On The Italian Tour - tejaschapter.org The Italian Tour ... TEJAS CHAPTER is a local association of...

Tejas TraxApril 2009 1

April 2009 InsideThis Issue

Italian Tour ReviewApril Bluebonnet Drive

On The Italian TourPhotos by Eric Chang


DISCLAIMER: TEJAS CHAPTER is a local association of BMW owners. TEJAS CHAPTER (hereafter, theClub is a non-profit (74-2732211) Texas corporation (#10340292-01), and is associated with the BMW Car Clubof America as a local chapter. The Club is not connected in any way with BMWAG or BMWNA. Tejas Traxis the publication of the Club and is mailed to all members in good standing, as well as to all current advertisingpatrons. All of its contents remain property of the Club, but BMW CCA & BMW ACA Chapters may quotefrom the publications, provided proper credit is given. The ideas, suggestions, and opinions expressed hereinare those of the authors and no authentications, endorsement or guarantee is expressed or implied by TEJASCHAPTER. TEJAS CHAPTER assumes no liability for any of the information presented. None of theinformation presented bears the status "Factory Approved" unless so indicated. Modifications within thewarranty period may void the warranty!

Tejas Chapter Officers

President Vice President Secretary/Treasurer

Glenn McConnellAustin

[email protected]

Herb LooneySan Antonio

[email protected]

Sandy McConnellAustin

[email protected]

Membership Driving Events Events Coordinator Chapter Mail

Gina SilvestriAustin

[email protected]

Linda CavazosAustin

[email protected]

Kathy EltringhamRowlett

[email protected]

P.O. Box 17216Austin, Tx 78760

Project Coordinators, Chapter Email and Newsletter

Austin Area San Antonio Area Kerrville Area San Marcos Area

John WagnerAustin

[email protected]

Vacant John SwannKerrville

[email protected]

Jack LaumerSan Marcos

[email protected]

Corpus Christi Area Chapter Email Tejas Trax Newsletter Editor

Donna BoganAlice

[email protected]

[email protected] Glenn McConnellAustin

[email protected]

BMW CCA

Vice Pres. SouthCentral Zone

South Central TechTips Rep

MembershipInformation

Fred IacinoPOB 217

Arvada, CO 80001(H) 303-478-8490

Terry SaytherAustin, Tx

512-442-1361(8am-5pm Central Time)

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The Tejas Trax is printed monthly by Kinko's of Austin


FromThePresident

Welcome New MembersAustin

Harold CohenBrian Gray

BC Slais San Antonio Floresville Round RockDaniel Urrea Manuel Gomez James Matthess Rome Tumalad

Miscellaneous Ramblings .....

Wow!! What a great event theItalian tour was. We not only set aparticipation record, but Mike Seveldid a thoroughly outstanding job insetting it up. Thanks, Mike. I hopethis is just a start of some reallyexcellent touring events for 2009.This month is the next chance for youto show up in record numbers as wehave our Annual B3 drive. This isalways a great drive, even if there areno bluebonnets.

In Membersh ip Surveys , weregularly get comments that what theylike least about the newsletter is thesame person writing all the eventreviews and too many BMW PressClub articles. As a result, I ran thefollowing infomercial last month: “Ifmembers would like to see less BMWPress Club articles in the newsletter,then please submit your own originalarticles for publication in the TejasTrax. They would be welcomed. Inaddit ion, i f members are t i red ofread ing even t rev iews by SandyMcConnell every month, submit yourown review after you attend the event.

I’m sure that Sandy would appreciateit also!”

I am really surprised , after my pleafor newsletter articles from themembership, that no one stepped up tothe plate. With almost 100 people onthe Italian Tour event, Sandy still endedup writing the event review. Now I knowthat there are some talented people inour midst, because people that chooseto drive the Ultimate Driving Machineand join a car club dedicated to thatmarque are not just your every-day-run-of-the-mill people. So, once again Iwould like to make a plea for memberparticipation in the newsletter. This isnot just for event reviews, but for anyBMW related experiences, such as doingan upgrade project on your Bimmer or amemorable experience with your BMW.There is really no limit to the topics aslong as they are BMW related. The onlylimit is your taking your time to writethe article and submitting it for thenewsletter. Anyone want to take thechallenge?

