Magazine of the National Capital Chapter BMW Car Club of America January/February 2017

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2 PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

3 FROM THE EDITORS

4 CALENDAR OF EVENTS

4 COMING EVENTS

36 ADVERTISERS INDEX

VOLUME 47 | NUMBER 1 3 NCC BMW CCA Chapter Utility VehicleBY JAMES LAWS

6 October DIY Event at RRTBY MARC CADEN

10 Cars & Coffee, DIY and New Member Event at BMW of SterlingBY STEVE TENNEY

14 Enduro Pie Run XIX: How to Drive through Two States in No Time at All BY ANNA MARIPUU

16 The 2017 Los Angeles Auto Show: e i e i... ohBY JAMES CHEW

20 BMW CCA Foundation Open HouseBY JOHN HARTGE

22 Rockville Antique and Classic Car ShowBY MARC CADEN

26 California ScreamingBY JAMES CHEW

30 The BMW X5 xDrive40e:The Incredible Hulk BY JAMES CHEW

Cover: A BMW Isetta displayed at the Cars &Coffee, DIY and New Member Event at BMWof Sterling. Read the article on page 10.Photo: Steve Tenney

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Magazine of the National Capital Chapter BMW Car Club of America

January | February 2017

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National Capital Chapter BMW Car Club of America

Chapter Officers (Please call 7:30 p.m.-10:00 p.m.)PresidentPaul Seto . . . . . . . . . . . . . president@nccbmwcca.org 301.908.1928Vice PresidentJames Laws . . . . . . . . vice-president@nccbmwcca.org 240.424.5380TreasurerRichard Kempf . . . . . . . . . . treasurer@nccbmwcca.org 703.455.8210SecretaryGina Hector . . . . . . . . . secretary@nccbmwcca.org 202.570.4462Membership ChairJames Laws . . . . . . . . . . membership@nccbmwcca.org 240.424.5380Social ChairPaul Seto . . . . . . . . . . . social-chair@nccbmwcca.org 301.908.1928Driving School CoordinatorMatt Oleksiak . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ds-coordinator@nccbmwcca.orgConcours ChairJohn McWilliams . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . concours-chair@nccbmwcca.orgDIY ChairPhillip Cummings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . diy-chair@nccbmwcca.orgWebmasterSteven Schlossman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . webmaster@nccbmwcca.orgAutocross CommitteePhil Yates. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . info@nccautocross.comBaltimore ActivitiesBilly Dixon . . . . . . . . . billy.dixon@nccbmwcca.org 410.802.0188PR & Community EngagementKelsy Hill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . kelsy@nccbmwcca.org

der Bayerische StaffCo-EditorsWalter Jones. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . db-editor@nccbmwcca.orgAnna Maripuu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . db-editor@nccbmwcca.orgProduction/Layout Raine Mantysalo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .db-production@nccbmwcca.orgAdvertising ManagerJeff Cannon . . . . . . . db-advertising@nccbmwcca.org 402.670.7439Contributing WritersMarc Caden, James Chew, John Hartge, James Laws, Anna Maripuu, Steve Tenney

Club AddressNCC BMW CCA, P.O. Box 685, Arlington, VA 22216National Membership Toll-Free Number800.878.9292der Bayerische is the official publication of the National Capital Chapter of the BMW Car Club of America, Inc., and is not in any way connected with theBayerische Motoren Werke AG or BMW of North America, Inc. It is provided byand for the Club membership only. The Club assumes no liability for any of theinformation, opinions or suggestions contained herein. No factory approval isimplied unless specifically stated. Modifications within the warranty period of avehicle may void the warranty. All articles to be considered for publishing mustbe received by the 21st of odd-numbered months (January, March, …) and are subject to editing. Please send all submissions to the dB editors at db-editor@nccbmwcca.org. Send all photos and all links to photos to theProduction Manager at db-production@nccbmwcca.org. For placement of commercial advertisements contact the Advertising Manager at db-advertising@nccbmwcca.org. Contents may not be reproduced without permission in writing except by the BMW CCA and its Chapters.© 2017 NCC BMW CCA

President’sMessage

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Welcome to 2017!!! Another trip around the sun brings a lot more fun stuff to do thisyear. As always, we'll continue to have our HPDE and autocross seasons, plenty oftours, DIYs, and social events. But our first big event of the year will be our AnnualMembership Meeting at the Embassy Suites in Springfield, VA. Our 2017 Board ofDirectors will be anointed, so make sure that you vote online prior to joining us for agreat night. We welcome back Mike Renner from the BMW Performance DrivingSchool as our guest speaker. Someone will walk away with a free ///M school as ourGrand Prize winner. We’ll also have plenty of other giveaways from our club sponsorsand we look forward to kicking off another great year of NCC fun!

I want to thank all the volunteers for an awesome 2016; they are the ones thatmake this club so special. In my five years of leading this chapter, I’ve gotten a trueappreciation for the dedication, blood, sweat, tears, but most of all, the time spentplanning and running events. As a volunteer-run organization, know that your effortstruly make this club second to none. Your devotion is very much appreciated andthanks again for all that you do.

Finally, to the rest of our members, all I ask is that you take full advantage of your membership. The discounts are great, but our official mission statement is 'to enhance the BMW experience through camaraderie, education, and social responsibility.' We encourage you to come out to events, meet fellow members, andget involved. Even if it means trying something different, we can help you getacquainted. You'll also find that while we all love our cars, we have some dynamicpeople in our chapter. And it's those friendships that will keep you coming back for more.

Please make sure we have your correct emailaddress. It can be checked and updated at thewww.bmwcca.org website.

FromThe Editors

January I February 3

What a couple of months. The only problem as Isee it, is that averages are averages because theyare averages. Maybe this is the new normal, butthe weather has exceeded expectations for driving.Cool and clear. Nary a snowflake in sight and onlythe occasional rain drop. It cannot last. Oh well.

We have had some really fun outings.

The most recent Pie Run, from Catoctin Orchard toWilson’s Farm to the Baverian Chef was outstand-ing. And this one had the most participants todate. Read the article on “The Enduro Run.” Thereare many more events which are both educational and entertaining. These are really low-stress events which increase enjoyment of our

performance vehicles and extend our social circles.The Volkswagen debacle still haunts us.

And it appears to be infecting BMW as well. Sales are down. I hope the issue fades out. I thinkVW has learned the lesson. One would hope othermanufactures as well. Probably not.

Saturday, February 11, 2017 at the Embassy Suites,8100 Loisdale Road, Springfield, VA 22150

Cocktail hour at 6:30 pm, dinner at 7:30 pm, and the meeting starts at 8:30 pm

The 2017 Annual Meeting of theNational Capital Chapter of the BMW CCA

Guest speaker will be Mike Rennerfrom the BMW Performance Center For room reservation options, please see the NCC website.

Register at

C O M I N G E V E N T S

C A L E N D A R O F E V E N T S

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There are three Thursday events each month. They aresocials for each distinctive geographic area covered by the NCC: Northern Virginia, Montgomery County andColumbia (the Baltimore area).

NoVa Social @ Jaleo in Crystal CityThursday, January 5, 2017

2017Board Meeting/Social @ Brio Tuscan Grillein Rockville, MDWednesday, January 11, 2017

Columbia Social @ Glory Days Grill in EllicottCity, MDThursday, January 12, 2017

MoCo Social @ Pizza CS in Rockville, MDThursday, January 19, 2017

The 3rd Annual NCC Cars & Chili Competition,Location TBASaturday, January 28, 2017

Our 3rd Annual NCC Cars & Chili Competition will beanother friendly cookoff among club members for the ultimate bragging rights of who can make the best chili.

Categories are Traditional Red, Homestyle andVegetarian.

