BMW guys on FerrariChat?

Wow, people are bringing out the big guns!!! Wonder ful collection of red BMW's, and the dark blue M1 - maybe my favorite color for that car ever since I saw it in an Octane magazine article, wow. The M3 CSL is one of the ultimate BMW's too, still a sleeper IMO.

 

Its a toy to be honest, I ride a bicycle on most weekdays, my daily is a 2002 E39 M5. I heard a CSL at a dealer back in 2003 and never forgot the sound, this video kept the memory alive ;-) Top Gear - BMW M3 CSL - vidéo dailymotion

I have driven less than 1.000 kms in it since I bought the CSL, its getting new Michelin Super Sport tires at the moment and expect to use it a bit more this summer, winters here are no good for nice cars...

I was worried about the SMG and a short test drive at the dealer before buying wasnt enough to evaluate it. Even though I know many moan about SMG, my experience so far is that it suits the engine. It works by far the best in the most aggressive setting and it is crucial to press the "Sport" button for the quickest shift time. Doing that when driving on fast country roads, it matches a manual in my opinion. In town, I use the medium setting switch off the sport setting. You kind of learn its shift pattern and use the throttle accordingly, then it works just fine. Just my 2 cents. I dont dream of a manual when driving the CSL. As a comparison, I have a 2004 996 GT3. I find it just as exciting to drive as the CSL but it sure is more work. I regularly track the GT3 and I am pretty sure the CSL would be more relaxed (if you can use that expression) on a track than the 996. But the brakes are clearly superior on the Porsche.

For me, cars are very much about the emotion I get from driving them. Being subjective, I tend to stick to german cars as reliability is a big issue for me. The sound they make is another high priority which is why GT3s and BMW non-turbo straight sixes score highly with me. I believe induction noise is probably even more important than the sound of the exhaust. A nice side effect is that most new cars dont appeal as much to me as say pre 2010 (except GT3s) ;-)

I have once strayed into the F-car world and occasionally miss it, the smell of the interior, even in a modest Mondial 3.2...

Cheers
Claes
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Thanks Texas.. more to come as I get back to that one. I sold a number of BMW's that I wish I still had.. but again, for whatever reason, just felt the need to hold on to the old 5spd 7er.

Sciotoboy, excellent use of space w/ a very nice grouping there!

 

Was the M1 previously in the US?

 

Yes it was. I bought it from a German BMW dealer who imported it to Germany from Switzerland in 1993. Sometime between 1981 and 1993 it has been in the US, the front and rear bumpers were federalized and a radar detector had been installed in the rear fender. All this was brought back to original during the restoration. Would you happen to know anything about this cars time in the US? I am curious as so far, I have not been able to trace its history 1981-1993.

Rgds
Claes

 

Complete antithesis of a driver's car - anyone here have an i3?

I am completely intrigued with electric cars. Can't afford a telsa, don't want a leaf, and i'm seeing low mile i3s in the $30k range. Whats the deal with these?

I know the styling isn't for everyone, but I like it. its different.

The bigger problem is I miss my cayenne, and i'm finding previous gen GTS's for upper 30Ks low 40Ks! THe question i find myself asking... Do I want a 5+ year old big gas guzzler or the 'new eco-freindly edgy cool looking thing'

 

A couple pics of my e30 from last weekend. It's a 1991 318is on C4 corvette wheels
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Why does your 02 E39 M5 have chrome window trim? I thought only the early-2000 model year M5s had chrome trim and all the late-00 to 03 cars had shadowline trim only. Both my 01 and 02 M5s had black trim.

 

Hi junglistluder, it was ordered with Chromeline Exterior, its not often you see it but it was an option, at least in Europe. I previously had a 1999 M5 with shadowline but personally I think the chrome suits the Sterling grey color. Heres the spec sheet with non standard options:

Market Europa
Type DE91
E-Code E39
Chassis Limousine
Steering left
Doors 4
Engine S62 - 5,00l (294kW)
Drive Rear
Transmission manual
Body color Sterlinggrey Metallic (472)
Upholstery Walk Nappa/black (M1SW)
Production date 09.01.2002
Assembled in Dingolfing


Optional Equipment
S261A Side airbags for rear passengers
S265A Tyre pressure control (TPC)
S326A Deleted, rear spoiler
S346A Chrome Line Exterieur
S352A Insulating double-glazing
S403A Glass roof, electrical
S415A Sun-blind, rear
S428A Warning triangle and first aid kit
S465A Through-loading system
S508A Park Distance Control (PDC)
S521A Rain sensor
S609A Navigation system Professional
S612A BMW Assist
S620A Voice control
S630A Car phone with cordless receiver
S672A CD changer for 6 CDs
S676A HiFi speaker system
L801A National Version Germany
S863A Retailer Directory Europe
S879A On-board vehicle literature German
S937A Request CD Rom on Delivery
S464A Skisack Ski bag
S473A Armrest front
S602A On-board monitor with TV
S464A Ski bag
S473A Armrest front
S602A On-board monitor with TV
S776A Headliner in Alcantara anthracite

Rgds
Claes

 

I've been a BMW guy for many many years. Though I will soon move on to Porsche i'm sure I will always keep my V8 M3.
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how big is your storage building? I have about 11 collector cars besides my daily and I am looking for something similar.

