M3 Cabrio Images Leaked

Finally some non-camouflaged images of the upcoming M3 convertible made their way to the Internet late last week. Autoblog has a brief write-up with a gallery of images on their site.

Personally, I think the pictures don't do the car justice since the car is shown in white. The white 3-series cabriolets show the roof fold lines too much and with the additional body mold changes on the M3, the car just looks too busy with too many creases that visually interrupt the flow of the car. Of course, this could just be me being jealous in the coming year as I get passed by a M3 convertible thinking "damn! If only I had waited a year."

"The folding-roof M3 doesn't officially debut until the Geneva Auto Salon in March, but a German magazine jumped the gun and posted images on their website. Embargo apparently broken, the pictures continue to propagate about the internet." more.

Diesels Coming to 3-Series US Model Line

As much as I wanted a diesel E93, I just couldn't wait. I was looking forward to the new convertible and just bit early on a 335i. No real regrets, but for those of you who are still looking to buy you might want to wait to gain some nice fuel savings and still get BMW performance.

From Autoblog: "n the U.S., the 3.0L twin-turbo diesel is expected to produce 265 hp and 425 ft-lbs of torque, which is plenty for us. At the same time, it will return 23 city/33 highway mpg and take the 335d sedan to 62 mph in 6.2 seconds. Talk about having your cake and eating it, too." more.

Dinan Finally Releases Software Upgrade for 335i Engines

The Vishnu Proceed software upgrade has been all the rage on the BMW enthusiasts boards but I've personally been waiting for a performance upgrade that comes with the piece of mind of not voiding my BMW warranty. Well Dinan has finally come through with performance and sleeping easy at night.

"Dinan, North America’s BMW tuner, is pleased to announce the introduction of the anxiously awaited Performance Engine Software for BMW 335 models. And as always, Dinan matches the new car warranty coverage for up to 4 years or 50,000 miles, including the possibility of consequential damages*. No one offers better performance or backs it up with such comprehensive warranty coverage.

"The results of Dinan’s tuning are nothing short of breathtaking, with the added boost and related recalibration producing maximum output of 384 horsepower at 5700 rpm and 421 lb-ft torque at 4300 rpm. All of this additional power is available from Dinan’s software alone, which is easily downloaded by your Authorized Dinan Dealer in about an hour for 2007 models (2008 model year vehicles require that the ECU is removed and shipped to Dinan for installation of the software at this time).

"*In order to qualify for Dinan’s matching new car warranty coverage, which includes consequential damages, the vehicle MUST be equipped with either a factory oil cooler (not all 335s were equipped from the factory with an oil cooler) or Dinan’s High Capacity Oil Cooler (recommended).

Part #D900-30T3
Suggested Retail: $1999.00
Installation: 1 Hour" more.

As quick as a 650i cabriolet

Review from Canada at Wheels.ca: "What was once a hardtop canopy for four occupants is now a dense pile of metal, plastic and glass folded into illogically compressed proportions. The whole apparatus then parks itself into the $72,195 as-tested 335i Cabriolet's trunk, taking all of 22 whirring, purring seconds to accomplish this engineering feat.

"The performance is like a freakish Cirque du Soleil contortionist act, but right there in your laneway. If you happen to have an audience, they'll "oooh" and "ahhh" and undoubtedly ask for an encore.

"If you're one of those "have-it-all" types, get the 335i. You'll own the best-driving four-seat convertible for your money." more.

First snow commute

Okay, it was a minor test for my new winter tires but hey it was the first drive to work with snow on the roads. Fortunately, it was a pretty smooth sailing even on my unplowed side street. In some weird way, I'm looking forward to a real test in the coming weeks when I get some serious snow fall; though the tires isn't my big concern, that would be ground clearance.

eBay Find: How about M3 Seats for your E93?

Here is an interesting find on eBay. A full set of M3 seats plus the center trim and door panels for a meager $4,500. Okay, it's not meager, but hey if you want that M3 look it's probably a lot less than buying direct from BMW. The big question is do the seats bolt on the same as our E93 seats, probably not... Might work best for an E92 but even that is a wild guess.

Autoblog Improves Their Garage

From Autoblog.com: "The 335 is one of the BMWiest of BMWs. They mean it when they say "Driving Machine." The 335i's mission is to devour miles. When you're behind the wheel, it's easy to forget mundane things like work, caught up as you are in apex-clipping joy. This is one of those cars that will have you seeking out the windy, hilly, un-crowded way. Retract the roof, hit the seat heaters if it's chilly, and listen to the cannonade from the twin pipes peal off the countryside." more.

Winter in Michigan is Not High Performance Weather

Well I switched out my stock 18" rims and runflat tires with a winter tire setup from Tire Rack. I went with a 17" wheel and tire set. The wheels are ASA JH3 and the tires are non-runflat Dunlop Winter Sport M3 XL. After some research on the topic, this seemed like a good setup for the coming onslaught of bad Michigan weather. A lot of owners can't decide whether to go with All Season or Winter tires. The majority of owners who have 3-series RWD cars emphatically recommend a snow tire setup which is why I also went this route. I also read some great reviews about the Dunlops. Bridgestone also makes some great snow tires too. I chose Dunlops because I have had great experience with them on prior cars; though, I've never bought this particular tire. I'll report more on handling and feel after I catch a few bad weather days.


Close up

Under the Designer Microscope

From Car Design News: "The criticisms of its design were few and minor, and this car delivers exceptionally in capability and design as both a coupe GT and cabriolet. Barely any compromise is evident - a very impressive achievement. But it is a car without a clear identity. It's not a true GT, nor is it a cabrio in the traditional sense. With its conflicting requirements it's hard to place, but the 3 series coupe cabriolet is a new breed of BMW, and perhaps the perfect single car solution for many of us." more.

M3 Rear Spoiler for Sale

Aftermarket autoparts retailer, Jlevi SW recently added the M3 rear spoiler for the E93 to its online catalog. I have seen a few pictures of owners of this part post pictures on E90Post.com and it looks pretty good. It's defintely better looking than the BMW Aero Kit Rear Spoiler. If you are interested in learning more about the M3 spoiler and want to order one, go here for more information.

The over $100,000 335i convertible

Okay, it's over $100,000 in Australia but the Australian dollar is almost a $1 for a $1 conversion, so let's not complain about the US pricing of the 335i. It could be much worse and is in many countries.

From Australia: "YOU might have seen a BMW advertisement recently in which a 3-Series “sheds its skin” as it thunders along a lonely desert road.

The car starts out as a wagon, but at high speed the rear hatch assembly “blows away” to reveal a 3-Series sedan. Then, the rear doors are similarly shed to reveal a 3-Series Coupe; and finally, the roof peels away to leave a 3-Series Convertible spearing off into the distance.

As well as being a clever piece of ad-making, it’s something of an evolutionary tale – one which clearly places the convertible at the top of the 3-Series food chain. The most highly evolved model of all, you might say." more.

Top Down Driving for the Northern Driver

Don't know how I missed this one, but here is an automotive video review from Motors TV that is shot in Spain last year in the winter time. I'm sure there will be plenty of snow shots of E93s to come as winter hits us very soon. For now, here's a sneak peak of how the convertible looks on a snow filled mountain. I wonder if they drove the car with the stock runflat tires?more.