I look forward to the Bluebonnetdrive this month. First, to see if we canset another record, but mostly for theexperience of being with fellowmembers and enjoying a Hill Countrydrive - even if there is only oneBluebonnet like we had last year.

Until next time ....Glenn McConnell


"Experience Our Passion"

7011 McNeil Dr

343 - 3500

10% Discount onParts & Service

for BMW CCA members

THE ULTIMATE DRIVING MACHINE


RSVP by filling out the RSVP form on the website athttp://www.tejaschapter.org

Saturday, April 25, 2009

BMWBluebonnet

Biway (B3)

9:00 am - meet at Gatti-Town at the"Y" in Oakhi l l in Aus t in(intersection of Hwy 71 and Hwy290) where we will hold a briefdrivers meeting. We will begin ourdrive promptly at 9:30 am.

The Texas stateflower, theBluebonnet, isalways in abun-dance in the HillCountry, espe-cially in earlyspring.

As you drive along you will beable to smell the sweetness of theTexas wildflowers and be awed bythe fields of blue waving gently inthe spring breeze (created byBMW's driving by).

This drive is a favorite among ourmembers. We invite you to join usamong the flowers as we drive throughthe Willow City Loop, LonghornCaverns State Park (past FaulkensteinCastle) and into Marble Falls.

We will gather about 1:00 pm at RiverCity Grille for a leisurely lunch beforebreaking up to head home


The BMW BluebonnetBiway (B3) Drive . . . APreviewBy Gina Silvestri

This month’s event, the BMWBluebonnet Biway (B3) drive and dinepromises to be spec tacu la r. Ourprayers for rain have been answered,and then some! The rains came, evena horrendous hailstorm (for some ofus). My car, for one, was pelted duringthe torrent of golf ball sized hail. Andthe wildflowers are already out!

The B3 drive is one of my favoriteTejas Chapter events. However, springtime in Texas can host some of themost unpredictable weather. They say,“If you don’t like the weather now,wait 15 minutes, it will change.” Twoyears ago, for example, the Texasweather gave us one of the coldestdrives I can remember ever. The daywas supposed to be beautiful, yet,when we stopped at Buchanan Dam,we all froze in the blustery wind!

Last year, evidently we hadn’t hadenough rain, so the bluebonnets werescarce and few between. In fact, wesaw ONE bluebonnet, I repeat, ONE,bluebonnet. This year promises to bedifferent.

In recent days, we have had rain,astronomical hail, and more rain ispredicted. But the highlight of thisyear ’s B3 dr ive i s a s top a t theFalkenstein Castle. This castle wasbuilt on the plans of the art directorhired by the famous NeuschwanteinCastle’s owner, King Ludwig II, ofBavaria. It is a beautiful love story ofhow Falkenstein Texas came about. Irecommend you go to the websitewww.falkensteincastle.com to read all

about it. It is a tad too lengthy torepeat here. The Neuschwansteincastle is the model for Disneyland’sand Disney World’s Fantasyland fairycastle.

I’ve been to the NeuschwansteinCastle in Germany so I can attest toits unique beauty and wonder. TheTexan Falkenstein Cast le wil l beawesome to discover!

We are also going to drive throughthe Willow City loop, a unique privateproper ty wi th scen ic wonderscomparable to the Grand Canyon. Wewill then conclude with a deliciouslunch at the River City Grille, whichhas a variety of culinary options andit is situated on beautiful Lake MarbleFalls.

Hope to see you all there!


Date Event Meet Location

April 25, 2009 BMW Bluebonnet Bi-way (B3) Drivesee page 5

Austin

May 23, 2009 Annual Picnic TBD

June 20, 2009 TBD TBD

July 25, 2009 Shakespeare in the Barn Winedale

August 22, 2009 Fun Rally TBD

September 26, 2009 Wine & Dine Drive TBD

September 28, 2009 BMW CCA Oktoberfest Lake Lanier, GA

October 23-25, 2009 Annual Utopia Weekend Kerrville

November 14, 2009 BMW of Austin Tech Session Austin

December 5, 2009 Annual Charity Event TBD

Web Site Info

http://www.tejaschapter.org for the most up-to-dateinformation about the TejasChapter.

Tejas Chapter Patches

Display your Tejas Chaptermembership with a high-qualityembroidered patch. May be sewnor glued to anything from shirts tobags to notebooks.

To get yours, send $5.00 for eachpatch to the Tejas Chaptermailbox or get one at the nextchapter event.


