"Winter" Car Dilemma

I love driving my E93 and find it a great way to get to and from work everyday, but there are days I'd rather just leave it parked in the garage away from the rain and snow. A couple months back, I started searching Craigslist and AutoTrader for an used E36 or even an E30 BMW 3-series model to use as my 'winter' car.

I finally found a perfect example last weekend in a 1993 318is 5 speed manual coupe that I bought for $3,000. It is in great shape, though it has 182k miles on it. Everything runs well, it had a recent tune up about 3k miles back and was being used as a commuter car for a family in a neighboring upscale town that took good care of it. One of the things I really liked hearing from the prior owner was how they replaced the leather on the driver's seat a couple years ago because it was heavily worn. Now that's someone who takes care of their cars.

Unfortunately, this nice little find may be short lived for me. I had a hell of a time convincing my wife I needed another car to keep my E93 baby even more flawless and preserved. So, the agreement was that I was looking for a car for her brother and that if he didn't want to take the car I bought then I get to keep it. My brother in-law is coming down this weekend to check the 318is out and I'm certain he will drive off with it.

So my question to you is what would you do? Should I do a little side deal with the brother in-law and possibly risk the side deal coming out and biting me in the ass if my wife finds out? Should I just let him look at it and hope he doesn't go with it? Should I just park it under a tree and feed the birds a lot?

Any other thoughts?

The competition heats up

Rumors of an Infiniti G37 hardtop convertible have been around for at least a good year now and finally Infiniti has released the first official photo of the car, shown top down. The interesting part will be seeing the car top up. We all know the 335i convertible looks amazing top down but there is a lot of criticism of it top up, especially from E92 coupe owners...lol.

From Edmunds Inside Line: "The world got its first official look at the 2009 Infiniti G37 convertible on Saturday, as the automaker unveiled a photo of the car at the 2008 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance. The G37 convertible, with a three-piece automatic retractable hardtop, will go on sale in the spring of 2009."

I'll be sure to take a bunch of photos of the G37 convertible next year when it makes its pass at the 2009 Detroit International Auto Show.

So, what are some of your thoughts on the design of the G37 convertible? Do you like it? Think the E93 has a formidable challenger? more.

BMW Performance: Why do you torment me?

I was at the dealership last friday getting a radiator fluid top off as my fluid level apparently evaporated just enough to send me a nasty warning light last week. Wondering around the dealership, I looked into the parts cabinet display and noticed a very nice looking steering wheel with cutouts for the paddle shifters on my 335i steptronic. The new part was the BMW Performance Steering Wheel which I held in my hands and felt a dramatic difference than the stock wheel with it's beefier feel and of course the whole light up display showing 1/4 mile timer, lap timer, section timer, lat/long g force, oil/water temp, and stopwatch.

Of course there is a member on E90Post.com who has some great shots of the steering wheel, photos galore. I'm thinking with the alcantara trim on the wheel, adding a few alcantara pieces would tie the wheel together beautifully in the interior. After a quick look, I found alcantara shift boot and e-brake pieces that would like quite nice with the performance wheel and pricing is fairly affordable which is nice since the Performance Steering Wheel is in the ~$1,000 price point (I found it for $995 from Tischer BMW online.)

While I have no set timing on when I'll add this modification, I do expect to get it installed with the additional alcantara pieces some time time around September or October. The new steering wheel looks and feels very nice; though, like anything else BMW I wish it was a little easier on the wallet.

Convertible Top Maintenance Demo Video

I have been wondering how best to maintain the functionality of my hardtop convertible. Fortunately, Pat Goss of Motorweek covered a couple tips on proper lubrication of the movable parts using White Lithium Grease. He also shows how to apply the grease using a Q-Tip. The video also shows how to treat the rubber trim around the windows and sections of a collapsable roof.

Basically, this video is a great resource for those of us wondering how best to do proper care of this complex roof system.

Let me know if you have any other tips or suggestions.

Solzhenitsyn Passes On

While not E93 related, I just had to share how this world lost one of its greatest authors - Alexander Solzhenitsyn. His contribution to literature is amazing. The Gulag Archipelago trilogy is one of my favorite reads of all time; it covered his experiences in the Russian prison camps in Siberia -- simply amazing, horrific, and inspiring! Anyway, I thought I'd share my respect for him and highly recommend his words. more.

BMW Communicates with Flickr Photo Users

I was on vacation last week when out of the blue a nice couple emails came across from BMW North America asking if I could sign a release form to be considered for their using my photos on Flickr for a new 3-series web site effort. Here is the text from the email I received:

Dear BMW enthusiast,

We are reaching out to owners of past and current 3 Series
models for photography, videos, and stories to be included
in the new 3 Series interactive showcase on bmwusa.com as
we get ready to launch the new 2009 3 Series Sedan. One or
more of your images was found on Flickr and identified as
possible content to be used on this site:

--URL of Image on Flickr--

Your image will be displayed anonymously and your name will
not be associated with them, although you may allow us to
use a screen name if you wish. Your image will be linked
back to your Flickr page.

