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.

New M3 Convertible Experience Website

I rarely go out to the international BMW website but today I did and in doing so found some great content about the M3 convertible. There are several experience videos showing Performance, Style, Character and Philosophy about the new car. One of the better videos, I found, was the one on Performance: M DCT Drivelogic that features the double clutch transmission showing how it works and how it benefits. You can also look into some more detailed shots of the interior, like the M Sport seats. This site is definitely worth checking out, just understand that seeing the M convertible could dampen one's love of the 335i convertible. more.

Some serious auto detailing with fellow E90Post members

Well I finally had an opportunity Sunday to do some serious detailing on my E93. Two fellow members of E90Post brought their cars too, an E46 M3 and an E90. It took us a good six hours to detail all three cars using a variety of products and tools, including our Flex Random Orbital Polishers and Menzerna and Zaino polishes.

The steps:
Apply and remove Zaino Glass Polish on windows
Wash car with Zaino car wash
Dry and then clay bar with lubricant for clay
Wash car again with Zaino car wash
Dry
Apply Menzerna Intensive Polish with Flex random orbital polisher, spread polish on 1 setting and then polish area at setting 4.5 on Flex
Remove, doesn't have to be perfect
Apply Menzerna Micro Polish with Flex random orbital polisher, spread polish on 1 setting and then polish area at setting 4.5 on Flex
Remove, has to be perfect.
Apply Zaino Z-2 PRO Car Polish with micro fiber pad, let it set for half hour or longer
Remove
Apply Zaino Z-8 Grand Finale Spray Seal
Remove
Apply Zaino Z-8 Grand Finale Spray Seal
Remove

The final results...

All Images

My Custom Front End

I thought I'd take a moment and share what I did to get the front end look I have on my 335i. First of all, the body modeling is from the BMW Aero Kit, but I only went with the front lip. It's part number is: 511 10414371. The kidney grilles are painted to match my exterior and have a black matte look for the slats. They were ordered from Unique Euro Design. These guys were great and I definitely recommend them. I had one problem with the first set I received but they mailed me a new set quickly and easily. I also bought the black lower mesh below the headlights from them too. To install the lower mesh, I had to remove the entire front bumper. Thanks to E90Post.com I used a DIY post that was great at showing what to do. One note though: Make sure you remove your headlight washer covers before popping off the bumper, not doing that ran me $50 in parts and paint to get new washer covers.

So that is what I did to get the look I have and please feel free to send me any questions or comments.

BMW M3 Convertible Ready for UK Release

Much to my pleasure a barrage of photos were released by BMW showing the new M3 convertible in Melbourne Red Metallic; though, I must admit I prefer the crimson red on my 335i better.

An interesting aspect comes to light in these new photos. I have been considering replacing my side mirrors with the new M3 side mirrors, but wasn't sure how the different high-gloss black treatment on the mirror body covers would look with my chrome window trim. Some prior BMW M3 Convertible images showed the M3 with the same chrome trim, but these new images show a black window trim meaning to get a clean look I should probably alter my window trim to black as well. All said and done, the OEM way to make these mods would run approximately $3,000 ($2k for the mirrors and $1k for the window trim.) Quiet a hefty cosmetic modification. Oh well, I still like the new M3 side mirrors better but I also like $3,000 in my pocket.

From AutoBlog.com: "To signal the beginning of sales of the M3 convertible in the UK, BMW decided to release two-dozen more photos of its drop-top super coupe, and that's enough of a reason for us to include them in a gallery with its white counterpart. Everything remains the same, including the choice of either a six-speed manual or six-speed DCT gearbox, all without that pesky roof to keep you from enjoying the 420 hp, 4.0-liter V8 when your sending it up into its 8.400-rpm redline." more (tons of pics).