Tejas Chapter Merchandise

Are you interested in getting shirts with the Tejas Chapter logo?Do you need a good BMW related gift for somone? A DenimShirt, Polo Shirt, or a T-Shirt perhaps? Long sleeve, short sleeve,or maybe sleeveless. Perhaps a tote bag or ball cap would be ofinterest to you.

Chapter members Jose & Cathy Alejo of ALEJO USA, can makethis happen for you. They have our Tejas Chapter logo and canapply it on almost anything they carry in their catalogs.Embroidered and scree print logos are available. Seen in thepicture below, the Denim shirts have embroidered logos and theT-Shirts have color screen print logos.

You may contact Jose or Cathy by calling (254) 527-4060. Youmay a lso go on- l ine to www.ale jousa .com. or emai [email protected].


continued on page 16

Tejas Chapter’s ItalianTour - March 21, 2009by Sandy McConnell

For those of you who had to missthis event, it was a unique, fun filledand memorable day for all of the 89Tejas Chapter members, friends andfamily who were able to participate.Planned efficiently by Mike and JeanSevel, chapter members from the NewBraunfels area, this event obviouslypresented a theme that had a surpris-ingly large draw for a German CarClub! Almost fifty German Cars to bemore precise!

Our day began at 9:00am in NorthAustin at Mandola’s Italian Market onLamar, where we all enjoyed the at-mosphere of the market and it’s spe-cial pastries and coffees for breakfast.(I loved my double cappachino!) Thesurrounding parking area was an ac-commodating setting for showing off

our beautiful automobiles and the out-door patio area was a great place tomeet and greet each other and get toknow the new folks that came out forthe day’s activities.

Following a brief meeting, whereMike handed out maps for the driveand provided important informationabout the event, we headed out of Aus-tin. Though the traffic wasn’t too badgetting out of town, traffic lights diddivide us up into several groups, so

Tejas TraxApril 2009

Italian TourMarch 21, 2009

Many thanks to Mike Seve

Many more great photos are available on the c

Tejas TraxApril 2009

l

chapter website


Mike thoughtfully had arranged for aconvenient stopping place outside oftown where we could round up all ourcombined horse power and continue asa group on a very scenic drive to ournext stop, Bella Vista Ranch.

Bella Vista Ranch is historicallysignificant for being the First TexasOlive Oil Company. It is located onMt. Sharp Rd. in Wimberley, Texasand describes itself as “a touch ofTuscany in Texas .” I t ce r ta in lyseemed an idyllic and peaceful spot ofre fuge tha t day, wi th agreeab leweather, birds and surrounding trees,in varying hues of fresh spring greens.

The group was invited to begin thetour with an historic lecture by pro-prietor John (Jack) Dougherty, aboutthe olive trade, both in Italy and as ithas developed here in Texas. Theranch primarily grows olives, but alsoartichokes, pine nuts, and fruits suchas raspberries and blackberries. In ad-dition, the ranch also is home to BellaVista Cellars, which produces limitedquantities of Italian type wines includ-ing a unique Natural Blackberry Wine.

Jack explained that they have atleast 1,000 olive trees and a sizeable

number of propagated starters readyto go into the ground. They use a

method of hard wood propagationrather than starting plants from seeds.They also fertilize the trees, but thetrees are self-pollinating. In Marchthe trees are in bloom, but for us tosee olives, we would need to go backto the ranch in 3 - 4 months.

If I understood correctly, the ranchbegan operating around 1998. WhenTexas experienced the hard freeze in2001, they suffered a harsh loss of 48%of their trees and produce. Because ofmoderate weather and an early appear-ance of spring that year, the trees hadalready blossomed and the freeze cameso suddenly, they had very little time toprepare for the onslaught! Such aresome of the difficulties encountered inthis type of farming.

Also on tour, we got to walkthrough part of the orchard and viewthe trees and the artichokes. I’ve had

Italian Tourcontinued from page 13


some of those in a dried floral arrange-ments in our family room for years!But I like the way they taste, also. Wewent through a processing room filledwith equipment that reminded me a lotof that seen in wine production.

