September - Golden Gate Chapter

Transcription

B ombe
die flüsternde
Volume 36 Number 8
September 2007
Inside:
Sierra Foothills Tour
Autocross: Jeff vs. Jeff
Fantasy Junction Tour
Richard Petty Driving School
1 6 # - * $ "5 * 0 / 4 % * 3 & $ 5 0 3 * & 4 " / / 6 " - 3 & 1 0 3 5 4 . " / 6 " - 4 " / % . 0 3 &
"TPOFPGUIFMBSHFTUDPNNFSDJBMQSJOUFSTJO/PSUIFSO
$BMJGPSOJB XF BSF DPNNJUUFE UP QSPUFDUJOH UIF
FOWJSPONFOUCZVUJMJ[JOHTPZCBTFEJOLTBOESFDZDMFE
QBQFSTBTXFMMBTJODPSQPSBUJOHBOFXnFFUPGEFMJWFSZ
USVDLTUIBUGFBUVSF
G P S B M M ZP V S QSJOUJOHOFFET
Q
G
SA ThisMent
Ad ion
Yo VE
ur 10 an
Fir % d
st
Se OF
rvi F
ce!
On the Road or
On the Track
Delivers Confidence
and Value
in
out
Ask About Our
NEW Express BMW
Service!
EDGE is proud to offer the Bay Area's only
Premium Quality Express Service, exclusively for
BMW and Mini...
We have expanded our facilities with dedicated
personnel and equipment to handle Inspection I
& II, Oil Service, Track Inspections, Brakes, and
other normal maintenance—usually the same
day you call!
While you wait, you can relax in our comfortable
lobby, take advantage of our free wireless
internet, and browse our collection of aftermarket
accessories for your BMW and Mini.
Call today for your appointment!
(925) 479-0797
EDGE Motorworks
6443 Golden Gate Drive • Dublin, California • 94568
WE OFFER THE FOLLOWING SERVICES FOR YOUR BMW & MINI:
• FREE Undercar Safety
Inspection
• Oil Service
• Inspection I & II
• Cooling System Service
• Brake Service and Upgrades
• Alignments-Standard
and Custom
• Suspension Service
and Upgrades
• Competition Corner Balancing
• Dyno Testing and Tuning
• Track/HPDE Inspections
• Tune Ups
September 2007 die flüsternde B ombe 1
www.edgemotorworks.com
Social Director Report
Chapter Email List Disclosure:
By Mike Zampiceni ..............................8
The Golden Gate Chapter has created an
email list from the National BMW CCA database to send out event announcements that
don’t make it into print. We promise to respect
your time and limit the frequency of these messages to one or two a month.
By Jeff Connor... ..................................12
features
This email list is sent to all Golden Gate
chapter members who chose to provide an
email address to the BMW CCA when they
joined or renewed their membership. You have
the option to add or remove your address from
this list at any time. To add your email address
visit http://lists.ggcbmwcca.org/mailman/
listinfo/announce and follow the directions. To
remove your address go to http://lists.ggcbmwcca.org/mailman/options/announce, enter
your email address and click on the unsubscribe button. There is no password.
Autocrossing Can Be Hazardous
To Your Ego
By Jeff Cowan
Photos by Jeff Cowan and Alfio Levy..15
Turn Right To Go Straight
By Steve Albrecht ...............................16
Fantasizing At Fantasy Junction
By Ken Glidewell ................................19
Classified Advertising Submissions:
Publishing
Die Flüsternde Bombe is produced monthly
(except for combined issues Nov/Dec and Jan/
Feb). Article/photo submission deadline is the
first day of each month prior to publication.
Submissions go to the Assignments Editor at:
[email protected].
Commercial Advertising:
This publication is read monthly by over
5,000 BMW enthusiasts in Northern California.
Deadline for new ad artwork is the fifth day of
each month prior to publication. Please submit
artwork to the Advertising Manager.
Commercial advertisers are responsible for
supplying their own ad copy. All commercial
advertising must be paid in advance. Contact
the Advertising Manager for further details:
[email protected]. Please note, this
publication is sent Bulk Rate USPS.
Yes, the Portola Valley Garage is now a Dinan Authorized BMWMini Performance Center—but knowledgeable clients are probably
more impressed with our history of diagnostics expertise. After all,
every BMW driver shares a passion for perfection. But whether it’s a
supercharged Dinan M5 or the family sedan, you can't properly tune
today's cars without the right equipment... like our BMW GT1 and
Progman SSS diagnostic machines, or our alphabet soup of test
equipment for other marques: Porsche Systems II... Volvo Diagnostic Platform... Saab/General Motors Tech II... Mercedes-Benz DAS
(STAR) and WIS... well, you get the idea.
Tom Ramies and his staff of ASE-certified master techs can
diagnose, analyze, service, and tune your car, foreign or
domestic—and do it right.
Now, about that Dinan supercharger....
For Web or Email-blast advertising rates,
please contact the Advertising Manager.
MAGAZINE AD RATES PER MONTH:
Commit to: 1 issue
2-3 issues 4-7 issues 8-10 issues
Inside black and white ads:
4HE7HISPERING"OMBv
Newsmagazine of the
Golden Gate Chapter,
BMW CCA
Volume 36, No. 8
departments
Our online Classified Ads are free to all current
BMW CCA members. To submit an ad, please
visit Golden Gate chapter’s website: www.ggcbmwcca.org. This magazine no longer accepts
classified ads for print.
Die
Flüsternde
Bombe
Across The Board ......................................5
Calendar Of Events ...................................6
Announcements ........................................7
Minutes .......................................................9
Bimmerphile ............................................10
New Members .........................................20
Meanwhile, Back At The Wrench..........23
Tales Of The Pacific .................................24
CCA Discounts ........................................25
Factory Authorized BMW Dealers ......25
Chapter Contacts .....................................26
Your input is encouraged!
Submissions deadline is the 1st of
each month prior to publication.
On the cover
September, 2007
Chapter Website:
www.ggcBMWcca.org
~1971~
Golden Gate Chapter
Celebrating 36 years of
BMW enthusiasm in the
Golden Gate region.
~2007~
Event organizer Nina Torres
gives route instructions to
Diane and Hal Dorton for the
GGC tour through the scenic
Seirra Foothills.
Photo: Jeff Cowan
Full page
$344
$327
$310
$275
1/2 page
$188
$179
$169
$150
1/4 page
$135
$125
$113
$105
Bus. card
$ 88
$ 84
$ 79
$ 70
Full page
$500
$475
$450
$400
1/2 page
$263
$250
$237
$210
Inside color ads:
%
"MQJOF3PBE
1PSUPMB7BMMFZ$"
8FCTJUF
XXXQWHBSBHFDPN
0OMJOFTDIFEVMJOH
XXXQWHNFDIBOJDOFUDPN
%JOBONFSDIBOEJTF
XXXEJOBODBSTDPN
2
Specified Placement fee: 25% of ad cost/mo.
Inside front/back cover (color):
Full page
$513
$488
$462
$410
Back Cover:
$775
$737
$698
$620
%JOBO"VUIPSJ[FE%FBMFS
OFFWHENYOUSHOWYOUR##!CARD
September 2007 die flüsternde B ombe
4
ing schools, and Chapter
merchandise. I know,
you’re asking, “How
does this affect me?
I’m not a volunteer…
heck, I am only reading this because I’m in
the bathroom and have
already finished Car and
Driver.” Well, I’m glad
you asked…
We are now accepting
candidate statements for
2008 GGC board! If you
show up to our events
and wonder why things
work the way they do, or
if you have ideas about
how the Chapter can be
improved, or if you just
love the weiss mit blau,
then consider running
By Chris Webber, Secretary
for a board position. You
can submit your candidate statement to me at [email protected] by
October 15, 2007. Don’t be intimidated—you don’t have
to know anything about transmission ratios, or which
year marked the end of the “cool bumpers” on a 2002.
Heck, you barely have to be literate—ask Dadgar… just
speak slowly so he can understand.
At worst you can get some free pizza.
Drive safely,
Chris Webber
Across The Board
I
t’s been a banner year thus far. Our membership numbers are climbing once again, we have
hosted an unprecedented number of social and
driving events, and people tell me they’re actually
reading the minutes from the board meetings! (I am so
proud!) We’re on a roll!
As I write this, I sit in the Round Table Pizza parlor
in San Mateo, where the allure of free pizza and beer
drew no less than seven non-board members to what
has proven to be a rousing and entertaining board
meeting. (Well, honestly, the meeting is still going on. I’m
typing while Mike Mills is talking. His story is hilarious,
but I’m antisocial, and if I don’t write this by tomorrow
morning, I may be killed.)
The meetings are better than you think: the pizza is
tasty, Dadgar and Cowan are often hilarious, and I am,
quite frankly, the funniest guy you know. And you don’t
even know me. So, you know, that’s really something.
What does this all mean to you, gentle reader? It
means you need to come and share some pizza with us!
We want to hear your opinions, and see your smiling
faces. Heck, even if you have no opinions, and a face
only a mother could love, we still want you here. The
pizza is free. Free! What’s stopping you?
