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PresidentRoger [email protected]
Vice PresidentLance [email protected]
SecretaryEvie [email protected]
Club Activities 3Motorsports 6Motorsports 2000 9Teknik 13
Stalls 14M Formation 16Classified Marketplace 20
May 2000
Volume 30No. 5
TreasurerBill [email protected]
MembershipTom [email protected]
Roster ManagerGreg [email protected]
Zündfolge EditorsLucetta & David LightfootSee Info at Left Column
BOARD OF DIRECTORS Please limit phone calls to these volunteers to between the hours of 9am and 9pm.
Driving EventsJacqueline [email protected]
BanquetRick [email protected]
Concours d’EleganceChris [email protected]
Tour CoordinatorKarl [email protected]
Web Site CoordinatorDale [email protected]
Past PresidentStephen [email protected]
INHALT
KALENDER
Club Websitewww.bmwaca.org
Zündfolge Staff
Editors-In-ChiefLucetta and David Lightfoot2641 39th Ave. W.Seattle, WA 98199206 282-2641Fax 206 [email protected]
Production EditorWilliam Linder
Editor EmeritusDenny Organ
ColumnistsThomas B. NastGreg Mierz
How to JoinTo join the Puget Sound BMWClub please send a check for$25 payable to BMW ACA. Mailit to BMW ACA, P.O. Box 1259,Bellevue, WA. 98009. Includeyour name, address, phonenumber(s), e-mail address andBMWs owned. Please see the club’sweb site (http://www.BMWACA.org)for full benefits of membership.
Postal NoticeZündfolge is published monthlyby the BMW ACA Puget SoundRegion. Office of Publication:2641 39th Ave. West, Seattle,WA 98199. USPS publicationnumber 715250. Subscriptionsare $10 annually (available onlyas part of the $25 membershipfee). Periodicals postage paid atSeattle, WA Postmaster, sendaddress changes to:
ZündfolgePO Box 1259Bellevue, WA 98009
BoilerplateThis magazine is the monthlypublication of the BMW ACA,Puget Sound Region, and remainsits property. All informationfurnished herein is provided by themembership for members only.Ideas, suggestions and opinions,technical or otherwise, are thoseof the authors, without authen-tication by or liability to theeditors or the Club.
Zündfolge design and layout byPaulette Eickman 206.283.1423
May 3Board Meeting at the home of Karl Seeger, 4220 204th Avenue N.E. inRedmond. Call Karl at (425) 868-2027 or email him at Karl@nwlinkcom fordriving directions. Please note the change to Wednesday night.
May 13Ladies Only Tech Session hosted by Car Tender.
May 19Deadline for the June Zündfolge.
June 1Board Meeting hosted by Bill and Chris Linder, 3903 Cambridge Courtin Kent. Call Bill or Chris at (253) 859-5620 or email [email protected] fordriving directions.
June 430th Anniversary Party—Come celebrate 30 years of the Club.
June17, 18Wine Tour to the Yakima Valley.
June 24New Members’ Party at Bison Creek Pizza; despite the name, this is Seattle’smotorsports restaurant/bar.
June 25Tech Session for the first generation M3 fans, hosted by Strictly BMW.
July 1, 2, 3Club Corral at the Historic Races at SIR.
July 22Concours d’Elegance on Saturday at Robinswood Park in Bellevue.
Names
Address
Phone No. Home ( ) Work ( )
Please make checks payable to BMW ACA. Send $15 per person to Lightfoots,2641 39th Avenue West, Seattle, WA 98199
This month’scover featuresthe drivers andcar of the BMWWilliams F1Team. Standingis the numberone driver, RalfSchumacher,
24. Seated in the car is the youngwunderkind, Jenson Button, 20.The car is a Williams chassis with aBMW V10 engine. For more onBMW’s return to Formula 1 see thismonth’s feature article.
30th Anniversary PartySunday, June 4 – 11:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.Jasmine Thai and Chinese Cuisine
On June 4, 2000, the Club will be 30years old, to the day. The first organiza-tional meeting was held on June 4, 1970at Lum’s Restaurant in Bellevue. Althoughit is no longer called Lum’s, the restaurantis still there. It is now called Jasmine Thaiand Chinese Cuisine. We have the entirerestaurant booked to celebrate the Club’s30th anniversary.
We will have on display photos ofactivities over the last 30 years includingsome of the early days of the Club. Wealso plan to have some of the membersfrom the early days talk to the groupabout the Club’s beginnings. Of course, itwill also be a chance for newer membersto gain an understanding and appreciationof the Club’s history.
The restaurant will be providing abuffet of Chinese and Thai food. Advance
registration is required for this event. Thecost is $15 per person which includesfood and a souvenir commemorating the30 year anniversary. And a special dealfor charter members; you get in free!Jasmine Thai and Chinese Cuisine islocated at 10713 Main Street in down-town Bellevue. There is plenty of parkingbehind the restaurant.
We will also have a special display of1970 and earlier BMWs out in front ofthe restaurant. They are all cars thatexisted when the Club was formed. Andwho knows? Maybe they were there 30years ago.
So, whether you’ve been a memberfor 30 years or for 30 days, come join us.This will be a fun event that only occursevery 30 years!
David and Lucetta Lightfoot, Event Chairs206-282-2641, [email protected]
Plans are firming up for a great day totalk M3s! First generation E30 M3s thatis. The only M3 built for homologationpurposes. Plan on coming out to learnmore about your special car. We’ll havethem up on racks to learn about themfrom all angles. We’ll even pop a valvecover off an engine and do a littleAnatomy 101 of the top end of thespecial engine in the E30 M3. You’llquickly see why you don’t want to blowone of these beauties!
Some have asked, “Lance, I’d sure liketo learn about the car, but don’t actuallyown an E30 M3 – do I need to buy onebefore June 25th so I can show up?”Well, even though I encourage everyoneto own an E30 M3 sometime in theirlifetime, current ownership is notrequired to attend this event. But becareful! The curves on this car areseductive!
For those that are not bashful, we’ll goaround the horn at Strictly BMW and leteveryone do a little show and tell. Evenif you just want to say “Here’s my M3, itis red and I love it…”
So whether you are red, white, silveror black (the four colors the M3 camein)… put down Sunday, June 25th at 10AM on your busy summer calendar andwe’ll see you at Strictly BMW inBellevue!
Full details and a map will be in theJune Zündfolge – or check out the clubweb site. Please contact Lance Richert at(206) 850-4663 or [email protected] RSVP!
E30 M3 Tech Sessionat Strictly BMW!
Sunday, June 2510 a.m. to noon
Ladies’ Tech SessionSaturday, May 13-10 a.m. to noon
Last call for theLadies’ TechSession on May13th, 10 a.m. to
noon at Car Tender. Find out how tochange a flat tire; where is that jack? Mycar won’t start, now what? Isn’t all gas thesame? Is that noise from my car?… Cometo the Ladies’ Tech Session to find outabout your car. Learn the answers to theabove questions and much more includingchecking fluid levels, air and tread depth;replacing fuses, wipers and batteries.Become confident discussing basic BMWcare with a mechanic.
We plan about a two hour session witha Q/A period at the end. You may bringyour husband if you’ll be more comfort-able with him there, but unescorted malesare not allowed! We look forward to
seeing you at Car Tender, located onCapitol Hill in Seattle at 1706 12thAvenue. Please RSVP with me so I can letour host know how many to expect.
Lucetta Lightfoot [email protected]
2 engines with great success. That history continued.We will talk more next month about the amazing success of
the E30 M3 racing program. For now let us reflect on the M3as a road car. Unlike some other manufacturers, BMW did notchoose to provide a racecar in a box, unassembled, withoutinstructions. Indeed, the cars were available in Europe with along list of options. U.S. spec. cars came “loaded.” On this sideof the pond our M3 remained essentially the same throughoutthe ’88 to ’91 production run. In Europe, however, the demands
of competition spawnedseveral evolution modelsculminating with the evolu-tion III, a 2.5-liter producing238 horsepower.