NoVa Social @ Jaleo in Crystal City, VAThursday, February 2, 2017

Board Meeting/Social @ Brio Tuscan Grille inRockville, MDWednesday, February 8, 2017

Columbia Social @ Glory Days Grill in EllicottCity, MDThursday, February 9, 2017

2017 NCC Annual Membership Meeting & HolidayCelebrationSaturday, February 11, 2017 Embassy Suites by Hilton Springfield, 8100 Loisdale Rd.,Springfield, VA 22150

Join us for an evening of merriment and BMWs as wereturn to Virginia for our Annual Meeting and holiday celebration. The guest speaker is Mike Renner

All attendees will be entered to win great door prizesat night's end.

Cocktail hour at 6:30 pm, Dinner to follow at 7:30 pmand the annual meeting at 8:30 pm.

MoCo Social @ Pizza CS in Rockville, MDThursday, February 16, 2017

November

3 NoVa Social @ BJ's Restaurant & Brewhouse in Tysons, VA5 DIY @ BMW of Sterling

5-6 TRSS BMW-NVCC-CCA Volunteer Sign Up5-6 Street Survival in Columbia, MD5 BMW CCA Cars & Coffee @ BMW of Sterling9 Board Meeting/Social @ Brio Tuscan Grille in Rockville, MD10 Columbia Social @ The Second Chance Saloon in Columbia, MD17 MoCo Social @ Pizza CS in Rockville, MD19 Great Pie Run XIX

December

1 Social @ BJ's Restaurant & Brewhouse in Tysons, VA8 Columbia Social @ The Second Chance Saloon in Columbia, MD14 Board Meeting/Social @ Brio Tuscan Grille in Rockville, MD15 MoCo Social @ Pizza CS, Rockville, MD19 Christmas Lights Tour

January

5 NoVa Social @ Jaleo, Crystal City11 Board Meeting/Social @ Brio Tuscan Grille in Rockville, MD12 Columbia Social @ Glory Days Grill in Ellicott City, MD19 MoCo Social @ Pizza CS in Rockville, MD28 3rd Annual NCC Cars & Chili Competition

February

2 NoVa Social @ Jaleo in Crystal City8 Board Meeting/Social @ Brio Tuscan Grille in Rockville, MD9 Columbia Social @ Glory Days Grill in Ellicott City, MD11 2017 NCC Annual Membership Meeting & Holiday Celebration16 MoCo Social @ Pizza CS in Rockville, MD

March

2 NoVa Social @ Jaleo in Crystal City8 Board Meeting/Social @ Brio Tuscan Grille in Rockville, MD9 Columbia Social @ Glory Days Grill in Ellicott City, MD16 MoCo Social @ Pizza CS in Rockville, MD25 Just a Tour to Brush off Dust

April

12 Board Meeting/Social @ Brio Tuscan Grille in Rockville, MD

Each year, our volunteer-run organization elects the leaders of thisgreat chapter. Every elected position is up for grabs annually:President, Vice-President, Treasurer, and Secretary.

For more information about the officer positions, please seeour chapter bylaws.

Voting will take place online from Jan 1 thru Feb 10, as well asby ballot during our 2017 Annual Membership Meeting on Feb 11.For more information on the meeting see Coming Events.

2017 NCC Chapter Officer Elections

January I February 5

As everyone will recall from past articles in the dB it takes a lot ofequipment to support the numerous events that the chapter sponsorsthroughout the year. This includes the chapter tents, tables, chairs,

banners, and more. The storage and movement of these items has becomemore and more complicated as the amount of equipment grows with thenumber and scope of our events.

To address this situation the chapter board made a decision to secure avehicle to move and store our equipment and supplies. After a long search,and seemingly endless discussions, the National Capital Chapter has takenthe plunge and purchased the Chapter Utility Vehicle (CUV).

Chapter member Frank Acquino saw the dB notice and reached out tothe CUV search committee to offer his 2001 525iT to the chapter.

After a test drive and inspection, the opportunity was discussed at theOctober board meeting and a decision was taken to make an offer to Frankfor the vehicle, which he subsequently accepted.

The vehicle is in very good condition, with only a few repairs required inorder for it to pass Virginia safety inspection. The required repairs as well asmost subsequent maintenance will be performed at chapter DIY sessions by

chapter members. In addition, the car will be used as the subject of techsessions sponsored by the DIY committee.

The following services and repairs have been performed by chaptermembers Marlon Spencer, John Francis, and Duane Summons at the BMWof Sterling DIY.

- Oil change- Coolant flush- Replacement of front windshield gasket- Replacement of front headlight assemblies- Inspection of brake system, front and rear suspension, and tiresIn addition, the right-rear passenger door window regulator has been

replaced. Still to be done prior to state inspection is the replacement of rear brake

pads and rotors, and the ABS controller.As time progresses check this space for continuing updates on the

progress of the CUV.Sincere thanks are extended to Frank Acquino for bringing this opportu-

nity to the chapter.

NCC BMW CCA Chapter Utility VehicleBy James Laws | Photos by Michael Gessner

(Above) The National Capital Chapter’s recently purchased Chapter Utility Vehicle. (Below) With the help of chapter volunteers the vehicle is being maderoadworthy and ready to pass Virginia’s state inpection.

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October’s DIY event took placeat one of our longtime spon-sors – RRT automotive service

and performance center located inSterling, VA. We are fortunate to

have such an experienced and gen-erous sponsor like RRT for both ourautocross and DIY programs, and wesincerely appreciate their continuedsupport.

RRT has been specializing inBMWs since their inception andtheir employees have over 150 yearsof combined experience. The bulkof their work is done servicing and

maintaining BMWs and they back allof their service work with a compet-itive warranty. They also offer clubmembers a ten percent discount offOEM parts.

(Top) RRT's parking lot looked like a Cars & Coffee event with many "M" models and unique builds. (Below) DIY Coordinator Phillip Cummings welcomed everyone to RRT and gave some brief safety instructions.

October DIY Event at RRTBy Marc Caden

January I February 7

RRT’s focus is on “car manage-ment” which means they handle virtually all of your car’s needs onsite. In fact, RRT can do nearly anyproject your car requires on the

premises other than exterior paintwork. For example, RRT has fabri-cators, custom coders/tuners,engine builders, designated servicetechnicians, and designated race

technicians. By keeping so many of your car’s projects in house, RRTis able to maintain a very high standard and quality control of theirwork product.

In addition to routine mainte-nance, RRT is well known for their performance modifications. Forexample, RRT is the largest inde-pendent DINAN dealer in the world.

O C T O B E R D I Y E V E N T A T R R T

(Below Left) Chris Wootten applied some black vinyl decals along the window trim of his beautiful 318ti. (Right) After changing the oil and filter on his1997 318is, John Hewes makes sure the oil level is just right.

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O C T O B E R D I Y E V E N T A T R R T

Utilizing their partnership withDINAN engineering, they can offeryour newer BMW more perform-ance without compromising yourfactory warranty. While “perfor-mance” may mean something different to each driver, RRT can doeverything from making your car amore enjoyable street performer tomaking it the fastest on a track orautocross course.

A lot of useful repairs andmaintenance were completed at ourOctober DIY event hosted by RRT.Ty Joseph replaced the powersteering reservoir and hoses on his

1999 Z3 M Roadster. John Hewesreplaced the engine oil and differ-ential/transmission fluids on his1997 318is. Nick Nikas replacedthe differential and transmissionfluids on his S52-engine-swapped1987 325e. Rob Goodmanreplaced some oxygen sensors onhis 2001 325i. John Key replacedthe differential fluid on his 2010535i M-Sport. Tim Kenny replacedthe transmission bushings andtransmission fluid on his 2005BMW M3.