One of the highlights of the tourfor me, however, was getting to tastevarious versions of fresh olive oil, bal-samic vinegars, preserves and evensome of their wines. During this timeJack also explained some tips aboutthe products, how to evaluate andstore them. Too much detail for meto go into now. You can go take a touryourself! We came away with pur-chases of Aged Raspberry BalsamicVinegar, Home Cured Green Olives,Fig Jam, and a bottle of Chenin BlancWine called Lyte Whyte, (a WhiteTable Wine). On top of all that, wealso were very fortunate to win one ofthe bottles of Olive Oil that they gen-erously gave as door prizes that day!Yippee!

After the pleasure of the BellaVista Ranch, we caravaned to Drift-wood, Texas to Trattoria Lisina Res-taurant for a wonderful lunch. We hada room all to ourselves, large enoughto accommodate all of us with no feel-ings of being crowded. We lunched

on anti pasta appetizers, mouth water-ing lasagne, a light pasta dish with acherry tomato basil sauce and thentopped i t a l l o ff wi th a de l ica teTiramisu for dessert! Couldn’t havebeen better.

I want to give a special thanks toMike Sevel and his wife Jean for thehard work they put into planning thisevent and to all of you who came outto share in the fun.

See you at the B3 Drive (BMWBluebonnet Biway) in April. Theflowers should be popping out withour recent rains, don’t you think?


2009 Incentive Points Challenge Leader Board

as of March 27, 2009280 Pts Kevin Duffy Linda Cook 40 Pts Bob Lewandowski

Kathy Eltringham Gregg Peterson Tim Cook Rick Morgan Brad Mitchell260 Pts Steve Ricketson Spencer Cubage 30 Pts Philip Nybro

Gina Silvestri 120 Pts Adriana Diesen Jose Alejo Ken Patton250 Pts Eric Chang Robert Giles Dwight Allmon Michael Pepin

Allan Gazza 110 Pts Alan Greene Patricia Allmon Mike PerkinsRoger Williams Tim Ehrhart Joseph Hall Jacinta Avila David Plutowski

240 Pts Brian Hall Ken Hollins Jim Blue Harvey ReiterMike Sevel Mary Lou Katchen Bill Leisey Ken Carson Amanda Shanks

230 Pts 90 Pts Tom Motes Don Charbula Wyatt ShanksWayne Eltringham Tom Brown Chris Pedersen Jonna Clark Donald Sloan

Sridhar Kamma Martha Ricketson Steve Pedersen Bill Duran Richard Stein180 Pts 80 Pts Corinne Sayther Virginia Duran Robin Stein

Herb Looney Harold Cohen 50 Pts Fred Egloff John Swann170 Pts John Wagner Ron Buchalski Bob Ellingson Claude Welles

Nathan Fong 70 Pts Alan Campbell Yovanni Flores Jo Ann WellesMartie Peterson Mike Del Portillo Don Heller Terry Giroux 25 Pts

Donald Yule 60 Pts Casey Jordan Paul Goldfine Denise ReidSusan Yule Mike Anderson David Michna Frank Henderson 10 Pts

140 Pts Donna Bogan Kurt Schwerdtfeger Stephen Kneuper Brett BartschiMarco Cordon Linda Cavazos Daniel Urrea Jack Laumer Billy House

2009 Incentive Points Challenge Rookies Leader BoardAs of February 28, 2009

9.27 Pts 5.72 Pts 4.99 Pts Robin Stein

Brian Hall Donna Bogan Daniel Urrea 2.58 Pts7.98 Pts 5.06 Pts 2.72 Pts Jim Blue

Harold Cohen Joseph Hall Richard Stein

Tejas Chapter Incentive Points Challenge for 2009

Activity PointsReturn Survey Form (form available on request or at website) 50Attend a meeting or event 30Organize a monthly event, (social/technical etc.) 100Assist with a monthly event (credited by organizer) 50Each new member recruited (credited by CCA) 30Original photo(s) published in the Trax (30 pts max/issue) 10Original photo(s) published on the website (30 pts max/event) 10Original Tech Tip published in the Trax 15Original Article published in the Trax (500 words or more) 30Original Article published in the Trax (less than 500 words) 15Recruitment of a commercial ad for Trax 20% of ad cost

To encourage participation, the successful Incentive Points Challenge began in 1998. Themembers or associate members who earn the highest number of points by the end of the year(up to 10th place) receive valuable prizes at the Post-Holiday Party in January 2010. TheRookie of the Year award is for the member that joined in the current year and earns RookiePoints based on Incentive Points earned divided by the time as a member during the year.