Initial response to theE30 M3 was mixed. Somemotoring journalists foundthe car “too stiff” or “harsh”or “buzzy.” Others com-plained of a “boy racer” lookthat was inappropriate in the
corporate parking lot. In the U.S, buyers balked at paying wellover thirty thousand dollars for a car that was only marginallyquicker in every day use than the 325is. No one, though,found the car lacking when driven at the limits. Here the raceheritage, agility and awesome handling won over the mostjaded hack. And, as the cars made their way into the used carmarket and became more affordable, they began to take on acult following.
Today it is not unusual to see an E30 M3 with 150,000miles or more being driven to work, the grocery store andespecially to the track. Among BMW enthusiasts it has takenits place next to the 2002 Tii and E36 M3 as the car most likelyto fill the role of daily driver and weekend track warrior.
Next month, the racing accomplishments of the E30 M3.
The club’s annual concours d’elegance is coming up July22nd and this year we will feature the first generation M3 asour centerpiece. BMW’s M cars have developed a reputation,starting with the M1, as the ultimate form of the “ultimatedriving machine”. Unlike the M1, though, the other M carshave been based on a broader product line and meant to beusable as everyday transportation.
The first M3, based on the second generation 3 Seriesplatform, was conceived and produced as a “homologationspecial,” meaning it was builtto a minimum production runof 5,000 cars to satisfy theFIA rule for production-based racecars. In the earlyeighties, BMW was lookingfor a way to replace the agingCSL, a nd the 6 Series wasproving to be too heavy tocompete with the Mercedes,Alfa and Ford offerings.Enter engine magician PaulRosche and engineer Thomas Ammerschlager with thetask of taking the existing E30 platform and producing a roadcar that could be sold to the demanding German motor enthusi-ast and also compete successfully in the various Europeantouring car championships.
The result was a basic 3 Series two-door with upgradedsuspension, bigger brakes, wheels and tires, fender flares tofit those tires, and spoilers to keep the whole thing glued tothe autobahn at warp speeds. At the heart of every great BMW,though, is the engine. After considering the small six, thedevelopment team deemed it too limited in potential. Theychose instead to take what amounted to two thirds of the M635engine, sized at 2.3 liters. The double overhead cam and four-valve-per-cylinder layout had been used in the M1 and formula
E30 M3, An Evolution
Take a perfect July dayin the Northwest, throw inlush green grass coveredwith scores of BMWs andwhat do you have? The 20thAnnual BMW ACA Concoursd’Elegance and BMW HeritagePicnic. This is the biggestfamily event the Club holdsall year. What a great way tospend a day with the familyand get to talk with otherBMW enthusiasts.
This year’s event will beheld at Robinswood Park inBellevue (just off the Eastgateexit on I-90 and across thestreet from Bellevue Commu-nity College). The date is
Saturday, July 22, 2000. Thegates open at 9:30 a.m. withjudging beginning at 11:00.
The featured model forthis year’s event is the E30M3. This car will be judgedin a class by itself. Also, theConcours Committee hasdecided to change the wayall cars are judged this year.This event has grown so muchover the past few years thatwe believe a new systemneeds to be implemented.We will be separating thecars into more classes andgrouping those classes intoproduction years. In additionto the class awards, we will
still be presenting trophies forthe Entrants’ Choice, Best ofShow, and The Peoples’ Choiceawards. But if any of you feelas my husband and I do, thatyour car is wonderful andpretty clean (of course, myhusband doesn’t think it is asclean as it should be but thenagain he is true BMW enthu-siast and I don’t think it couldever be clean enough for him)but don’t want to enter it to bejudged, then enter it in thedisplay area. This way youparticipate in the Concoursand keep your sanity.
Just a few more things tolet you know about this event.
by Chris Linder2000 Concours d’EleganceThere will be a coloringcontest for the children(prizes awarded). RobinswoodPark is bigger, has moreparking, a picnic area, a playarea for children, a duckpond, and real restrooms. (Forthose who have never been tothe event, this is a real treat.I think it has been about tenyears since we have held theConcours at a venue with realrestrooms.) I have to say Ithink this is one of the bestevents the Club puts on allyear for families and I hopeyou will come out and see foryourself what a fun day canbe had for all.
by Bill Spornitz
Rally Interest
Wine TourThe first tour planned for this year will be a Yakima Valley
Wine Tasting Tour. The date is set for June 17 and 18. We planon visiting five wineries on Saturday and three on Sunday. Thiswill be oriented toward a “novice” tasting, so new and old winetasters alike are encouraged to attend. If you haven’t had a chanceto sample Eastern Washington’s wines, now is your chance!
I have a deal with the Shilo Conference Hotel in Richland.They are going to hold ten rooms at a group rate of $79 for asingle King and $69 for a single Queen room. This will be forthe night of June 17th. For reservations call (509) 946-4661and be sure to say you are with the “BMW ACA Group.”
Contact me if you’re interested in joining us.Karl Seeger, BMW ACA Tour Coordinator
[email protected], 425-868-2027 (Evenings 4-9)
Come out and join your fellow BMW Club members thisyear at the 12th Annual Pacific Northwest Historics at SIR,July 1-3, 2000. The BMW Club will once again participatein the Car Corral. If you enjoyed the cars you saw at the VRMmeeting this March, come out to the Historics and see manyof the same types of cars race.
The Pacific Northwest Historics features many of theworld’s rarest and most beautiful pre-1970 race cars. Thisyear’s featured marque is Alfa Romeo. All proceeds from theHistorics benefit the uncompensated care program atChildren’s Hospital and Regional Medical Center in Seattle.
With three days of racing this year, more members will beable to participate in the corral. Each car club is limited to 20cars each day. To participate in our corral you must register andpay $15 per day in advance. This $15 covers the car and driver.At the gate, each passenger (but not the driver) will be charged$20. Children are less. The BMW corral has always had awaiting list in the past, so sign up early to secure a place foryour BMW in the car corral.
Again this year there will be judging of the cars in thecorral. Corral cars must be parked in the corral between 8:00and 10:00 am each day. Corral participants are invited to takepart in a parade lap of SIR during lunch each day. We willagain have a tent in the BMW corral to answer questions aboutthe club. We are looking for club volunteers to help for an houror so in the BMW tent. If you are interested in helping the clubplease indicated this on the registration form. To register, fill inthe Registration Form and send it with a check. If you have anyquestions, please call Lucetta Lightfoot at 206-282-2641.
Name
Address
Phone No. Home ( ) Work ( )
Year/Model/Color of BMW you’ll be driving:
Volunteer in the BMW tent? ❑ yes ❑ no
Saturday, July 1st @$15
Sunday, July 2nd @$15
Monday, July 3rd @$15
Total enclosed:
Please make checks payable to BMW ACA. Send checks toLucetta Lightfoot, 2641 39th Avenue West, Seattle, WA 98199
Pacific Northwest Histories RegistrationJuly 1-3, 2000
Pacific Northwest HistoricsThe “Car Club Challenge” rally scheduled for the 8th of Julyhas unfortunately been canceled due to the organizer taking anew job and not being available to continue working on theevent. This is very unfortunate since there seemed to be somereal interest among our members. Members interested inrallying should check out the Northwest Rally Council site athttp://www.teamhightower.com/nwrc/ for more information ontheir upcoming events. The “Friday Nighter” series is held thesecond Friday of each month and is a great way to get into theaction. As I hear of new events I will keep you all posted!
Karl Seeger, BMW ACA Tour [email protected], 425-868-2027 (Evenings 4-9)
MOTOR SPORTS 2000 DrivingEvents Calendar
May5 BMW ACA High Performance
Drivers’ School at BremertonRaceway.
5 BMW ACA, Portland Lapping Day
7 BMW ACA Second Day of HighPerformance Driver’s School atSeattle International Raceway.Novice drivers only.
30 BMW ACA Lapping Dayat Laguna Seca Raceway
June10 Portland’s Tri-Club Day (BMW,
Porsche, Alfa)
10 Alfa Romeo Lapping Day at SIR.
July19 Alfa Romeo Lapping Day at SIR.