Chris Wootten showed off hisnewest purchase – a diagnosticdevice and software that interfaceswith a phone app called “My Carly.”For about 15 minutes, we allthought Chris was telling us abouthis marvelous new online girlfriend“Carly” until he actually hooked upthe device to Phillip Cummings’E36 M3 and we realized that Carlycould actually read and reset airbag codes, read and reset diagnos-tic codes, and even custom codeyour car. All of us watched inamazement as Chris demonstratedhow previously unknown customcodes could be unlocked in a matter of minutes. For example, ona new 3 Series, you can modifycode settings that control easyentry functions, daytime runninglights, iDrive menus, interior lights,

and much more. Several us left theevent with a new gift idea for theupcoming holidays and when Iarrived home I said “hey honey,please get me My Carly forChristmas!” Wife’s response: yeahright, that’s Chris Wootten’s girl-friend! For more information see:http://www.mycarly.com.

Prior technical experienceisn’t a pre-requisite to attend a DIYevent. The bulk of the projectsinvolve simply draining and replacing fluids (such as engine oil,driveline, brake, power steering,etc.) and there are volunteer

helpers on hand to assist you. Allyou need to bring is a decent set ofmetric sockets and wrenches, yourreplacement parts or fluids, and aset of directions specific to yourtask (which can usually be foundonline).

As always, our DIY event coor-dinators Phillip Cummings andChris Wootten ran a well-plannedevent. There were doughnuts in themorning and a nice afternoon pizzalunch provided for all participants.Special thanks also goes out to RRTand Shop Foreman Michael Olenynfor sponsoring another great event!

(Below Left) John Key pumps fresh fluid into the rear differential of his 2010 535i M-sport. (Right) Ty Joseph installs a new power steering reservoir andhoses on his 1999 Z3 M Roadster.

(Above) Nick Nikas drains the transmission fluid on his 1987 325e.

January I February 9

The BMW store is the perfect place to getChapter gear from $14 to $30 for ladiesand gentlemen. Since the store is onlineyou can order, purchase and have the merchandise delivered to your home.There is also a new item, a chapterumbrella. The variety of merchandise will increase and we will be able to provide both logos as you, the memberstake advantage of the current inventory. All items will come with the NCC BMWCar Club logo on the front left chest.On dark apparel, please beaware that the logo willcome as a mandatory heat

pressed patch with a white background perBMW national standards. On all lightapparel, you may opt to have the logoembroidered. When choosing thisoption, the logo will not come with awhite background.

Look for the new store on our websitehttp://forum.nccbmwcca.org/store.php

The Club Store is Back!We have a new online store with quality items for our members.

N C C C L U B S T O R E N C C C L U B S T O R E N C C C L U B S T O R E

The National Capital Chapter (NCC) makes aconcerted effort to create an event for newmembers to introduce them to the NCC and

familiarize them with programs that the cluboffers. The hope is to ensure that new members have an opportunity to find activities thatthey find interesting. As you might expect, theNCC is entirely based on volunteer involvement sointerested people are always welcomed. From theclub's premier High Performance Driving Eventprogram and the Autocross program to the Socialprograms that the club regularly supports and thespecial events like the America's Cup cruise offAnnapolis, there are events for anyone with aninterest in BMW and motoring in general.

A very popularprogram is the

Do-It-Yourself (DIY) program. A yearly scheduleis arranged with various repair shops in theregion to allow NCC members to come in on aSaturday morning and conduct repairs of theirown vehicles. The advantages of having the useof a lift as well as assistance from a qualifiedtechnician are significant. Many people make ita regular activity to bring one of their cars toconduct maintenance that can be done in thetime available and is not too complex for theirskills. We are to do the repairs ourselves, butcan get assistance from a technician who hasagreed to be present for the activities.

To combine a Cars & Coffee with a DIYstarts the morning with a social activity andcombines the benefits of completing repairs atthe DIY. One of the best facilities available for the DIY is that of BMW of Sterling. A new, clean shop in absolutely top conditionwith technicians and even the shop foreman toassist is an ideal situation. Of course being ata BMW dealer is nice because parts are avail-able on site at discount to club members.What more could you ask?

BMW of Sterling also makes their con-ference room available to us, which is a

(Above) On display at BMW of Sterling was a BMW Isetta.

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By Steve Tenney

Cars & Coffee, DIY and New Member Event at BMW of Sterling

great place to hold the New Member Briefings.Combine that with a lunch down in the shop foreveryone and we can ensure that new membersget maximum contact with the DIY program andsome of our most avid club members. We wouldlike to send out a special thank you to RyanHoover (Parts Manager at BMW of Sterling). His enthusiasm and support keeps a great relationship active between the NCC and BMW ofSterling. Thanks, Ryan.

The Cars & Coffee has become a great wayto start a Saturday or Sunday weekend morningwhile bringing out our prized cars, and to see and

January I February 11

C A R S & C O F F E E , D I Y A N D N E W M E M B E R E V E N T A T B M W O F S T E R L I N G

talk cars with those who have a sim-ilar interest. BMW of Sterlingagreed to clear the parking in frontof the dealership and even providedthe coffee for all who come out. Theday started with the club leadershippresent to talk about the club. Wesigned up six new members duringthe C&C in the morning. Our carswere lined up on display represent-ing the brand and club and showingthe full range manufactured byBMW from iconic examples to thelatest models. It's a great show forany car enthusiast, let alone a BMWfanatic.

From the C&C we moved tothe New Member Briefings for themost recent members. Most of theclub programs were explained andreviewed as well as activities that weall enjoyed in the recent past. Theride on the America's Cup replicaship and the club corral during theIMSA race in August at the VirginiaInternational Raceway (VIR) weredescribed. This year is a special100th anniversary year for BMWand the annual Oktoberfest was aspecial event held at Laguna Seca in

California this past August. We hope that many members willcome out and join us during theupcoming Holiday Party inFebruary.

After the New Member meet-ing, we moved to join the DIY in theshop to have lunch and allow thenew members to mix with thosewho were in the process of repair-ing and improving their cars. It wasa chance for those new to the clubto see for themselves first hand andhear directly from those involvedabout a great way to take advantage

(Above) The Chapter Sign-up Table at the Cars & Coffee. (Below) A Z8 a Z3 with M4s and an X5.

(Right) Paul Seto & Jim Laws speakto the new member group.

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of a benefit of membership. In fact,for many, the DIY is sort of a socialprogram in that they come out tohelp and be part of these activitiesand repairs. All are welcome to participate, assist or provide moralsupport.

This was a very successfulevent for the NCC. We met ournewest members and even signedup some new members as part ofthe day's activities. We want tothank BMW of Sterling for theircontinued support of the club programs and particularly theenthusiastic support provided toclub members conducting mainte-nance at their fine facility. If youmissed this event, please watch thecalendar and make sure to come outto some of the activities offered bythe NCC.

C A R S & C O F F E E , D I Y A N D N E W M E M B E R E V E N T A T B M W O F S T E R L I N G

(Top) Chris Wooten at work on his318ti. (Middle) Lots of help forDoug Verner and his E92 M3 andChris Wooten’s 318ti (L to R).(Below left) Doug Verner is assist-ed by Jason Brown the BMW ofSterling Shop Foreman. (Belowright) Marlon Spencer enjoying the DIY.

January I February 13

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Enduro Pie Run XIX: How to Drive through Two States

in No Time at AllBy Anna Maripuu

Saturday, November 19 was the last gloriously sunny andrelatively warm day we would have before winter set in.What a joy then for the 60 or so people who had

decided to spend their day driving in the beautiful Marylandand Virginia countryside. The cohort included not onlyBMWs, but some Porsches and other vehicles. We’ve alwayssaid as a club that having a BMW is not a prerequisite.Anybody can join in the fun.