If free pizza isn’t enough enticement (and for all
of you older than, say, fourteen, it probably isn’t) then
consider the VIP program. The Chapter offers rewards
points to our volunteers, and that includes board members. Those points can be redeemed for cool stuff, like
autocrosses, car-control clinics, high-performance driv-
Event/Location
Contact
September
Sep 7
Buttonwillow Driving School
Central CA
Buttonwillow Raceway, Buttonwillow, CA
Peter Kwan
www.cccbmwcca.org
[email protected]
Sep 8
Pacific Raceways Driving School
Puget Sound Pacific Raceways, Kent, WA
Eric Bitte
www.bmwpugetsound.com
[email protected]
Sep 12
Board Meeting
GG Chpt
Round Table Pizza, San Mateo, CA
Kelly Collins
www.ggcbmwcca.org
[email protected]
Sep 15
Autocross
GG Chpt
Marina Municipal Airport, Marina, CA Kris Linquist & Matt Visser
www.ggcbmwcca.org
[email protected]
Sep 22
Fall Tour
GG Chpt
Mt. Hamilton - Mt. Diablo
David Crum
www.ggcbmwcca.org
[email protected]
Sep 30-Oct 5 Oktoberfest
BMW CCA
Fort Worth, TX
National Office
www.bmwcca.org
[email protected]
October
Oct 4-7
Pacific Sharkfest
Pacific Sharkfest
Santa Barbara, CA
Paul DiMauro
www.pacificsharkfest.com
[email protected]
Oct 6-7
California Speedway Driving School
LA Chpt
California Speedway, Fontana, CA
Delight Lucas
www.bmwclubla.org
[email protected]
Oct 6-7
Spokane Raceway Driving School
Inland Empire
Spokane Raceway Park, Spokane, WA
Scott Adare
www.iebmw.org
[email protected]
Oct 10
Board Meeting
GG Chpt
Kelly Collins
www.ggcbmwcca.org
[email protected]
Oct 13-14 Club Racing School
Scott Hughes
www.bmwccaclubracing.com
Oct 20
Car-Control Clinic
GG Chpt
Marina Municipal Airport, Marina, CA
Bob Goebel & Grant Low
www.ggcbmwcca.org
[email protected]
Oct 21
Autocross
GG Chpt
www.ggcbmwcca.org
[email protected]
Oct 26-28 Reno-Fernley Driving School
Sierra Chpt
Reno-Fernley Raceway, Fernley, NV
Robyn McNutt
Sierrabmwcarclub.org/BMWweb
[email protected]
Oct 27
Pinnacles Tour & Hike
GG Chpt
Pinnacles National Monument, Paicines, CA
David Crum
www.ggcbmwcca.org
[email protected]
Oct 27-28 Club Race - Thunderhill
GG Chpt
Thunderhill Raceway Park, Willows, CA
Steve Walsh
www.ggcbmwcca.org
[email protected]
November
Nov 3-4
Infineon Driving School
GG Chpt
Infineon Raceway, Sonoma, CA
Bruce Nesbit & Billy Maher
www.ggcbmwcca.org
[email protected]
Nov 10
South Bay Area Meet & Greet
GG Chpt
DiCicco’s Ristorante Italiano, Campbell, CA
KrisLinquist
www.ggcbmwcca.org
[email protected]
Nov 10
Habitat for Humanity Volunteer Day
GG Chpt
Santa Clara, CA
Joe Fant
www.ggcbmwcca.org [email protected]
Nov 10-11 Club Race - Buttonwillow
GG Chpt
Steve Walsh
www.ggcbmwcca.org
[email protected]
Nov 11
Top Driver Shootout
GG Chpt
www.ggcbmwcca.org
[email protected]
Nov 14
Board Meeting
GG Chpt
Kelly Collins
www.ggcbmwcca.org
[email protected]
December
Dec 8
Not The 49 Mile Scenic Drive
Bay Area 02
Ocean Beach, San Francisco, CA
JP Collins
www.bayarea02.com
[email protected]
Dec 15
Board Meeting
GG Chpt
Stevens Creek BMW, Santa Clara, CA
Kelly Collins
www.ggcbmwcca.org
[email protected]
Bolded events are Regional or National CCA events
To add an event to the calendar, email your information to: [email protected]
First Showing Of 16th BMW Art Car At SFMOMA
From September 8 through January 13, the San Francisco
Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA) will present the exhibition Your tempo: Olafur Eliasson. This special exhibition marks
the first public presentation and only U.S. engagement of
Your mobile expectations: BMW H2R project, 2007, a new work
by contemporary artist Olafur Eliasson created in conjunction
with BMW’s Art Car program. See Bimmerphile for a more
comprehensive write up on this show.
When: September 8, 2007-January 13, 2008
Where: SFMOMA, San Francisco
Info: www.sfmoma.org/press
GGC Board Meetings
We’ve finalized our Board meeting dates for the remainder of the year. All meetings will be held at 6:30 p.m. on the
second Wednesday of the month at Round Table Pizza, 1304
W. Hillsdale Blvd. in San Mateo.
Join The Team
Involvement with the BMW CCA can be extremely
rewarding. You make great friends and have a lot of fun
connecting with others who share a passion for the Ultimate
Driving Machine. The 2008 GGC board elections will be held
in the late Fall and we need your help to continue our quest
to be the best chapter for our CCA members.
If you are interested in running for a board position, please
nominate yourself for one of the positions listed below. A
description of the each position can be found in the Operations
Manual posted in the “About” section of the GGC Web site.
President Vice President
Secretary Treasurer
Membership Chair
Please send your nomination and a short candidate statement to Chris Webber at [email protected] no later
than October 15, 2007.
Fall Tour
Join in on a two-mountain tour of some twisty two-lane
roads from Mt. Hamilton to Mt. Diablo and back. We’ll start
at the Japanese Friendship Garden in South San Jose, make
our way up and over Mt. Hamilton, through the Livermore
valley, across the eastern slopes of Mt. Diablo, and stop for
lunch in the quaint town of Clayton. From there we’ll follow
a winding route back to San Jose for an informal dinner. This
drive is a bit more than 200 miles in length.
Since we’ll be stopping in a number of the parks along the
way to enjoy the fall leaves and views, plan on a full day of adventure! If you are pressed for time, there will be opportunities
to cut the route short, but then you’d wonder what you missed!
This is a similar route to last year’s April tour and was
written about in the July 2006 issue of Die Flüsternde Bombe.
Check out page 16 to see what you can expect. (PDFs of past
Bombes can be found at the GGC site.) The route guide and
more detailed information will be posted soon.
When: September 22
Where: Mt. Hamilton and Mt. Diablo
Contact: David Crum, [email protected]
Pinnacles Tour And Hike
Want to get some exercise and some great driving? Come
on out October 27 for a scenic drive south to Pinnacle National
Monument for a two-hour hike, followed by a potluck picnic.
This tour will go south from San Jose to Pinnacles National Monument via Hollister and Highway 25. The drive south
will be early in the day, leaving plenty of time for a two-hour
hike, followed by a potluck picnic.
6
Participants (by car) will be asked to bring their favorite
picnic item to the potluck for all to share. Food items will be
assigned so that we don’t all bring dessert!
For the return, the intrepid will follow a route back north via
King City and the Monterey Peninsula. Others will simply reverse the morning’s route back to San Jose. More details, including route map and potluck sign-up, will be posted in September.
When: October 27, 8:00 a.m.
Where: Paicines, CA
Contact: David Crum, [email protected]
Pacific SharkFest 2007
October 4-7: Pacific SharkFest is an annual gathering of
BMW E24 6 Series enthusiasts and aficionados, meeting to
reminisce with old friends, make new friends, share technical expertise, and, of course, participate in a beautiful and
exhilarating scenic drive.
This year, the legacy of beautiful host locations will continue in Santa Barbara, where the main feature will be a twohour dinner and sunset boat cruise on the Condor Express.
There will be a tri-tip and chicken buffet with all the fixings, a
no-host bar, and a beautiful sunset.
Registration is now open for this event. Visit the Pacific
Sharkfest website for more details.
Where: Santa Barbara, CA
Contact: Paul DiMauro, [email protected]
www.pacificsharkfest.com
Announcements
Calendar Of Events
w w w. g g c B M W c c a . o r g
Find the most current calendar at:
Dates
Habitat For Humanity Volunteer Day
Once again this year, the Golden Gate chapter has joined
with Silicon Valley Habitat for Humanity in a house-building
work day. Reserve the date—November 10—and plan on
joining us for a day of hard work and great fun for a very
worthwhile cause.
We’ll be one of the early teams working on a new building site in Santa Clara, near Lafayette St. and Montague
Expressway. Volunteers must be at least 14 years old, and minors must have parental supervision—this is a terrific activity
to do together with your kids. It’s a great way to have a lot of
fun and learn a few new skills at the same time.
Directions and additional details will be available soon on
the GGC site. If you plan to attend, please RSVP by November 1 to Joe Fant, GGC’s charitable-events coordinator.
When: November 10, 9:00 a.m.- 4:00 p.m.
Where: Santa Clara
Contact: Joe Fant,
[email protected]
South Bay Area Meet & Greet
Come meet your fellow chapter members at our South
Bay Area Meet & Greet at DiCicco’s Ristorante Italiano in
Campbell. Light appetizers will be served starting at 6:00
p.m.. Our GGC social director, Mike Zampiceni will provide
entertainment on the accordion during dinner, which begins
at 7:00 p.m..
Dinner payment of $36 per person is due no later than
Wednesday, November 7. A cancellation fee of $10 will apply
to any cancellations after this date. A PDF of our DiCiccos
dinner menu is posted at the GGC site on the event’s calendar listing page. Please mail checks, made out to GGC BMW
CCA, to: Mike Zampiceni, 1220 Tasman Drive #106, Sunnyvale, CA 94089.
When: November 10, 6:00 p.m.
Where: DiCicco’s Ristorante Italiano, Campbell
Contact: Mike Zampiceni, [email protected]
August, 2007
Fantasy Junction event
I sent a follow-up note to Ken Glidewell thanking him
for hosting this event. My estimate of the total headcount is a
couple-dozen people. Fantasy Junction has an eclectic collection of fairly common to very rare and expensive cars, most
of which are foreign.
Possible North Bay tour
Glidewell mentioned that he’d be willing to host a Marin
County tour. I followed up with him and am waiting to hear
if early October works for him. We’ll also need to coordinate
with the North Bay rep on this.
Possible golf event
Jeff Cowan suggested I contact Justin Collins regarding
his interest in organizing a golfing event in the South Bay.
I followed up with email some time ago, but hadn’t heard
back. In order for this to get on our chapter schedule, I need
to know as soon as possible if he’s seriously interested.