23 BMW ACA Lapping Day atSeattle International Raceway.
August19, 20 BMW CCA, Spokane Lapping Days
25 BMW ACA, Portland Lapping Day
27 BMW ACA Lapping Day atSeattle International Raceway.
October22 BMW ACA High Performance
Drivers’ School at BremertonRaceway.
CONTACTS:Alfa Romeo Club—Thomas Moll, Competi-tion Director NWARC, http://welcome.to/nwarc,[email protected], 206-933-3021 They haveone lapping day a month from April until Sep-tember. Plus two driving schools, one in earlyMarch and one in late October.
BMW ACA, Portland—Greg Meythaler,[email protected] or Bill Buchanan,425-402-9252 or [email protected]
BMW CCA, Spokane—Scott Adare,[email protected], 509-468-6502 (W),509-466-6731 (H)
Conference (ICSCC) 2000 Race Dates:www.icscc.com
A reminder for those of you thinkingabout going to Laguna Seca for ourlapping day on May 30th. The availablespaces are filling fast, please send inyour registration form now to insure youget a spot. Think of the fun you’ll have ifyou plan the trip now — golf, winery
Laguna Seca Trip Filling Fast!! by Ken Hill
Name Mem #
Address
Phone No. Home ( ) Work ( )
Year & Model Car
Number & Types of Previous Track Events
Have you driven Laguna Seca before? ❑ Yes ❑ No
When? Why?
Driving Level: Novice I II III Instructor (Circle One)
Driving Goals
Driver and Vehicle: $150 Additional Drivers: Add $50Equipment Transported: $30, Non-members, Add $25
Total Amount Enclosed $
Checks payable to BMW ACA. Mail to: Ken Hill, PO Box 3314, Bellevue, WA 98009.
April 7th was a great day to be inPortland. Sunny skies, warm temps, andlots of lapping to go around made for avery fun day! About 20 members of thePuget Sound Club made the pilgrimage,from first timers on up to High Perfor-mance drivers.
For you intermediate and advanceddrivers, we have another Portland lappingday on May 5th, and although that con-flicts with our driving school, if you wouldlike to go down then email me with yourname and address and I will send you aregistration to go down. Portland likes toget them in about a week before the eventto get a good idea of how many to plan for.
The big Portland Tri-Club day will beJune 10th. This is a very popular dayshared by both BMW clubs, the Porscheclub and the Alfa club. There should beroom for many of us to attend, but we needto get registrations in soon for that one asthere will be many of us going. It is alsothe only one they schedule on a Saturday
tours, scenic by-ways, California sun,and the opportunity to drive the track oftracks! If you didn’t attend our lastmigration south you owe it to yourself totry and make time for it this year.
Please, if you have any questions,don’t hesitate to call me at 425-882-6725or email me at [email protected].
Portland Lapping Daysso it is a good chance for many of you togo who can’t make the Friday or Mondaylapping days down there! I will try to haveregistration forms by the May drivingschool, but you can email me as well.
I have information on lodging I cansend you if you are interested. I hear theOxford Suites just up the road from thetrack is a very nice place to stay! I alsohave videos of the track if you want to geta preview! To be sure everyone has mycorrect phone number and email here theyare: phone is (425) 402-9252. Email [email protected]. Be sure to make itplural, not singular as in Otterbun. Lookforward to seeing you down there!
by Bill BuchananMay Events: The May 5th Driving Schoolat Bremerton and the May 7th Lapping Dayat SIR are completely full with long waitinglists. So, if you aren’t already registered,sorry! We’re full. For those of you who areregistered for our May events, we’re lookingforward to a couple of terrific track days.
June 10th at PIR: The Portland BMWACA is hosting the annual Tri-Club Dayat Portland International Raceway onJune 10th, Saturday. Our Club is invitedto participate. And we will be providinginstruction for our Club members who havenever driven PIR. See Bill Buchanan’sarticle for more information.
July Lapping Day: Lapping Day at SIRon July 23rd. The Registration Form for thisevent will be in the June Zündfolge. Don’tregister before then!
August Lapping Day: Our last LappingDay at SIR for this year will be August 27th.Mark your calendar; we’ll have informationin future issues.
For those of you attending one of ourupcoming driving schools there is anexcellent article entitled “Lapping DaySurvival Guide” by Michael Lord postedon the club website, www.bmwaca.org.It also makes interesting reading foranyone who is considering the schoolin the future.
New Members’ PartySaturday, June 24 – 10 a.m. to noonBison Creek Pizza
Are you new to the club? Haven’t tried any events yet?Then this is the event to attend! Even if you’ve been around awhile, it would be a good idea to come on down and connectwith fellow BMW club members.
We will have Board members and committee heads inattendance who will give brief presentations on how theirevents or responsibilities come together. They will also beable to answer questions, listen to ideas and input, and sign
up volunteers to help put on club events.So come on down and ask questions,volunteer if you are interested, andgenerally have a good time! For those
that are hungry, stick around for lunch!Full details and a map will bepublished in the June Zündfolge,or check out the Club’s web site.An RSVP by e-mail (preferred)or phone would be appreciated but
is not required. There is no cost toattend this event. See you there!
Lance Richert, [email protected]
Financial StatementsThe following is an unaudited and unbalanced Financial Statementfor the Club as of December 31, 1999 prepared by an the Club’sunbalanced ex-Treasurer. Questions may be directed to the ClubPresident or Club Treasurer.
Roger Wales
Balance Sheet @ 12/31/99 @ 12/31/98
AssetsChecking $16,267.46 $ 3,560.27CD - Maturing 11/29/00 5,508.80 5,293.37Equipment 2,000.00 2,000.00Prepaid Track Rental 7,100.00 9,400.00Prepaid Banquet 1,500.00 0.00Prepaid Postage 258.16 993.47Accounts Receivable 667.00 5,854.60
Total Assets $33,301.42 $27,101.71
Liabilities $ 0.00 $ 0.00
Net Worth $33,301.42 $27,101.71
Change in 1999 $ 6,199.71
Income Statement (Cash Basis) 1999 1998
IncomeDues/Miscellaneous $27,819.55 $23,815.69Concours 2,441.10 1,030.00Magazine Revenue 23,570.60 17,385.00Track Revenue 34,065.00 36,909.50Merchandise Sales 195.00 197.00Banquet 8,967.00 7,341.50Other Event Revenue 7,725.00 2,494.00
Total Income 104,783.25 89,172.69
ExpensesMagazine 34,948.13 38,232.60Track 29,126.13 32,674.02Banquet 8,911.47 5,312.06Concours 3,350.16 3,010.63Other Events 8,084.06 2,803.62Children’s Hospital Donation 250.00 250.00Non-track Insurance 1,717.85 1,475.00Non-magazine Postage 907.11 772.00Printing/Card Stands 1,374.47 0.00Auto Show Promotion 0.00 1,165.47Other Administrative 3,484.33 3,355.34
Total Expenses 92,153.71 89,050.74
Net Gain (Loss) $12,629.54 $ 121.95
N A M E REFERRED BY B M W S
Doug Adams Jr. Doug Adams Sr.Robyn Allison Web Site ’91 325iChuck Arnold Web Site ’81 528iBrian & Tina Barry BMW Bellevue ’98 328iWard Bettes Web Site ’00 328iKen Briggs BMW Bellevue ’73 2002Lawrence Burke BMW Bellevue ’90 750iJerrett Cangie ’99 M CoupeMarcus Charles BMW Seattle ’00 M RoadsterPatrick Crow BMW Bellevue ’91 M5Mike Delaurenti BMW Bellevue ’95 740iLBarbara Eickhoff BMW Seattle ’96 318tiBeau Fabregas BMW Seattle ’92 318iJohn Fu BMW Bellevue ’99 540i,
’99 740iLJames Gordon Strictly BMW ’97 528i, ’99 M3Scott Harrison Strictly BMW ’91 M5Jim Heit BMW Seattle ’00 Z3 CoupeIda Hobbs BMW Bellevue ’94 318isSharon Hoglund BMW Seattle ’98 328iPeter Jenkin Web Site ’00 M RoadsterBrent Jordan Track ’92 325isRay Kajani Mark Monell ’95 M3Walter Karman Web Site ’98 M3Doug Lacy TrackKaterina Lagos BMW Seattle ’88 325isHolly Logsdon Web Site ’89 325iMichael Maple Web Site ’96 318ti, ’76 2002Mary Ann McNair Greg Johnson ’95 325icZach Miller Imre Nagy JR ’90 325isD.B. Nichols BMW SeattleMaria & Mark Nelson BMW Seattle ’00 Z3John Robison TrackSteve Shaiman James Shaiman ’00 M5, ’97 M3,
’95 M3 LTWMartin Spanberger Peter Ryce ’94 325isDane Stevenson Strictly BMW ’93 325isDavid ThompsonGeorge Tsanticas BMW Bellevue ’91 325iDoug Vogt Web Site ’80 323iDavid Whitaker BMW Bellevue ’00 Z3Nick Wilcox Lubo Dolak ’96 318tiBen Willett BMW Bellevue ’72 2002, ’95 525iJudy Wimberly Web Site ’93 325isCindi Witte BMW Seattle ’88 528eFion Wong Mark MonellConrad Wouters Web Site ’93 525i wagon,
’96 328iKevin York Track ’77 530iAArther Zwiegincew Track ’99 328i
Welcome to our 47 New Members!Total Club Members ±1,100
BMW ACA/BMW CCA Issue:Election Results
By the time you read this, the results of thevote to merge with BMW CCA will be only afew days away. Those results will be announcedin the June Zündfolge which will be mailed onor about June 1st. They will also be posted onthe Club Web Site, bmwaca.org, no later than
May 5th. And, they will be available by calling any BoardMember on or after May 5th. I personally want to thank all theBoard Members and Special Committee Members for theirefforts in helping to present the issues. I also want to thank allthose members who had letters published in the Zündfolge orwho otherwise involved themselves in the process. This speakswell for the Club no matter how the vote comes out.