We started out at 9 am at the Catoctin Mountain Orchardfor a pie buying frenzy. The flavor variety of pies there isdizzying – from blackberry apple to pecan to pumpkin topeach. There are plenty of other yummy things to buy suchas varieties of apples, snacks salty and sweet, vegetables,preserves, and home baked goods. I’m pretty sure no one leftthe store empty handed.

The first long drive covered some 115 miles taking thecaravan from Thurmont, Maryland, through beautiful country-side passing Antietam Battlefield, across the Potomac River,

(Top) BMWs lined up neatly at the Catoctin Mountain Orchard parking lot in Thurmont, Maryland. (Above Left) Club president Paul Seto and MarkRosenberg enjoy lunch at the Bavarian Chef in Fredericksburg, Virginia. (Center) Tourmeister and Tourmistress Algie and Angela Livingston with futureTourmeister Greyson. (Right) There was no shortage of good German beer during lunch. Prost!

January I February 15

served in what used to be an old railroad station.Every once in a while a real train would roar byon the nearby tracks.

After a very enjoyable and social lunchthere was an optional last stop at Potomac PointWinery and Vineyard in Stafford, Virginia. Manypeople opted to drive home at this point, but afew diehards enjoyed the wine tasting and socializing.

I was lucky enough to be in the navigatorposition co-piloting with John Francis in his E90M3. Sometimes I really enjoy “going along forthe ride” especially in such good company. On our way back to the DMV it started raining as

E N D U R O P I E R U N X I X

we fought thick traffic on I95 North. When westopped to refuel at a Shell station, a big beautiful rainbow appeared. It was a fitting endto what had been a long, but incredibly fun day.

I encourage anyone who has not participat-ed in one of our tours to come out and join in thefun. This was probably the largest Pie Run everto date, so we’ll have to break records again withthe next one! The hugest of warm thanks goesout to Tourmeister Algie Livingston for all thehard work that goes into organizing a tour. Oneof the participants remarked that he had been ontours before but had never seen such accurateand detailed turn-by-turn instructions as thoseprovided by Algie. We’ll all be looking forward tothe next great tour.

(Below Right) The Bavarian Chef is a renovatedtrain station. In addition to being quaint, it servesgreat German food.

(Below Left) A giant pretzel at the Bavarian Chefis only one of the great things to share withthose sitting at your table.

(Above) Picking up pies at the Catoctin MountainOrchard Roadside Market is a tradition thatshould not be missed.

(Above) The line to buy pies inside the Market waslong but efficient, and everyone emerged happywith their purchases. (Below Center) TourmeisterAlgie made a few announcements during lunch at the Bavarian Chef to a packed room.

and south into Virginia to Wilson Farms MeatCompany in Catlett, Virginia, south of Manassas.All along the small, undulating roads werepicturesque and colored with the vibrant fallleaves which are still, for the most part, stubborn-ly hanging on to their trees. The weather couldn’thave been better – clear, sunny and in the 70’s.

By the time we reached Wilson Farms, theday was in full swing with the sun shining bright-ly from on high. Wilson Farms is a very popularstop along the way, and coolers already filled withpumpkin pies, were now brimming with variousfresh meat products.

The long BMW train proceeded onto thesecond leg of the journey which took the groupfurther south to Fredericksburg, Virginia. Thenext stop was the quaint Bavarian Chef, wherecopious amounts of German comfort food were

(Above) Having a BMW is not a prerequisite forcoming on one of our tours. This beautiful air-cooled Carrera 911 made an appearance.

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or every action, there is a reaction.

There’s a reason why thisis considered a law. During lastyear’s major auto show season, ourfriends at BMW NA had rather low-key media days. As you may recall, Iasked Dr. Willisch why the lack of apress event. He stated that they feltthat they didn’t have anything trulynews worthy to announce. From myreview of the year-to-date sales figures, BMW NA has paid a steepprice for not having any major productlaunch press events during last year’s

majorauto showseason. Unlike pastgeneration 3 Series mid cycle fresh-ening (that always include outstand-ing new powertrains) that historicallyresult in significant sales increases,the 3 and 4 Series year-to-year salesare down by almost 30%. And while

year-to-year sales are up

almost 50%, the all new 7 Series stilllags behind the Mercedes S-classsales by almost 35%. Unlike theMercedes GLM and Lexus RX sales,the BMW X5 sales have decreased.And because of a rather subtle launch

during lastyear’s New York Auto

Show, the e- and i-Performance model sales are

almost non-existent. No matter how one looks at it,

the end result for BMW is grim.Despite the runaway success of thenew X1 as well as significant salesincreases from the 2 and the 7Series, year-to-year BMW sales aredown by 9%. The headline story in

The 2017 Los Angeles Auto Showe i e i…oh

By James Chew

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the November Automotive News bestsummed up the result of BMW current product strategy: “Star Power:How Mercedes took the luxury lead,4 years ahead of schedule”

Reviewing the sales statistics,the only good news for BMW NA isthat despite a significant salesdecrease, BMW dealers still havesome of the lowest inventories inthe market. Because BMW will NOTneed to have a fire sale to clear oldinventory, the low dealer inventoryhelps maintain a higher BMW product resale value.

This is why I found the BMWLos Angeles Auto Show media dayactivity press release puzzling.Rather than focusing on the new 5Series, the one-time benchmarkexecutive sport sedan that simplyHAS to prove to the market that it is again THE benchmark, the focuswas to have various senior executives available to discuss the various e (plug-in hybrid) and i-Performance (models that use theBMW eDrive electric drive technology) products.

It’s clear that the executives atBMW AG and BMW NA are way tooobsessed with the Toyota Prius andTesla sales. Year to date, Toyota hassold almost as many Prius’ as 3, 4,5 Series combined. And Tesla salesare significantly higher than BMW 6and 7 Series combined. Ignoringthe fact that neither the Prius nor the Tesla products sell at a profit,the BMW focus on the e- and i-Performance models can be viewedby some as a distraction as BMWtries to develop “Ultimate DrivingMachines” for the 21st century.While developed with the samebenchmark engineering and designattention-to-detail obsessed BMWproduct development processes, theNorth American e- or i-model saleshave been much less than impres-sive.

Oddly enough, BMW NAthinks that they have ACES up theirsleeves in order to develop 21stCentury “Ultimate DrivingMachines”. ACES stands for

Autonomous, Connected, Electric,and Shared. By the way, Mercedeshas similar 21st Century productdevelopment goals – though theirsare known as CASE (Connected,Autonomous, Shared, Electric).

“Data is the new oil”. The IntelCEO made this declaration duringthe first of the L.A. Auto Show (nowcalled “Automobility”) media days.After being highly criticized by theWall Street analysts for missing themobile electronics market, Intel hasdecided to bet big on the ultimate performance mobile device – theautomobile. Intel’s contention is

that for BMW and Mercedes toachieve their 21st Century productdevelopment goals, high speed in-vehicle data product processingcoupled with Cloud computingconnectivity is key.

Before becoming upset thatcars are becoming computers onwheels, the fact is that they alreadyare. Computers are now used tohelp control every major aspect ofvehicle operation to the point thatyour new BMW performs at peakefficiency in every road and climateconditions.

We are already close to

achieving the “Connectivity” goal.Have you noticed that WiFi is nowan option on the 2017 BMWs?This, combined with BMW Assist,the BMW Apps, and the GPS track-ing has us as connected as wewould be in the Home or Office.Think about the last time your passengers looked out the windowsduring a long drive.

Achieving the “Autonomous”goal adds the layer of complexity toachieving the “Connected” goal. Toallow for fully autonomous vehicles,the vehicle must have the appropri-ate connection “size”, speed, security, and scalability. Intel’sexperience with laptops and wire-less office devices should help. To show their commitment to thisarea, they recently purchased acompany that specializes in thedevelopment and production of fieldprogrammable gate arrays (FPGAs).