E30 gathering
Jeff Cowan also suggested I contact Tammi Hull with
regard to a possible E30 3 Series event at the Pleasanton Fairgrounds (if I remember correctly). There’s no set date or event
schedule.
Canepa Design tour
Canepa Design is located in Scotts Valley and specializes
in race-car preparation, design, restoration, and sales. David
Crum, who came up with this idea, is willing to get the ball
rolling with a contact of his at the company. I decided to slate
this for early next year—as an indoor venue, it’s a good idea
to save these sorts of events for inclement-weather months.
I’m targeting late January or February.
Other indoor events that immediately come to mind are
guided tours of the Hiller Aviation Museum and the Blackhawk Museum.
Winter party
I offered to help with this when the need arises and more
information is available as to what I should be doing.
June barbeque bash and tour
In my follow-up with the Bells on the June GGC barbeque
bash they hosted at their house, we set a date for next year—the
last Saturday in June! At this point, they seem to be willing to
do this as an annual event. Bonnie Bell said they like that time
because the kids are out of school and the weather is nice, but it’s
before the peak travel season when a lot of people are gone.
Golden Gate Chapter - BMW CCA Board Meeting Minutes
By Chris Webber
Secretary, GGC BMW CCA
July 21, 2007
Sonnen BMW
Board in Attendance: Mike Mills, President; Tamara Hull, Treasurer;
Chris Webber, Secretary; Jeff Cowan, Membership Chair; Kelly Collins, Member-at-Large/Communications Manager.
Board Not in Attendance: Jonathan Bensen, Vice President; Mark
Dadgar, Member-at-Large/Driving Events coordinator.
Guests in Attendance: Mark Ingwersen, Dave Fang, Donna Seeley,
Grant Low.
The meeting was called to order at 1:21, after much Sonnen-related delay.
Webber was not there to witness the fracas, as the North Bay is a vast
beautiful mystery to him. So vast and so mysterious is this area that Webber
found himself lost in it for nearly an hour. Thankfully, Hull was on time
(she may have been the only one!) and at the ready with a pen whilst Webber
tried desperately to orient himself in the strange and unfamiliar byways
between 101 and the Richmond Bridge.
At some point in the pre-meeting confusion, Mills apparently decided this
would be a speed meeting. At perhaps that same moment, on a dead-end street
somewhere nearby, Webber made the decision to begin speeding as well.
Membership report:
8 Member totals
5 We have 5,020 members including associate members. Wow!
8 Charities
5 No report
8 Area rep report
5 Donna may step down from North Bay rep.
5 Yup, she stepped down. But not until later in the meeting, which
means that putting this bullet here is like some kind of crazy vision of
the future! Wait, wait, no. By the time you read this, the meeting took
place in the past. So much for clairvoyance.
8 Meet & Greets
5 July 28 SF drive to Fantasy Junction needs insurance.
5 Webber thinks everyone should have their Fantasy Junction
insured. It’s just safer that way.
8 Social Events
5 Festorics is on track–envelope stuffing party on August 5.
5 BMW SF party idea–Mills to send info to Jeff to follow up.
5 Possible tour of Canepa Design being organized.
5 Collin’s husband, Justin, is interested in organizing a golf tournament in October.
5 Hull is working with Cowan and Bensen on expanding the traditional annual E30 M3 gathering to include all E30s. Fun!
8 Holiday Party
5 Jeff is working with the Capital Club.
Webber update: Still lost. At this point, Webber has made it to the nearest BMW dealership he could see from the freeway. It’s a BMW motorcycle
dealership. Cool, but not useful. Webber has dialed Cowan three times. Cowan
is too busy making the super-fast-membership report to notice. Webber feels
unloved and contemplates heading back to the Peninsula, but soldiers on.
Driving Events Report:
8 Dadgar is not present, but magically a report is made despite that fact.
8 Thunderhill Driving School:
5 At least 75 participants have registered, so it’s on track to at least
break even, we hope.
8 Car-control clinic
5 August 4 event sold out in four days, and 25 people are on the
waiting list!
5 Car-control clinic for Minis got cancelled due to lack of interest
(possibly due to lack of promotion).
Treasurer’s report:
8 Receivables
5 Hull may have to be the “Treasurer For Life,” but that term may
be very short if she doesn’t get the advertising receivables reduced
ASAP!
* Get it? See, it could be a short term, because Mills might kill her. Not
really, he’s a teddy bear, but you know, it was a pretty clever turn-of-phrase.
Come on. It’s funny. You laughed a little. Inside.
8 Financial statements
5 Need to get Q1 and Q2 financial statements on the website.
8
Webber update: On the scene! It’s like the world’s smallest and least impressive miracle. Despite his ability to find the dealership without a single useful
point of reference, Webber is still not out of the woods yet. The parking situation at Sonnen is contentious. It’s a long walk from the side street. It’s very
late. It’s hot. Webber is grumpy.
Truck lease:
Lease is currently set up as Bensen or GGC, payments are applying towards both Bensen and GGC as far as credit reporting.
5 They sent Hull the transfer paperwork, and of course, it is the
wrong stuff.
5 Hull pointed out that despite our collective thinking and too-close
bonds, the GGC is NOT an individual, and requires different paperwork.
Communications report:
Chapter Magazine:
8 Normally we have a report from Percy Chow before the meeting.
Not this time.
8 We have a new assignments editor who has actually stayed on
through one issue. That’s a record!
8 Web/technology update
5 Since Collins can’t make updates (due to website backend) Chow
has to do all the posting.
5 Joomla is way more work that we thought it would be.
8 Collins ordered, and is wearing, a shirt embroidered with the GGC
logo from our Land’s End online store in the hopes of inspiring others to order one, too.
5 She won’t pass it around for all to see.
Secretary’s report:
No report.
Vice President’s report:
Bensen not present.
President’s report:
Merchandise
8 Mills is wearing an old, non-Land’s End shirt—Collins’ is much
higher quality.
5 She still won’t pass it around.
8 Thong report: We have only sold a total of two GGC-logo thongs.
5 We know that Collins has one, Hull is pretty sure Dadgar bought
the second one.
8 Mills had a conversation with National. They are in the middle of
completing an agreement with Land’s End. When this is completed,
we can move our GGC account under the National account as a
“kiosk.” We will then receive a 10% discount on merchandise.
Webber update: Webber has only been present for roughly seven minutes,
and the group has already reached the last item on the agenda!
Chapter elections
8 We need a slate of candidates.
5 We need a call for candidates in the next Bombe (September).
8 Club Racing is taking about six hours a day of Mills’ time! That’s a
lot of work. He hasn’t got time to be the president of the local chapter. We need someone with more time.
5 Who is going to run for president? Cowan or Collins? Everyone
backs both of them.
Board meeting schedule
8 Mills suggests that all meetings be scheduled for the second
Wednesday of every month.
5 All are fine with that proposal.
The meeting is adjourned at 2:17 p.m.. That’s a record.
8
5
Minutes
Social Director Report
By Mike Zampiceni
Our thanks to Sonnen BMW for their hospitality!
development, and many form studies and technical
experiments, Your mobile expectations: BMW H2R
project will debut at SFMOMA.
Eliasson has removed the car’s outer shell and
replaced it with a complex, translucent skin made of
steel mesh, reflective steel panels, and many layers
of ice. The piece will be constructed on-site inside
an 800-square-foot custom-made cooling unit in
SFMOMA’s architecture and design galleries that
will preserve the car’s icy skin. Fitted with Eliasson’s steel-mesh and reflective-steel covering, the
stripped-down car frame will be sprayed with 530
gallons of water over the course of several days to
BMW Press
gradually create layers of ice. Lit from within and
rom September 8, 2007 through January glowing in its frozen atmosphere, the resultant work
13, 2008, the San Francisco Museum of measures more than five-feet high, seventeen-feet
Modern Art (SFMOMA) will present the long, and eight-feet wide. Viewers enter the environexhibition Your tempo: Olafur Eliasson. This special ment in limited numbers to enjoy an intimate, imexhibition marks the first public presentation and only mersive, and social engagement with the artwork—a
U.S. engagement of Your mobile expectations: BMW fundamental aspect of Eliasson’s art.
H2R project, 2007, a new work by contemporary artist
Accompanying the artwork is a short film that
Olafur Eliasson created in conjunction with BMW’s offers a behind-the-scenes view of Eliasson’s team
Art Car program.
at work on the project, as well as two seminars that
In 2005, BMW selected Eliasson for its 16th Art took place in his Berlin studio in conjunction with the
Car commission, with input from an international project. These seminars brought together more than
board of curators. After more than two years in 40 scholars, artists, architects, scientists, and other
First Public Presentation Of 16th BMW Art Car (?)
F
10
experts to discuss this and other Eliasson projects
and their relation to various artistic, social, political,
and environmental issues.
Eliasson’s project transforms an object of
advanced industrial design into a work of art that
critically and poetically reflects on the relationship
between global warming and the automotive industry. The BMW H2R race car, a hydrogen-powered
vehicle, was developed to attain speed records while
pursuing a sustainable future based on the use of
regenerative fuel. Eliasson’s steel-and-ice-covered
automobile, like his overall body of work, evokes
multiple associations. First, it reflects the artist’s
long-standing interest in natural phenomena and
the sense of dislocation and awe they can inspire.
In this context, the ice also draws our attention to
hydrogen, which liquefies and becomes fuel-ready
at sub-zero temperatures, as well as to the fuel’s
only byproduct: water.
Take your time: Olafur Eliasso marks the
first major U.S. survey of Eliasson’s projects
from 1993 to the present, and will travel nationally following its San Francisco debut. Venues
will include the Museum of Modern Art, NY, and
the P.S.1 Contemporary Art Center. BMW Press
(www.sfmoma.org/press/)
separate air bags designed to protect the chest and abdomen
performed poorly, the institute said.