If you agree to give us permission to use your material, we
will need your signature on a release form, submitted by
Aug. 6.

Please visit bmwusa.com/submityour3 to download and submit
your release form. All submission directions are included
in the form. If you have additional questions, please
email new3series@bmwusa.com.

Thank you in advance for your participation.

So, I signed my waivers and hope to have a picture or two showcased in the upcoming site. Anyone else receive one of these?

'09 Model Changes Coming

Details are starting to emerge about the next 3-series. The big news are some changes to the iDrive and the additional option of the 7-speed dual clutch currently found on the new M3.

Some enhancements for iDrive include the following: "Infotainment has been bolstered significantly by the ConnectedDrive fused iDrive and 80 gigabyte hard drive. ConnectedDrive features BMW Online which – surprise, surprise – enables you to access e-mail, news and stock market updates whilst driving; could be a bit disconcerting in the current economic environment though."

But to me the best option is the dual clutch. This is some very cool technology and out shifts a traditional manual. "The heart of the new BMW transmission is the double clutch system that acts to smooth out gearshifts to the point that they are often only discernible by watching the rise and fall of engine rpm on the... tachometer." more.

335i a Better Choice than the New M3 Convertible

MSN UK Review: "The M3 coupé stunned, the saloon impressed - so what's left for the cabrio? Well, if nothing else chopping the roof off lets you hear more of the fabulous engine note. Which has to be a good thing. And we've got the first sight of the M division's new automated gearbox.

"Called M Double Clutch Transmission (M DCT), this seven-speed unit ramps up BMW's already impressive head start in automated manual gearboxes. Indeed, with a cheeky jibe at Ferrari it even claims to have been first with the technology, SMG apparently beating the supercar builder's F1 gearbox by six months.

"The extra weight, softer chassis and body flex do diminish the M3's hardcore appeal though. And in that respect it's hard to ignore the fact the cheaper 335i's smooth, more flexible power delivery and only marginal performance handicap probably suit the convertible's character better than the M3's manic, race derived V8." more.

M3 Convertible "Compromised and confused"

Jeremy Clarkson, of Top Gear fame, has not been a fan of the new hard top convertibles from BMW (see his review of the 335i convertible last year) and he is consistent has he trashes the new M3 cabrio.

From Times Online: "I like the new M3. As a coupé... The saloon version is even better. It doesn’t have a carbon fibre roof, which makes no difference at all, but it does have four doors and a bigger boot, which means your children can come too. And it’s a little bit cheaper.

"The new convertible version, however, has a problem. Taking the roof off, say, a Peugeot doesn’t really matter. Who cares if it’s all floppy as a result. It was never built to be the ultimate driving machine in the first place.

"The problem is that BMW’s M cars are built to be the last word in precision, handling, fun, grip and speed. And if you take the roof off, you are sacrificing torsional rigidity, which means you are sacrificing precision, handling, fun, grip and speed. You are therefore removing the whole point of the car. It’s much the same story with the Porsche 911." more.

Dimsa Exhaust Tips for 335i

Finally someone has come out with some very nice exhaust tips for a cool cosmetic look to the back of the 335i cars. Dimsa tips are simply that, replacement tips to the OEM exhaust system. These will do nothing for performance; it's purely a look thing, but boy do they look amazing. I'll be ordering mine soon and having a local muffler shop install them. The tips are 3.5" or 4" diameter and come in chrome or powdercoated black. Both styles look very nice; though, I'm a traditionalist and will go with the chrome on my car (I'll add some pictures when I get around to ordering and installing them in the next month or so.) You can order the pair for $175 at JlevisW.com. more.

The Ultimate Hardtop Convertible: Ferrari California

New pictures surfaced showing the Ferrari California featuring a pretty sweet hardtop convertible. Checkout some of the new pictures on Autoblog. more.

Yikes! Bimmerfest Member Suffers Major Top Failure

No one ever said there wasn't any risk when buying a retractable hard top convertible, but one member on Bimmerfest's message board is living with a very ugly reality. It seems a grinding sound was heard as the owner was lowering her top and much distress and anguish later the car was towed to a nearby BMW dealership. The rear passenger side back panel (the one with the rear window) popped loose and caused some gnarly panel shifts. The front panel reacted to the rear panel by popping up to on the passenger side really making the whole roof a sad mess. You can see a lot more of this, as the owner posted various photos on Picasa Web Albums.

All of this got me thinking about the hardtop maintenance. I apply 303 Aerospace vinyl/rubber protectant to all of my rubber seals, but doing this really wouldn't prevent anything as drastic as this issue from happening. I also have read that some people apply grease to some of the joints of their tops. I haven't tried that but am definitely looking into doing this now as a I'm sure some grease on the joints would be helpful to keep everything working nicely.

For those of you with a hardtop convertible, what do you do to maintain your top? What products, tips or suggestions do you have understanding that the problems of the Bimmerfest poster is more of a defect than a lack of maintenance care, the car only had 5k miles on it... Yikes! more.