Groundbreaking productdesign: BMW Groupreceives seven accoladesBMW Press Club

A total of seven accolades for highdesign quality in the field of productdevelopment will be bestowed on theBMW Group at the presentation of the2009 red do t awards . Theinternationally renowned label goes tothe new BMW 7 Series, the new BMWZ4 as well as to the motorcycle modelsBMW K 1300 S and BMW K 1300 R.Moreover, the leather suits Sport andAtlantis from the BMW Motorradbiker collection as well as the newBMW Cruise Bike wi l l r ece iveawards. The award ceremony will takeplace during a festive award gala atthe Aalto Theatre in Essen on 29 June2009.

With its excellent results achievedin the 2009 red dot award competition,the BMW Group continues its currentsuccess story. In recentweeks , fu r ther BMW,MINI and BMW Motorradvehic les and produc tshave acquired numerousinternationally significantawards , inc lud ing theDes ign Pr ize o f theGerman Federal Republic,the IF Product Des ignAward of the Indus t ryForum Design in Hanoveras well as the Eyes OnDes ign Award and theGood Des ign Awardpresented in the USA.

Both the number and the diversityof the products which have beenawarded pr izes a t in te rna t iona l

competitions substantiate the successof the design philosophy that appliesto the entire BMW Group. It forms thebasis for brand and product specificdesign strategies that are oriented intheir entirety towards a consistentlyhigh quality standard. Just like thevehicles offered by the BMW, MINI,Rolls Royce and BMW Motorradbrands, products from the lifestyle andbiker collection boast a design that ischaracterised by aesthetic qualitystandards and clearly defined premiumrequi rements . The i r des ignauthentically expresses the brandcharac te r and the d i s t inguish ingfeatures of each product.

Successful start for the BMW 7Series and the BMW Z4.

In the forefront of the presentationof the 2009 red do t award , thecompetition jury assessed the designof 3,231 products submitted from allfour corners of the world. Four BMWmodels received accolades in the

categories automobiles, transport andcaravan. The new BMW 7 Seriesconvinced the jury with a harmonious


combination of elegance, sportinessand visual presence. Its body designembodies in the luxury saloon segmentboth an outstanding degree of comfortas well as superior driving dynamics.Prior to this, the brand's flagship aswel l as fu r ther BMW Groupautomobiles, these being the BMW 1Series Coupe, the BMW 1 SeriesConvertible and the MINI Cooper SClubman, had a l ready rece ivedaccolades at the IF Product DesignAward.

Even before being launched on themarket, the new BMW Z4 had got offto a successful start, now also creatingquite a sensation at the red dot award,after receiving the Eyes On DesignAward presented during the 2009North American International AutoShow (NAIAS) in Detroit. In bothcases the jury gave recognition to themodern in te rpre ta t ion of c lass icroadster styling, which helps the newBMW Z4 take a special position in itssegment. Thanks to the elongatedbonnet, the flat waistline and the seatposition located well to the back in thevicinity of the rear axle, the design ofthe new BMW Z4, which is a lsoequipped for the first time with a

re t rac tab le hard top , o ffe r s idea lprerequisites for the unique drivingexperience in a BMW roadster.

BMW Motorrad achieves series ofinternational victories.

Since the beginning of the year,cur ren t models f rom the BMWMotor rad brand have a l so beenpresented with numerous prestigiousdesign awards. The 2009 red dotaward goes to the BMW K 1300 S andthe BMW K 1300 R. The BMW K1300 S is the most powerful and thefastest motorcycle ever offered byBMW Motor rad . I t s appearanceau then t ica l ly expresses power,elegance, sportiness and perfection.

The BMW K 1300 R i s theembodiment of an uncompromisingpower roadster - both in terms oftechnology and design. It also sets newbenchmarks in performance offered bya BMW Motorrad model in the NakedBike segment . Accord ing ly, i t soutstanding dynamics are emphasised

Groundbreaking productdesigncontinued from page 19


by a decidedly muscular design.The double victory at the 2009 red

dot awards is for the present thec l imax of a se r ies o f v ic to r iesachieved by BMW Motorrad, towardswhich four further models have madea considerable contr ibut ion. TheBMW HP2 Sport, which received ared dot award last year, has now beenawarded the Design Pr ize of theGerman Federal Republ ic by theDesign Council. Furthermore, the flattwin engine , the technology anddesign of which was directly derivedfrom racing, received the Good DesignAward of the Architecture and DesignMuseum Chicago Athenaeum, whichalso additionally honoured the modelsBMW R 1200 GS, BMW F 800 GS andBMW G 450 X. Like the BMW HP2Sport, the off-road touring trail bikeBMW F 800 GS has also turned out tobe a consistent winner. After winningthe red dot award in 2008, it has nowbeen presented with the IF ProductDesign Award.