BMW spokesman Thomas Plucinsky said the institute’s
test indicated the 5 Series has a strong body structure but the
dummy was injured when it was hit by the arm rest. Plucinsky
said BMW does up to twelve crash tests on all its cars as well as
computer simulations of crashes. “The issue is that depending
on the location of seat, the location of dummy, the location of
the sled, the results could change,” he said. “This was one test
on one day on one car.” SF Chronicle
Four-Door M3 Sans Camo… Spies have caught the BMW
M3 sedan without camouflage.
The E90 BMW
M3 Sedan is
most likely to be
powered by the
same 4.0-liter V8
engine that produces 420 horsepower found in
the coupe. The
car is likely to be
unveiled at the
Frankfurt Show.
EGMCartech.com
Turnkey Mini Race Cars… Mini will unveil a new trackonly car at Frankfurt: the John Cooper Works Challenge. The
race-ready hatch incorporates extensive revisions to the engine
and suspension to ensure that it is essentially maxed-out in all
areas of performance. New pistons, a reworked turbocharger,
new intake and exhaust plumbing, and a reprogrammed engine
management system highlight the under-hood mods. Power
is channeled up front via a six-speed manual. The chassis is
upgraded with a race suspension, and new four-piston brakes
hide behind the Dunlop-shod Borbet wheels. The entire package
is wrapped in a John Cooper Works aero kit that features an
adjustable rear spoiler, a rear diffuser, and a new front spoiler.
Since the car is intended to be raced, a full roll cage is welded
in, the stock front seats are replaced by Recaro buckets with sixpoint harnesses, and a HANS device is also included. The car is
basically a ready-to-rock package for racing teams participating
in the Mini Challenge series held in certain markets. For those
not inclined to participate in the series, however, it looks like a
very entertaining track-day bomber. The price is set at €49,900
($67,000) including VAT. The order form goes online on September 11, 2007, and racing teams will begin taking delivery of
the cars in March of 2008. Private buyers will have their orders
filled starting next June. Autoblog
1 Series Drop-Top Spied… Several prototypes of BMW’s
1 Series cabriolet have been spotted undergoing testing across
Germany ahead of the car’s likely unveiling at the Frankfurt
Motor Show in September. As the images reveal, the new car
will stick with a traditional fabric roof and will feature a revised
tail-end to accommodate the folding mechanism. The new droptop will join the
coupe and older
hatchback in the 1
Series range when
it goes on sale later
this year. The car
will also be sold in
North America, but
it’ll be limited to
just the two models,
a 125Ci and 135Ci.
MotorAuthority.com
Fisker Latigo Gets
Facelift… Henrik Fisker
(designer of the BMW Z8)
delivered the first of the 150
2007 Fisker Latigo CS (based
on the BMW M6 platform) at
the Rodeo Drive Concours
d’Elegance in Beverly Hills,
California in June. Now
Fisker has already updated
the Latigo CS for another
round of 150 units.
The new Fisker Latigo
CS is now shorter with
minimal design changes to the front and rear. The back gets
thinner tail lamps while the font lights get a little slimmer with
aggressively styled air intakes.
The 2007 Fisker Latigo CS V10 takes its powered from the
M6 4.8-liter engine that produces 648 horsepower, giving it the
ability to do 0-60 mph in 3.9 seconds. Fisker also makes a V8
version of the car, based on the BMW 650Ci. EGMCartech.com
Spaceship 7… As
NASA engineers prepared
to launch the Space Shuttle Endeavour in August,
BMW NA and NASA announced the successful
completion of an eightweek test period of the
BMW Hydrogen 7—the
first-ever hydrogen-powered luxury sedan.
The test period, which
was initiated under a Space
Act Agreement between
NASA and BMW, underscores the organizations’
shared commitment to
advancing hydrogen technologies and to exploring
innovative transportation
concepts and alternative
energy sources. It is the
high energy density of
liquid hydrogen that allows the space shuttle to
be accelerated into space.
The same concept is used
to power the BMW Hydrogen 7.
During the test period,
NASA personnel had full
access to the fleet of BMW
Hydrogen 7s. The vehicles
were conveniently refueled
using the space center’s liquid hydrogen fueling supply
located on the space center’s premises. BMW Press
Ricky Bobby To Drive Hydrogen 7… Actor Will
Ferrell becomes first to be given a BMW Hydrogen 7
for everyday use. BMW today announced the launch
of the Hydrogen 7 Pioneer Program as it handed over
the keys of a BMW Hydrogen 7 to Hollywood actor
Will Ferrell. Through the Hydrogen 7 Pioneer Program,
BMW will give industry leaders and prominent figures
in entertainment, politics, business, and more a BMW
Hydrogen 7 for their daily use. BMW Press
Fisker Latigo
New Mini SUV?… Magna International is in talks with BMW
AG to build a larger version of their upscale trendy Mini cars,
Canada’s Globe and Mail newspaper reported. The sport utility vehicle would be called the Mini Colorado (Will the first one be orange?
–kk), with 65,000 to be assembled annually at Magna’s Steyr plant
in Graz, Austria, the newspaper said, citing unnamed sources.
Tracy Fuerst, a spokeswoman for Aurora, Ontario-based
Magna told Reuters that the “reports of potential future BMW and
Volkswagen assembly programs are speculative and, as a matter
of policy, we will not comment on them.” Automotive News
BMW & Brown Feasting On Asphalt Again… In previous
episodes of the Food Network’s “Feasting on Asphalt,” BMW
motorcycle enthusiast Alton Brown experienced local cuisine
while cruising around the country on his BMW. For 2007, every
Saturday, from August 4 to September 8, Alton Brown and his
crew will, once again, mount their R 1200 GS adventure tourers
to scour the American landscape for honest road food in “Feasting on Asphalt II: The River Run” airing at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT.
This time, they will trace America’s first superhighway:
the Mississippi River from the Gulf of Mexico to its Minnesota
birthplace. Freeways (with their palate-dulling sameness) will
be eschewed in favor of back, side, dirt, and forgotten roads
and the one-of-a-kind foods, folks, and stories to which they
inevitably lead. It promises to be an entertainment feast for
foodies and motorcycle enthusiasts alike! More info can be
found at: www.altonbrown.com and www.foodnetwork.com.
BMW Motorrad (Highly recommended! – kk)
BMW Defends Poor Showing On 5 Series Crash Test… The
2008 BMW 5 Series was the worst performer in new side-impact
crash tests of luxury sedans by the insurance industry.
The Acura RL, Kia Amanti, and Volvo S80 all earned the
highest safety rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway
Safety, according to results released recently. The Cadillac STS
and Mercedes E-Class earned the second-highest rating.
The tests were designed to show what would happen if a
truck or sport utility vehicle hit the side of the sedan at 31 mph
(50 kph), the speed of a serious crash. Side-impact crashes are
the most common type of fatal crash after a frontal crash.
All six sedans were equipped with standard side air bags.
The air bags in the BMW 5 Series protected the head, but
BMW Press
Happy Birthday To You… Ninety years ago, on July 21,
1917, a small company in north Munich was entered in the
commercial register. Two days later, the management issued a
letter with notification of its new name: “May we respectfully
inform you that, with effect from this day, we have changed
our company name to Bayerische Motoren Werke.” Henceforth,
the company’s products bore the letters “BMW.” The spirit of
innovation has transcended through the history of BMW for no
less than 90 years. BMW Press
BMW Aims To Sell More Than 100,000 M3s… With every
new generation of the M3, BMW has succeeded in raising sales.
The M3 is a performance version of the 3 Series coupe. During its lifecycle, BMW sold 18,000 units of the first-generation
M3, which was introduced in 1986. It sold 72,000 units of the
second-generation M3 that was built between 1992 and 1999.
The third-generation M3 sold more than 90,000 units. BMW
stopped making it last year. The fourth-generation M3 goes on
sale starting in September. Automotive News
Britain Sells Out 2008 M3 Coupes… The 700 units of the
2008 BMW M3 Coupe reserved for the UK market have sold
out. Each M3 was ordered with an average of £4,700 ($9,370)
worth of options. Taking that into account, the average price of
the car went up from £50,625 ($100,923) to £55,325 ($110,293).
The top two options buyers opted for included the 19-inch alloy
wheels and the DAB digital radio.
In 2007, demand for the new M3 peaked at 1,800 cars. For
2008, sales of the BMW M3 are expected to top 2,000 units including the convertible variant. AutoCar
BMW Acquires Husqvarna Motorcycle Brand…BMW AG
plans to buy Husqvarna Motorcycles from MV Agusta SpA
to add lighter, sportier bikes to its lineup. BMW AG and MV
Agusta agreed not to disclose the purchase price for Husqvarna,
originally a Swedish brand and now produced in Italy. Husqvarna makes about 12,000 motorcycles annually and employs
240 people, while BMW builds more than 100,000 bikes a year
and has a workforce of 2,816 people, the company said.
The German company plans to maintain Husqvarna as an
independent company. “With the numerous sporty Husqvarna
models, we can stretch our offers to younger consumers more
quickly than with our core brand alone,’’ said Herbert Diess,
who heads the BMW motorcycle unit. Bloomberg.com
AutoReport - Stanka
BMW News Bytes
Bimmerphile
Bimmerphile Editor: Kelly Kirkland
Autocrossing Can Be Hazardous
To Your Ego...
clean. Well, I’m a second better, but something just isn’t right.
“Wow!” Jeff says, “This car really handles well.”
When you’re willing to let someone drive your
car at an autocross, be prepared to get beat!
Second run: Jeff Conner: 56.0 seconds, Jeff Cowan: 49.8 seconds
WAIT! What in the Wide, Wide World O’ Sports is a-goin’ on
here?!? He was faster than his first run, but EIGHT SECONDS?
Not so much. We figure it must have been a timer mishap. Fortunately, it’s still a practice run, so no adjustment to the timing is
needed. We’ll just have another go at it!
Third run: me: 56.1 seconds. Other Jeff: 55.6
Gah! He’s half a second faster. In his third go-round in the car.
Well, I made a few mistakes and I know there’s some time to pick
up out there. I’ll get him.
