handling of the order was correct, and that the chains touring range meant that I didn’t have went as smoothly as it had at home.
car on its winter tyres, and BMW itself were appropriate to the vehicle as to stop and get wet at all on this leg of But I can’t. In the snow and the cold,
was adamant that the car was capable there are many different sizes and the journey. The only slight fly in the with a fully loaded car, the clearance
of going anywhere in any conditions fitments available and the chains were ointment was that the sat nav isn’t as around the tyre was just too tight. I
that a normal car could traverse. delivered the next day. up-to-date as it could be, and it gets struggled to get my hands in to the
In preparation for the trip I Before travelling, I thought it best to very confused by the new Autoroute wheel arch to connect the chains. I did
purchased some snow chains. These trial-fit the chains. This was definitely a around Reims. Fortunately I know the manage it in the end but it took
are a legal requirement up in the good idea as I had never fitted chains road quite well, and knew when to around half an hour and I was frozen
mountains at this time of year. I before myself but luckily the website ignore the directions of the ‘nav. and filthy by the time I finished. With
decided that I didn’t want a fine from provided a detailed video of how to fit The next day saw a long drive down the chains on, the car drove
the French police, and that it was best my specific chains. Following these through France, around Switzerland, effortlessly up the frozen hill and on to
to get a properly fitting set of chains instructions I had the chains on in just and then up in to the Alps and the driveway. There it stayed for the
rather than a French petrol station a few minutes. Thule provides some Morzine. The route was mostly next week.
emergency pair. BMW offer a set of little rubber spacers that you can fit in Autoroute, and so the distance was The last week of Jan 2015 saw
snow chains for the winter wheels to the links to minimise metal to tyre gobbled up by the M5’s mile- some of the best snowfall in Morzine
fitted to my M5. It has to as they are a or rim contact. I fitted these to protect munching ability. The last 40km or so for several years. Nearly 12 inches fell
legal requirement in some of the the alloy and the chains were a snug as we came of the Autoroute were every single day all week, including the
markets the car is sold in. However, but easy fit. Getting them off was a more entertaining. The roads were day we left. I cleared the car off every
the official BMW snow chains come in little harder however, as the wheel has mostly clear of snow, with just the day and had remembered to leave the
at £400. Gulp! to be in just the right place, and you occasional covering between the wipers lifted off the windscreen, but
They are specifically designed to be have to be careful not to get them berms of cleared snow at the road was still met with an inch of hard ice
easy-to-fit in the limited clearance of caught on the brake disc heat shield. I sides. The car handled well, being sure under a foot of snow to clear on the
the M5s well filled wheel arches. was confident that if I needed them, I footed in the freezing conditions, and day of leaving. I cleared the snow

90 BMWcar
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LONGTERMERS

from the air intakes and fired up the which yet again decided to throw a good the adaptive lights normally are, for the season makes a big difference,
car, which started first time and left wobbly a couple of hours into the and what a difference poor lighting and to me at least has justified the
the car to warm through with the return trip. As well as dropping the makes to night driving. cost of the winter tyres, which as a
heaters and demisters on while I iPod connection, it decided to switch As the car’s third year comes to an point of note, after over 20,000 miles
cleared the snow. An hour later, the off the entire system for around 40 end, the demand for tax also arrived. of use still have 5.5mm of tread all
car was clear. Unfortunately, the chip minutes this time and then came back Another £485 in Road Fund Licence over according to the MoT.
on the windscreen that I had repaired to life as randomly as it had failed. was the cost of another year’s Would I take the car skiing again?
last year had failed in the cold and the Post ski trip, I booked the M5 in to motoring. With the warranty ending on Yes definitely! It was a lot of fun, and
windscreen had cracked in several have the windscreen replaced, and as the anniversary, and with the spectre made a proper adventure out of what
places. With heavy snow on the it is nearly three years old, it was time of possible gearbox gremlins in the could have just been a journey. The
ground, I set off gingerly for the main for an MoT and an end-of-warranty future I looked into further warranty Thule snow chains were brilliant once
roads. With the chains on, the M5 check. The work was carried out over options. BMW provide several levels of fitted, but was an hour of getting dirty
behaved beautifully and very a couple of days to allow the cover, excesses and payment schemes and struggling around in the wheel
predictably. I was soon confidently windscreen to bond. The £44.95 MoT but I also looked at other warranty arches worth £260 of savings? That is
cruising along. I had anticipated finding threw up no surprises, but the end-of- companies, though in the end a harder one to answer. If you had
somewhere to stop after around a warranty check highlighted a weep plumped for the top level of cover asked me when I was lying in the
couple of kilometres but in the event, from the gearbox. This was cleared up, offered by BMW with a reasonable snow fitting them, then no! In
it was 30 snow-covered kilometres and I was asked to bring the car back excess. The cost of another year’s hindsight though, I may never use
before we found a clear lay-by in in 500 miles for further investigation. peace of mind: £682. them again, so perhaps…
which to remove the chains. It again As the car was in for a few days, the So an expensive and fun filled David Ingram-Hill
took around 30 dirty minute to software for the entertainment was month for the M5 – £2696.29 in
remove the chains and clear any completely reinstalled. We shall see if total, some of which will be recouped
fouling on the brake shrouds. this solved the problems I have had from the insurance company but…
The next 1000km were uneventful with it… ouch. Hopefully there won’t be
from the point of view of the M5. The Driving the car at night for the first another month that expensive this
French closed the Autoroutes at times time since the MoT, I was left in the year. I cannot express my admiration F10 M5
to clear snow, which slowed the dark. The dipped beam on the for the car enough, it is so well YEAR: 2012
journey somewhat, but the M5 coped headlights had obviously been developed and reliable. It inspires MILEAGE THIS MONTH: 2329
effortlessly with any weather and road adjusted and now instead of it usual great confidence to know that the car TOTAL MILEAGE: 43,751
condition thrown at it. All that testing far reaching illumination, was barely can handle anything that the weather MPG THIS MONTH: 22.4
BMW does clearly pays off, with the lighting two car lengths in front. can dish out, and not miss a beat. I COST THIS MONTH: £2696.29
heaters, heated seats and lights Fortunately, the headlights are easy to would also hope that it inspires others (windscreen, £1346.39; MoT, £44.95;
making winter driving as painless as it adjust, and a few turns of the to use their 5 Series in all weathers. If RFL, £485.00; warranty, £682;
could be. The only other small blip adjustment bolt had normal service an M5 can do it, any 5 Series can. It Thule snow chains, £137.95)
was with the entertainment system, resumed. It highlighted to me just how also shows that fitting the right tyres

APRIL 2015 91
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LONGTERMERS

E82 135i
So, how’s life with a modified 135i as easy as I had hoped. The front inlet and outlet pipes allowed the about increasing power but improving
proving to be? I’m pleased to report bumper didn’t need removal as original BMW connections to be reliability. As the car is modified I’m
it’s so far, so good on all accounts. I’ve everything was accessed from retained, although these once again well aware that other parts need
got used to the JB4 now and underneath. Once up on a ramp the were a little awkward to connect due replacing and upgrading along the
switching between its various maps undertray was removed and the small to space limitations; there’s not a lot way, as there are common failures
whilst on the move has become bolts holding the original intercooler in of room in that engine bay! with tuned N54 engines. First up was
second nature. I’ve also been place came off easily. Then it was just I was pleased that nothing had to the standard diverter valves, which
exploring the other settings further but a matter of releasing the slightly be modified or cut and everything channel unwanted boost when the
have yet to really test out the launch awkward pipe connections before it all slotted and bolted back together as it throttle snaps shut back towards the
control and full-throttle shifts just yet, unclipped and could be removed. should, just as expected from a intakes. As standard, these are made
largely due to the poor weather as I Side-by-side with the new Forge purpose-made product fitting. I’ve not from plastic and feature plastic fittings
can hardly remember the last time I intercooler revealed just how much had much time to drive it on the road and connections, too. As the car is
managed a decent drive without it bigger it was. For ease of fitment, since having it fitted, but immediately now producing more boost pressure, I
being wet! And the way the torque length and height wise there isn’t the car feels notably more responsive, thought it would be good to upgrade
comes in now tends illuminate the much in it, but with a much deeper seemingly building boost a little faster these to the beautifully made metal
traction control light more than usual. core it certainly looks far more when on the move. I’ll be putting it to replacements from Forge. These can
Perhaps a day at Santa Pod Raceway capable. It was also a much sturdier the test next month to find out what attach to the standard BMW charge
will be a better environment to test construction and design, too. The difference it has made when I pipe that joins the intercooler to the
their abilities. I’m certainly tempted to original is made using plastic end caps hopefully pop down for a dyno test to throttle body and the kit comes with
take a trip up there as the car feels that appear a little flimsy whilst the see the gains first hand. heavy-duty, reinforced silicone hoses,
electric at the moment, made all the Forge item is made solely from Impressed by the fitment of the too. These have only just arrived so I
better by the Forge intercooler I’ve just lightweight aluminium. new intercooler I also decided it was will be getting them fitted next month
had fitted. The shiny new intercooler popped time to upgrade some other parts with and although I don’t think they will
Thankfully, fitting seemed to be just in place easily enough and the angled Forge replacements. This time it wasn’t make a whole lot of difference to the

Fitting was a relatively painless process

aside from the odd connector but there
hasn’t been much of a chance to actually
drive the car yet, at least not in the dry!