 

It's about 4000 sq.ft. of storage with about 1200 sq.ft.of office,kitchen,and lounge area.

 

Hi Claes..

Do you know if the car was in the Wash DC area?

 

Hi, no sorry, I dont know which part of the US it was in. The car was clearly federalized, front and rear bumpers heavily modified as well as this radar warning gear built into the rear bumper and lights. Luckily, there was no trace of catalysts/thermal reactors and the mechanical injection was intact, contrary to several other US grey imports I have seen.

I only have the name of the seller in Switzerland in 1994, Paul Dawson from Lausanne. This I got from a Swiss registration document that came with the car. This document shows the mileage and mandatory pollution measurements while the car was in Switzerland. The car was stored unregistered from 1994 until I bought it in 2005.

It was delivered to BMW dealer Autohaus Hess in Nidda, Southern Germany and registered 1st time in January 1981, it is serial #294, blue with black interior. If you or anybody else has any information about the cars whereabouts between 1981-1991, I am very curious and grateful. The interior was in remarkably good condition and the paint hadnt faded but was scratched. This may be a sign that it was stored well and/or not in the hot and sunny states like Florida or California.

rgds
Claes

 

I stated here before that I would never sell my E30 but I did and now I regret it very much.
I started looking for an E30 replacement and I just happened to find a 1995 540i M Sport with a manual 6-speed transmission. I bought it today for $1500. It needs a little work but it's a great car for the money! This will be my first E34.

http://s18.postimg.org/463eywwp5/DSC_0065.jpg
http://s4.postimg.org/p3qv08zfh/DSC_0070.jpg
http://s13.postimg.org/rrrv7mn47/DSC_0061.jpg

 

Hell for $1500 how could one pass up a deal like that? I pray it is not a money "sink hole" for you but then again you could have stumbled across a unheard of deal that requires minimum investment too make right, nice score. Wish I was a BMW V8 kind of guy.

 

Hi Claes,

Not sure if its the same car I'm thinking about but I will try to look back over some of my notes and info. There were at least four in my area sometime ago, two Henna reds, a blue/black such as yours that was in need of restoration the last time I saw it, and a white one with Motorsport stripes down the side that belonged to my friend Rasim.. that car I do know was at the Motorcar Gallery in Fla for sometime, and I believe was seen at auction within the last three years.

I'll follow-up should the information suggest the same car... either way, you have a real gem to enjoy!

Cheers,

Paul

 

540i M Sport is a collectible !
$1500 is sooo cheap

 

I'm loving the car so far!! The front & rear bumpers need some work & the power steering system needs to be replaced. The EDC system is leaking, so I will probably install coilovers instead of paying a ridiculous amount to repair it. It rides real nice the way it is right now.

Here are a few more photos.

http://s18.postimg.org/v7ld3cwnd/DSC_0603.jpg
http://s9.postimg.org/9ucbzpgcf/DSC_0604.jpg
http://s11.postimg.org/8sdd0gtsz/DSC_0607.jpg
http://s8.postimg.org/rk8vcc8tx/DSC_0061.jpg
http://s8.postimg.org/rmsqz6chh/DSC_0062.jpg

 

Jealous of the m sport. The rear bumper alone is worth almost that. I will be picking up an e34 again when I move this summer.

 

Nice find for the money Mike.. congrats and enjoy!

 

Might be going to look at a 2010 BMW 335i Sedan. Anything in particular to look out for with these cars?

 

I'm not sure with the 2010s, but definitely see if the fuel pump has ever been replaced. If it has find out how many times. This was in issue in the 2007 and 2008 cars. Mine only went out once at 65K miles.

Also inspect all of the interior for peeling. I had this problem with my steering wheel and door plastics. I know it's an overall issue though.

What's the mileage? Mechanically I think the cars are great.

 

it has 42K on it. I was reading about the fuel pumps but was having trouble figuring out if it was still an issue on the 2010s.

 

https://www.classicdriver.com/en/car/bmw/m1/1981/314023

I understand the rarity of an M1 in silver, and all that, but are these really trning into 1M dollar cars?