Fourth run: me: 55.978. Him: 55.971
Wow! Now THAT is a close run. He’s still faster, but the gap
is closing. That’s good, I think I found another tenth or two out
there—we’ll see if I can get it.
Fifth runs: me: 56.0, what’s-his-name: 55.7
Okay, this is not going AT ALL how I had scripted it. This is
what I get for my charity? C’mon, I know I’ve missed a few spots
out there, but man! I know he’s been better than me this year, but
he’s not supposed to pick up the car this quickly.
It
By Jeff Connor
was November of 2006. Melissa—my wife and fellow track junkie—and I were driving our separate
M3s at a very fun Thunderhill non-CCA track day.
This was the first time she rode as my passenger
on track. Later, when she’s driving, I give her a bit of Turn-One
coaching from her passenger seat. The experience for both of us
is great.
Sixth run: me: 56.9 +1 cone. That jerk I’m never sharing my car
with again: 55.0
Brenden Selvig
Grrrrr… my times are heading in the wrong direction. He
planned this, didn’t he? I can’t believe I was so nice to the guy and
here he is thrashing me. My mind goes back to the last autocross
event when Matt Visser told a new attendee, “This is Jeff Connor,
he’s one of our better drivers…” Thanks, Mr. Visser, build me up,
so you guys can knock me down.
Dog. I’m a still a bit nervous about loaning the car, mostly because Jeff has been a second-and-a-half faster than me at each
of the first two events. Still, he’s driving it for the first time, and
haven’t I had the car for six months with track and autocross
time? I do feel that I’m really starting to tame the dog—so to
speak. I should be able to take him!
Final run: me: 55.6. The other Jeff: 55.7
Hey! I actually was faster than him this run. He still beat me
by .6 overall, but I really can’t complain now. I guess he’s just better than me. Maybe he’ll let me drive his car sometime to see if the
difference is in the cars.
Jeff C. and I (Jeff C., also) discuss
setting up the car for the event—
the layout is Jason Sams’ Cinnabon
course—to aid turn-in and keep the
left front tire from being eaten prematurely.
We converse over dinner that
night, talking mostly about a
9.99/10ths incident that occurred
while I was driving—it had her
groping for stuff to hang on to.
As I’m getting the car ready for the drive home, he walks up
with a huge smile and says, “Wow! Thank you SO much. Your car
is a blast. I want one.” He gives me a big, heart-felt hug, and all is
forgiven… well, almost. I still want to beat his times!
After waiting for most of the day
for our turn to drive, it is time. I’m finally at the line, anticipating the green
flag… and I’m OFF! “This Cinnabon
Melissa: “If you’re going to
seems to go on forever. Hey! I didn’t
keep driving like that, you need a
have to brake that hard for the slalom,
car with a cage.” Jeff’s translation:
oooh! That was interesting, around,
We need a track car. Cue devious
into the big ess… there’s that cone,
grin and thoughts of fantastically
okay. Now into that little chute, brake,
prepared cars....
Jeff and Melissa Connor are certified GGC track junkies.
hard left, and I’m done!” 56.6 seconds
Fast-forward to January 2007.
and one cone later, I’m pulling the car off the concrete pad, thinkThere it is, a fairly-well-prepared car: caged, gutted, suspending that I didn’t do too bad for my first run.
ed, seats and harness, and fun go-fast bits. It’s in our driveway.
Back to the grid.
The Track Dog: a 1995 M3. Yay!
In a two-driver car, things go quickly. There’s
When June rolls around, I’m readying for
barely time to get out of the car, eradicate my
my third GGC autocross of the year in the
numbers with blue tape, slap on Jeff Cowan’s magTrack Dog. Over the Internet waves I hear that
netic numbers, and adjust the harnesses for him. I
our friend and GGC membership chair, Jeff
jump in the passenger seat, harness myself up, and
Cowan, recently killed the engine in his E30
throw on my helmet before Russ Bowlus directs us
M3, and he’s broadcasting a request to co-drive
around toward the start.
a AAA car for the June event. I happily oblige
Off he goes. “Hey,” I’m thinking, “He’s driving
our little doggie. Now, with two events under
this
car well for not having been in it before today!”
my belt, I feel like I’m getting the hang of the
He blows through his first run in 57.6 seconds—
In an attempt to keep the reading audience’s interest, I’ll give
you the short version:
Apparently, despite Matt’s kind words, I’m not one of the top
drivers out there. Not yet. Having been beaten in my own car, I’ll
take Jeff’s advice, I need to get smoother. Then I’ll be faster. That
way, the next time someone co-drives the Track Dog with me, I’LL
be the one offering the advice.
The “other” Jeff (Cowan) in his E30 M3 before the engine blew.
Look for his story on the engine rebuild in next month’s Bombe.
Kris Linquist
12
Kris Linquist
Jeff Cowan
After I’ve gone, he’s talking to Kris Linquist who says, “You
beat Jeff in his own car!” He replies, “Yeah, Jeff just needs to be
smoother with what he does in his car with his hands and feet.”
By Jeff Cowan
F
or years I’ve wanted to do a winery tour in the Sierra
Foothills in Calaveras County. It seemed like the most
undiscovered territory for our GGC tours—new roads
and wineries are always fun to explore! Luckily for our chapter,
Sonora resident Nina Torres decided to join our chapter instead of
Sacramento, which was equidistant for her.
Nina has certainly maximized her forty-dollar membership
this year by attending just about every type of event we’ve offered,
starting with the Winter Party at the beginning of the year, a carcontrol clinic, a high-performance driving school, driving tours,
and even board meetings! Seeing this kind of enthusiasm, I couldn’t
just sit quietly by and watch. So I approached her. “Hey, Nina,
know anything ‘bout them whyn’ries out there in the sticks?”
“Why, yes, I do,” she eagerly replied. Several emails later we
had a full day of activities lined up for the second weekend in July
with a detailed route map provided by GGC’s tour-ist extraordinaire, David Crum.
The tour was a blast! About ten other cars joined in for the fun.
Half of us arrived in downtown Sonora on Friday afternoon and
enjoyed a great Italian dinner on the patio of a nearby restaurant.
Photos by Jeff Cowan and Alfio Levy
The second group of the tour-ists arrived Saturday morning at the
start location—Starbucks, of course.
Driving among California’s great trees with nothing but
nature surrounding us really put a smile on our faces. And, of
course, our cars ate up the roads brilliantly through the variety of
terrain, which included some incredible sections of tight mountain twisties. The sights were breathtaking!
We stopped at a few wineries, the most charming being Stevenot in the town of Murphys. They were so kind, pouring just
about everything they made—approximately twenty different
wines—without even charging a tasting fee. Several of us were
spotted carrying box-loads of wine to our trunks.
The tour ended in downtown Murphys, where we gathered
for dinner. Afterwards, some of us made our way back to the hotel
for the night (a wise decision), while others headed back to the
Bay Area.
This was one of the most fun tours I’ve been on in a long time.
During dinner, we all agreed it was well worth running this route
again next year in the Spring. Look for it on the 2008 calendar and
don’t miss it. (Thank you, Nina!)
Mary Sandkohl and tour organizer Nina Torres
take a break after the drive.
Julie Grantz makes sure her
wheels look spiffy for the tour.
Diane and Hal Dorton ham it up during
some great drop-top driving.
Craig Karsch and Kelly Collins find the
cool shade inviting after a day of topdown Z4 driving.
The cool and lush greenery are
welcome shade at Stevenot
Winery after the day’s drive.
14
Membership chair Jeff Cowan,
somehow finds time to participate in another GGC event.
Turn Right To
Go Straight
T
This wasn’t going to be just any runof-the-mill driving school. This had to be
something special and different—the Richard Petty Racing Experience.
The class is held at the California Speedway on their two-mile banked oval. And what
a track it is! It takes about ten minutes to drive
around the perimeter of the parking lot just
to get to the proper entrance. This facility is
huge! When I emerge from the tunnel under
Turn Four, the vast size of the grandstands really hits me. Then I spot the banking—whew!
This is going to be a real trip.
here was a sevenyear period in my life
when I attended each
and every GGC high-performance driving school in my
540i sport—I suppose I was
one of the Club’s track junkies.
I sure loved every mile of our
three local tracks I had the opportunity to drive, and the lessons I learned will be with me
forever. A couple of years ago
I retired from track schools in
general. However, this year for
my sixtieth birthday, I decided
to reward myself with one
more driving school.
After I check in, get fitted for a driving suit, helmet, and
HANS device, I meet the other ten students. During our chat
about past experiences, I find that three of them have taken this
particular class before, and one is on his third time. Obviously,
this is addicting to some people.
The staff gives us a very short briefing and then we head right
out to the track to get our car assignments. I’m assigned the 07
Clint Boyer car, Jack Daniels sponsorship. Now, the NASCAR
drivers make it look pretty easy getting into and out of the car via
the window, but I’m here to tell you it isn’t that easy. There are
frame tubes and seat padding in the way, and you really need to
contort yourself in unnatural
configurations in order to enter
the car. However, once in the
seat, I find it quite comfortable
and the view is good, despite
the considerable restrictions the
HANS device puts on your head
rotation. But who cares what
16
wheel with about a 30-degree
offset to the left. Now the
wheel looks straight while
I’ve got the car screaming
down the back stretch.
By Steve Albrecht
goes on next to you anyway, right? The
track ends at the B pillar.
The plan is eight sessions of ten
laps for a total of 80 laps. I do a quick
calculation in my head, “Hmm, a 60second lap would be an average speed
of 120 mph!”
I’m in the first group on track, and
when I fire the engine up, I break out
in a huge grin. It’s almost too hard to
comprehend this incredible sound
and rumble from a real NASCAR
engine sitting under the hood of a real
NASCAR race car.
I’m ready. My crew guy waves me
off, and I take out after my personal
pace car. The instructions are to follow in the tracks of your pace car at a
distance of three car lengths. Sounds
easy enough.