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LONGTERMERS

Above left: The VRSF

chargepipe, Forge way the car drives at least I know they flowing versions releases some extra
diverter valves and VRSF won’t fail. power, but more importantly, also
downpipes are all due Whilst I upgraded the valves I also improves response. But the price most
for fitting next month. decided to change the chargepipe companies charged for these pipes
Left: The Forge itself. Again, these are made from had made me put it off. However, the
intercooler is larger
and much nicer quality
plastic and known to crack with VRSF items looked fantastic and the
than the BMW item increased boost levels. As I use the price would work out at less than
135i as daily driver I can’t afford to be £340 delivered – less than half what
left stranded due to a failure, so as a some companies charged. I just
preventative measure I also ordered a couldn’t resist at that value so I have
replacement constructed from placed an order.
aluminium. No one does these in the I’m currently waiting for my parcels
UK; at least with the original twin from America to arrive and I
diverter valve setup is still in place, so I understand fitting the downpipes is
started investigating the other options. quite a task, so that will be something
After looking through a few owners’ to look forward to next month!
forums the name VR Speed Factory, or Simon Holmes
VRSF, kept coming up, so I visited its
website (www.vr-speed.com) and
found the company was one of few
that offered the chargepipe I was after
with the standard twin diverter valve
take offs. Fully expecting the pipe to
cost a fair amount, as these things
usually do, I was delighted to see the
bargain price. Thanks to our generous E82 135i
exchange rates and even with postage YEAR: 2007
and import tax calculated, the pipe MILEAGE THIS MONTH: 1405
would end up costing a bargain £225, TOTAL MILEAGE: 73,220
which is a lot cheaper for this quality MPG THIS MONTH: 31.3
than anywhere else I found. COST THIS MONTH:
Of course, I should have just £838 (Forge diverter valves, £245;
ordered it and been happy, but VRSF down pipes, £368;
attracted by the prices and the idea of VRSF chargepipe, £225)
a combined shipping rate I started
looking at what else the company had
for my car and promptly came across CONTACTS:
its replacement downpipes. I had been www.burgertuning.com
dabbling with the idea of changing www.forgemotorsport.co.uk
these as I’ve been advised replacing www.VR-speed.com
the standard items for these free

APRIL 201 93
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LONGTERMERS
E28 Alpina B9
You might have thought that following to be less than around ten left on the thoroughly worked over head. Mated fabulously comfortable Sheel buckets
the GP’s departure last month things UK roads. When you consider BMW to a deliciously mechanical Getrag that came with some of the most
would have settled down in the Stiling only made 187 examples of the E28 gearbox the result was a top speed striking striped cloth you will ever see!
household, but as quickly as one car M5 you start to realise just how rare of 152mph and a 0-60mph time of The steering wheel was replaced with
has gone another has appeared. this model is. 6.3 seconds, figures all but identical to a MOMO produced four-spoke affair at
Hunting down certain rare classic cars In typical Alpina style the process of a Porsche 928S or Ferrari Mondial of some 380mm in diameter – quite the
can be a drawn-out and painful creating a B9 from a standard BMW the time. In 1983 no other four-door contrast to a modern M Sport wheel.
experience. Months or even years can production model was both thorough saloon car could hold a candle to that The original gear knob was replaced
pass between examples being offered and effective in its execution. In kind of performance. with a wooden Alpina item and a
for sale and if you aren’t there, poised November 1981, when B9 production The suspension received production plaque was proudly
at the exact moment to pounce, it’s all started, BMW didn’t even make a 535i commensurate uprating with Alpina attached to the driver’s side of the
too easy to be pipped at the post by and the M5 was still some five years specific lowering springs and Bilstein dashboard denoting the car’s build
another keen buyer. Buying cars like away, so Alpina used production line dampers in an attempt to keep the number in the B9 lineage.
these is therefore as much about luck fresh 528is as the starting point. The notoriously lively rear end in some So, that’s a B9 for you but why do I
and fate as perseverance and 2.8-litre engines were immediately semblance of order. The bodywork now have one? Well, I have a serious
patience. It is very rewarding though removed and thrown away and was also upgraded with the best soft spot for these cars. I used to own
when you bag the prize. replaced with an Alpina spec ‘Big Six’ addendum 1980’s aerodynamics the ex-Alpina press car registration
This brings me neatly to the car you 3.5-litre unit. A number of choice could offer. This resulted in the now number AAL 762Y, a black example
see in these pages. The aficionados modifications to the engine took it iconic and affectionately named ‘cow with gold stripes but now sadly
among you will have already correctly from 218hp to a full fat 245hp catcher’ front air dam and the rubber departed. It was a truly fantastic car
identified it as an E28 Alpina B9 3.5, including a more aggressive camshaft, bootlid spoiler. and I think it’s fair to say the driving
one of just 64 right-hand drive cars high-compression Mahle pistons, Wheels and tyres were upgraded to experience offered by a healthy and
produced and one of what surely has reprogrammed fuel injection and a a set of staggered 16-inch turbines at well setup example is unlike other
7- and 8-inches wide. Whilst incredibly cars. I’ll talk more about what it’s like
modest by contemporary performance to drive one of these iconic cars in the
car standards these wheels are now a months to come, but suffice to say
design icon and swap hands for I’ve always wanted another example,
ridiculous amounts of money. but the aforementioned rarity makes
Alpina didn’t leave the interior alone finding one nigh-on impossible. I
either, all the main touch points came therefore jumped on ‘my’ B9 when it
in for some attention. The original was offered for sale.
BMW seats were replaced with Car number 188 was built in week

94 BMWcar
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LONGTERMERS
E61 520d SE Touring
52 in December 1982 and supplied As I come up to three years with my To get it ready to sell I gave it the
to Sytner BMW in Nottingham who E61, I’d been wondering whether to best clean it’s had since its trip to
had the UK exclusive rights to create run the 520d till it drops or start Ultimate Finish last year, refitted its
Alpinas for the UK market. It was looking for the F11 I’ve pondered better summer wheels and finally got
specified in colour 146 Alpineweiss about, and although I want to see the around to changing the blown Angel
(Alpine white) with electric sliding new rear-wheel drive Alfa before Eyes bulb.
sunroof, front and rear electric committing I’m not sure I’ll live long These are a bugger to do. After
windows, on-board computer, green enough. Then something unexpected being reminded you can only buy
tinted glass and a limited-slip happened. One of my regular jobs has these from a main dealer – for 30
differential. I understand the car also provided me with a car, sadly not a quid! – I remembered how
sported the very period green and BMW, and this leaves the 5 Series a inaccessible they are. With the main
blue Alpina stripes from new but I am bit redundant. I considered moth- beam bulb out I didn’t have enough
waiting for Sytner to confirm that. balling it, but I already have several knuckles to bend my fingers and reach
Having undergone the Alpina partially unused cars, so I’ve decided it and long nose pliers or grips available as he’d be needing a car for
treatment it was then registered in to part company with it rather than couldn’t move it. In the end it was the new job. We agreed £4500 and I
April 1984 and delivered to a firm of have it deteriorate and devalue. quicker to take out the headlamp unit delivered the car before the tax ran
architects in Northern Ireland and After our rocky start I’ve become than keep struggling. out. I’m good at buying cars, but less
remained there for four years before quite attached to the 5 Series. It I managed to get some pictures of so at selling them, so it’s strange
coming back to England in 1988. The swallows all my photographic the car before the heavens opened driving off leaving ‘my’ car behind. I
car was then fastidiously maintained equipment easily and family holidays and had it for sale online before hope it gives good service with its new
by a gentleman in London throughout in Europe have been a doddle, lugging Saturday lunchtime, although I was owner and doesn’t revert to its ‘Bee
the late ’80s, ’90s and Noughties with everything we need rapidly across a shocked at how the values of these Emm Trouble-you’ nick name.
a veritable raft of invoices for some continent. It’s been a make-do Transit cars have fallen, as the recommended When I bought the 520 it was
pretty eye-watering figures. It’s this as well, bringing home doors for DIY price was now under £5000, about because on paper it was the best
level of expenditure and care I and shifting a classic car engine and £1000 less than I expected. I priced it choice, and after 80,000 miles it lived
believe, that kept the car alive and other chunky parts and all the time at the top end bearing in mind the up to my expectations, proved to be
means it’s here for me to enjoy now. giving an entertaining drive and rear tyres were getting low so there the best thought-out car I’ve been in,
We can all see the ‘shark nose’ revival brilliant mpg. Having spent my first six was room to haggle! and converted me into a fan of the
happening around us with mint months having the engine, tailgate After a couple of days I was getting brand. It’s a pretty safe bet that when I
examples of E28 M5s and E24 M6s loom and remote locking receiver fed up of phone calls with low ball hand back my company car, I’ll be in
being offered for sale at £45,000 to replaced, half the car is younger than offers and people wanting to part the market for another 5 Series. And
£50,000 but this gent kept sinking the mileage suggests, and the exchange, when a family member in the meantime if I can get it past my
money into the B9 when it would following two and a half years were called saying he would be changing wife, maybe an old M3 or Convertible
have been worth a fraction of that trouble-free so it should carry on a jobs and handing back his company to keep things interesting…
value. Hats off to you sir! good while longer. car, and asked if the BMW was still Matt Richardson
That’s not to say that the car is in
mint condition because it certainly is
not. Mechanically the car is very good
indeed but cosmetically there is
plenty of room for improvement. I’ll
attempt to pull together the ‘hit-list’
for you by next month and you can
see what there is to do. E61 520d SE Touring
I think the key here will be finding YEAR: 2008
the correct balance of restoration MILEAGE THIS MONTH: 714
versus usability. Yes, I want to show TOTAL MILEAGE: 154,267
the car off at car shows and meets MPG THIS MONTH: 46.3
but I also want to use it without fear TOTAL COST: £30
of its value being eroded by an errant
stone chip or mark. I suppose it’s
better that I refer to it as a
refurbishment then rather than a
restoration? That definitely sounds
more wallet-friendly too!
Having said that if B9 values follow
the path now beaten by the M5 it
could be a different story…
Elliott Stiling