(Opposite page and Left) We’remaking sausage – ever wonderhow the products are perfectlyplaced and the “product specialists”so knowledgeable?

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This, coupled with the CEO’s com-ment that they are investing $250Mover the next five years in this area,showcases Intel seriousness in thismarket.

While Intel was discussinghow they were meeting the desireddata connectivity, the Ford CEO,Mercedes VP R&D, PorscheDirector, Connectivity; andMcLaren Director, AdvancedTechnology, discussed how theywere planning to use this new capa-bility to improve their product oper-ation and ownership experience.The McLaren remarks were mostinteresting – they discussed howthe technology would be used inboth the racing and street products.

The “Electric” goal discussionwas the most interesting. Raisedonly by the German manufacturers,this struck me as an overreaction tothe VW diesel engine emissionsscandal. The German manufactur-ers reactions were clear – AudiRacing dropped their stunninglysuccessful endurance racing pro-gram to focus on Formula E. VWwill no longer sell diesel-poweredvehicles in the U.S. Mercedes hasannounced that they are studyingdropping their diesel products inthe U.S. And if you’ve visited theBMW web site lately, you’ll noticethat the X3d is no longer available.Prior to the VW scandal, theGerman manufacturers were dis-

cussing how to convince the liber-al European government agencieson how the latest round of imposedemission standards would beimpossible to meet. Thanks to VW(more precisely Ferdinand Piech)the entire German auto industrymay now be permanently damaged.

The “Sharing” goal is themost puzzling. Over the past eightyears, the anti-car forces have beenpromoting the perception that millennials are shunning car own-ership. These anti-car forces havebeen using every trick from the

book, “How to Lie With Statistics”,to use their questionable data toprove their point. It was quite inter-esting to listen to a number of pre-senters during the first media daydiscuss how recent surveys haveshown that as they get older andstart families, millennials are moving to the suburbs and veryinterested in car ownership.

For us older folks, this wasone of the biggest “duhs” from thisevent.

By the way, the other “duh”was that SUV/CUV/SAVs are all the

(Above) To our friends at BMW AG - Mercedes believes that “The Best orNothing” means focusing on driving performance!

(Above and Below) Has Audi surpassed BMW in terms of aggressivelytasteful performance oriented exterior design?

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craze. When Jaguar, Bentley, andnow Alfa Romeo introduce a SUV, aMercedes full-size pick up truckdoesn’t sound all that crazy!

The developed “sharing” tech-nology will find a home for fleetsand rental vehicles. And its useful-ness for privately owned vehiclemay be questionable, unless weconsider it’s potential for the “family car”.

I was able to only attend thefirst media day of the L.A. AutoShow (“Automobility”), which wasthe manufacturer’s display set upday. Promising to be on my bestbehavior, I was allowed access tothe halls to quickly see the BMWdisplay being set up. I was quitepleased to see that the displayedBMW products were targeted to theSouthern California market. While“e, i-Performance” models werepresent, there were almost a num-ber M-models as well as aMotorrad product. It was great toagain see my BMW product specialist friends, dressed in casualclothes while reviewing the productspecification while inspecting thedisplayed products in preparationfor the show. Ironically, eventhough the media days were focus-ing on BMW’s “green” products, itwas clear that the public days focusis on their “Ultimate DrivingMachines”.

As an industry observer it’sclear that there is an on-going bat-tle in the BMW AG executive suite

concerning the future heart andsoul of this company. The VWdiesel engine emission scandal havesteered the current liberal Europeangovernments to set regulations toeventually eliminate the use of the internal combustion engines. Infact, for the past eight years, our owngovernment has been trying to dothe same. The BMW managementresponse to these outside forcessmacks of an overreaction that isalready having detrimental effects tooperational and financial well beingof the company.

But both our recentPresidential election and Brexitelection results have given rationalthinking/true believers within theauto industry a reason to smile.Within Europe, rational thinkingpoliticians are gaining favor within

their respective countries. As withwe Americans, the Europeans nowseem tired of governments thatsmugly dictate how things should

be because they ”know better”.They want a government that worksfor the people, not create poorlythought out and executed socialengineering programs.

Casting political correctnessaside, the auto industry true believers know that technology, not government regulation, can savethe day. By refocusing on free market forces rather than thecurrent social engineering, clair-voyant car companies will succeedand offer even more amazing vehicles that focus on the joy of andfreedom with owning and drivingpersonal transportation to the market.

Let us BMW faithful hope thatis it these rational, true believersthat win the current battle within theBMW AG executive suites.

(Below) Even with their “iPerformance” focus, BMW NA realizes that it’s their regular line-up that draws the show crowds.

(Above) Even Continental is focusing on connectivity rather than driving performance. Notice their use of a Cadillac to showcase their connectivetytechnologies.

(Above) “FINALLY – the Alfa competitor to the 3 Series. Does anyone care?”

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Wow! Your BMW CCA Foundation museum iscollecting a huge amount of BMW history. In October, I visited the open house theFoundation hosted during Eurofest, an annualcelebration of classic Europeancars, in Greenville, S.C.

First, a little background.The Foundation is a charitableorganization established byBMW CCA to promote safety(Street Survival teen driver train-ing) and the preservation of BMW history (a museum).The Foundation has acquiredproperty that includes a vacantwarehouse, which can serve asthe first step toward the museum. It is located adjacentto the BMW PerformanceCenter, across highway 101from the Spartanburg factory.

So far, the Foundation hasaccumulated over 50,000 itemsincluding magazines, brochures, technical books, posters, BMW engines andparts, race car pieces, model cars, actual cars… well you have to see it toappreciate it.

For this Open House, a couple dozen cars were on display. A few belongto the Foundation but most were on loan from CCA members and BMW NA.I suspect this is the long-term plan – revolving displays involving some interesting cars on temporary loan. As fund raising continues, the museumnow is housed in the recently purchased former warehouse, a bare bones

facility – no fancy walls or floors, just a bigbuilding with room to show off BMW history.There is a small area of finished office spaceand a reception area, a sort of reading

room with shelves full of all Roundels and other magazines,brochures, models and so on.

I saw the legendary E46 M3GTR road car (on loan fromBMW), the one that allowedBMW and PTG to qualify a V8M3 race car for competition inthe American Le Mans series.Supposedly, there are only sixof these cars and they are rarelyseen in public. It was among afive car M3 display, one fromeach generation. Sitting onbricks of the “Buy a Brick” campaign, was a wildly trickedout 2002 race car, with aSchnitzer motor. There was aninteresting group of roadsters –

328s of all sizes, a Z1, an Alpina 3.4 Z4, a Z3 and a Z3 body shell, a formerfactory display piece.

And the walls! There must be hundreds of posters, banners and photos.And behind curtains was the massive collection of contributed items still beingdocumented.

Foundation curator Michael Mitchell told me one goal is to have a libraryarea where club members could go, by appointment, to research the collection’s documents on BMW topics. That would be a valuable resource for

(Above) BMW History in posters and banners. (Below) Here’s a collection of BMWroadsters you don’t see everyday.

BMW CCA Foundation Open House

By John HartgeBy

January I February 21January I February 21

accurate restorations, for example. The CCA national office, now housed in

nearby Greenville, plans to build a new officefacility at the Foundation’s location. The targetis to have that open in time for the 2019Oktoberfest, the club’s 50th, which is planned

B M W C C A F O U N D A T I O N O P E N H O U S E

for Greenville, S.C.The museum relies on a bare bones staff and

volunteers, so it’s not open regularly to the public. Open House is held the second Wednesday of eachmonth, 10:30a to 2:30p. You can inquire about otherpossible times. Visit www.bmwccafoundation.org for

(Top left) 5 M3s along the wall, 1 from eachgeneration (Above) The BMW formula racecar, formerly displayed at the Zentrum, andthe Korman/Payson Enterprises Gary Buchart car replica. This isn’t the racer, but a 325edressed in M3 body work for promotionaldisplays only.