Roger Wales
Thanks to Steve KesslerThe tabulation of the vote was done on a pro bono basis by
Steve Kessler. We’d like to thank Steve and his firm, MorrowKessler & Dowsing PLLC for their work. This was no smallthing for a CPA firm to take on this task during the middle ofthe tax season!
Steve is a CPA and has a Masters in taxation. He has alsoearned the Accredited in Business Valuation (ABV), CertifiedValuation Analyst (CVA) and Diplomate of American Boardof Forensic Examiners (DABFE) designations. Steve is also anabsolutely neutral party—he drives a Lexus! But if you need aCPA, give him a call.
❑✔
Charity Coordinator NeededIf you’ve wanted to get more involved and have fun with
other Club members, consider this idea. The Board is currentlylooking for someone to help coordinate our Club’s charitydonations. Each year we choose a few charity groups to makeour donations to throughout the year. To ensure we success-fully meet our goals, we would like someone dedicated solelyto the charitable aspect of our various events and coordinationbetween different events. This would enable the event coordi-nators to focus entirely on the event itself. If you are interestedor have any suggestions please contact Jacqueline Kahn at(425) 481-9571 or [email protected]. Thanks!
BMW’s motorsports activities for 2000are perhaps the most exciting thecompany has ever undertaken. The bignews is BMW’s reentry into Formula 1after a 12 year absence. BMW is alsocampaigning the V12 LMR cars in theAmerican Le Mans Series. And thePrototype Technology Group is runningnew E46 M3s. All in all, a terrific yearis in store for BMW race fans.
Formula 1—The HistoryBMW’s historical highlight in
Formula 1 was the drivers’ championshipscored by Nelson Piquet in 1983. Piquetdrove a Brabham BT52 powered by afour-cylinder, 1.5-liter, turbochargedmotor. The engine was a stock blockunit. BMW employed used 320i motors.BMW continued to supply engines tovarious Formula 1 teams through 1986.The last Formula 1 victory came at theMexican Grand Prix in 1986. This racewas won by Gerhard Berger in a Benetton.
In the intervening years, BMWconsidered on many occasions a returnto Formula 1. While managementconsidered the financial and marketingimplications, the engine department kept
BMW Motorsports 2000 By David Lightfoot
experimenting.In 1976 BMW studied 3.0-liter
designs. A flat 8 and a wide-angle V10were explored. In 1987, the F1 ruleschanged to permit a displacement of 3.5-liters. BMW developed two V12 engines,one with four valves per cylinder andone with five per cylinder. The five-valve engine also had three camshaftsper cylinder bank. The four valvearrangement proved superior. Both usedcrankcases cast of fiber-reinforcedmagnesium. Power output was 720 bhpat 14,500 rpm.
In 1996, the rules again reduced enginedisplacement to 3.0 liters. Beginning inearly 1997, BMW developed a V10utilizing an aluminum crankcase. OnSeptember 3, 1997, BMW announcedtheir decision to return to Formula 1 asan engine supplier.
Unlike Mercedes who merely payfor the privilege of putting their name onan engine developed elsewhere, BMWdevelops its Formula 1 engine in-house.The legendary Paul Rosche took chargeof the development program at the BMWFIZ R&D Center in Munich.
BMW teamed up with WilliamsGrand Prix, the most successful F1 teamin the 1990s. In October 1998, GerhardBerger was named as Director of BMWMotorsports. Later, Dr. Mario Theissenjoined Berger as a Director. Theissenhandles the technical side while Bergerhandles all else.
At the age of 65, Paul Roche retiredfrom BMW in 1999. Before leaving, hetrained his successor, Dr. Werner Laurenz.Dr. Laurenz’s title is Director of FormulaOne Development.
The new F1 engine developed by BMWsaw its first track test on April 27, 1999.Extensive lab and track testing continuedthrough the balance of 1999. Most of thetesting was done in a 1998-spec Williamchassis driven by Jorg Muller.
Formula 1—The DebutThe 2000 Williams F1 BMW FW22
was officially unveiled to the media onJanuary 10, 2000. In these days of heavycommercial influence in F1 racing, notethat the team is officially the, “BMWWilliams F1 Team.” However, the car isthe, “Williams F1 BMW FW22.” The“FW” stands for Frank Williams, themajority owner of the team.
Compaq Computer is the team’s leadsponsor with a bevy of other sponsorsinvolved to a lesser (money) extent.Compaq is also involved in the technicalaspects, as computers play an increasingrole in the world of F1. The team is freeof tobacco sponsorship. The last fewyears Williams has been sponsored by atobacco company. But tobacco advertis-ing is gradually being phased out of F1.BMW also wanted an image for the teamthat excluded tobacco as few of theircustomers smoke.
Formula 1—The DriversFormula 1 is the highest form of
motor racing in the world. No expenseis spared. And this is not a place for niceguys. It is said that in Formula 1 they eattheir young.
Last year Williams’ drivers wereRalf Schumacher and Alex Zanardi.Schumacher had a good season butZanardi’s was awful. Despite a multi-year contract, Zanardi was bought out forthe 2000 season for a reported $7.5M.Two drivers were brought in for a shoot-out to determine who would get thesecond seat. The winner was JensonButton, an English lad who only turned20 in January. The loser of the shoot-outwas Bruno Junqueira who has becomethe team’s test driver.
Button has come up through cartingand Formula 3 but is light on experience.Nevertheless, he was given the opportu-nity because he is exceptionally quickand tidy in his driving. With Schumacheronly 24 years old, the Williams team isthe youngest on the F1 grid. These twoyoung men are pictured on the cover ofthis month’s Zündfolge. Go guys!
Formula 1—The SeasonFormula 1 is intensely competitive.