E28 Alpina B9
YEAR: 1984
MILEAGE THIS MONTH: 46
TOTAL MILEAGE: 136,795
MPG THIS MONTH: No idea!
COST THIS MONTH:
£310 insurance, £230 road tax

APRIL 2015 95
090-098 BMWCAR 0415 05/03/2015 16:16 Page 96

LONGTERMERS
F30 320d Sport
KP12 is finally wearing some new function, the fan speed doesn’t return integrated design. It’s the small things more bells and whistles, too. That
tyres, although you’d be forgiven for to the original setting. Somebody like this which a 15 minute test drive same £20k or so buys a lovely 2009
thinking otherwise had you seen the clearly wasn’t thinking when they wouldn’t really show up, but after a example and despite the opinion-
attitude adopted by the rear of the car designed this process. Still, no matter. few months of driving the car one splitting styling (which I love,
as I exited the tyre place and At the end of this early-morning ritual, starts to wonder: ‘what on earth were personally) you simply cannot deny
attempted to accelerate around the I have several green lights on the they thinking…?’ that 2.3 tonnes being slung to 60mph
nearby left-hander. Some opposite dashboard, which for some childish Thoughts have again turned recently in five seconds thanks to 500hp and
lock was required to catch the reason really appeals, and we’re good to KP12’s replacement, which 518lb ft of torque holds a certain
wayward rear as it gracefully arced to go. admittedly is a long way off (currently cavalier appeal.
around a few degrees, doubtless a Whilst I’m on the subject of poor planned for summer next year). But as As to how to enjoy the car between
combination of a greasy surface (it design, I’d also like to know why BMW it generally takes me quite a while to now and then, well, the warranty
had been quite icy that morning) and insists on fitting a hi-fi system which decide what I want to drive, plus with expiration date in April offers up the
un-scrubbed tyres. Still, all good fun remains on when the engine is the two-year anniversary of KP12’s possibility of a visit to Evolve, where
and at least my wife wasn’t with me switched off. This is just bonkers. You purchase ‘visible’ from here as I write an additional 45hp and 66lb ft can be
to tell me off… either have to manually press the this in late February I have to admit liberated for a reasonable £550 and
My winter start-up routine is now a button to kill your toons or worse, wait that a little boredom is setting in, I its Evolve Power Module. This would
finely polished exercise first thing in until you lock the car as you walk off, start looking around and mulling over result in a 230hp and near 350lb ft
the morning. Drop into the driver’s as this action also kills the system. options-within-budget fairly early on. 320d, which has the possibility of
seat and thumb the starter button, Except you look like a numpty leaving The F10 M5 is now a possibility, as being very amusing, if not terribly
then a quick flick above to disable the the radio on as you wander off in the is the F06 Gran Coupé, but my recent good for the tyres.
auto stop/start feature (I’m yet to opposite direction. ‘premium’ whinge cannot be ignored As turning this device on quite
encounter anybody who doesn’t do Another complaint, although I may and I’ll admit to having my head clearly turns off any extended warranty
this). Then as the index finger on my have whinged about this already in the turned by several other cars in recent however, I’d effectively be running the
right hand fingers the auto wipers past, is the fact that engaging Sport+ months. The Maserati Quattroporte car without coverage after April. And
switch, the first sweep of the ‘screen mode also kills the cruise control if it’s keeps popping up (and I’m talking given the fact it doesn’t seem to be as
coincides with my other index finger active, and I cannot quite work out about the model which was most well screwed together as the older
taking care of the various left-handed why. Presumably those BMW boffins recently retired, not the poorly ones I’m not sure it’s a good idea at
functions. So in quick succession, the figure that a constant throttle opening executed replacement and certainly this point. Anybody out there had it
cruise is activated, the adaptive lights isn’t good on greasy bends and so on not the diesel option) as they’re not done to one of these things?
are enabled, sport mode is selected, (motorways or otherwise) but if we as poorly made as one would think – Mark Williams (@QuentlyBentin)
both heated seats are set to ‘full follow that line of thinking through to they sound gorgeous, look gorgeous
furnace’ mode, Radio 2 is called up its natural conclusion, then one and generally go like stink.
via favourite button number two and if wonders whether we will eventually The Mercedes CLS also falls into
it’s particularly chilly, the max demist see strips of cotton wool appearing on this bracket and sub £20k now buys a
button is pressed. the options list, for the permanently pristine CLS63 AMG leaving funds in
And therein lies a gripe actually. paranoid to wrap themselves up in reserve for other needs but perhaps
Can anyone explain to me why said before climbing aboard. the most controversial option would F30 320d Sport
button doesn’t activate the max fan Besides, you can run ‘normal’ Sport be the Porsche Cayenne, and the YEAR: 2012
speed? One has to manually crank the mode with cruise active, but if you Turbo model at that (although the MILEAGE THIS MONTH: 1677
fan to maximum which seems daft activate cruise when Sport+ is naturally aspirated GTS model also TOTAL MILEAGE: 38,499
given what the function is designed to selected, the Drive Performance appeals). These don’t suffer from the MPG THIS MONTH: 45.4
achieve. Worse, when pressing the Control defaults to Comfort and not same engine issues which can afflict COST THIS MONTH: Nil
demist button again to deactivate the Sport, which is yet more badly the cooking ‘S’ models and come with

96 BMWcar
090-098 BMWCAR 0415 05/03/2015 16:16 Page 97

LONGTERMERS
F20 118d Sport
A very boring month for the 1 Series chance to dry out in between the car looked nice and clean, so it
I’m afraid. I started turning the fan absorbing sessions. Or you can get two seemed like £3 well spent but it
direction to my feet before turning it and swap them over so one is working appears that it may have damaged the
off when I get home in the evening as the other is at home drying. Also, I tip of my rear wiper blade as it’s torn
and it seems to have helped with the
fogging on the windscreen, which is a
took the 1 Series through a car wash –
sorry, I know this will have detailing
away from the arm slightly. I’ve not had
a proper look yet but will investigate
F20 118d Sport
YEAR: 2013
good thing. I briefly transferred my enthusiasts weeping into your copies when I get a chance to walk all the MILEAGE THIS MONTH: 265
moisture absorbing bean bag into the of BMW Car but it was seriously filthy way round to the back of the car… TOTAL MILEAGE: 13,862
E39 but it was swiftly overwhelmed, so and I didn’t have time to give it a hand Other than that, it’s business as usual MPG THIS MONTH: 48
I think it’s best suited to cars that get wash so this seemed like a good idea. really, which is a good thing I guess. COST THIS MONTH: Nil
driven occasionally as it’ll have a It worked, took about five minutes and Elizabeth de Latour

The Everett Fleet

There isn’t a great deal to report on say they do look superb.
this month, but happily the purple Painting the callipers satin black and
318ti is coming ever closer to the brake disc bells in matt grey also
completion. Matt Summerfield, who adds to the effect and parked outside
also painted the car, did the wheels the workshop, it did look like a new
some time back, and they’re the one and a couple of passers-by
correct five-spoke wheels as fitted to commented on it. By April I’d like to
the Sport models. have it MoT’d, taxed and insured so
N563 KHU as it was, started life as that in this, his 20th year, 5KXO can
a Lux model in October 1995 (so get some miles on the clock and do a
nearly 20 years ago…) and to make it couple of shows – maybe even
into a Sport model isn’t too Gaydon if I can slip it in with some
involving – as well as the suspension Daytona violet E36 M3 and E34 M5
and bumpers there is the black heroes. It has certainly come a long
headlining, side mouldings with the M way from the sorry wreck it was in
badges, seats, steering wheel and September 2008 when I bought it – a
clear indicators. However, in 1995 badly repaired write-off with a cracked
there wasn’t a regular Sport model at cylinder head and every other fault in
all – you had to specifically option the the book.
car as such and there weren’t clear Elsewhere, the 318i Touring hasn’t
indicators back then. I prefer the seen much use at all, the 730i hasn’t
amber ones anyway (they look superb seen any use full stop, the 318i
on the violet paint) and many E36 Convertible has had an oil change and
owners are choosing orange lamps new number plates, and a fourth E36
over clears. has entered the fold – a £100 1994
Back to the wheels. I found a really 318iS Coupé that is the basis of a
nice clean set that were completely new track car for 2015 and beyond.
free of any corrosion at all, the backs There will be more on that another
of which were super clean without time but despite the laughable price, it
even much brake dust. Matt rubbed has the most amazingly rust-free E36
these down and painted them Titan shell I’ve seen for a long time. Almost
silver with a generous coating of clear too nice to use it for a track car? Not
lacquer and with the new tyres and with 150,000 miles!
BMW centre badges fitted, I have to Andy Everett