(Center) Now we know where broken BMWrace car pieces go. (Top right) 1-owner2002 that evolved over time into a fullfledged race car with a Schnitzer engine.(Above) Classic BMWs, old and new, welcomed visitors to the Open House.

(Above) The Foundation’s reading room stocked with BMW history in magazines.

more information about the organization and the“Buy a Brick Campaign Chapter Challenge” topave the way for the Foundation’s future.

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The Rockville Antique and Classic Car Showhas blossomed into one of the region’s largestautomotive events. Every year on a nice Fall

October day, over 500 classic cars gather on thelawn of Rockville’s Glenview Mansion. Over 32 carclubs, including ours, are represented at thisgrand event. Beginning last year our chapterbecame an official participant and James Lawsserves as our chapter’s designee on the event’splanning committee.

As an official participant, our club receives aspecial parking area designated solely for BMWs.This year we achieved our most attendees yet -with 21 classic Bimmers in attendance. Thisimpressive group of cars included an Isetta 300,2000CS, Bavaria, and E9s, E30s, E24s, E28s,E30s, and 2002s.

Each year the show has a small display area

of hand selected cars that represent a theme. This year’s theme was “Iconic Cars” and BMW wasthe only marque to have two cars selected to participate – my own 1973 2002 and WayneWatkins’ 1966 2000CS. My 2002 was selecteddue to the cult car status it has developed, whilethe 2000CS is considered by many to be the firstgeneration of the big coupes or father of the 6-cylinder E9 Series. Some of the cars in the iconicthemed display were mass produced, while otherswere very limited production models.

Examples from the “Iconic Cars” displayincluded a 1949 MG TC that represented the earlyintroduction of European sports cars to the USmarket. Many US servicemen brought these carsback home after the war and they represent ournation’s early foray into the European car market. I found out that the MG’s owner is legally blind and

Rockville Antique andClassic Car Show 2016

(Top) James Laws' E24 M6. (Above) Althoughit was the smallest car there, the pint-sizedIsetta 250 Cabriolet was a huge hit at the Rockville Antique and Classic Car Show.

By Marc Caden

R O C K V I L L E A N T I Q U E A N D C L A S S I C C A R S H O W 2 0 1 6

uses a driver for his pleasure rides.However, the owner still works onthe car himself from memory byfeeling his way around the enginebay.

There was general consensusthat the most impressive car ondisplay this year was a 1935Auburn 851 Boat Tail Speedster. In the days when big engineBugattis and Bentleys ripped

through European roads, theAuburn was its US counterpart.With a supercharged straight 8cylinder, this was a very advancedcar for its time and each Speedsterbears a dash plaque that stating“This certifies that this AUBURNAUTOMOBILE has been driven100.8 miles per hour before ship-ment.” This particular car had avery impressive pedigree having

its power plant sounded much morelike a steam locomotive than anycar. It represented the early warwaged among manufacturers overwhich type of fuel would powerfuture vehicles. A Stanley Steamerset the world’s fastest mile in 1906.However, the power delivery ofgasoline engines improved overtime and the usage of an electricstarter, rather than a crank, led tothe rise of the gasoline powered car.The Stanley Steamer factory perma-

(Bottom left) Tom Kapikian's 1988535is is a previous winner of the Deutsche Marque Concours d'Elegance and is among the bestexamples out there. (Bottom Right)Barak Wray recently purchased a1987 Alpine White 325is that waspreviously owned by his Dad. Last winter he completed a full Eurobumper conversion on it that wasadmired by many.

recently won its class at the AmeliaIsland Concours and voted Best ofShow at the annual Auburn, Cord,and Duesenberg Festival. Whilethe Auburn’s owner was not officially listed in the program, Ilater learned that it was owned bycollector Lammot J. du Pont.

Another special car on displaywas a 1910 Stanley Steamer Model70. Upon hearing it enter the field,

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nently closed in 1924 and very fewremnants remain.

While the show itself is notjudged, each year the RockvilleMayor and City Council bestow aspecial award to one car in atten-dance. This year Steve Schuh’s1963 Jaguar E-Type received thecoveted Best of Show award.

The E-Type is the car that EnzoFerrari is famously quoted for say-ing it “was the most beautiful carever made.” The bright red roadsterhad been restored to perfection andwas a well deserving recipient.

There is really something foreveryone at this car show. During aquick stroll of the field I saw a VW

23-window Samba bus, Porsche930 Turbo, Pierce Arrow, Cadillacwith V16 engine, Mercedes 300slRoadster, Cord, and Packardsgalore. So in addition to our ownlovely display of classic BMWs,you can enjoy a stunning group of very diverse and collectible vehicles. Kudos also goes out to

(Above) The 1935 Auburn 851 Boat Tail Speedster was one of the stars of theshow. At the Bonneville salt flats, company driver Ab Jenkins set over 70speed records in it for American stock cars. Each car was delivered with aplaque certifying that the car had been driven by Jenkins more than 100 milesper hour. The model 1935 Speedster was designed by Gordon Buehrig, whowas also the designer of the immortal Duesenberg Model J.

club member Steve White for help-ing select the participants in thisyear’s Iconic Cars display. Theevent is free for the public to attendand there is an early registration feeof only $10 for participants. Wehope you will mark this event inyour calendar for October 2017.

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(Above) A good 23-window VW Samba Bus can fetch more than $100,000 at auction!

(Above) When the Stanley Steamer pulled onto the field it sounded more like a steam locomotive than a car.

(Above) At the time of its introduction, the Porsche 930 Turbo was the fastest production car available in Germany.

(Above) Steve Schuh's 1963 Jaguar E-type won the Best in Show Award.

All that time on Interstate 10 andCalifornia 60 and that’s the best I can do.

Must have been the negative vibecoming from my Hyundai Elantrarental car.

Oddly enough, my trek toThermal took me past my undergrad-uate alma mater, Cal Poly Pomona.The motto for that school is “Learn bydoing.” And that was exactly what Iwas going to do at the M-Track Days– learn (actually re-learn) some performance driving skills by “doing”.

To paraphrase Henry DavidThoreau, “Most people drive theirvehicles in quiet desperation”. I haveobserved that this fits the two types ofdrivers. The first are those who drivethe standard front-wheel-drive“CamCord-class” sedans and theCrossover class SUVs that view theirvehicles as nothing more than a

driving appliance. Their closest expe-rience to understating and appreciatingthe beauty and spirit of driving is whenthey either go to the local Jiffy Lube foran oil change or their local Costco fornew tires and wonder why they seem tobe drawn to the smell of new tires andhow good their vehicle feels after thefluids have been changes and the tiresproperly inflated. The second type arethose who have purchased perform-ance cars, frustrated that their dailydriving enjoyment is limited by themultitude of CamCord sedan andcrossover SUVs that are sharing theroad. In Southern California, drivingon the multitude of wonderful sideroads and mountain passes alleviatesthis frustration. In Northern Virginia,well, at least our local BMW CCAChapter has the occasional autocrosstrack day or outings on twisty littleroads.

(Top) The M4 Safety cars shows the “track readiness” of all M-product.(Above) Students gathering at this modest reception center have noidea the fun that’s in store for them.

California ScreamingBy James Chew

All the leaves are brown, and the sky is grayIt’s way too cold outside; have to be in all day

But that is all behind me, as I land in LATime for California Screaming, at the BMW M Track Day

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The drag strip experience isworth noting. It’s not an accelera-tion measurement. Its an accelera-tion/deceleration measurement. If you’ve never done a 0-60-0“drag”, it’s quite eye opening. Andit will help your daily driving skills,especially if you commute on parkways or freeways.