The presentat ion of the GoodDesign Awards in Chicago was notonly extremely successful for theBMW Motorrad brand. Prizes werealso awarded to the BMW 3 SeriesConvertible, the BMW 1Series Coupe

and the MINI Cooper S Clubman aswell as the BMW helmet Sport and theBMW leather suit Sport from the

BMW Motorrad biker equipment line.A further Good Design Award went tothe BMW Cruise Bike which has nowalso been honoured with the 2009 reddot award . Th is pur i s t i c b ikeconvinced through distinctive designand a silhouette derived from BMWautomobi les . The f rame presentsinnovative hydroforming technologyin characteristic BMW styling.

Number one in qual i ty anddes ign: BMW Motorrad b ikerequipment.

Outs tand ing mate r ia l andmanufacturing quality, the highestdegree of functionality as well as adesign that also visually underlines thepremium character of the products,characterise the helmets and suitsf rom the BMW Motor rad b ikerequipment collection. The harmony offunc t iona l and c rea t ive fea turesconsis tent ly resul ts in awards a tinternational design competitions. Forinstance, the BMW helmet Sport wonaccolades not only at the Good DesignAward in Chicago, but also at the 2009German IF Award . The mos tsignificant feature of this innovativeintegral helmet are its outstandingaerodynamic qualities that are alsoconcisely reflected in its design.

The BMW leather sui t Sport ,combing h igh-c lass mate r ia lpropert ies with optimum wearingcomfort and expressive design, wasgiven the 2009 red dot award, afterhaving been successful at the GoodDesign Award. Likewise, the BMWleather suit Atlantis also bears theprestigious red dot label. As a first-class all-weather touring suit andwinner of the IF Award for outstandingproduct design, it offers optimisedprotection from water and wind.


Intelligent learningnavigation system helpsdrivers save fuelBMW Press Club

Navigation systems are a popularand reliable way of getting to a desireddestination. Now the BMW Group'sResearch and Technology arm isopening up whole new possibilities fornavigation systems technology, byendowing them wi th a r t i f i c ia lintelligence and teaching them basiclearning skills. Even without enteringa des t ina t ion , th i s wi l l a l lownavigation systems of the future to dothings like warn of traffic hold-ups orimprove fuel efficiency.

Learning to be proactive.

The researchers have converted aBMW 3 Series model into a prototypeplatform for a navigation system thatcan predict where the driver will beheading , and what route wi l l bechosen, even when the driver has noten te red a des t ina t ion . P ro jec tmanager Andreas Winckler dubs thesys tem a "se l f - t each ing rou te

predictor". He continues: "We areworking on getting vehicles not onlyto react to the driver's commands butalso to be proactive. In that way avehicle will be able to prepare itselffo r fu ture even ts . The upshot i sincreased convenience, performanceand fuel economy - in other words,everything you would expect of BMWEfficientDynamics."

To deve lop th i s p roac t ivecapability, the navigation system mustfirst be "taught how to learn". A secureprofile is created for each driver inwhich past journey history is recorded.This wi l l inc lude no t on lydestinations, short cuts and "rat runs"used en route, but also informationsuch as t ime of day and sea toccupancy. Andreas Winckler hasalready acted as a guinea pig himself:"If it 's a Monday morning, my cardecides that my workplace will be mylikeliest destination. If my child is alsoon board, the navigation system willplan for a detour past the school. Orif it's a Saturday morning, my personalroute planner decides that I'm mostlikely to be heading to the sportscentre." The prototype has alreadydeveloped a formidable talent for this



kind of forecasting: success rates havenow r i sen to a round 70 percent ,compared with 30 percent at the startof the project.

Increased convenience,performance and fuel economy.

All this helps to make the driver'sl i fe cons iderab ly eas ie r. Ear lywarn ings o f conges t ion , rap idse lec t ion of the mos t l ike lydestination, as opposed to the most

recent or one from the address book,and cross-checking of predictionsagainst the personal calendar function

in the driver's Smartphone are just thefirst of many potential functions.