BMW realistically set their sights onrunning in the middle of the pack thisyear. A podium finish (in the top three)was not projected for the 2000 season.And an F1 victory is hoped for in the2002 season at the earliest.
Testing in January and February didnot go especially well. Weather ham-pered tests in both Spain and SouthAfrica. Then Button injured his backwhile conditioning in the gym!
Continued on Page 12
So the team headed for the first racein Australia less prepared than they hadhoped. But it seems some of the otherteams weren’t as ready as they hadhoped either.
Taking advantage of a lot of attrition,Schumacher finished third in the firstrace for the team. And Button wasrunning as high as fourth before suffer-ing an engine failure. Given the pre-raceexpectations, this was considered adream start.
The F1 circus then moved to Brazilfor the season’s second race. “Our” guyscame in sixth and seventh in the race.However, the disqualification of DavidCouthard moved Schumacher up to fifthand Button to sixth. Since the first sixplaces are awarded points in the Formula1 system, Button scored his first F1point. He became the youngest driverever to score an F1 point.
After Brazil, the Formula 1 seasonmoved to Europe. At the San MarinoGrand Prix at Imola on April 9th, thefairy tale ended. Both cars failed tofinish the race due to engine problems.Button went out on the fifth lap with anengine failure. Schumacher lasted 46laps but then went out with fuel pick upproblems.
Button’s engine failure was the latestin a series of BMW engine failures, mostof them suffered by Jenson. There isspeculation that Button’s high revingdownshifts may be causing the problems.
By the time you read this the BritishGrand Prix will be history. The next racewill be the Spanish race on May 7th.
For the first time in years, there willbe a U.S. Grand Prix. The F1 cars willrun the new road racing circuit at theIndianapolis Motor Speedway onSeptember 24th.
V12 LMR in the USAIn 1999, BMW scored a glorious
overall win in the 24 Hours of Le Mans.The tool of victory was the BMW V12Le Mans Roadster (LMR). This master-piece was developed by Williams andutilized the fabulous V12 engine madefamous in the McLaren F1.
It was thought that the LMRs wouldbe retired after the 1999 season. ButBMW has decided to campaign the carsin the American Le Mans Series for2000. This just goes to show how
important the American market hasbecome to BMW.
Once again, the trusted SchnitzerTeam will be running the LMRs onBMW’s behalf. Charly Lamm, the team’smanager, will be using four drivers.Returning from last year will be BillAuberlen, J.J. Lehto and Jorg Muller. Thefourth driver is a new addition: Jean-Marc Gounon. Old hand Steve Soper willalso be helping out at the longer races.
In the opening race at Sebring onMarch 18th, the #42 car of Lehto andMuller finished third and the #43 car ofAuberlen, Gounon and Soper finishedfourth. In the second race at Charlotte,on an oval usually used for NASCAR,Lehto and Muller won the race andAuberlen and Gounon finished fourth.
The ALMS is enjoying excellentracing with much factory participation.The series will also branch out and haveoverseas races this year. The BMW V12LMRs will be competing to win theseries they should have walked awaywith last year.
PTG M3sThe great thing about watching the
American Le Mans Series is BMWs arerunning two entirely different cars indifferent classes. The BMW AG team,run by Schnitzer, campaigns the V12LMRs in the prototype class. Meanwhile,in the GT class, Prototype TechnologyGroup (PTG) runs M3s. This will be thesixth season for Tom Milner’s PTG. Atthe Sebring race, PTG surprised a lot ofpeople by unveiling their new 2001model M3. This is an E46 M3, a car notyet available in showrooms. Againshowing how important the Americanmarket is to BMW, Milner managed toget a very early M3 chassis from thefactory for development.
At Sebring, the team ran one of thenew cars and one of the old E36 M3s.Unfortunately, neither car went the racedistance. Things went better in Charlottewith the old car finishing second in classand the new car finishing fourth.
The drivers for PTG this year are:Hans Stuck, Peter Cunningham, BrianCunningham and Johannes van Overbeek.
Charlotte was the last race for the oldM3. At the next race PTG will field twoof the 2001 M3s. That race will be theALMS’s first overseas venture: May 13that Silverstone, England.
Formula 1 ScheduleMay 7 SpainMay 21 Europe
(Nurburgring)June 4 MonacoJune 18 CanadaJuly 2 FranceJuly 16 AustriaJuly 30 GermanyAugust 13 HungaryAugust 27 BelgiumSeptember 10 ItalySeptember 24 U. S. (Indy)October 8 JapanOctober 22 Malaysia
ALMS ScheduleMay 13 SilverstoneJuly 9 NurburgringJuly 23 Sears PointAugust 6 MosportSeptember 2 Texas Motor
SpeedwaySeptember 10 PortlandSeptember 30 Petit Le Mans—
Road AtlantaOctober 15 Laguna SecaOctoer 29 Las VegasDecember 31 Australia
BMW Motorsports 2000 (Continued from Page 9)
The OpportunityDon’t miss a chance to see the BMW
factory teams run. The F1 team willmake two North American appearances.And the ALMS will visit the West Coastthree times, coming as close as Portland.If you miss this, you’ll regret it!
With the relaxation of the emissionlaws for pre-1976 vehicles in our state,I think it would be fair to say there willbe an increase in modified 2002s with theold school way of horsepower increase:cams, carbs and compression. I’verecently helped some club members outwith sidedraft carburetors and wanted topass on some helpful tips.
Twin two-barrel carburetors were theBMW factory way to increase power inthe late 1960s. The 1800Ti, 2000Ti andthe 1600/2002ti had upgraded motorswith Solex carbs. When I first got startedwith the Club, the Weber guys had therespect of those who enjoyed listening tothe siren song of sidedrafts at full throttle.There are few of us left; FI and Motronicshave taken over the later cars. Properlysetup sidedrafts work very nicely. Poorlysetup ones drink fuel like a drunk, idlepoorly and only want to run at full tilt.Nonetheless, there is something aboutputting your foot into a built M10 motorwith sidedrafts and listening to that ROAR.
A factory 2002ti that belongs to a clubmember was brought to me for a carbtune-up as he had tried to improve the idleand got things a bit messed up. FactorySolexes were notorious for leaky throttleshafts that caused irregular idle mixtures.Bill Spornitz’s stock 2002ti has very lowmileage and good throttle shafts. All heneeded was a good synchronization andmixture tweak. The key to properlyrunning sidedrafts is to have them evenlyadjusted or synched. Trying to synchro-nize the carbs without an airflow gauge isa major waste of time. Each cylinder mustdraw an equal amount of air to idle andrun properly. On the factory Solexes eachbarrel has its own adjustment, whileWebers and other aftermarket sidedraftsjust adjust one to the other. After gettingeach cylinder drawing equal air, thenadjust the idle mixture screws to get thebest (smoothest) idle. The best test to seewhether it’s right is to just speed up theidle with the idle speed screw. Wheneverything’s right, you’ll get a real nicespeedup without roughness or flat spots.
A different but similar situationhappened when Ray Kirkland brought hisnewly rebuilt 2002 over. It was pingingbadly, blowing black smoke (overrichmixture), had less top end than it shouldand not idling well. The motor was real
nice but needed some adjustments. First, Iadjusted the timing (Ray tried by ear) withmy timing light and set it up to 25 degreesat about 1650rpm.. Based on my experi-ence, I know that was pretty close to whatit needed. I then proceeded to baseline thecarbs. I checked the float level. This is thesingle most important factor in mixturestrength. They were high; I adjusted themto the correct setting and put the tops backon. I then went about synching the carbs.
The most important item in properlyrunning sidedrafts is a good linkage setup.The linkage must be adjustable and holdthose settings. Many setups give theirowners headaches because of the linkagethey have. After getting the carbs even,the idle smoothed out. After that the idlemixture was set and the idle got evenbetter. It then passed the nice speedup testwith the idle screw. We shut the car offand I had Ray get in and floor the gaspedal. Duh…he’s not getting full throttle,that’s why there is no top end. We adjustedthe lever’s throw point (there were threehole choices) and then we were gettingfull throttle. We restarted the car, double
checked the earlier adjustments andwere ready for the “road test.”
