Innholdsfortegnelse for April 2023 i TOTAL BMW

A friend recently had his beloved F82 M4 written off in a non-fauit accident caused by another driver not paying attention. He was understandably heartbroken, and the incident made me think about how awful a situation like that is for us as car enthusiasts. For us, cars are family members, passion projects, reflections of ourselves, and hobbies into which we gladly pour our money because it gives us joy. For us, losing a car we love so deeply and feel so passionately about would be genuinely traumatic. Whether it's something classic, something rare, something we've modified, or just something we really love, these cars bring us joy through their very existence. If I were to lose one of my cars, I would feel lost myself, and I'm sure so many…

CT Carbon F8x M2C/M3/M4 Induction Kit MStyle is now stocking the latest CT Carbon induction kits to improve performance, dress up the engine bay and add a sporty tone to the induction sound of late-model BMWs. The kit shown here is for the F87 M2C and F8x M3/M4; it is a direct replacement for the factory induction system with no drilling or permanent alterations required. The kit will smooth the flow of the induction charge for better breathing. The insulation properties of the carbon fibre help the air remain cooler and, therefore denser, which then delivers more oxygen to the engine for a more efficient burn leading to more power. The kit includes two stainless steel high-flow air filters, carbon fibre pipework and housings, silicone hose connectors and fasteners. Fitting…

2.8 M52 E30 We can't get enough of the E30 – it is arguably the classic 3 Series icon. It's the one that everyone loves, the one everyone wants, and at a time when BMW's design philosophy seems to be going off the rails and entering its most controversial period yet, looking at an E30 is like being wrapped up in a warm, cosy blanket. It's comforting, a hit of serotonin when you need it most, a car that reminds you of a happier past, or perhaps makes you feel a connection to a time before you were born. And while a standard E30 is a lovely thing to behold, there's a lot to be said for a tastefully modded example, too. This brings us neatly to Rob Andrews’ (@rob.e30)…

To paraphrase Orwell, all M2s are equal… but some are more equal than others. The car we have here is an M2 Competition, and that incendiary little C-word makes all the difference. Naturally, the original M2 was a pretty sensational offering, its N55 turbocharged 3.0-litre straight-six packing the pistons from the F8x M3/M4 to deliver a meaty 370hp. But the Comp is something else; for this special model, BMW opted to shoehorn in the entire twin-turbo S55 engine from the M3/M4, modifying it here and there to suit the M2 platform and altering the cooling and lubrication systems, and this meant peak power of 411hp. That's a huge amount of horsepower to shovel into a car with such a modest footprint, and the Comp has already passed into the pantheon…

What is a differential? A differential separates the car's driven wheels so they can turn independently of one another, i.e. differently. If you remember your time in a pedal car when you pedalled and turned at the same time, it got harder? Well, part of that was the effect of steering, but a lot was the fact that one of your rear tyres was scraping the tarmac rather than just rolling over it, as the rear axle is linked to the two rear wheels directly. As you turn, the inside wheel has less distance to travel than the outside wheel, so one of them (usually the inside wheel) ends up scraping rather than rolling. A differential separates the two wheels so they can roll at independent rates – no scraping,…

@totalbmwmag Let's talk about tyres because they are quite important. A fun tyre fact I like to throw around, and which is what I used to seduce my boyfriend (that might be a lie…), is that the combined contact patch offered by all four of your tyres is roughly equivalent to the size of a piece of A4 paper. That's really not a lot, and those four patches of rubber have to do so much, coping with a heavy car, helping all that mass to grip, to corner, dealing with high speeds, varying road conditions etc., which is exactly why it's so important to really look after your tyres, so they can look after you. When I took the E36 into my care, I observed that it wanted tyres, and…

BMW well and truly set the cat among the pigeons in the ‘80s and ‘90s with the first two generations of M5. They were stunning super saloons powered by characterful and melodious straight-sixes and with chassis setups that were equally at home pottering around town, eating up motorway miles or entertaining and involving the driver on a favourite back road The E28 and E34 M5s were, quite simply, the standard by which all others were judged. So when BMW launched the E39 generation of 5 Series in 1995, and it was almost immediately dubbed ‘The best car in the world’ by the motoring press, companies who were producing pretenders to BMW's super saloon crown must have been quaking in their boots. If the boggo 523i or 528i were this good,…

£1500 E46 3 Series Why buy? Even though prices have been rising over the years, the E46 remains one of the cheapest BMWs you can buy today. It's also arguably the best one if you want something that runs and drives, hasn't been written off, and won't fall apart on you. Beyond that, there are many good reasons why we've picked the E46 here. It's an exceptionally good all-rounder – it's great to drive, the interior still looks good and feels solid, and it's just a fantastic car and a 3 Series that has really stood the test of time. Which model? At this price point, you won't exactly be spoiled for choice, so we would prioritise mileage and condition over colour or spec. While there are more E9x models…