Things rea l ly s ta r t to ge tinteresting when the developers go onto integrate the intelligent navigationsystem with the vehicle's own internalsystems - that is to say when data fromthe navigation system is integrated inthe BMW EfficientDynamics fuel-saving features. By way of example,regenerative braking presently onlyopera tes when the eng ine i s on

overrun, say when actuallydescending a hill. But withproac t ive nav iga t ion ,regenerative braking canalready start saving fuelwell before the downhillsection - because the systemknows that at that point onthe route the battery will berecharged. And if the driverp lays h i s par t too , fo rexample by making use ofin format ion about acurrently hidden speed limitthat's coming up 500 metresahead, reducing his speedgradually rather than hittingthe b rakes a t the l as tminute , then proac t iveenergy management onfu ture veh ic les cou ldachieve fue l sav ings ofbetween 5 and 10 percent.To take a comple te lyd i ffe ren t s i tua t ion , thesystem can also help out ifthe driver is about to join amotorway: the combustionprocess can be modified,

the engine oil and coolant temperatureadapted and the automatic


t r ansmiss ion prepared for theupcoming gearshift. This will makemore power available for acceleratingon the slip road. "With this conceptof integrating intelligent learningnavigation into our vehicles we willbe able to further refine our BMWEfficientDynamics strategy and tosystematical ly introduce the newfea tures in our p roduc ts , " saysProfessor Dr Raymond Freymann,Director of BMW Group Research andTechnology.

Expandability.

The developers are currently hardat work on further potential featurestoo. For hybrid drive vehicles inparticular, information about, say, thebeginning and end of upcoming speedrestrictions can prove very useful,allowing the battery charge to be

Intelligent learning navigationsystemcontinued from page 23

optimally managed and utilised. TheBMW Research and Technologyprototype is also equipped with theroad sign recognition camera alreadyused on the new BMW 7 Series. Thiscamera can "teach" the navigationsystem about any speed limits it maybe unaware of . Another potentialapp l ica t ion would be to use thevehicle's sensing systems to inform theintelligent navigation system about theradius of upcoming corners, or aboutroad topography. Robert Hein, head ofFuture Navigation and Data Services,has big plans: "The magic word for thefu ture i s in tegra t ion . The grea tadvantage of innovations like theintelligent learning navigation systemis that we don't need to weigh thevehicle down with additional heavycontrol units. At present however, thebig constraint is memory capacity. Butwe are optimistic that by the time thenext generation of vehicles comes onthe market this problem, too, mighthave been resolved."


BMW CCA TEJAS CHAPTER - FINANCIAL STATEMENT

Current Fiscal Year -2008 Prior Fiscal Year-2007

BEGINNING EQUITY $ 3,337.85 $ 4,714.13(Last Year Ending Equity)

INCOMEMembership Dues $11,242.42 $11,208.95Newsletter Advertising $ 2,670.00 $ 2,610.00Other Event Fees $ 5,157.50 $ 2,672.00National Rebates $ 2,314.29 $ 2,314.29Merchandise Sales $ 10.00 $ 25.00Miscellaneous $ 2,985.00 $ 3,686.00

TOTAL $24,637.38 $ 22,516.24

EXPENSES:Newsletter Printing $ 7,989.64 $ 9,177.93Postage $ 3,100.51 $ 4,492.83Insurance $ 1,400.00 $ 900.00Other Event Expense $ 4,532.15 $ 3,130.79Meeting Expenses/Awards $ 2,050.41 $ 2,247.87Miscellaneous $ 3,488.50 $ 3,943.10

TOTAL: $22,561.21 $23,892.52

NET INCOME:(Income Less Expenses) $2,076.17 ($1,376.28)

ASSETS:Cash $ 5,414.02 $ 3,337.85Inventory $ 0.00 $ 0.00Equipment $ 0.00 $ 0.00Accounts Receivable $ 0.00 $ 0.00Deposits $ 0.00 $ 0.00

TOTAL: $ 5,414.02 $ 3,337.85

ENDING EQUITY: $ 5,414.02 $ 3,337.85(Beginning Equity Plus Income)

Prepared by: Sandra D. McConnell (512)282-3077 Title: Sec./Treas. Date: 02/11/2009Term of Chapter’s fiscal year: January 01, 2008 - December 31, 2008

*Miscellaneious - Income includes Charity Contributions & ZF Award Income; Expensesinclude Charity/Christmas Shopping $s, PO Box rental & other postage, Bank Fees, AnnualWeb Hosting fees.