APRIL 2015 97
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LONGTERMERS
E24 M635CSi
It’s been a quiet one for the big Six
this month as dodgy weather and the
looming spectre of needing to put the
magazine together during the short
month of February has put trips out in
the M on the back burner. There are
also a couple of items I need to attend
to but again I’ve not got much further
than putting them on the to-do list.
First up is the squealing fan motor
that was lubricated by the chaps at BM
Sport just after I bought the car, but it
would seem that was only a temporary
fix so a replacement is in order. I’ve
been told it’s not desperately
expensive and isn’t a pig of a job –
certainly much better than on more
recent machines – so I’m going to do
my best to get that sorted next month. had an old Triumph convertible in my speakers vibrating away. I want to keep For the time being I’m mainly just
It wouldn’t be a problem in the youth I’d run around with the hood the original look of the interior which listening to the joyous straight-six, but
summer months but as it’s been pretty down in all weathers and as far as I severely restricts one’s options as the you do get an awful lot of strange
cold recently, not being able to use the can recall that car didn’t have an 6x4-inch front footwell speakers have a looks if you sit there revving the engine
fan in the car for the awful racket it operational heater of any type. Apart very shallow aperture which means when you’re sat in stationary traffic!
makes has been a bit of a pain. Must from the day when it deposited most that fitting more modern speakers can Bob Harper
be getting soft in my old age… when I of its hot coolant into the cabin… be a bit tricky. The ones in the rear
The other thing that needs attending pods on the parcel shelf are, I think,
to is the speakers which are severely less of a problem, but I think I need to
past their best. I’m not intending on pop into a good car audio specialist
fitting huge great bass bins or anything rather than just gaze aimlessly at
like that but I would like it if they didn’t speakers on the internet while
vibrate the minute the volume is wondering if they’ll fit properly! Back in
turned up loud enough to hear the the olden days, when I previously ran a E24 M635CSi
radio. To be honest this is something couple of E24s, I used to think YEAR: 1988
that seems worse when listening to absolutely nothing of taking some tin MILEAGE THIS MONTH: 34
Radio 4 and trying to keep up with snips to the panel under the rear seats TOTAL MILEAGE: 161,488
world events on the Today programme and installing a couple of small sub MPG THIS MONTH: 20.6
is particularly irritating when any woofers but fortunately I’m older and TOTAL COST: Nil
reasonably deep male voice sets the wiser now!

E46 318i SE
It’s taken me long enough, but the more financially willing to throw
E46 is now wearing its new boots in money at in a needless fashion.
the form of some rather grippy However, that was until I attended a
Yokohama W.drive V905 winter tyres test day using the various handling
in 205/55 R16 flavour of course. surfaces at the Porsche facility within
When the car was MoT’d back in the grounds of Silverstone.
November it only just passed on the Driving an array of twin cars – one
tyres it had. Considering they were with summer tyres, one with winter – I
budget ‘ditch finders’ with very little was charged with flinging the vehicles
tread left, I knew it was time to dig out around like a loon to see the
my wallet and get things sorted. Now, difference between the two. The
I always thought winter tyres were a difference was astounding, with
bit of a gimmick, something for the unfathomable levels of grip available As such, I am converted.
despite the slippery conditions I’ve had Yokohama rubber in the
generated by the facility’s array past and never been disappointed, so
of rubberised floors and water jets. it made sense to stick with the brand.
Plus, at approximately £60 a corner,
they weren’t too pricey either. The
main thing though, is that the
transformation has been quickly
noticed. In the rain there’s a lot more
grip and, when faced with a freezing
E46 318i SE cold Brecon (complete with roads I
couldn’t walk on due to the frost), the
YEAR: 2003
MILEAGE THIS MONTH: 1723
car still felt sure-footed and safe. The
TOTAL MILEAGE: 131,199
only problem is, I left it so late that
MPG THIS MONTH: 41.1
before I know it, I’ll need to get some
TOTAL COST: £270
summer tyres as well! I really must be
(Yokohama W.drive V905 tyres, fitted)
more organised.
Chris Pollitt

98 BMWcar
099 BMWCAR 0415 04/03/2015 10:01 Page 99

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100-101 BMWCAR 0415 05/03/2015 12:32 Page 100

10 MINUTE GUIDE

F10 535d
If you’re thinking of replacing your E60 5 Series diesel for a more modern version
then you may be surprised to learn that the F10 535d is fast becoming a bargain buy
Words: Simon Holmes Photography: BMW

History
The sixth generation of 5 Series arrived in the UK in automatic; there was no manual gearbox option. to just 148g/km and economy improved to a
early 2010. The longer and wider car was also a At first it was only available as an SE for £42,095 53.3mpg average.
touch heavier but there was no denying it was a or M Sport trim for £45,320. The standard In 2013 the still fresh-faced Five was given an
more modern machine in every way. Plenty of specification included Dakota leather, Bluetooth, LCI update and small changes were made to the
engines were introduced to the line-up but it wasn’t cruise control with braking function and iDrive with front and rear end styling. The side repeaters
until later in the 2010 season that the 535d was a seven-inch screen plus plenty more. The M Sport moved to the wing mirrors and there were a few
added as the range-topping diesel. Powered by the gained you 18-inch M light wheels, an aero kit, minor interior changes as well. More importantly,
3.0-litre, twin-turbo N57 diesel, the engine Shadlowline trim, sports suspension and inside, the specification increased and DAB, sat nav and
produced a mighty 299hp and 442lb ft of torque sports seats, anthracite headlining and a leather xenon headlights all became standard. The iDrive
and offered performance that rivalled previous M multi-function steering wheel. software also improved and now featured the
cars. 0-62mph took 5.7 seconds with a top speed In late 2011 the engine received a jump in touchpad controller. The Luxury trim level was also
limited to 155mph, and, being a modern diesel, power to 313hp and 464lb ft of torque and introduced, which featured chrome trim and
average fuel consumption was listed as a performance notably improved. 62mph now came finishers, sports seats, 18-inch wheels and exclusive
respectable 45.6mpg with emissions of just in just 5.3 seconds, coupled with the same stitching on the leather trim. The F10 535d is still
162g/km. It came connected to the eight-speed 155mph top speed. Emissions also dropped down current and won’t be replaced until 2017.

Why should you buy one?

There simply isn’t anything else on the market to
rival what the F10 can offer for the money. For less
than £25,000 you can get yourself a clean example
that does everything you could ever want from a
saloon and plenty more. Performance, specification
and styling are all class leading but, more importantly,
it’s up-to-date, too. At this point in their lives the
market is flooded with ex-company cars that have
enjoyed a good life. Most of these seem to be the
better-looking M Sport cars and if you look around
it’s not hard to find a real bargain. Keep a look out
for decent options as an added bonus but don’t get
hung up chasing options as the standard equipment
is more than enough to keep you happy. Ideally, aim
for a late 2011 onwards car for the better engine
and late 2012 onwards for the better specification.

100 BMWcar
100-101 BMWCAR 0415 05/03/2015 12:32 Page 101

10 MINUTE GUIDE

What goes wrong?

Engine-wise the N57 is a strong unit so there’s not stabilization. This is the name given to the active
a whole lot to worry about here. Earlier versions suspension control, which constantly works to
fitted to the previous generation of Five sometimes reduce body roll. Some owners get used to the
had an issue with timing chain failures but this odd noise but if it gets worse then it could be
isn’t a reported problem on the F10. There has worth getting the pump and valves checked and
been the odd case of a blown turbo but other possibly changed. A steering pull, or any other odd
than that the F10 535d doesn’t seem to have handling tendency is usually a trait of the Active
developed any common faults, at least not yet. Steering. Recalibration and a decent alignment
Similarly, the eight-speed automatic is a gem and check can cure this, but it has to be performed by
despite the odd report of issues in other platforms, someone that knows exactly what they are doing.
it has proved reliable for the 5 Series. Other smaller faults include weather seals that
However, it’s not all plain sailing as there are a allow wind into the cabin, which is annoying but
few minor issues to bear in mind. First off, the F10 can be replaced, and air-con that doesn’t work.
does seem to suffer from a few annoying This is due to the condensers which are known to
suspension related issues that range from odd fail prematurely. Otherwise the only other issues
noises to a tendency to pull very mildly to the are generally all software related. These can vary
right. Knocks, rattles or groans under acceleration, from flat battery warnings, which are often false, to
cornering or simply in a straight line are usually iDrive systems that randomly reboot when they
related to the Dynamic Drive or active roll feel like it.