V8 DRIFT E30 It's a well-established fact that the more workaday, less overtly sporting retro BMW variants have grown in stature to stand proudly alongside their two-door peers. Four-door saloons, estates, it's a long time since these have been viewed as poor relations or weak links in the old Bavarian chain; they're simply differentlytextured canvases upon which to paint one's own interpretation of what the car in question should be. And, of course, it allows enthusiasts to build unexpected cars simply to be cantankerous – imagine cornering the original owner of this E30 Touring back when it was new and saying: ‘In a few decades, your sensible workhorse will have a whacking great V8 and an amusingly complicated roll-cage’. Their reaction would undoubtedly be one of surprise, no (not least…

OUR CARS In the last update, I briefly introduced my replacement for the two modern classic BMWs I owned, namely a 2017 F06 LCI 640i SE with 40,000 miles. My criteria for the replacement were to have a reliable car, modern in that it has some creature comforts (and that rust will not be a problem!), petrol because I do not do the mileage for a diesel, and somewhat fun. Well, as much fun as you can have in a car of this size. What drew me to this particular car when I was looking for a replacement was, firstly, it's an SE, which makes it look a little different to the dozens of M Sport variants on the BMW AUC site I was checking on every day. Secondly, it…

OUR CARS ©jasondoddphotos So, after last issue's revelation of the introduction of the Alpine 110 to the fleet, the M2 has been rested up for most of the month. Mrs D was in the market to replace her Golf R Line, and while the 1.5-litre three-cylinder engine and its auto box provide a nice place to be, with 150hp, it was never a car you would go out in for a fun drive. Her previous Cooper S was a pocket rocket, and, after much deliberation, the Golf went, and it made sense to offer the M2 as a replacement. After a couple of weeks, it was decided for the short journeys that she does to work in the week, the car wasn't ideal. The DCT gearbox is epic, but for…

If you are looking for a full-on four-door for 2023, the new hardcore G80 M3 CS is exactly what you want. The M3 CS makes 550hp, 40hp more than the standard Competition model, along with 479lb ft of torque, and combined with M xDrive and the M Steptronic eightspeed automatic gearbox, that means a 0-62mph time of just 3.4 seconds, while the top speed has been electronically limited to 188mph. The additional power comes courtesy of some tweaks to the engine management and the boost being raised from 1.7 to 2.1 bar. The M3 CS also features a specially designed engine mount, with increased spring rates, to create an extremely rigid connection between the S58 engine and the vehicle's structure. The M3 CS also features a titanium rear silencer, complete…

FIRST DRIVE For BMW enthusiasts, the humble X1 is not necessarily the most desirable product in the BMW range. The smallest of the SUVs, it isn't usually considered fast, fancy or fun enough to get the pulses racing, but the X1's importance to BMW is not to be underestimated. The first-generation X1, codenamed E84, was launched in 2009, and between that and the introduction of the second-generation F48, a total of 2.7 million units have been sold. As a result, the new X1, which is codenamed U11, has quite a job to do. In fact, it's one of the key pillars propping up halo products such as the forthcoming 3.0 CSL and other M cars. And while those cars steal away all the glamour, it's the poor old X1 that…

E21 318 By the age of 24, Piotr Grzejdziak already had two BMW E21s in his garage. The first was an accident-damaged car he bought cheaply, but once he had it in the garage, he found that it was too heavily crumpled for a normal repair. Listening to his friends’ advice, he decided the most effective way of restoring it would be to graft on a straight rear section from a second car. He bought another, but while stripping this one down, he discovered that at some point in the car's history, the roof had been very poorly repaired, which ruled it out as a suitable base for his project. Disheartened, almost out of money before he'd even begun, Piotr was ready to give it all up, even though he…

If you're looking for a modern M machine, the F8x M3 and M4 are hard to beat. The M4, in particular, has become very affordable in recent years, and thanks to its twin-turbo S55, it feels monstrously quick out of the box, with heaps of torque that makes it very easy to drive, combined with a ferocious top-end and a seriously sharp chassis. It'll even deliver decent fuel economy too. As an all-round high-performance proposition, it's a very enticing one, and that's before we've even touched on the vast amount of aftermarket upgrades out there and the ease with which the S55 will deliver a serious helping of extra power. The M4 ticks all the boxes you could think of, and then finds a few more and ticks those too,…

Thoughts have again turned recently to potential replacements for the M340i xDrive, and such a choice is not as straightforward as it may at first appear. There's no immediate hurry anyway – we've only had OV71 for 16 months (although it seems like half that time). But having had new cars almost exclusively for the last 20 years, ordering another new one early next year would be, er, normal. Let's be honest, once most folks start their PCP journey (basically renting a car for the rest of their life), they tend to stick to it. Every three or four years (or less, as in my case), one returns to the dealer and has the same, somewhat cheesy conversation about negative equity, and so on. The salesperson swallows hard, makes various…

Dean Mason's E93 325i M Sport Dean is seriously passionate about his 325i; he's put some serious work into this Cab, and the end result is spectacular. The first thing that strikes you is the colour: this 3 Series is finished in Crimson red, and as Dean says, there are not many about in this shade, and it's a bold and beautiful hue that suits the convertible body so well. If the colour doesn't grab your attention, the styling definitely will, as Dean has added a whole host of visual upgrades that give this E93 some serious presence. There's no missing those wheels, and Dean has managed to stuff a set of Axe EX20 20s onto his 325i. They serve up a massive helping of visual drama, especially when combined…