After lunch, they put us
out in a pack of four, running two-by-two. The goal is
to maintain a tight formation
to get the feel of running
door-handle-to-door-handle,
and bumper-to-bumper. As
luck has it, I get with three
other guys who are absolutely great at this. Peer pressure
is also a big factor since no
one wants to be the slug of
the group. We do ten laps
with me in the front row on
the outside, then the configuration is shuffled and I run ten laps
on the inside of the back row.
The outside position is a lot more exciting. Exiting Turns Two
and Four, the race line takes you up to the wall, so lap after lap I
find myself a foot or less from the wall, with my inside dancing
partner a foot from my left side. It really isn’t necessary to look
sideways, since you can hear where he is. This close formation is
significantly more taxing mentally than physically, and after twenty laps of this exercise, I’m more than ready for a break. When I
think about how many laps NASCAR drivers put in for a typical
NASCAR race, my admiration goes off the scale.
We work our way up to 140 mph—at that speed I can definitely
feel significant turbulence being trapped between the wall and the
car next to me. It takes a lot of concentration, since the car is jinking around a lot. Also, there is so much vibration from the engine
that the view out the windshield is pretty blurred. The best part
is running side by side with both cars pulling 6,500 rpm. That’s a
symphony not available in
any other venue.
The seventh session of
the day is back to one-on-one
sessions following the personal pace car. My instructor
says over the headset, “It’s
time to step it up. We’re going to go much faster now.”
And he’s right; my tenth lap
is seven seconds faster than
the first one—that’s a pretty
significant improvement.
The last session is go-forbroke time.
We’re now running
6,800 rpm at the end of the
straights, and drop off just
200 or 300 rpm on corner
entrance. The really interesting thing is that the faster we go, the
easier the car is to drive—downforce is a beautiful thing. I can’t
describe how cool it is to have the throttle planted to the floor just
past the apex, and feel the g-force being generated by over 500
horsepower driving through Goodyear racing slicks.
At the end of the day, we all get our timing sheets and everyone compares their fastest lap time and their highest trap speed.
I’m very pleased to find I clocked the fastest lap time of 52.47
seconds, as well as the highest trap speed of 152.22mph.
To say the least, I am very impressed with this school! The level
of organization is extremely professional and there were no glitches
whatsoever. We were taken from opening laps of 120 mph to final
laps of 150 mph in carefully planned steps that built skills and confidence. At no time did I feel I was working beyond my capability.
Now I’d like to take the advanced class, but this time at Daytona Speedway. The high banks are calling me!
My first lap is a little over 63 seconds. The sound of that engine at 5,000 rpm is the sweetest thing
I’ve heard in years… and we’re just getting warmed up! By the
tenth lap, we’re down to a 57-second lap.
For the most part, the car is very easy to drive. Most of you
know about the staggered tire set-up, where the left-side tires are
smaller in diameter than the right-side tires. The front suspension
is also set up with positive camber—lots of it. Those factors mean
the car naturally wants to turn left—just relax a bit on the steering
wheel, and the car dives into the corner all by itself.
The really weird thing is that you actually have to turn toward
the wall as you exit the corner
and come onto the straight. I’m
not talking a slight kink of the
wheel, but rather a decided
effort to turn right. I find it very
disconcerting for a few laps,
but it quickly becomes normal.
My pit assistant then helps me
out by reinstalling the steering
October 20, 2007 at Marina Airport, Marina, CA
8:00 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.
I
Photo credits: Kris Linquist, Grant Low, and Donovan R. Unks
magine knowing what to do when your car begins to slide,
or being in control during that “panic stop.” Come out to our next
Golden Gate Chapter Car Control Clinic and learn these skills.
No matter what you call these events, from Chassis Dynamics
Exercises to Safety Schools, the fact is that you can't have more
fun than pushing your car past the limits of traction in a safe
environment (how else are you supposed to know what it's
capable of—and what you're capable of?). Let's face it: Everybody
knows how to drive, and we all think we're pretty good at it. Here's
your chance to have fun while you find out just how well you've
acquired those skills—and learn many new basic car-control
skills in a single day.
Maybe you're interested in learning more about your car's
handling or want to break some bad habits. Maybe you just
want to be a better driver every time you get in your car. The
good news? A GGC Car Control Clinic is the perfect answer in
either case. Consider the incredible value of this compared to
similar schools with big-name companies costing nearly a
thousand dollars. Make it a gift to yourself, a friend, or family
member—teens love these clinics!
Need more information? Join a Chapter discus-
What you get:
First come, first served. You must be a BMW CCA member
Personalized attention from experienced GGC instructors
Instruction geared to your level
Short “chalk talk” followed by hands-on exercises
Skid pad - Slalom course - Braking exercise
Learn proper use of steering wheel, brakes, and throttle
One car, two drivers okay
Soft-tops okay
Approved pre-requisite for on-track high-performance
driving school
‹ On-line registration only:
‹
‹
‹
‹
‹
‹
‹
‹
‹
T
Fantasizing At Fantasy Junction
he most recent GGC meet-andgreet event for the San Francisco
area had a great turnout of 29
attendees… after I received only six RSVPs.
That certainly made me happy with the turnout we had at the showroom of the famous
Fantasy Junction! As one of the top brokers
of collector cars and vintage race cars, it’s no
surprise this venue brought out such a great
number of members.
It was cold and foggy when we met
down at
the St.
Francis
Yacht
Club
parking lot. As I pulled up I saw a
line up of seven BMWs of various
models and years—some were
even the same attendees from the
meet-and-greet in 2006. Departing
about 9:00 a.m., we drove through
San Francisco and headed across the
bridge to Emeryville—the home
of Fantasy Junction.
As the city contingent arrived, we saw that there were
several other members who
were already there, opting to
meet at the site.
For those who haven’t ever
been to this incredible car store,
it’s an amazing sight to walk in
and see the showroom stocked
full with over 50 classic cars
and vintage race cars that are available for
sale. As a special treat, the owner of Fantasy
Junction, Bruce Trenery, had arranged for
Steven Bloch’s pre-war BMW 328 to be on
the center display—a car lift in the center of
the showroom. This allowed our group the
rare opportunity to walk around and under
this historic piece of BMW racing history.
As we talked and swapped car stories, I
noticed a lively group of attendees farther
down the line of cars. So I walked over to
see what was going on. It turned out to be
quite a good story!
One of the attendees and his wife were
so interested in an MG TD on the floor that
they were about to take it on a test drive.
When they came back, they excitedly told us that this was the very
same car that she had learned to drive in just a few years before. So of
course they bought it!! And as you can see from the photo, they were
quite happy with their purchase.
With the excitement of a new purchase among the group and the
clock moving past noon,
we reluctantly decided it
was probably time to hit the
road and leave behind these
amazing cars.
I’d like to thank Fantasy
Junction for opening their
doors to our group and for
the table full of fruit, Danishes, donuts, coffee, and
teas that kept our stomachs
happy. Thanks for the spread
and the hospitality, Bruce!
www.ggcBMWcca.org
‹ Only $100 per student—lunch included!
What you need:
sion forum! They're great for asking questions about the Car Control
Clinic program and other GGC events. See www.ggcBMWcca.org
under “GGC Talk” or visit www.JustRacing.com/ggc_bmw_cca.
18
By Ken Glidewell
i
i
i
i
A helmet, Snell-approved M2000 or SA2000, or newer
A valid driver’s license (no learner’s permits)
An open mind and a willingness to have fun
A notarized Minor Release Waiver if you are under 18
(See the GGC website Clinic Overview)
Please read the full description in the clinic overview document found online
via the Driving Events link at: www.ggcbmwcca.org .
New Members
Welcome!
Last
First
City
Amaraggi Elie
San Francisco
Anderson Dave
San Jose
Balajadia JP
San Francisco
Branitzky Rami
San Jose
Chavez
Matthew Oakland
Chin
Carson
San Francisco
Conte
Stephen San Francisco
Corda
Ruth
Fairfield
Dastoor
Sanjay
Mountain View
David
Ewa
Dublin
Dunckel
Holly
Morgan Hill
Dunwoodie Kevin
Morgan Hill
Faries
Craige
San Mateo
Faulkner
Roger
San Jose
Gabriel
Gary
Mountain View
Georgalos Katherine Salinas
Ghuman
Karaminder Dublin
Goodson Burt
Fremont
Heald
Stephanie San Francisco
Hsu
Jerry
San Jose
Jamieson Logan
Palo Alto
Johnstone Andrew Walnut Creek
Kang
Steve
Alameda
Kapanka
Kevin
Danville
Kimball
Michael San Ramon
Knyshov
Leonid
Fremont
Lafrenz
Ryan
San Francisco
Lee
Kenny
San Francisco
Lee
Tim
San Francisco
Leung
Kelvin
Alamo
Lin
Elliot
Fremont
Luk
Gordon Sunnyvale
Model
M3
328i
750i
535i
325is
545i
Year
Refered By
2002
2007
2007 D. Grunewald
2008
1993
2004
X3
328i
X5
328i
325is
740iL
Z3
Merc. e55
2007
2007 K. Gumerlock
2001
Erik Lind
1998
1992
1996
1997
2004
M3
M3
Cooper S
M3
M5
M3
1997
2005
2004
1995
2000
1998
530i
M3
M3
2001
1998
1997
328is
M3
M3
1999
1998
1995
Erik Lind
Erik Lind
Erik Lind
Erik Lind
Edward Ho
Last
Madden
Mafsumoto
Mazaleski
McGrath
Meng
Micheli
Mintz
Mowlem
Muravyov
Pacho
Pearl
Raj
Raja
Ribeau
Ryan
Samish
Schlueter
Schwartz
Sears
Silveira
Takao
Tran
Ullal
Weaver
Whisnant
Williams
Wong
Wong
Yu
Zabala
Zohar
Zohar
First
Brian
Keith
Henry
Barrett
David
Lonnie
Fredric
Shay
Igor
Rumar
Jeffrey
Gurudath
Narayan
Michelle
Steven
Grace
Timothy
Walter
Nathaniel
Nancy
Susumu
Carolyn
Chetan
Matthew
William
Stephen
Candace
Danny
Jack
Russ
Daniel
Guy
City
Model Year
Refered By
San Francisco 335i
2007
Hayward
330ci
2003
Mill Valley
Z4
2003
Los Altos
525i
2002
Taipei, Taiwan 740il
1995
Rio Vista
M3
2006
Calistoga
325i
2006
Palo Alto
San Francisco
Richmond
528i
2008
Larkspur
535i
2008
Fremont
X5
2007
Milpitas
M3
1988
Santa Rosa
M3
2001
Richmond
Z3 M Cpe 2000
Redwood City
San Carlos
San Mateo
328i
2007
San Francisco 528i
1980
Brentwood
335i
2007
San Francisco
Fremont
Belmont
335i
2007
Mountain View
Saratoga
M. Moorman
San Francisco X5
Alison Bell
Dublin
328i
2007
San Mateo
X5
2001
San Jose
M3
2003
Jeff Roberts
Salinas
San Jose
Los Gatos
"-7##!-EMBERSHIP$RIVE
$ECEMBER3EPTEMBER
3IGNUPNEWMEMBERSANDRECEIVEEXTENSIONSTOYOURMEMBER
SHIPASWELLASACHANCETOWINOTHERGREATPRIZES
$RAWINGSWILLTAKEPLACEAT/KTOBERFEST
7INNERSNEEDNOTBEPRESENTTOWIN
7HOgS%LIGIBLE
#ATEGORY
#ATEGORY
#ATEGORY
#URRENT"-7##!