Running costs
The F10 was one of the first new wave BMWs to performance available. Fuel consumption isn’t quite
feature engine technology that really drove down the as good as you might hope and BMW’s figures are
emissions. The result means they are actually very near impossible to reach. Still, a 535d can still post a
reasonable to tax and run, especially compared with decent figure on a steady motorway journey. Expect a
previous 5 Series models. For a year’s road tax the figure in the very high 30s for early models and a
early, slightly less efficient cars cost £180 for a full touch more for later cars. Around town that figure will
year whilst the later cars cost a bargain £145 for a drop significantly but it should always level out in the
year, which is impressive considering the 30s with a mix of driving styles.

F10 535d
ENGINE: Six-cylinder, diesel, 2993cc
MAX POWER: 299hp (313)
MAX TORQUE: 442lb ft (462)
0-62MPH: 5.6 seconds (5.3)
TOP SPEED: 155mph
ECONOMY: 45.6mpg (53.3)
EMISSIONS: 162g/km (148)
PRICE NEW (2010): £42,095
Figures in () for later model

How much to pay? Verdict

It is possible to bag yourself a car for less than The important thing to consider when debating whether you can stretch to an F10 is that it’s a current
£20,000 if you look around. We found a 2011 model that is still available to buy in showrooms new and looks and feels worlds apart from previous
M Sport with 82,000 miles on it up for just 5 Series models. The 535d offers an amazing combination of performance and efficiency, particularly if
£19,995. However, whilst that’s an easy way you find a later car. It’s also a model that doesn’t suffer from any serious faults or failings, so there’s very
into 535d ownership we would recommend little to worry about there. However, it’s still relatively early days for the F10 so it would always be worth
spending a little more and gaining a lot. For getting a car with a warranty and the best place for that is BMW approved used. Have a look of what’s
£23,000 we found a 2010 SE with just 37,000 on offer and, we promise, you will be tempted…
miles under its belt and £18,000 worth of extras
fitted. Similarly, BMW’s approved network
brought up some bargains, including a 2010 M
Sport car with 51,000 miles for just £22,995
and it’s these cars make more sense for the
cash. If you’re after the later, better-spec’d cars
then a 2011 M Sport with around 40,000 miles
will usually cost in the region of £26,000-
28,000 and a good 2012 car can be had for
less than £30,000. After that you can bag
yourself a virtually brand-new car for a lot less
than list price and we found a 2013 M Sport
with less than 8000 miles on it for £32,000.

APRIL 2015 101

102-103 BMWCAR 0415 05/03/2015 14:42 Page 102

POST BAG

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This superb kit includes Ultimate Wash & Wax, Ultimate Wax, Endurance Tire gel, a
Microfibre Wash Mitt, a Water Magnet and a Soft Foam Applicator pad worth £34.99!

Realistic remap? STAR R

I’m a little confused so was LET TE
wondering if you could help? I
recently bought a 125i Convertible
and would like more power from it. Is
this easily possible?
I’ve heard remapping doesn’t
usually give good gains for naturally
aspirated cars yet I’ve seen some
people and tuning companies claim
what seem to be extortionate figures
from a simple remap alone. Should I
trust these figures?
Paul Henderson

Usually, we would always be

sceptical of anyone claiming a large
increase in power from a remap
alone on a non-turbocharged car,
but the 125i is actually one of the
few exceptions to the rule. This
model happens to use a detuned
version of the same N53 engine
fitted to the later 130i models which
means it’s possible to gain a hefty
power increase simply by remapping
the car.

Swirl flaps or not?

In the What goes wrong? section of Yes, we can confirm that the 535d
the 10 Minute Guide of the January also has swirl flaps. These cars came
2015 issue you state serious engine fitted with the M57 engine that was
issues include swirl flaps. I am introduced in 2002 and both the
unaware the 535d has swirl flaps in early 242hp and later 282hp
the inlet manifold. I know the 530d versions had swirl flaps fitted.
has but I thought the 535d didn’t. I A revision to the swirl flaps means
have owned an E60 535d for four later examples are less likely to fail,
years now. Just out of interest could but it’s generally always advisable to
you tell me if I am correct or not? get them replaced with blanking
Dave Evans plugs anyway.

Top tips!
Just a quick one to say I picked up the simple to do but wish me luck!
February issue and noticed the new Adam Fowler
section in the back of the magazine. It
turned out to be really handy as the It’s nice to hear the advice we offer is
driver’s side wiper linkage on my Z4 of use, let us know how you get on.
has just failed, so on your advice I’m We’ve also introduced another new
about to embark of custom fitting the regular feature in the form of the BMW
parts from an E46. It looks relatively Buyer section on page 106.

102 BMWcar
102-103 BMWCAR 0415 PostBag 04/03/2015 10:15 Page 103

POST BAG
Manual labour
After much debate I’ve decided to
replace my 1 Series with a 2 Series
and whilst I’m at it I’m going to treat
myself to the M235i version. I’m
going to buy an approved used car,
but I’ve noticed the automatic
versions outnumber the manual
versions by about six to one. I’d like a
manual really and it’s making it hard
to find a car in the right colour with
the options I want.
Andrew Cowie

Good choice! The M235i is a peach.

We assume from your letter you
haven’t driven BMW’s new eight-
speed automatic? We can assure you
it’s nothing like the older, slow-
changing gearboxes you may be
thinking of. It’s a lightening fast ‘box
that makes great use of the engine.
However, having driven both and
spent plenty of time in our own long-
term M235i manual, we’d actually
still choose a manual as we feel it
allows even greater use of the power
band. It’s personal opinion, though,
so we’d suggest doing the smart
thing and test-driving both types
back-to-back to see which one you
prefer. You may be surprised.

Z3 M mistakes
I was very excited to read the BMW
M Coupé Buyer’s Guide in the
January issue. I’d wanted an M
Coupé since school and am the
proud owner of a 2002 S54 car with
28,000 miles. I was lucky enough to
buy the car a year-and-a-half ago, just
before the ‘rush’!
The purpose of my email is to
highlight a few errors and an
omission in the article. First, the S54
engine in the M Coupé produces a
claimed 258lb ft of torque (350Nm)
at 4900rpm. This is the same as the
claimed S50 torque figure, but at a
higher rpm. This is stated in the
owner’s handbook, as well as in
magazine publications at the time.
The figure you have reported was on cars. The number of right-hand drive S54 used the same 3.15 ratio. Thanks for taking the time to write in
www.bmwmregistry.com for many S54 M Coupés is 165. The Lastly, I would say that the bearing Patrick. First of all, our apologies: you
years and as a result has been European-spec left-hand drive S54 failure issue on S54 cars is worth a are indeed correct. The torque figure
referenced many times in various number was adjusted from 281 to mention. The E46 M3s were recalled we quoted was referenced from a
places. I have recently made contact 269 and the North American-spec to have the problem fixed, but the M previous article but after having
with them and they have corrected cars 690 to 678, making the total Coupés were not included in the checked through the archives it
the error. number of S54 cars produced 1112. recall, apparently because the lower seems, as you have pointed out, this
The next issue is with the If you would like to know any more power output or rev limit made them was wrong.
production figures of the S54 cars. detail on these figures or to verify less susceptible. There have, Build numbers are often a
Up until 2011 or 2012 the figure for them yourself, then let me know. however, been a number of reported minefield and we rarely quote them
right-hand drive S54 cars was indeed The final error is the statement issues. Furthermore, if the car is for this reason; perhaps it’s best to
believed to be 168. Cutting a long that the S54 received a new going to be modified, it is something avoid them from now on!
story short, the researcher differential. This is the case in North that needs to be considered when As for the bearing failure issue,
responsible for those figures counted America, where the S52 M Coupés choosing between the S50 and S54. perhaps your letter will suitably alert
the pre-production cars twice for S54 had a different ratio, but the S50 and Patrick Hathorn potential buyers…

BMW Car magazine and Unity Media plc do not necessarily share the views expressed within the
letters on these pages and accept no responsibility for any inaccuracies they may contain.