Ray was happy with the smoothpower transition he now had, itdidn’t smoke, it didn’t ping and itpulled really strong up on the top. Itwas a win/win situation. I warnedhim that I wouldn’t be responsiblefor any speeding tickets with theimproved running. You could see hisgrin a mile away.
As much as I love sidedrafts,they aren’t for everyone. On a stockmotor, they will sound great but notreally give much more power. If themotor has higher compression and abigger camshaft, then yes, they arethe way to go. With 9.5 to 1 Europistons and a Schrick 292 or similarcam a M10 (a 2002/320) motor willgive 155 to 165 horsepower and stillget mid-20s mpg on the road. Withgood linkage they will stay adjustedand provide many miles of fun andgiggles. I know, I’ve put over300,000 miles on a car with them.Ah, the sound of Italian operasingers at redline, now that’s music!!
edited by Greg Mierz
STALLSSTALLSWould you buy a new 3 Series with
100 ft-lbs more torque than the currentoffering, equal horsepower, 50% bettermileage, and costing 10% less?
I see a lot of hands. If I told you itburns diesel instead of gasoline, wouldyou still be interested? Keep thosehands up!
This is a question BMW NA isasking, as it decides whether to importdiesel models just now appearing onEuropean roads. I think the answer’s ano-brainer, and expect to see them herewithin two years.
Back in the dark days of 1980, whenthe 320i and 528i were BMW’s offerings,yr hmbl clmnst went shopping for a newcar and opted for something he thought abit better built. A Mercedes 240D joinedthe family (presently totaling ten carsand bikes, six of them BMWs) despiteConsumer Reports stating it was a baddeal (it rated the Audi 5000 tops). TheMerc hasn’t quit on me in 20 years, isincredibly economical in every respect,and still looks new. (How many Audi5000 diesels have you seen on the roadlately? CR doesn’t know jack aboutlong-term value, and never did, but Idigress.) So I have no bias against oil-burners, and have followed developmentsfairly closely.
The oil “crises” of the mid-seventiesshined a light on what was a small cult ofdiesel car operators. Not only was dieselfuel substantially cheaper than gasoline(back then), it was much more available.So long as semi rigs and trains haulgoods, and oil furnaces heat buildings,there will be diesel. The highlight ofattention came in 1978, when an ultra-low-drag Mercedes C111-III set nineworld speed records, including a 12-houraverage of 195 mph at almost 40 mpg,using a five-cylinder diesel.
By the early 1980s it looked likediesels were here to stay, and most everymanufacturer was introducing a model.However, their popularity was less
Smokeless Tabascodurable than the engines’ reputation. Anumber of phenomena conspired to makethem a caterpillar in the salad. Gas gotcheap and easy. Performance matteredagain. And diesels suffered from rush-to-market engineering.
This latter point is underappreciated,but it is my conclusion that the qualityof products alienated even loyalists.Leading the kool-aid parade was our oldfriend GM, which marketed an adaptedgasoline V-8 as a diesel, complete with aguaranteed-to-grenade transmission. Thedowntime and repair costs soon madeanything burning gas look economical.Volkswagen built a noisy, smoky,underdeveloped four-pot, which it putin the execrable chassis that came outof Pennsylvania. A five-cylinder version,just more of the same, found its way intoAudis and Volvos. Mercedes screwed thepooch with its five-cylinder 3.0-literturbodiesel, which had a particulate trapthat plugged up and choked the engine.Peugeots had cylinder head problems andpoor dealer support. The Japanese dieselswere uniformly awful, but GM’s Chevette
diesel was the absolute low water mark,a Grumman canoe being a better roadvehicle. And on and on. Who couldblame an affluent country for saying,“No, thanks,” after paying top dollar forthese beta releases?
In 1984 BMW brought in its 524td,which I drove (NA sent me a stopwatchfor my troubles, which I still have). Iteffortlessly reached 60 in ten seconds.The engine, which unfortunately foundits way into some overweight Lincolns,was a real jewel; quiet, torquey andsmooth. It only came coupled to an auto-matic, and the E28 chassis was de-tunedto provide a pillowy ride; worse, it ar-rived as the last petals were falling fromdiesel’s rose. BMW imported about1200, and was begging to sell leftoversat cost a year later. Good examples todayfetch only $3-4K. The engine (which wasalso available here in a marine version)continued to be developed and marketedin Europe, but BMW correctly concludedthat America and diesels don’t mix.
There is not a lot more to report.Mercedes replaced its in-line five with
an alloy-headed six-cylinder, anddropped the particulate trap, and it is aterrific engine but is only imported in aheavy chassis with automatic transmis-sion. Its four-cylinder diesel brieflyappeared in the 190 series, but wasdropped. Volvo seems no longer to bringin diesels, Peugeot no longer bringsin anything, leaving VW/Audi aboutthe only other player in diesel passengercars. (Interestingly, Renault, Lycomingand Continental are all test-flying diesellight plane engines. Heck, Enfield isbuilding diesel motorcycles in India.Diesel technology is moribund only inAmerican cars.) Meanwhile, in Europe,refinements to diesel powerplants weresteadily accumulating.
All of which is a long-winded way ofsaying, there’s a big niche here waiting tobe created and filled, something the Boysin Bavaria are very good at indeed. Andthat niche is, diesel performance cars.
The 3 Series car with its 3.0-literdiesel is compared favorably to the Mcars by the English magazine “AutoCar.”It reminds me a lot of the mid-80s 325e,with enormous mid-band torque and alow rev limit, except the 330d reaches60 mph in the mid-7 sec. range. Its onlydrawback is a weight penalty of about250 lbs., mostly tuned out by the suspen-sion. The car just went on sale in Europe,using an engine available in the5 and 7 Series chassis for over a year.
Due out this summer (in Europe) is a3.9-liter V-8 version in a 7 Series chassis.
The engine is a close companion of thein-line six diesel, and has virtually noth-ing in common with the V-8 gasolineversion. For example, the block is graycast iron instead of aluminum, andthe main bearing webs are fractured(cracked) in the same manner BMW hasmade rods for the last 15 years. Induc-tion is through twin intercooled turboswith electronically controlled vanes, theidea being to reduce backpressure. Fuelis delivered to each injector though high-pressure rails (one per side), with elec-tronically controlled injectors, similar togasoline systems, except there is a pilotinjector which delivers a tiny prechargeof fuel. This pilot injection effectivelyremoves the loud rattle associated withdiesel cycle engines. Injection is directlyinto the cylinder (instead of the tradi-tional prechamber).
Chamber shape is defined by an un-usual piston, whose top resembles CraterLake with Wizard Island in the middle.The heads are alloy with four valves perchamber, actuated by twin camshafts (noVANOS in diesels). Dual exhaust systemschannel the fumes through two catalyticconverters each, which surprises mesince diesels are thought not to outputthe more noxious gasses found behindgasoline cars. Only steptronic transmis-sions will be mated to this motor.
All this effort yields 248 hp (peakingat 4000 rpm) and 413 ft-lbs of torque(fully available from 1800-2700 rpm),pushing the heavy 7er to 60 mph in just
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over 8 sec. Fuel consumption of about23 mpg is almost 50% improved over thegasoline engine. Top speed is 150 mph.Very impressive numbers, all.
Now, as a v1.0 version, I wouldn’tnecessarily recommend owning a copyof this motor for three or four years, butwhen the kinks get worked out it shouldabsolutely feast on gasoline cars. Evenmoreso, because it will make diesel carsacceptable again. By the way, it is a myththat diesel fuel is hard to find, but truethat latex gloves should be donnedbefore installing it (for some reason, thepump handles are always contaminated).