MEMBERSNOT
EMPLOYEDBYA"-7
DEALERORINDEPENDENT
"-7SHOP
#URRENT"-7##!
"-7##!CHAPTERS
MEMBERSWHOWORKFOR
A"-7DEALEROR
INDEPENDENT"-7
SHOP
'OAL
4OREFERNEWMEMBERS
4OACHIEVEADESIGNATEDLEVELOFNEW
MEMBERACTIVITY
%LIGIBILITY
4OBEELIGIBLE"-7##!MEMBERSMUSTBE
CURRENTREGULARMEMBERSNOTCOMPEDBY"-7
##!ORA"-7##!CHAPTER
#HAPTERSAREELIGIBLEFORREWARDSBASEDONAN
OVERALLINCREASEINTHEIRTOTALMEMBERSHIPAND
THEIRRENEWALRATE/NLYPRIMARYCHAPTER
MEMBERSHIPSWILLCOUNTTOWARDCHAPTERGOALS
ANDDUALCHAPTERAFFILIATIONSWILLNOTACCRUE
TOWARDTHEGOALS
4OBEELIGIBLEFORREWARDSCHAPTERSMUSTBEIN
GOODSTANDING4HEBASISFORCHAPTERGOALSFOR
NEWMEMBERSWILLBETHETOTALNUMBEROFPRIMARY
MEMBERSASOFTHEOFFICIALCLOSEINTHE.ATIONAL
/FFICEON3EPTEMBER
0RIZES
/NEMONTHEXTENSIONS&OREACHNEWPRIMARY
MEMBERREFERRINGMEMBERSWILLRECEIVEA
ONEMONTHEXTENSIONOFTHEIREXISTING"-7
##!MEMBERSHIPANDONETICKETINTHEPRIZE
DRAWING.OLIMITTONUMBEROFEXTENSIONS
,IFETIMEMEMBERSWHOREFERNEWMEMBERS
MAYDESIGNATETHEIREXTRAMONTHSOFMEMBER
SHIPEARNEDTOBEADDEDTOTHEMEMBERSHIPOF
AFRIENDORFAMILYMEMBER
)NADDITIONTOTHEPRIZEDRAWINGSTHEREWILLBE
GRANDPRIZESFORTHETHREEMEMBERSIN
#ATEGORYANDSIXTOTALWHOREFERTHEMOST
NEWPRIMARYMEMBERS
&IRST'RAND0RIZE!TRIPFORTWOTOVISITTHE
"-7-ANUFACTURINGPLANTAND:ENTRUMIN
3PARTANBURG3#
3ECOND'RAND0RIZE!SHOPPINGSPREE
INTHE"-7##!STORE
4HIRD'RAND0RIZE!"-7##!-0PLAYER
4HESEWINNERSWILLALSOBEOFFICIALLYRECOGNIZED
IN2OUNDEL-AGAZINE
0RIZELISTISPUBLISHEDONTHEWWWBMWCCAORG
ANDWILLBEUPDATEDASPRIZESAREADDED
-EMBERSHIP'OAL4OTALMEMBERSHIPGOALFOR
EACHCHAPTERIS3EPTEMBERTOTAL
NUMBEROFPRIMARYMEMBERSISEQUALTOOF
THENUMBEROFPRIMARYMEMBERSASSIGNEDTOTHE
CHAPTERASOF.OVEMBER
2ENEWAL'OALOFITSPRIMARYMEMBERSASOF
.OVEMBERHAVERENEWEDTHEIR
MEMBERSHIPS
2EACH-EMBERSHIP'OALONLYOF"-7##!
MERCHANDISEOROF"-7##!MERCHANDISEPER
MEMBERSWHICHEVERISGREATER
2EACHBOTH-EMBERSHIPAND2ENEWAL'OALS
OF"-7##!MERCHANDISEOROF"-7##!
MERCHANDISEPERMEMBERSWHICHEVERISGREATER
2EACH2ENEWAL'OALANDMEETOREXCEEDOF
THEIRTOTAL-EMBERSHIP'OALDISCOUNTON
DRIVINGEVENTINSURANCEPREMIUMSFORIN
ADDITIONTOTHEPRIZELISTEDFOR
2EACH2ENEWAL'OALANDMEETOREXCEEDOF
THEIRTOTAL-EMBERSHIP'OALDISCOUNTON
DRIVINGEVENTINSURANCEPREMIUMSFORIN
ADDITIONTOTHEPRIZELISTEDFOR
4HETOPTHREECHAPTERSINPERCENTAGEOFNEW
MEMBERSEACHRECEIVETHEIRCHOICEOFTWO
REGISTRATIONSFOR/KTOBERFESTOR4ECH&EST
4HETOPTENCHAPTERSINPERCENTAGEOFNEW
MEMBERSANDRENEWALRATESWILLBEOFFICIALLY
RECOGNIZEDIN2OUNDEL-AGAZINE
$ EF IN ITIO N S AND R U LES !NEWMEMBERSHIPISDEFINEDASAMEMBERSHIPFORANINDIVIDUALORBUSINESSTHATHASNEVERBEFOREBELONGEDTO"-7##!ORA
MEMBERSHIPFORANINDIVIDUALORBUSINESSPREVIOUSLYA"-7##!MEMBERBUTWHOSEMEMBERSHIPLAPSEDATLEASTSIXMONTHSPRIORTO
THEDATEOFTHENEWMEMBERSHIP!NEWMEMBERSHIPWITHACORRESPONDINGASSOCIATEMEMBERSHIPCOUNTSASONENEWMEMBERSHIP
!LLNEWMEMBERAPPLICATIONSMUSTBERECEIVEDBYTHE.ATIONAL/FFICENOLATERTHAN3EPTEMBERTOBECOUNTED)FREFERREDBY
ACURRENT"-7##!MEMBERANEWMEMBERAPPLICATIONMUSTCONTAINTHENAMEAND"-7##!MEMBERNUMBEROFTHEREFERRING
MEMBERINORDERFORTHEREFERRINGMEMBERTORECEIVECREDIT#REDITMAYNOTBEAPPLIEDRETROACTIVELY
)FANEWMEMBERCANCELS##!MEMBERSHIPWITHINTHREEMONTHSOFJOININGTHEREFERRINGINDIVIDUALWILLLOSECREDITFORTHATMEMBERSHIP
)FANEWMEMBERISREFERREDBYACURRENTASSOCIATEMEMBERTHEASSOCIATEMEMBERWILLRECEIVETHETICKETFORTHEPRIZEDRAWING
HOWEVERTHEMEMBERSHIPEXTENSIONCREDITWILLBEAPPLIEDTOTHEASSOCIATEMEMBERgSCORRESPONDINGPRIMARYMEMBER
"-7##!MEMBERSWHOAREMEMBERSOFTHE.ATIONAL"OARDOF$IRECTORSPAIDEMPLOYEESOF"-7##!2OUNDELSENIORSTAFFAND
MEMBERSOFTHEIRIMMEDIATEFAMILIESORHOUSEHOLDSAREELIGIBLEFORREFERRALREWARDINCENTIVESBUTARENOTELIGIBLEFORTHEPRIZEDRAWINGS
ATTHEENDOFTHEMEMBERSHIPDRIVEORTHEGRANDPRIZES
2EFERRALCREDITWILLNOTBEGIVENTOAPPLICATIONSRECEIVEDWITHOUTTHEREFERRINGMEMBERgS"-7##!MEMBERNUMBER
20
0LEASESEEWWWBMWCCAORGFORFULLDETAILSAND
GUIDELINES)NFORMATIONONTHISPAGEISADAPTEDFROMA
LONGERDESCRIPTIONKK
#HECKYOURSTATUS
4RACKYOURREFERRALSBY
LOGGINGONTOTHE"-7##!