For those new to performance

driving, it’s enlightening. For thosewho have attended these types ofschools, it’s a sobering reminder ofthe bad habits we’ve gained fromdaily driving.

Our classroom instructorimmediately showed his profes-sional racecar driver credentials by first acknowledging all the eventsponsors. During his sponsor

acknowledgement, I learned thatsome of the M-vehicles were inten-tionally equipped with BMWPerformance parts. These acces-sories, when installed by BMWCenters, carry the same warranty asthe vehicle. Having worked theaccessories business for an OEM, I must say that this is a huge (or“yuge” to quote our President-elect).

The classroom instruction isdivided in to two parts – seatingposition and the physics of car control.

In my high school driver’seducation/training class, my driving instructor told me that the

(Above) The M4 interior makes you want to climb in for a drive. (Below Right) Maybe these helmets should be an option when ordering yournew BMW? (Below) Adan Seaman instructs a room full of eager students.

The BMW M-Track Day is aspecial treat for a number of reasons. First, it’s an invitation onlyevent – so you’re sharing the daywith fellow driving enthusiasts.Second, the event takes place in acontrolled environment. Third,you’re taught by professional driving instructors who all have significant racing experience.Fourth (and most important) you’redriving SOMEONE ELSE’S BMW.

It was my heart that startedracing as I drove through Coachellato get to the Thermal Race Club.This would be my first time at thenew BMW Performance CenterWest facility. Imagine my excite-ment when I entered the Thermalfacility and saw the M2s, M3s, M4s,M5s, M6s, and the X6Ms lined upat the various tracks. Walking pastthe M4 GTS and the i8 Track SafetyCar that were parked outside theregistration trailer put a smile on my face.

For those of you that haveattended a half-day driving schoolsession, it will be a familiar fare.There’s an hour of classroominstruction and four driving events– two “lead follow”, a timedautocross, and a drag strip.

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(Above and Below) Check yourpulse – if your heart ISN’T racingat the sight of these track-ready M-vehicles, you need medicalattention!

correct driving position was NOTone that allowed for one to easilyoperate the radio. For today’s newdriver, the position is NOT one thatallows for the driver to steer withtheir knees while reading theirsmartphone!

Many of us may have forgottenthat when driving a BMW in the correct driving position, one notonly keeps alert but also one doesnot get fatigued. Having the handsplaced correctly on the steeringwheel allows the driver to havemaximum control in most everydriving situation.

Once the students are madeaware of the fact that it’s just fourpatches of rubber, each the size ofyour hand, that are in contact withthe road, they begin to pay attention.Understanding that our car tends tofollow our eyes is a major epiphanyfor many of us. The relationship ofbraking, steering, and acceleratingthrough a curve helps on the trackas well as with daily driving.Frankly, it’s just physics and

engineering mechanics. In addition to discussing how

to find the smoothest line on a roadcourse, the instructor reviews howthe various driving settings intoday’s BMWs affect the perform-ance and the daily driving experi-ence. I suspect that we’ll immedi-ately know during the variousBMW CCA autocross and trackevent which BMW CCA membershave attended the M-Track Days.They’ll be the one adjusting thesesettings to more easily find “theline.”

Now we were ready for the“Learn By Doing” portion.

While one should follow theinstructor’s directions, I found itmore interesting to experiment withlate braking, early braking, earlyentry, and late entry. It honed my skills on finding “the line” with-out the help of pylons. I can’t say my passenger appreciated myexperiments!

The lessons learned from“lead follow” and classroom

sessions come together quite nice-ly for the autocross. Suddenly allthose driving clichés, such as “driving slower helps you drivefaster” make sense.

The acceleration/decelerationevent showed the attributes of theM-Steptronic transmission and thewonderful M-brakes. Even thosemost ardent manual transmissionfans will grudgingly admit that theM-Steptronic operates perfectly.

It’s nice to interact with thewide variety of people who attendthis event. It’s quite interesting tosee the cocky get humbled and thenewly initiated gain courage. Forone of the “follow lead” sessions, I was teamed with a long timeVolvo driver who had never partici-pated in such an event! Watchinghis growing confidence and emerging desire to own a BMWwas fascinating.

At the end of the session, itseemed that all for the participantsgained a new respect for BMWsand for driving. Experienced horse

riders understand the need toimmediately show a BMW that thedriver is the one in control. Beinggentle lets the vehicle be the master,while abusing it will just irritate it.Respectfully and firmly driving thevehicle to realize it’s performancepotential is a thing of beauty. I suspect they will all be surprisedwith how these new skills will surface when faced with hazardousdriving situations.

The reason for BMW to open aWest Coast Performance Center was simple. Opened in 2009, theSpartanburg facility is operating atcapacity (around 15,000 students ayear). When they opened the WestCoast facility in 2013, an additional10,000 students a year could nowbe educated on the performancepotential of their BMWs.

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January I February 29

(Above) I bought 30 BMW CCA raffle tickets and DIDN’T win the M4 GTS! Let’s hope the winner attends at leastone of these classes!

I suspect that if demand contin-ues to grow, BMW may move theirWest Coast Performance Center to aBMW owned and operated location.The Thermal Club facility is nice. Itis the “ultimate” playground for thedriving enthusiast “one percenters.”Lot prices start at $1.3M and a houseMUST be built within a certain time-frame after purchase. So eitherincreased enrollment or communityencroachment may result in BMWmoving to a larger dedicated facility.Don’t be surprised if they move toOxnard, California, which is whereBMW’s west coast distribution andR&D centers are located.

For those of you who havedriven on the 405 freeway by thecity of Carson, California and havenoticed the building of the PorscheDriving Experience, I understandthat this facility will not offer activi-ties such as our M-Track Days, butit’s location is a wonderful market-ing tool for Porsche!

The M-Track Days gives one ataste of how to realize the perform-ance driving potential from a BMW.This year, the M-Track Days wasoffered at Lime Rock andHomestead in addition to Thermaland Spartanburg. Participating inone of these events at the differenttracks not only makes for a greatvacation, but also allows one todrive some of the best road racingcourses in the country.

If you desire dedicated one-on-one instruction to work on yourdriving skills, the BMW drivingschool does offer one and two dayscourses at both the Spartanburgand Thermal facilities. When theBMW CCA offers a special rate forthese schools, I highly recommendthat you take advantage of it.

Always seeking a bargain, I asked what happens to these M-vehicles after their schooling daysare over. I was informed that theyare reconditioned to factory stan-dards and then sold through thewholesale auction process, with thedocumentation stating that theywere used for performance school

purposes. Maybe someday BMWNA will develop a program suchthat the Performance School/TrackDay participants could purchaseone of these vehicles through theirpreferred BMW Center. I’m keepingmy eye on the M6 Gran Coupes!

This driving enjoyment is notlimited to the M-models – if you’veparticipated in the invitation only“Ultimate Driving Experience”,you’ve had a smile on your face asyou’ve driven the non M-modelsthrough the timed autocross track.

For the past year, I’ve beendisappointed with the BMW presence at the major auto shows.

While the displays have been good,the lack of major product unveilingevents left me confused about theBMW NA marketing strategy.However, if the BMW NA marketingstrategy is to divert those fundstowards the M Track Days, thenBMW NA may be executing the”ultimate” guerrilla marketing campaign. Simply speaking, the M-Track Days is annually turningover 20,000 BMW enthusiasts intoBMW evangelists. And there’s nobetter advertising for a brand thanan evangelistic enthusiast.

By the way, BMW has foundthat within one year, 1 in 8 of the

M-Track Day participants purchaseor lease a new BMW. Within 3years, 30% of the participants will purchase or lease a new one. Thereis no advertising campaign nor autoshow display that comes even closeto such a success rate.

So frequently check your “junkmail” folders for an invitation fromBMW for M-Track Days. Afterattending that event, imagine howyou can answer the “Why do youlike BMWs?” question from yournon-BMW friends.