Classified Ads

1994 316iWBACA71070FL30083, 5-spdmanual, Euro specs (no airbags, no A/C, cloth seats, odometer inkilometers), 112K miles(179K km),ABS, immobilizer, sunroof, CD, tint,minor dings/scratches, orig blue/greenpaint, excellent interior, wellmaintained, complete maint historyavail . , $4,000 Contact: Nick(512)619-7965.

1968 1602I am selling out my 2002 habit. I havean early model 1602 blue paintall thechrome trim. The car is not runningnow. It needs an electrical harness anda few weekends of work. It is loadedwith goodies, if you have otherprojects. I have spare parts from atleast four previous BMW 2002s.Spare engine, 5 speed Getragtransmission fitted with 320 clutchline, big brake front kit (non Tii),Recaro seats with 320 seat rails fitted,new carpet, good glass, fiberglasshood (Korman) fitted to front hoodframe (works like a regular hood), 320bottle cap 14" wheels. I would like tosell as a whole but will considerparting out if it does not. It has theBehr AC unit. Again this car comeswith numerous spare parts. I am asking

$1,000.00 for the whole package. Forquestions or interest please contact meat (254) 383-3340 or e-mail [email protected]. I can deliverfor a fair fee in the Central Texas area

1985 M635CSiVIN WBAEE310901051656Burgundy metallic/black leather,103,500 miles, rebuilt motor,upgraded brakes and suspension, 17xBBS RS wheels, new BS RE050A PPtires, custom stereo, matching RecaroC and KRXT seats, perfect OEM frontseats included, CA title available, willdeliver lower 48 or ship, Excellentcondition, $22,900/OBO 830-537-3497 [email protected] (TX)

2002 M3VIN# WBSBL93402JR16234; ImolaRed/gray leather, SMG, 46,500 miles,premium package, bi-xenonheadlights, Harmon/Kardon sound,nearly new PS2s, original owner andserviced by BMW of Austin,Inspection II just completed ($1900),all service records, no wrecks and"clean" CARFAX, always garagedand in excellent condition. Extendedwarranty until 05/18/2009; $26,900;Contact Fred Brinkley, 512-343-7454.


Classified Ads

Classified ads FOR PERSONAL USE items are printed free for currentmembers of BMW CCA. Ads will run for three issues, unless stopped earlier.Ads may be extended by a request in writing to the Tejas Chapter mailboxor by email. Members are limited to five (5) classified ads running at a time.The ad rate for non-member ads or member ads of a COMMERCIAL natureis $10.00 per issue. These ads will be accepted on a monthly basis andpayment must be received before ad is printed. Classified ads submitted forpublication in the Tejas Trax are also placed on the Tejas Chapter's website.

Roundel magazinesComplete set from Jan 1998 - Dec2000. Want to give to a good home.No charge for magazines, howeverbuyer picks up from San Antonio orpays shipping and packaging.. ContactMark Brown at 210-522-3345 oremail [email protected].

Zenith Carb KitFor restorations sake, I have avirtually complete Zenith carb kitfrom a 1973 Bavaria. parts include 2carbs, manifolds, air cleaner assembly,crossbar linkage, vacuum actuators(dist) , Egr Plumbing, Hoseconnections are present, but notcomplete. However, it should be fairlyeasy to ascertain most of theconnecitons. The carbs ran up till thefirst week of December when I took

them off. I will also include 2 Carbrebuild kits, 2 air filters, a plastic syncadapter, as well as a unisyn. ContactScott Davis at 512.653.1773 or sendemail to [email protected].

Car CoversI have 3 "official" car covers for sale:1 for 2006 M3 (or similar), 1 for 2007Z4 M Roadster (or similar), and 1 for2007 X3 or similar model. Bought forover $100 each. BO. Must sell .Moving!. Contact Gina Silvestri at5126324240 or send email [email protected].

Wheels & TiresFour sport rims with tires, Michelin235/65/17, from 2004 X5. Excellentcondition. 50% tread left on tires..Contact Terry Daniel at 210-393-4208or email to [email protected].


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