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Category: BMW

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Shark nose, 5-Speed, Alpina Wheels! 1985 BMW 735i and 1988 BMW 635CSi

Published November 17, 2024 by Carter

The US versions of both the E23 and E24 were stuck with the DOT-mandated bumpers that spoil their looks, in my opinion. A simple solution? For the E24 it is easy; the “88.5” refresh not only brought body-color bumper caps, changing the aesthetic and making it much more palatable, but you also got the punchier M34B35 to boot. The downside? Most are automatics. How about the E23? when in Euro guise, it’s a completely transformed car, suddenly tighter, leaner, and meaner. Again though, most were autos. Today two came up that fit the styling criteria, but both are manuals! And for good measure both are also wearing Alpina wheels. Sharp!

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Caught Our Attention! GTI, RS6, 924S, M3

Published September 29, 2024 by Carter

Some interesting and rare-spec cars caught my attention this past week, so I figured I’d share! How about this RS6 to start? The pinnacle of the C5 was, of course, the twin-turbocharged all-wheel drive version you see here built by Audi’s skunkworks, quattro GmbH. With assistance from VAG-owned Cosworth Engineering, the resulting BCY motor cranked out a peak 444 horsepower at 5,700 rpms and an impressive 415 lb.ft of torque between 1,950 rpms and 5,600 revs. The body, brakes, wheels, and suspension were all upgraded by quattro GmbH, with plenty of technology to transfer the power to the ground and keep the RS6 planted. Though it was saddled with an automatic transmission only and tipped the scales at a massive 4,050 lbs, the tenacious all-wheel drive, computer programming and massive power resulted in a 4.4 second 0-60 sprint, besting both the contemporary M5 and E55 AMG. The RS6 had 14.4″ front brakes, dynamic ride control, and meaty 255-section Pirelli P-Zeros to control that speed. Lowered ride height, flared sills and fenders, giant gaping intakes and exhaust, and signature honeycomb grills set the stage for how these cars have looked since.

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Caught Our Attention! E500, M1, e-Tron, M4 GTS, 911, and more!

Published September 8, 2024 by Carter

Time for another round of what caught my eye this past week! Although the M1 had an inline-six like other Bavarian creations of the time, little outside of the block shared any architecture with a series production model. The basic M30 block was modified into a racing unit with dual overhead cams and became the legendary M88/1 by fledgling skunkworks BMW Motorsport. But while Giugiaro’s design was the perfect eye-catching home for the motor, he wasn’t prepared to produce the M1 in series, nor was BMW, so the company commissioned Lamborghini to produce the fiberglass bodies and assemble the cars.

The late 1970s saw Lamborghini nearly close its doors and BMW was forced to coordinate body production from Italdesign, a tubular chassis from Marchesi and Company in Modena, and partial production at the Baur Karosserie and BMW Motorsport.

By the time the delay-fraught production was completed, the race series the M1 was intended for was gone, leaving BMW to envision their own one-off Procar Championship series. Despite missing the mark with its racing heritage it was, at the time, the Ultimate Driving Machine.

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Caught Our Attention! BMW 335is, Audi S8, Audi S4, and more!

Published August 25, 2024 by Carter

I thought it might be fun to do a roundup of a few cars that caught my attention recently. Starting out is this slick Le Mans Blue 335is. In 2011, BMW reintroduced the “is” moniker to the top-notch 335 2-door. The new 335is differed from the regular production run in many ways. Replacing the N55 motor was the trusty N54, just like in the 1M. BMW remapped the engine to deliver 320 horsepower and 332 lb.ft of torque channeled through a short-shift 6-speed gearbox or you could opt for the dual-clutch DCT 7-speed from the M3 for repeatable 5.0 second runs to 60. Because it was turbocharged, you also have a 7-second overboost function that gives you another 40 lb.ft in passing situations (or, to show off). The 335is helped to mitigate this additional power with a revised cooling system and heavier-duty motor mounts. The additional cooling meant no fog lights for the coupe, though oddly they could be had on the convertible 335is. Typical M adornments outside meant revised front and rear bumper covers, and the 335is wore unique Style 313 forged wheels measuring a substantial 19×8 in front and 19×9 out back.

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2020 BMW M4 Heritage

Published August 11, 2024 by Carter

Just in case the many special editions of the M3 and M4 didn’t strike your fancy, in 2020 BMW launched yet another limited-edition of the outgoing F82 M4. Dubbed the Heritage Edition, it was effectively a Competition model in one of three exterior colors mimicking the Motorsport logo. You could choose from the shades of Velvet Blue, Imola Red II, or today’s choice – Laguna Seca Blue – and you got a special M-striped carbon-fiber roof panel, special interior trim, and the choice of a six-speed manual or the seven-speed DCT transmission. Production was limited to 750 units worldwide, and so collectability is almost assured for the future:

2020 BMW M4 Heritage on Autotrader

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