APRIL 2015 103

104-105 BMWCAR 0415 Subs 06/03/2015 13:09 Page 104

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106-107 BMWCAR 0415 04/03/2015 10:38 Page 106

BMW DEALS

Our monthly look at what’s hot, or not, in the BMW marketplace

Words: Guy Baker

ccording to the latest registration data

A
market it is interesting to note that BMW’s fastest Used deals you’re after then check out older higher-
from the Society of Motor Manufacturers selling used car comes in the form of the 2 Series, at mileage X5 3.0ds at main dealers. We spotted a
and Traders, new car market registrations an average 42.9 days to sale,” Rupert reports. “This couple of Metallic Titanium silver examples with black
grew 6.7% in January to 164,856 units, move to a new family niche seems to be proving Nevada Leather – both were September 2007
the strongest January since 2007. So don’t especially popular with the retail buyer.” And this is registered cars, one with 83,500 miles for £15,995,
feel too much sympathy for salesmen at swanky backed up by a strong demand for both used X3s and the other with 68,500 miles for £17,850 ●
franchised dealerships – they haven’t had it this good and used X5s, so don’t expect any serious bargains
for years. But it’s not all rosy in the BMW garden. on well-spec’d, newer examples of these two at
January wasn’t the best month for BMW UK – the moment.
which registered just 7923 cars, compared to rivals There are, however, some decent deals available
Audi with 10,747 and Mercedes with 7792 new cars. on other BMW models at main dealers, like a
And as Rupert Pontin, head of valuations at Glass’s, combined BMW UK and dealer deposit contribution of
emphasises: “BMW, which has made it clear it will be around £4500 towards a new 318d M Sport Saloon –
looking to increase market share during 2015, faces yours for £299 a month over 48 months, with a
stiff competition from Audi and Mercedes – which is customer deposit of £4999 and 5.9% APR finance.
also on the same objective.” At the other end of the spectrum you can buy a
BMW UK will need to work hard in the coming new 640d M Sport Coupé on just 2.9% APR finance,
months to achieve this, although the new 1 and 3 with a combined BMW contribution of £14,866 –
Series models in 2015 are expected to add new however, you will need to stump up a ten grand
impetus. And with all three premium marques deposit, and pay £589 a month for four years.
heading towards becoming volume manufacturers, Outside the franchised network some of the best
it is probably Audi that is most at risk of losing its current deals are on BMW 5 Series. For example,
brand kudos. www.uk-car-discount.co.uk is offering as much as
BMW is fast becoming seen as a volume player in £4500 off the list price of a new BMW 520i M Sport
the UK second-hand market too. “Looking at the used Auto or a 525d M Sport Auto. And if it’s Approved

THIS
S
MONTHU’ Y! BMW 325i CONVERTIBLE (E93) (2007- 2010)
BEST B At this time of year most convertibles represent seriously poor value for money. But as everyone now seems to want their drop-top to
possess either a diesel powerplant or an M Sport engine, many of the remaining petrol-powered convertibles around aren’t attracting the
buyers they once did. And older examples of the E93 325i Convertible are especially prone to this. 2007-on SE examples start at around
£8000, whilst a pampered 2008 325i M Sport is just £10,000. And with so few around you can even expect a discount!

106 BMWcar
106-107 BMWCAR 0415 04/03/2015 10:39 Page 107

BMW DEALS

Forecourt find AUCTIONHT BMW Car’s lowdown on the latest

SPOTLIG
prices paid for average condition
FIVE OF THE BEST BMWs at auction. To find your
E60 M5s offer cracking value at the moment, but nearest auction house check out:
some have less-than-perfect histories. But not this www.british-car-auctions.co.uk
impeccable 2005/’55-plate black 63k mile example
we spotted at Sutherland Specialist Cars in Somerset. And remember…
In immaculate condition, the spec includes black Always arrive early at car auctions, pick up the sales catalogue and examine the vehicles in the line-up
leather upholstery, heated front seats, TV, Bluetooth, before the bidding starts. In addition to the hammer price, you’ll have to pay a small buyer’s fee. You’ll
cruise control, the optional Light package, sat nav, a need to provide a deposit of at least £500 (in cash or by Maestro or Visa Delta debit card) but the balance
sunroof, adaptive headlights, a six-CD autochanger of the purchase price and the buyer’s fee can be paid via banker’s draft, cash, cheque, telegraphic
and an M Sport rear spoiler. And the full up-to-date transfers, credit or debit card.
service history includes the running-in service. The
asking price for this cherished V10-engined
masterpiece is a very reasonable £16,990. You
Prices paid last month for average condition BMWs at auction
might find cheaper examples, but you won’t find a Model Trim/transmission Year/registration Mileage Price
530i SE Saloon, automatic 2003/’53 106k £2850
better one.
116i SE (five-door), manual 2004/’54 75k £3150
Web: www.sutherlandcars.com
320Cd Sport, manual 2005/’55 97k £3750
Tel: 01275 472252 or 07813 961494
530d Sport Saloon, automatic 2005/’55 104k £6000
530d SE Saloon, automatic 2004/’04 32k £6200
X5 30d Sport, automatic 2004/’04 105k £6450
645Ci Coupé, automatic 2004/’04 59k £7300
X5 30d Sport, automatic 2005/’55 81k £7990
Z4 2.5i SE, automatic 2008/’08 40k £8050
535d Sport Touring, automatic 2005/’05 65k £8400
650i Coupé, automatic 2006/’06 74k £9450
318d M Sport Touring, manual 2011/’60 75k £10,000
X5 30sd M Sport, automatic 2008/’58 55k £18,600
X3 20d SE, automatic 2011/’11 66k £18,900
X6 30d xDrive, automatic 2013/’13 16k £33,150
Prices quoted are hammer prices and will be subject to buyer’s premium

Top three £5000 convertibles

Britain’s love-affair with soft-tops shows no sign of abating. Expect to see convertibles venturing out once again on to UK roads in their thousands over the next few months.
But whilst buyer demand is generally high, you don’t need to spend big. These three sports convertibles will all deliver rewarding wind-in-the-hair motoring for just £5000.

BMW Z3 2.2 SPORT BMW Z4 2.5i BMW ALPINA B3 3.3

ROADSTER (E37) ROADSTER (E85) CABRIOLET (E46)
(2001-2002) (2003 TO 2005) (1999-2002)
Just because your sports car has a straight-six doesn’t Pre-face-lifted 2.5i Z4s are actually pretty good value A rare sight on UK roads, the E46 328i-based Alpina
mean you have to put up with poor fuel economy. at the moment, and with 190hp on tap the 146mph B3 3.3 Switchtronic claims a luxury spec including full
The five-speed M54-engined 2.2-litre Z3 might lack performance is more than quick enough for most. leather with Alpina crest stitching, Alpina body kit,
capacity compared to other models in the range, but £5000 buys a cherished 2003 Sport, or a 2004 SE 18-inch alloys, heated memory seats, cruise control,
still sounds great and packs 168hp at 6100rpm – version, and nearly all examples boast a lower-than- climate control and Bi-Xenon headlights. Also, a
good enough for 7.6secs to 62mph and 139mph and average mileage. Make sure that there are no gaps in substantial 276hp means the B3 takes just 5.5secs to
a parsimonious 30mpg combined fuel economy. the service history though. 62mph and can cruise at 165mph.

Many thanks to John Warren Cars (www.independentbmw.co.uk) for its assistance with BMW Buyer

APRIL 2015 107

108-113 BMWCAR 0415 05/03/2015 16:35 Page 108

FROM THE ARCHIVE

FROM THE ARCHIVE… BMW IN ADVERTS
Another selection of back issues showing what A trio of ads from the 1980s and 1990s featuring
we were up to five, ten and 15 years ago the the 633CSi, E36 M3 and the McLaren F1
April 2010 1984: E24 633CSi
Our main cover story this issue In this American advert BMW’s
concentrated on depreciation-proof copywriters were bemoaning the fact
BMWs – classic icons such as the E30 that there were so few ‘proper’ Grand
M3, Z3 M Coupé, Z1 and the M635CSi. Touring cars left on the market despite
At a push all of these machines could be the proliferation of the GT moniker. It
used on a daily basis and the best thing claimed a Grand Tourer had to have
about them is that they wouldn’t suffer “superlative performance, sumptuous
the sort of rampant depreciation you’d luxury and impeccable styling and
experience with a new car. In the five craftsmanship,” and, according to the
years since we wrote the feature the Z3, advert, only one car remained true to
M3 and M6 have all risen significantly in the legacy of the GT car: the 633CSi.
value with the Z1 seeing a small rise – The ad went on to extol the virtues
it’s odd how the drop-door Roadster of the car’s engine, suspension and
hasn’t really taken off yet as a really comfort and the “construction
collectible BMW. tolerances as fine as 4/100,000ths of
Elsewhere we pitched the new Z4 up an inch.” It left the final word to
against an E85 version and reckoned the latest machine was hugely more refined AutoWeek who summed up the
but perhaps less sporting. We also completed an epic run in a 740d where we 633CSi as such: “The class of the field
pretended to be a captain of industry with a breakfast meeting in London, a lunch in a field of one.”
appointment in Paris and a dinner date back in London. It was a very, very, long
day indeed.
1994: E36 M3 Luxury
April 2005
The big story this month was our first
drive of the ‘de-uglified’ 7 Series which
was a far more handsome machine in
LCI guise than it had been before. Along
with the fresh looks were new engines
and the awkward eight-way iDrive menus
had been replaced with a far more
intuitive system.
The face-lifted Seven wasn’t the only
new car to get the once over as we also
had our first full UK drive of the new E90
320d and while we felt it was visually a
little underwhelming in SE guise we did
reckon it was, “faster, roomier and better
specified, too.”
Ten years ago the E60 535d was the
latest BMW diesel to knock our socks off and just a scant couple of months after
sampling a UK-spec car for the first time we were able to drive DMS’s tuned
example. And what a beast it was! Power rose to 320hp while torque was now a
The M3 Luxury was a US-market trim, chrome interior door handles,
thumping 473lb ft and Dom Holtam, who put the car through its paces on
special that wasn’t marketed cruise control and an OBC. It was
Salisbury Plain, was impressed. “It’s the kind of car that rearranges your internal
anywhere else in the world. It featured marketed as a good way of “forgetting
organs at the same time as your preconceptions,” he wrote. “If DMS’s 330Cd
exclusive Nappa leather upholstery, about the Dow, your clients and
demonstrator is the thinking man’s M3 then this car is the thinking man’s M5.”
M Contour alloys, power seats, Walnut everything else” on your commute.