BMW’s future in economical, low-emission vehicles is not, of course,diesel-based. It is hydrogen-powered cars(not that the first ones will be cheap) thatBMW sees as the holy grail. Whateveradvances BMW has made with hydrogenis under wraps, and we seem to bedecades from owning one. Who knows,by then an efficient storage system forelectricity may develop, making thewhole hydrogen effort moot. Many will,in the meantime, find diesel to be apractical alternative to gasoline, espe-cially since BMW has brought perfor-mance into parity.
Buying Rover in 1994 must have seemed likea good idea at the time. BMW’s managementand shareholders have had plenty of time towish they hadn’t. But now BMW has pulledthe plug on what has become known as “TheEnglish Patient.”
At the time of the acquisition, BMW CEOBernd Pischetsrieder believed that all Roverneeded was a massive infusion of capital.Rover got the money and invested in a newdevelopment center and new products. Andthe losses mounted. Eventually, BMW realizedthat Rover needed more than money. Themanagement was poor and the company wasincapable of producing world class products.When asked to explain his plan in Februaryof 1999, Pischetsrieder was shown the door.Number Two Wolfgang Reitzle wasn’t farbehind. Reitzle was actually offered the topjob but turned it down since the labor unionsdidn’t support him.
BACKGROUNDBMW is controlled by the Quandt family.The Quandts, bless them, are fiercely loyal tothe BMW brand and have previously not beenwilling to consider buy out offers. HerbertQuandt rescued BMW in 1959. AlthoughHerbert died in 1982, his family continues toown 46.6% of the stock. His widow, Johanna,73, owns 16.7%. Son Stefan, 33, owns 17.4%and daughter Susanne, 37, owns 12.5%.Johanna retired from the Supervisory Boardbut the children are now both members. TheQuandts are thought to be the wealthiest fam-ily in Germany and amongst the ten wealthiestin the world.
Although born with the proverbial silverspoon, the children are successful in their ownrights. Stefan has degrees in economics andengineering and has worked in Hong Kong andthe U.S. He owns a pharmaceutical and designcompany, Delton AG, with sales of 1.3 billionmarks. He also enthusiastically drives a 507, acar built before he was born. Susanne studiedbusiness in Switzerland and Harvard. Sheholds a 51.1% stake in Altana, a publiclytraded pharmaceutical and chemical companywith sales of 3.1 billion marks. Both Stefanand Susanne are active in BMW’s managementdespite having no defined responsibilities.They are said to have grown inpatient with
Mr. Pischetsrieder’s dithering on Rover andorchestrated the boardroom coup.
In 1998, BMW’s sales increased while itsnet sank 27.5% due to the losses at Rover. The1999 results showed sales higher still but evenbigger losses at Rover.
THE NEW PLANWhen new Chairman and CEO JoachimMilberg took over his mission was clear: stopthe bleeding at Rover. Milberg sent “turn-around teams” to assess the situation at Rover.What they found wasn’t pretty. Quality wasabysmal and management was clueless. Thedecision was made to fully integrate Roverinto BMW. Rather than running as a separate,parallel company, Rover would become BMWUK. The Rover board was disbanded.
The next step after the turnaround teamswas to send in “purge teams.” Rover managerswere fired or made to interview for their jobs.
The media refer to Rover as “The EnglishPatient.” And while Rover may be a “patient,”the Quandts are anything but patient. Eventhough CEO Milberg has had less than a yearto implement his plan, the Quandts this wintergave him two months to find “solutions andsuggestions” to stem the losses. BMW isstrong enough to withstand the losses indefi-nitely, but the rest of the company was beingheld hostage. BMW wants to expand theBMW brand but can’t while supporting TheEnglish Patient.
THE NEW NEW PLANFinally, the BMW Supervisory Board decidedthey had had enough. They began talking toall the major car companies about buyingRover. No one wanted The English Patientunless they could get a piece of BMW too.The Quandts said no. Finally on March 16th,BMW announced the “sale” of Rover cars tothe Alchemy Group, a British venture capitalfirm. We say “sale” because BMW is payingAlchemy to take this sickly company off itshands. The disposal cost is over $3 billion toBMW. Alchemy gets the MG brand. BMWkeeps Riley, Triumph and Wolseley. Oh, joy.
The next day, BMW announced the saleof Land Rover to Ford for $2.9 billion. SoBMW keeps the new Mini, to be sold throughBMW dealerships, and unloads both Roverand Land Rover.
BMW PULLS THE PLUG ON THE ENGLISH PATIENT
The Quandts want BMW to get back tobeing BMW. On the same day the sale to Fordwas announced, BMW approved the 2 Series.Except they say it won’t be called the 2 Series.The “yet-to-be-named small BMW” will slotunder the 3 Series and likely be another rela-tively high volume car. BMW is now toodependent on the 3 Series which makes up70 percent of the brand’s sales. No decisionhas been made on where the “small BMW”will be built. Whatever it is called, it isn’tdue in showrooms until 2004.
The plan is for BMW dealers to marketthe BMW models which would be bracketedby the Mini range on the bottom and Rolls-Royce on the top end.
WHAT’S NEXT?With the focus back on the BMW brand andthe Quandts firmly in control things shouldrun relatively smoothly, right? Not hardly.There are rumors that the Quandts are un-happy with CEO Milberg’s handling of theRover sale. The British unions are extremelycritical of BMW. Three Management Boardmembers left because they disagreed withthe changes. They are Dr. Henrich Heitman,Dr. Wolfgang Ziebert and Carl-Peter Foster.Two have been replaced but one positionremains open, an indication of the abruptnessof the changes. The two new Board membersare Dr. Burkhard Goschel, 54, and Dr. NorbertReithofer, 43. Goschel will assume responsi-bility for Research and Development andReithofer will take over production. Goschelhas been with BMW since 1978 and was themanager for development of the Z3. Reithoferhas been with BMW since 1987 and for thelast three years has been in charge of produc-tion at Spartanburg. One would think that thiswould be a poor time for the Quandts to selltheir share, given the low value of BMW’sstock currently. And publicly, the Quandtsinsist they are committed to keeping BMWindependent.
Rumors in the media indicate otherwise.An increasing volume of rumors say that theQuandts are going to sell to Ford. Under theplan, BMW would join Ford’s Premier Auto-motive Group with Jaguar, Aston Martin,Lincoln, Volvo and now Land Rover. ThePremier Automotive Group is headed up byformer BMW executive, Wolfgang Reitzle.So Reitzle may get to run BMW after all.The rumor mill says that lawyers are drawingup the papers for a transaction to take placein October.
Are the rumors true? Who knows? Butthey are persistent enough that one mustgive some credence to them. And while mostClub members would lament the end of anindependent BMW, Ford seems to be Masterof the Automotive Universe at the momentand may be the best parent company BMWcould have. What Ford has done with Jaguaris very impressive. We haven’t heard the endof this story.
2002 SHOP MANUAL CDNewly available from BMW AG is a CD ROM-formatshop manual for the 1502-2002 models, including the2002 factory turbo. The CD requires a minimum ofWindows 95 or Windows NT 4.0, and 32 MB RAM.It covers all the ground that the paper manual doesincluding the infamous wiring diagrams, in an easy to usemenu-driven format. Although short on documentation,it does provide a resource to the 2002 hobbyist thathas too long been unavailable. Ask for part number01 56 0 004 532. Suggested retail price is $69.75.(Contributed by Vance Jackson at BMW Seattle)
2 SeriesBMW management has approved the new small BMW.Everyone is logically calling it the 2 Series but BMW says itwill be called something else. Whatever it is called, it will bepositioned between the 3 Series and the Mini. Body stylesunder consideration include three and five-door hatch-backs and a coupe. Both four and six-cylinder engines willbe used. The car is likely to be rear-wheel drive and mayhave an all alloy body to save weight. The target is no morethan 2200 pounds. (Autocar)
Drivers’ Ed, BMW Style
BMW has introduced a “New Drivers Course” at theBMW Performance Center in Spartanburg. The one-day class, intended for inexperienced drivers betweenthe ages of 16 and 19, goes well beyond driver’seducation available to most teens. A variety of real lifesituations can be simulated on the special course.Classes cost $300 and are limited to 12 students. Thecourse work includes classroom theory and hands-onexperience in 3 Series coupes and sedans. Studentsmust be at least 16 and hold a learner’s permit ordriver’s license. For information about the New Driv-ers Class contact 1-888-345-4BMW (4269).