After a decade of BMW SAV ownership, I finally saw the paradox ofAmerican SUV/SAV ownership. These types of vehicles, which are bestsuited for long distance hauling, are most often used as “Suburban

Shuttles.” Dominating the school drop off lanes, athletic field parking lots, andwarehouse store parking lots, these dreadnaught class vehicles proudly fly theirowner’s flag. Because these vehicles all tend to be well built and well main-tained, a decades’ worth of own-ership in not uncommon. Alsonot uncommon is that these vehicles tend to be low mileage.Powered by V-6s, V-8s, and in-line sixes (in the case ofBMWs) achieving an averagefuel economy of over 15 milesper gallon is rare.

With “delivery vehicle”driving habits, one would thinkthat diesel engine optionswould be quite popular. WhileBMW, Mercedes, Audi, and VWoffer the diesel engine option,sales have been less thanimpressive. Hence, BMWdecided to try a different direction with the new X5xDrive40e.

The vehicle’s complicated name clumsily describes this product. Yes, it’s an SAV. Yes, it has the proven all-wheel-drive system. Yes, it’s a“mild hybrid” (mybrid?) as it combines an electric motor as well as a turbocharged 4-cylinder engine to produce a combined 309 horsepower. I can’t explain the “40”.

Visibly, the X5 xDrive40e looks the same as a conventional X5. One needs to look hard tonotice the door for the electriccharging, located on the frontdriver’s side fender. While thebadging clearly states itsname, I think most of us havebecome numb to BMW’sridiculously long productnames to notice. For a “$1.98industry”, one would think theBMW “bean counters” couldsuccessfully counter thisadsorb marketing move byarguing that shorter productnames would result in smallerproduct badges, which in turnwould result in lower badgingcosts and higher profits.

The interior differencesare just as subtle. Only the

The BMW X5 xDrive40eThe Incredible Hulk

By James Chew

(Top) Yes, that’s a power cord plugged into that X5. (Above) Only the eDrive” badging on the engine cover tells you that something’s different under this hood.

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January I February 31

T H E B M W X 5 X D R I V E 4 0 E

driver will notice the gauge thatshows the battery’s state of charge,as well as the additional iDrivefunctions to select the desired“eDrive” mode.

Even the differences in drivingdynamics are subtle. While the X5is the “BMW of SUVs”, it’s still anSUV. With a curb weight of 5260pounds (the X5 3.0 curb weight is4790 pounds) we were surprisedthat we didn’t noticed the increasedweight during typical suburbandriving duties. With the eDrive andturbocharged four-cylinder gasolineengine working together, we foundthat the X5 xDrive40e had greatacceleration for entering the freewayas well as for passing. Even withthe increased weight, we didn’tnotice any difference in braking orhandling. It should be no surprise,seeing as how the curb weight forthe X5M is 5260 pounds!

What we did notice was the“eDrive” function. The purpose ofthis function was to allow the driverto achieve the most efficient use ofthe “mybrid” powertrain. The “AutoeDrive” setting allows the vehicle’scomputer to optimize the use of the“mybrid” powertrain for the driving

(Above) Here's a fun game – find the differences between the X5 eDrive interior and other X5s (hint there’s only two).

(Left and Below) Here’s one differ-ence – note the subtle, yet visible rearcargo deck height. The rear storagearea contains the power cord.

the driver is not operating theaccelerator.

This does sound quite com-plicated. An as engineer, I fullyappreciate this wonderful engineer-ing achievement. As a “car guy”, I fully appreciate the seamlessoperation.

The key to realizing the fueleconomy savings from any hybridvehicle is to keep the battery

condition. The Max eDrive settingis for “EV” only. The “Save Battery”setting maintains the highest levelof battery charge, switching on theeDrive only for acceleration.

The “eDrive” function can becombined with the now-standardBMW chassis settings for a fullyoptimized operation. When “EcoPro” is selected, the powertrain isdecoupled from the driveline when

pack fully charged. Because of the second law of thermodynamics, youcan never fully recharge the batterysolely from regenerative braking. As we’ve found from evaluatingother HEVs and EVs, charging

T H E B M W X 5 X D R I V E 4 0 E

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stations are not easy to find. There are web sitesidentify the local charging stations. However,even with the new “fast charging” systems, it willtake a few hours to fully recharge the relativelysmall battery in the X5 xDrive40e.

While it is relatively small, the X5xDrive40e lithium-ion battery pack eliminatesthe rear under floor storage area. In fact, wenoticed that the rear storage floor is visibly higher in the X5 xDrive40e than in the conven-tional X5. However, the rear seats still fold,therefore the typical X5 family won’t notice thedecreased cargo space during the weekly big-box warehouse trips.

After a weekly-long evaluation, we foundthe X5 xDrive40e to be the ideal SAV for theBMW suburban family. The X5 provides theroom, higher seating position, and cargo spacedesired by the American suburban family. Withthe proven xDrive system, you’ll never have toworry if your vehicle can be driven in less thanideal (rain and snow) driving conditions (haveyou all noticed that Prius and EV drivers neverdrive in such conditions?). For typical suburbanfamily duty, you’ll find that you’re always on battery power. When we returned the vehicle, ittook less than three gallons to top off the tank! We were quite surprised that we achieve betterthan the EPA rated 56 miles per gallon.

While BMW has created the ideal “familysized mybrid” SAV, it remains to be seen how themarket will react to this Incredible Hulk. Evenwith the significantly lowered price, the dieselpowered X5 does not sell well in the US. And previous SUV “mybrids” – the previousgeneration GMC Yukon – created a very loyalowner base but did not sell well.

Noticing the lease specials for the X5xDrive40e, I suspect that the $5,100 price differ-ence, not including the charging station, is hurting sales. Keep in mind the X5d is only$700 more than the X5 3.0, and sales are lag-ging. While the X5 xDrive40e is a wonderfulSAV, it’s clear that the American SAV buyers wanttheir gasoline engines. Because of the overlycomplicated Federal Government CorporateAverage Fuel Economy rules, BMW will mostlikely continue to offer the X5 xDrive40e tocounter the poor fuel economy from the M vehicles. For that reason every BMW suburbanfamily should consider this vehicle for a shortterm lease – you all may be surprised will howoften you DON’T go to the gas station!

Wonder how much I can get in trade for ourlow mileage 2007 X5 3.0i……

(Above) The X5 eDrive has all the luxury comfort features one can expect from a premiumSAV.

(Above) The exterior differences? A few badgesand the power plug (Below).

(Above) Here’s the other difference - the very subtle “eDrive” badge on the front cupholdercover.

January I February 33

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January I February 35

The National Capital Chapter of the BMWCCA now has 5492 members. Of these626 are associate members. We continueto be the largest chapter in the U.S.

Do you know someone who owns aBMW, but is missing out on the rewardsof belonging to the BMW CCA? Theyprobably don’t even realize what great

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A D V E R T I S E R S

Alexandria Bavarian Service........................................................................... 13

AutoWerke & Autoy......................................................................................... 33

BMW Excluservice.......................................................................................... 13

BMW of Annapolis............................................................................................ 34

BMW of Fairfax............................................................................................... C3

BMW of Silver Spring..................................................................................... C2

BMW of Sterling............................................................................................. C4

Eurasian Service Center................................................................................... 36

J&F Motors, Ltd. ............................................................................................ 33

Martin’s Auto Service...................................................................................... 33

OG Racing....................................................................................................... 9

Radial Tire....................................................................................................... 13

Reflections Auto Salon ................................................................................... 33

Road Race Technologies ................................................................................ 3

Scandinavian Import Service Center............................................................... 34

SpecR53.......................................................................................................... 2

The Drivers Club at Dominion Raceway.......................................................... 33

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