April 2000 1995: E36 M3 Evo and McLaren F1

This issue was jam-packed with M Power
goodness and we spent ages trying to
decide whether to put the first pictures of
the new E46 M3 on the cover or to stick
with our original plan which was our first
drive of the new Z8. We ended up sitting on
the fence and going with both!
Naturally enough we were hugely
impressed with the Z8 although there were
a couple of minor niggles. We concluded
that: “It looks fabulous, sounds awesome,
goes like a rocket and is genuinely practical.
It’s a shame about the gearshift and other
minor niggles, but they’re not the end of the
world. The only real catch is that heavy
£86,650 price tag.”
That wasn’t the end of the M Power theme though as we also had two more
M-powered machines in the issue, too, but ones that didn’t feature that most
famous of letters in their model designations – the 850CSi and the E30 320iS. We love this advert for its simplicity, slogan reads: “You wait years for an
The E31 was the subject of our Buying Guide while the 320iS had been recently featuring just the 321hp E36 M3 Evo engine to break 100bhp per litre.
imported to the UK and we reckoned it was a very creditable budget E30 M3. and the McLaren F1 with 627hp. The Then two come along together.”

108 BMWcar
108-113 BMWCAR 0415 05/03/2015 16:35 Page 109

TECHNICAL TIPS
Our tame BMW technical expert, Andrew Everett, has a look at some common BMW problems

N46 reliability
By and large, the N46 engine that replaced the N42 in the late
E46 cars is proving to be a bit more reliable than the original
Valvetronic unit. But that’s not to say it will stay that way as it’s
really just that the N46 isn’t as old, yet. Most BMW specialists
agree that to keep this complex unit running well requires
money to be spent on it now whilst it’s still okay and not when
the timing jumps a few teeth and damages something vital.
The most important thing is to replace the timing chain itself,
along with the guide rails and the tensioner plunger – replacing
the lower one is a sump off job and adds to the cost
considerably. The teeth on the crank sprocket and Vanos units
rarely suffer, and replacing the chain and rails now is a very
good plan, especially if it’s done much over 70,000 miles.
Oil changes are also vital – forget the official CBM
(condition-based maintenance) idea, we’d recommend an oil
change with fully synthetic oil every 10,000 miles to prevent
black death and condensation problems. The N42 and N46
engines suffer from this and it can result in a rusty dipstick as
well as rust on the eccentric shaft. You’ll know when the
eccentric shaft is toast because the car will misfire at idle but
smooth-out over 1200rpm… an MoT fail on emissions. As well
as this, it’s worth also fitting a new crankshaft sensor (genuine
BMW only) as well as replacing the oil seals on the brake
vacuum pump and the cam cover gasket to keep it oil-tight. To
do all this would cost around £650 but on an E90 or late E46
with some value, it’s money well spent.

Tailgate wiring
When the tailgate wiring on the E34 Touring started to gain a reputation for
breaking around 20 years ago, you would have thought that BMW would have
used a different system next time round. But it didn’t, and the E39 Touring that
replaced it in early 1997 had just the same arrangement, namely a thick wad of
wires that go from the top of the roof at that back into the tailgate.
It must have seemed like a good idea until, after being weakened by the
tailgate opening and closing, a wire breaks, followed by others. This is a real pain
to fix. Unfortunately BMW even repeated the setup on the E61 Touring. This is a
pretty big job to fix and on the E61 it can play havoc with various modules in the
CANBUS system.
Look at other cars, namely GM and VW type stuff and they have a different
system, one where the wires in the body terminate at the roof or base of the rear
door aperture with a wide plastic bit of trim with several brass contacts. These
make contact with spring-loaded brass pins in the tailgate so that when the tailgate
is shut, there is power for the wiper motor, tailgate lights and so on. That system
isn’t perfect but it sure is a lot easier to fix and we think that it might be a good
idea to get some bits from a breakers yard and do this as a permanent fix.

Auto ’box maintenance

Much is made these days of changing the oil in an automatic gearbox. But there are some things to
consider. Take the oil in an engine, for example. Not only does it get searingly hot, it also has to absorb
condensation as well as nasty by-products from combustion that inevitably escape past the rings. By
10,000 or 15,000 miles it’s in a vile state and the engine certainly won’t stand you leaving the same oil
in there for 100,000 miles.
Gearbox oil, though, is different. Yes, it gets hot but nowhere near as hot as engine oil and it only has
to deal with particles from the clutch friction discs. Unlike the old red stuff used 20 or 30 years ago,
modern fully synthetic auto ’box oil is magic stuff. When was the last time anyone heard of an autobox
that was slipping? We’re not saying that autoboxes don’t wear out any more but these days it’s more
breakage of an internal part that renders an autobox useless than good old wear and tear. On the E46
and E39 it was either a reverse or a forward brake drum that would split, resulting in sudden and total
loss of drive. On E60s, and others with the six-speed ’box with mechatronics, it was either an oil leak from
the sump gasket or the sealer between the two halves on the valve block failing that would ruin the
gearbox. None of these were in any way related to the oil itself, and we’ve all heard of BMWs with over
200,000 miles and the original ’box works just fine. Opinion differs on whether you should change the
oil. We think that dropping the sump, replacing the filter screen and topping up with fresh oil won’t hurt,
but we have every sympathy with those who stick to the ’if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ mantra. The highest
mileage we have seen is 240,000 miles on a 2006 E60 520d minicab and, as it purred through Sheffield
after a good night out, it all seemed okay to me.

APRIL 2015 109

108-113 BMWCAR 0415 05/03/2015 16:35 Page 110

TECHNICAL TIPS
F10 front
suspension clonk
The F10 of 2010 was the first BMW to stray from McPherson front struts
since the New Class range of 1962. Instead it uses top and bottom
wishbones with a long coilover type front shock absorber and spring unit
and, by and large, it works okay although it’s not clear why BMW went
this route. However, according to a mate at Sytners, a few owners have
complained that the car makes a noise from the front suspension over
speed bumps and the like, a faint knocking noise that sounds for all the
world like a knackered ball joint or damper. Some owners have been
told that ’they all do that’ when, no, they don’t and they shouldn’t; this is
a £30k-plus car, not an old Sierra. We’ve found out via an internet forum
that BMW has apparently introduced a revised front damper and fitting
this to affected cars has provided a cure. If your dealer won’t play ball
then be aware that other firms make dampers for the F10 and F11 now.
For example, Euro Car Parts supply Boge Sachs front struts for £150
each and Sachs is about as good as you get.
Another issue with these are the lower front ball joints. Due to the
suspension design the joint is always loaded so that even when the car
is up off the ground, the old trick of moving the wheel in all directions
won’t reveal it; you need to get in there with a long bar and tweak the
suspension arm up and down. My main dealer contact tells me that
these ball joints are becoming a common casualty at high mileage.
However, stick to a known quality brand, such as Febi, and new control
arms can be had for around £80 for the upper one and £100 for the
lower one.

E39 bargains
It doesn’t seem long ago that the E39 was new but, in fact, they were officially
announced at the end of 1995 – almost 20 years ago. They were lauded as about the
best car you could buy at any price and we certainly enjoyed the inevitable 520i or 520d
(not sold in the UK) hire cars courtesy of Sixt in Germany. The first one I drove was in
December 2001. It was on display in the lobby of Hamburg airport, and could be rented
for about £40 a day! The silver 2001 520i (the 2.2) in absolutely basic steel wheel-spec
with black cloth trim felt like the quality item it was and it dealt with snowy, wintery
autobahns with disdain. They were so good that nobody could ever find any real
weakness. Now, of course, they are old cars with the newest one being 12 years old.
That means its great value. Forget your 530i Sports for a minute, I just found a 2003
520i ES in Topaz blue with 190,000 miles for £895 – and you know it’ll be fine.
Problems? The autoboxes are becoming a bit of a lottery now; bootlids and sills around
the lifting eyes rust; radiators and water pumps need close scrutiny; and from ’99 models
onwards, ABS units (both ASC and DSC) fail – as do headlight adjusters, Touring rear air
suspension (converting to coils is so easy) and other minor stuff. In many ways the E60
that followed is more robust and reliable but the E39 was such a good old bus – but
they are just at that age now where to own one you need to be useful with spanners.