NEW BOOKSThere’s a couple of new books on BMW that have been publishedrecently. Both are from England and have 1999 copyright dates.And both are small format with mostly black and white photos.The first is titled, “BMW—The Classic Cars of the 1960s and1970s” by Laurence Meredith. This is hardbound and despite itstitle is not limited to the ‘60s and ‘70s. In fact, it’s a short versionof the history of BMW cars. It is not very well done and all theinformation can be found elsewhere in better form. The secondis titled, “BMW” by David Hodges. This book is softbound but isa higher quality effort. All of the photos are black and white butthere are a lot of them and there are some pretty unusualBMWs shown. The book is also well organized. This book issuperficial in its coverage but it is a good, quick overview of theentire history of BMW cars. At $21.95 it’s a moderately goodvalue and deserves a lukewarm recommendation.
3 Wagon ArrivesThe new 3 Series wagon has arrived in area dealerships.Currently the only model available is the 323i. Later this yearthere will be a 330i. And there may be an M3 version at a laterdate. Also coming is an all-wheel-drive version. The littlewagon is exceptionally handsome; you should go take a look.
New 7
The first spy photos of the 2002 7 Series (E65) have beenpublished. Styling changes look, what else?, evolutionary,but the car will be more rounded than the current 7.Initially the V8 versions will be 735 (3.5-liter) and 745(4.5-liter). Later there will be a 5.0-liter V8. The topversion of the 7 will get a new V12 displacing 5.8 literswith 48 valves and producing 480 hp. The car will betechnological tour de force, the better to compete withthe Mercedes S Class. Expect a 6-speed automatic, brakeforce display (BFD) tail lights and active suspension. The7 will debut BMW’s new 48 volt electrical system whichwill become standard on all BMW models. The 48 voltsystem helps with the electrical loads found currently andalso will allow eventual electromagnetic valve operation.No more camshafts! (Autocar, BMW Car)
MAGTECHBMW is planning a new series of engines using racing technol-ogy. The MagTech four-cylinder will use a fiber-reinforcedmagnesium block. The 2.2-liter motor is said to be good for240 horsepower. (Car)
CARS FOR SALE1991 M5: Dinan chip, stage III suspension,Superspring Cat-back exhaust. Bothoriginal and 5 spoke style of wheel covers +set of aftermarket wheels, new Michelintires. Black, in good condition with 97kmiles. $22,000 [email protected] or(206) 601-8904.
1991 M5: Black exterior with full leatherblack interior. 63,000 miles. One of the best’91 M5’s on the west coast. All options,loaded, remote locking system with alarm,6 CD changer in trunk, premium soundsystem with casette and CD, tinted win-dows, ‘throwing star design’ M wheels, only455 of these sold in US in 1991. Absolutelyflawless condition inside and out. Justserviced at Car Tender. $29,500. ContactBrian at (206) 341-9736.
1988 E30 M3: Black/black. 104,000 miles.Recently serviced, new intake gaskets.Rust-free CA car—not pristine, but verygood overall condition. Hartage alloy wheel.Cold A/C. Momo steering wheel, etc. $9,750OBO. Bellevue, WA. Jim (425) 603-9612 oremail [email protected].
1974 2002: Black/gray interior. Sunroof.Sound mechanicals. Recently out of storage.Fair-good overall condition. Rust in sparetire well. Exc BMW alloy wheels/tires. Somesuspension work—slightly lowered. Drivinglights. Could use partial respray. Needsa little TLC. $1,250. Bellevue, WA. Jim(425) 603-9612 or email [email protected].
1973 2002tii: VIN 2764009 blue/black 312K4spd Nova mags. ONE OWNER, all stock,daily driver, never raced, dealer serviced.Very little rust. New interior, water pump.Recent transmission, front end, injectionsystem, brakes. Needs paint, A/C R-12recharge. Brookstones. Service records.$5750 (206)772-7017 eves.
1973 3.0CS Coupe: Dark blue exterior,tobacco-color leather interior, mags,Michelins, 4-speed, electric windows,sunroof, Blaupunkt. No rust, excellentthroughout. $12,000 US OBO. This car isa must see; has USA stickers (originallyfrom Calif.). Peter Zirpke (Vancouver, B.C.).(604) 926-5011 or fax (604) 926-5097.
1970 2002Ti: Colorado/ black. Authentic Tiin original, unrestored condition. Euro spec.car with 55,000 original miles. Still has theSolex carbs and all other Ti equipment.Mechanically excellent. No structural rust.Much of the paint is original. Drive as is orrestore for the Y2K02 celebration. $4000.(425) 836-2760 or [email protected].
PARTS FOR SALEE36 parts for sale: Recaro track seat readyto bolt into any 2-door E-36. Includesmounting bracket, sliding mechanism, seatbelt receptacle. $375 OBO. Lightweightstrut tower brace. $250 OBO. K&N typecone intake kit. $80 OBO. M3 LightweightCarbon Fiber rear wing painted AlpineWhite. $1250 OBO. M3 Lightweight baffledoil pan. Includes all mounting hardware, etc.$1200 OBO. Stock M3 Airbox w/ filter. Makeoffer. Stock M3 Exhaust. Approximately35K miles before removed from car. Makeoffer. Call James at (206) 399-7778 or emailat [email protected].
Track wheels and tires for E-39 528i or 540i:Four BBS RXs 17x8 wheels w/BFG R1s(not G-force) w/ 50% tread remaining. $950OBO. Call James at (206) 399-7778 or emailat [email protected].
Steel Wheels: 4 black steel wheels (6.5 x 15)purchased at Tire Rack. Were used twice ona 1985 535i, and twice on a 1988 535i.Included are 2 Michelin XGTs (215/60/15) and2 Bridgestone Potenza RE71s (205/60/15)with some tread left. $150/obo plus shipping.Need to get rid of these as I no longer havethe right car. Brice York (206) 232-6105 [email protected].
1988 E30 M3 Parts: Parting out. Completerear clip with sunroof, $1,250. M3 wheelsand tires, $495 for 4. Tan interior, front andrear seats—tears in seat, $225. M3 leathersteering wheel, $120. Bellevue, WA. Jim(425) 603-9612 or email [email protected].
Manual: Bentley BMW 5-Series ServiceManual (528e, 533i, 535i, 535is 1982-1988).$30/obo. Brice York (206) 232-6105 [email protected].
MISCELLANEOUS1993 Alpenlite 5th Wheel Trailer: 32 footwith 14 foot super slide-out, New carpet/hardwood floors/tires/wheels. Exc. condi-tion, low miles. NS always. Queen bed infront, rear kitchen, A/C, elec. electric jacks.High blue book-$27 K, asking $20,000 obo.Contact Tony Dulas at (253) 847-9221 [email protected].
W A N T E DFour AC Schnitzer 17" Type 2 Wheels:I am in the market to buy new/used Type 2wheels which will fit an E36 3 Series. I willpay well, and tires are do not need toaccompany the wheels. If anyone hasknowledge of where I can obtain thesewheels, feel free to give me a call at home.(425) 402-8484 Ask for Dane! Thanks!!
Factory driver seat: From an ’86-’91 3-Series.Tan color is preferred but might be able tohandle another color. Looking for a “sport”seat that has the lumbar support on thesides. Leather or cloth. Thanks! LanceRichert (425) 644-8009 [email protected].
Deadline for the June Issue is May 19, 2000.
Classified Advertising Policy: Classified ads are free to current mem-bers. Zündfolge staff reserves the right to edit all classified ads. Ads mustbe typed and sent to Zündfolge, c/o Lucetta Lightfoot, 2641 39th AvenueWest, Seattle, WA 98199 or emailed to [email protected].