Tom Purvis, Chairman and CEO of BMW North America visited with us to expound on the laurels of the BMW 1 Series, destined to be a hit on our shores.
The 1 Series has been in production in Europe since 2002. The automaker is looking to fit the 1 Series in-between the Mini Cooper and the 3 Series.
Better yet in addition to the coupe, which will be on sale in March, a covertable is ready to come off the production line just in time for summer driving with an end of May release. Purvis announced that the convertible will start at $33,875 for the 128i model and $39,875 for the 135i model. Continue reading →
Spy photogs across the sea continue to spot various camo versions of the anticipated BMW V series, the German automakers salvo aimed at the fellow Deutschland rival Mercedes R Class.
The boys over at Fast Lane Daily invaded the SEMA show this week with gusto and came out with some killer content. First off, the super sweet Ashley Van Dyke has her way with Chip Foose and learn a little TV show secret. Next up, friend of The Garage, Alex Roy talks video games with the inspirational Alex Zanardi, who uses real world knowledge to take advantage of Grand Tourismo. You gotta give Herr Roy credit for asking some less than typical questions. To finish things off, Matt Farah from the New York Motor Club learns about the incredible Hartge M5 powered BMW M3 from Herbert Hartge.
No, The Garage isn’t turning into a place to flog used up cars, but this gem is just too good to be ignored. Friend of The Garage Kaz, has decided it’s time to part ways with his absolutely mint 1988 BMW M3. Now Kaz will tell you the car isn’t perfect. This doesn’t fit, that little thing isn’t right. He’s being modest. This is one of the nicest E30 M3’s we’ve seen in a long time. For those who don’t remember, this is the original M3, the car that redefined sports sedan. A truly track worthy production car that owes more to it’s racing cousins than it’s road going counterparts. With a harsh ride and a lumpy idle, there is no mistaking that these cars were bred to go fast. For the collector, this car is a prime example of BMW’s Eighties track dog.
If you are interested, you can reach Kaz at 88.bmw.m3@gmail.com and talk turkey.
So you want to set a transcontinental driving record huh? Thought you’d just gas up the car, grab some maps and drive like hell did ya? Well, that might have worked in the early days when Brock Yates organized the Cannonball Baker Sea to Shining Sea Memorial Run, but it won’t cut the mustard in today’s world. North American police forces are equipped with some pretty serious high tech stuff, all aimed at making sure you won’t succeed in setting that record.
The modern record chaser has to put some serious thought into car prep, otherwise it will just be a joy ride. In the video after the break, Alex Roy outlines all the upgrades that were made to the infamous M5 Interceptor. Everything you see was absolutely necessary. Well, ok maybe the lights were there for show, but aren’t flashing lights a good thing? Continue reading →
BMW’s M3 has become somewhat of an icon over the years and body styles. Classy and cool, it is as happy doing time in civil duties as it is kicking butt at lapping days. With over 400 hp on tap, the current model is fast like nobody’s business. Nobody’s business that is unless we’re talking about the ultra rare, ultra expensive Bugatti Veyron.
In this video, we see an M3 driver heat things up with a bit of smoky drifting before lining up beside the Veyron. The M3 gets a head start. The Bug does to the M3, what the M3 would do to a Pinto. It’s almost shocking.
While taking photos of Marcus Glarner’s BMW M1 twins, I decided to take a quick video to see what the new camera is capable of. This is my first attempt at making a video with the new camera. I was very happy with the result, the sound is killer and the picture is crystal clear. Until that it it is uploaded to youtube and the compression messed up the images a bit. Apparently I have some learning to do! Maybe we’ll ship this off to Editblog for some fixing.
Canadian fans of the classic Mini Clubman rejoice, for MINI has released most of the details you want about the new MINI Clubman that is coming to our shores. Taking the friendly face, style and performance that MINI owners love and mix in a bit of utility and you’ve got what looks like it will be a winning package. Continue reading →
It seems we’ve hit a popular topic with the combination of Manfred Winklehock and the BMW M1. West Coast contributor, Gary Faules spent some time poking around Youtube last night and came up with a few choice vids of the man and one of his steeds in action.
First up, we have the super scary crash where Manfred’s Formula 2 car takes flight off a rise at the old Nurburgring. Remember that once the car begins to roll, it’s going through fencing. To give you an idea of how close this could have been, watch the visor on his helmet as he exits the car. He obviously caught the fence in his face.