E46 boot floor cracks… again

Recently I had a 1999 323i E46 saloon in with a cracked boot floor. Unlike
an E46 M3, a V-plate 323i isn’t worth the expense of dropping the rear
axle out or even a plate kit but there is a way to do a half decent strong
repair if you’re handy with a MIG welder.
Why does the boot floor crack? Well, the boot floor is triple-skinned in
this area and in between the two lower skins is a small lump of thick steel
with the threaded nut section that the axle bolt screws into. This is spot
welded to the first and second skins with two or three spots. When the
welds that secure this lump to the middle skin fail, it’s unsupported and
pulls through the lower skin. How did we fix it? First we welded up the
visible cracks from underneath, easy with the exhaust rear box removed.
Then we pulled out the boot carpets and cut a hole in the boot floor
above the mounting lump. Not sure where it is? Unscrew the mounting
bolt, pass a long screwdriver up through the mount and give it a whack
with a hammer – this puts a dimple in the floor so you know where to cut.
With the small section chopped out you can see the broken spot welds so
seam weld them back together. On this 323i my mate welded another
reinforcing plate on top before welding the hole above the mounting lug
shut again. Grind off the welds, use some seam sealer and a bit of metallic
green from Halfords – job done in two hours with added strength. In other
words, unless you address the broken-away threaded mounting lug,
welding plates from underneath isn’t really the best cure.

110 BMWcar
Project1 05/03/2015 16:39 Page 111

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108-113 BMWCAR 0415 05/03/2015 16:35 Page 112

SPECIALIST ROUND-UP
F10 brake pads
and electronic handbrakes
Someone, somewhere thought that the electronic handbrake (EPB) was a great idea but I
can’t say I’m a fan as I never had an issue with a simple lever between the seats.
However, the original versions, as first seen on the 2001 E65 and later on by the Vauxhall
Insignia, used a system where there is a big motor in the transmission tunnel that pulls
on a pair of handbrake cables. The rear callipers were standard issue and the handbrake
still used the shoes inside the disc.
However, starting with the F10 5 Series in 2010, BMW is now using the VW type
system with electronic handbrake motors inside the callipers. These little motors whizz
around at around 100 revolutions in a couple of seconds to clamp the pads against the
rear discs. Great idea, but it means that to change the rear brake pads is no longer 30
minutes work on the drive like it used to be; no, you now need software to hold the
handbrake pistons away as well as a special three-pronged tool to wind back the pistons
fully. Try it without the software on a laptop with the relevant leads and chances are the
car will power the callipers pistons fully out against the disc with the pads not fitted –
nightmare. So you can’t do it yourself now and a garage will charge you around £120
plus VAT to do a job that used to cost about £30 or £40. At the front, the sliding pins
now need a 9mm Allen key, not the 7mm it used to be. You’ll also find most Allen key
sets go from 8 to 10mm.

Dual mass flywheels

I was speaking to a BMW specialist a while back about dual mass
flywheels and they agreed that the one that was causing most grief
was the M47 2.0d. The old five-speed manuals weren’t too bad but
the one that really gives trouble is the unit as fitted to six-speed
manuals – that’s the post-2003 E46 320d, the 118d, the 120d, the
E90, and the E60 – fitted with that engine and box.
The BMW price is like something from Disneyland but these days
the likes of Euro Car Parts do the flywheel for (a still eye-watering)
£342 and it’s the same LuK part as the original. Most specialists
won’t change a clutch now without doing the flywheel as they’re
almost always knackered, and you also need the special tools to
remove the clutch cover if you’re going to reuse it. These are self-
adjusting covers and once removed without the tool to lock the bits
in place it’s a pain to reset it.
I know what you’re thinking: what was wrong with the old type
clutch that just got heavier as it came to the end of its life? But
running with a knackered rattling flywheel is a bad idea. Said
specialist had a 320d in with a knocking sound from the back of the
engine and it was thought to be terminal flywheel failure. It was
indeed completely goosed, and when all fitted up with a new
flywheel and clutch, it still made the knocking sound. Turns out that
the crank had fractured and was about to snap completely – that
was an expensive clutch change. Don’t be tempted by a solid
flywheel conversion either as these cranks are designed to run with a
DMF to absorb the cycle of vibrations and solid flywheel conversions
are known to snap them.

Cheap radiators – don’t do it!

Dave at Parkside Garage in Worksop (01909 506555) is never
bothering with cheap radiators again. These are the ones that are the
budget types with a short German sounding name sold by various
parts specialists and motor factors. Similar rads can be found on eBay,
too. Don’t bother. On the old pre-1998 type cars where the hoses
were secured by jubilee type worm drive clips you can sometimes get
away with it. But on the 1998 onwards cars with the push fit hoses
with the steel clip that snaps the hose into position, they are invariably
a waste of time.
These hoses require the plastic rad stubs to be a perfect fit so that
with a bit of grease on the O-ring in the hose end, they slide on and
snap shut. But Dave has found that the stubs on the radiator are just
that bit too small. “You fit the rad, snap the hoses on and fill with
coolant. But when the hoses are moved around, coolant just drips out.
They cost us time to fit and they’re not worth the bother,” he said.
Moral of the story? Whilst a new rad from BMW may be too pricey,
that’s not to say one from the likes of Nissen, Valeo or Behr will be too
dear, so have a look at these options.

112 BMWcar
108-113 BMWCAR 0415 05/03/2015 16:36 Page 113

NEXT MONTH

Next Month
Driving the face-lifted Six

Plus
New 1 Series tested ● Right-hand drive E30 M3 ● Street sleeper – M3 powered E28 5 Series
● New X6 xDrive30d ● Highly tuned 135i ● South African E12/28 5 Series

May 2015 issue available to download 13 April and in the shops 16 April
(Contents subject to change)

APRIL 2015 113

114 BMWCAR 0415 04/03/2015 11:23 Page 114

BMW CONCEPTS

BMW CONCEPTS:
The cars they could have made

For a car that was first penned on paper over four decades ago the
Turbo Concept has stood the test of time remarkably well…
n a time when BMW was still busy producing the

I
when many European car manufacturers were protect the occupants. Most impressive of all was the
2002, can you imagine the stir this would have experimenting with aerodynamics, the E25 appeared radar-based braking distance monitor.
caused when it was first unveiled back in 1972? to be BMW’s test mule. Its wedge-shaped profile and Inside the car the layout was positively futuristic,
Launched to celebrate the Olympics in Munich that low-slung front end complete with new-age pop-up featuring a strip-type speedo in front of the driver and,
year, the Turbo Concept, known as the E25, was headlights ensured it looked like a car from the future. unusually, a rev counter and other additional displays
built on a modified 2002 chassis although it actually Some pictures of the car also showed the rear wheels mounted to the right-hand side of the driver in the
looked much larger in pictures. The four-cylinder, enclosed to further improve the aerodynamics. It was centre console. To the left was the advanced LED-
turbocharged engine that powered it was also a quirky package, too. The extravagant gullwing doors based warning system.
borrowed from a 2002 Turbo but, like a true sports pivoted from the centre of the roof with large BMW apparently used the car for extensive
car, it was mid-mounted and connected to a manual supporting struts and the at the back the whole rear aerodynamic development and a second working
gearbox. It was also tweaked to produce a respectable clam structure raised as one to reveal both the engine prototype was produced. Although it never went any
276hp which allowed for sprightly performance; and a small loading area at the very tail end of the car. further it’s clear the E25 had a huge influence in the
62mph came in just 6.6 seconds, enough to rival the It was finished in a period perfect fade-in paint job design of the M1, which followed some years later.
offerings from both Ferrari and Porsche at the time. with a matching set of deep-dish wheels. The front end is nigh-on identical to the 1978 M car,
Top speed was also an impressive 155mph but this As a concept car, the E25 wasn’t just a styling although the M1 was actually squarer. A lot of the
was long before an electronic limit was introduced. exercise either. It was packed with new, innovative other quirky traits, such as the doors, were toned
However, it was the styling that undoubtedly made features for its time. The front and rear bumper down though. It’s a shame as 1970s supercars have a
the biggest impact and the Turbo Concept ticked off sections were filled with impact-absorbing foam and reputation for wackiness, and the E25 Turbo Concept
plenty of the typical 1970s styling traits. In a time there were also revolutionary side impact bars to certainly had that ●

114 BMWcar
115 BMWCAR 0415 05/03/2015 09:42 Page 115

YOU WON’T SPOT OUR WORK EVEN

IF YOU GET AS CLOSE AS THE VAN DID.
YOU CAN DENY ALL KNOWLEDGE OF A SCUFF OR ANY OTHER DAMAGE
TO YOUR BMW, BY VISITING A BMW APPROVED BODYSHOP.
We’ve all had them: those heart-sinking moments when you feel the mirror making contact.
Thankfully you can deny all knowledge of any damage with a visit to your BMW Approved Bodyshop.
Using innovative BMW repair techniques, they will return your car to its original condition and your
conscience will be clear again.

To find your local BMW Approved Bodyshop for a quote or more information,
visit www.bmw.co.uk/bodyshop or call 08000 834 395

BMW Approved
Bodyshop
116 BMWCAR 0415 05/03/2015 09:44 Page 116

A WARM WELCOME.
BMW TRAINED TECHNICIANS.
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GENUINE BMW PARTS.

YOU NAME IT.

WE NAMED IT.
BMW VALUE SERVICE.

£179
OIL AND MICROFILTER SERVICE.
FOR SELECTED BMW 1 SERIES MODELS*,
FOUR YEARS AND OLDER.

For more information, simply enter your vehicle registration

at www.bmw-service.co.uk