WEBSITEANDGOINGTOYOUR
PERSONALINFORMATION
)NDIVIDUALMEMBERSHIPEXTENSIONS
AWARDEDUNDERTHISPROGRAMAPPLIEDAT
THETIMEOFTHEMEMBERgSNORMALRENEWAL
ANDORWITHINDAYSAFTERTHEENDOFTHE
MEMBERSHIPDRIVEWHICHEVERCOMESFIRST
#HAPTERMEMBERSHIPANDRENEWALRATE
NUMBERSWILLBEUPDATEDMONTHLYAND
SENTTOCHAPTERSWITH.EWS&ROM
.ATIONAL-ONTHLYUPDATESWILLALSOBE
POSTEDTOTHEBMWCCAORGWEBSITE
(OWNEWMEMBERSCANJOIN
"YCALLINGTO
SUBMITTHEIRAPPLICATIONAND
CREDITCARDINFORMATIONOVERTHE
TELEPHONE4HEREFERRINGMEMBERgS
NAMEAND"-7##!MEMBER
NUMBERMUSTBEPROVIDEDATTHE
TIMETHECALLISMADE
"YVISITINGTHE
WWWBMWCCAORGWEBSITEAND
SUBMITTINGANAPPLICATIONONLINE
4ORECEIVECREDITTHEREFERRING
MEMBERgSNAMEAND"-7##!
MEMBERNUMBERMUSTBEENTERED
INTHEAPPROPRIATESPACEONTHE
ONLINEAPPLICATIONFORM
"YMAILINGAMEMBERSHIP
APPLICATIONTOTHE.ATIONAL/FFICE
)NORDERTORECEIVECREDITTHE
REFERRINGMEMBERgSNAMEAND
"-7##!MEMBERNUMBERMUST
BEWRITTENONTHEAPPLICATION3EE
APPLICATIONINFORMATIONBELOW
-EMBERSHIPAPPLICATIONS
"-7##!BROCHURESARE
AVAILABLEFROMTHE.ATIONAL
/FFICEBYCALLING
OREMAILING
,IZ BMWCCAORG
1UESTIONSABOUTTHE
"-7##!
-EMBERSHIP$RIVEMAYBE
DIRECTEDTOTHE%XECUTIVE
$IRECTOR7YNNE3MITH
WYNNE?SMITH BMWCCAORG
OR
"USINESSCARDSIZED
RECRUITMENTCARDSARE
AVAILABLEPLEASECALLOR
WRITETOORDERTHEM
I could use some advice regarding my E36 M3. The latest money-eater is my automatic transmission, which seems to
be slipping. One shop thinks maybe I will be lucky and it only
requires fluid. Worst case, I will need to replace the transmission
for roughly $5,000.
I am still smarting from last year’s cracked cylinder head replacement. At 137,000 miles, I wonder how much more I will have
to pay to continue to enjoy driving this car. I drive briskly, but do
not autocross or wind it up very often. I rarely shift manually.
Since I’ve been jobless since January and my savings are dwindling, I’m wondering if I should sell the M3 and buy a cheap used
Toyota. Or should I scrimp on food, live out of my car, and pay for
the repairs? Got milk? Got a transmission?
Robert P
No autocross? No winding it out? Your automatic transmission probably killed itself out of boredom.
I’m making that up. I kid because I care.
The automatic transmission is a mystery to most mortals.
Step one: the engine spins a pump. Step two: red fluid—
roughly the color and consistency of hour-old blood—is
pushed through many secret valves and crevices. Step three:
a miracle occurs. Somehow this translates into forward motion. Don’t ask me how.
In general, the automatic transmission is not the heartiest of man’s creations. Some are stronger than others, but
with no maintenance and lifetime-fill fluids, expensive
failures are more common these days. Oil can only suspend
so much particulate matter, and the filter can only hold so
much of the same. What is the lifespan of lifetime-fill oil? In
your case, it is 137,000 miles.
You are actually right in the range for BMW automatic
transmission failure, which usually occurs between 120140,000 miles. A small consolation, I know, but I am actually
a little impressed yours has lasted as long as it did. I know a
certain lady previously on the GGC board who lunched two
or three 1995 M3 automatic transmissions during her warranty period. (Hi, Donna!)
As it sits, the problem with your car is that it has become
a very large driveway ornament. You will take a beating if
you sell it as-is. One way or the other, you are probably going
to have to fix it. In this case, fixing it means either installing a
new/rebuilt automatic transmission, or converting to a fiveor six-speed manual.
Sourcing used parts, a five-speed conversion would probably be in the ballpark as far as cost. The end result would
be something you could autocross or wind out occasionally.
Besides, mortals and immortals alike know M cars should
have manual transmissions. Get to it, man!
I’m planning to drive from Napa to Los Angeles in my
newly-purchased 1976 3.0Si. On the way, I’ll be making a stop
in San Luis Obispo so I can drop off some stuff at school. Total
trip is going to be around 470 miles. I’m not gonna lie: I’m kinda
scared. Now that I’ve sold my trusty Nissan Pathfinder, this is my
only car. If something happens to the 3.0Si, I’m screwed. But, I
made the decision to trade my Pathfinder, and it’s a decision that I
have to live with.
22
Sean
I disagree with your apprehension. Sit back and let
me tell you a quick story.
One Saturday afternoon, my buddy, Jake,
and I were sitting in my
apartment surfing eBay
for—what else?—interesting BMWs. At the time,
this was a novelty for Jake,
since I had high-speed internet and he did not. Jake
has owned a ton of BMWs
ranging from 2002s, to
Baur E30s to E28s to a late
318ti with the sport package and California roof.
By Jonathan Bush
We came across a 1985
European-market M535i
in Salt Lake City, a mere ten-hour burn from San Francisco.
In the eBay description it looked and sounded good. It was
Zinnoberrot on dark tan leather, manual sport seats, closeratio manual transmission, and an M-Technic body kit. It
wore original TRX wheels and had a hacked-in ‘80s stereo
complete with amplifiers, an equalizer, and speakers galore.
You could almost hear the Miami Vice soundtrack through
the computer monitor. Jake, after speaking with the dealer
who swore up and down it was a nice unmolested car, told
him to pull it off eBay. He would be there Sunday morning to
pick it up.
After he hung up the phone, Jake looked at me and said,
“Now what?”
I called Hertz and reserved the biggest car they had. At
7:00 p.m., we picked up a new Lincoln Town Car and started
gathering supplies. We left the Bay Area about 11:00 p.m. and
drove all night to Salt Lake City.
Meanwhile, Back At The Wrench...
M3 Transmissions, Driving Old Bimmers
The M535i was probably a nice car when new, but it had
lived a hard life. The car had been tagged hard in the rear and
thumped in the front. Both ends had been repaired poorly.
The engine was used-car-lot clean, which is always scary. One
sad speaker of the mega-stereo still worked. Still, it started
right up and ran well. It didn’t even shake under braking.
You could sense a former glory and how excited the first
owner must have been when his new red rocket rolled out
when finished with its EPA/DOT conversion.
We bought it anyway (of course) and then, after lunching with some of my family in Park City, caravanned the 800
miles back to San Francisco. The M535i never missed a beat.
In fact, it ran like the proverbial freight train. Several times in
the middle of the Nevada desert, Jake would drop to fourth
gear and rocket off toward the sunset. Heading out of Reno
up toward Donner Pass, the old E28 picked up its skirt and
vanished through the twisties.
We had no tools and no Bentley manual, but we did have
cell phones, AAA cards, and a new Lincoln. And a funky old
5er. My point? Old cars should be driven. There’s a sense of
adventure in plopping down in something you barely know
and doing a road trip. You’ll bond and come to appreciate the
goodness that is an old BMW.
A funny side note: Monday morning, almost exactly 36 hours after
picking it up, I dropped off the Lincoln at Oakland airport with 1,600
new miles on it. The woman checking in cars didn’t even comment.
Email your questions to: [email protected]
ne of the many member benefits of BMW CCA is a membersonly discount at various participating services and dealers.
Below you can find the businesses in our area who offer our members
a discount. Please note that businesses often require you to show your
current CCA membership card in order to receive the discount.
Please contact us with any deletions to the list due to a company being out of business. We ask that additions, changes, or deletions (no longer participating in discount program) are requested
by the business owner directly. Updates should be directed to:
[email protected].
Independent Service & Supply Discounts
2002 Haus
San Luis Obispo
Bavarian Enterprises
Sunnyvale
805 541-2002 5% Parts
408 737-6100 Various Parts
Bavarian Motorsport
Milpitas
408 956-1662 10% Parts
Bavarian Professionals
Berkeley
510 524-6000 10% Labor
Berkeley Motor Works
El Cerrito
510 528-1214 5% Parts/Svc
Bimmers BMW Service
San Carlos
650 591-2474 Various
Burrel School Winery
Los Gatos www.burrellschool.com 10% on Wine (thru 9/30/07)
Catalpa Street Garage
Santa Cruz
831 464-2269 10% Parts
Classic Euro-Asian
Oroville
530 534-6887 10% Parts
Conversion Techniques
Oakland
510 639-0911 Various
Dinan Engineering
Mountain View
650 962-9401 10% Labor
Dinan Engineering
Morgan Hill
408 779-8584 10% Labor
Double 02 Salvage
Hayward
510 782-2002 10% Used Parts
Edge Motorworks
Dublin
925 479-0797 10% off Labor
evosport
www.evosport.com
888 520-9971 10% Parts, $1000svc=free dyno
Extreme Performance
San Jose
408 923-6404 10% Parts/Labor
German Auto
Santa Maria
805 922-1262 10% Parts
GS Tuning
Santa Rosa
707 284-2680 10% Sales/Service
Heynnemann European
San Rafael
415 400-1234 $50 off Service
Jam Engineering
Monterey
831 372-1787 Various Parts
John Gardiner Automotive San Francisco
415 777-2697 10% Labor
Nate Smith’s Optimal Auto Santa Cruz
831 476-1332 10% Parts
BMW Concord
1945 Market Street
Concord, CA 94520
925 682‑3577
BMW of Humboldt Bay
1795 Central Ave.
McKinleyville, CA 95519
707 839‑4BMW (4269)
BMW of Monterey
One Geary Plaza
Seaside, CA 93955
831 899‑5555
BMW of Mountain View
150 E. EI Camino Real
Mountain View, CA 94040
650 943‑1000
BMW of San Francisco
1675 Howard St
San Francisco, CA 94103
415 863‑9000
BMW of Santa Maria
2150 South College Drive
Santa Maria, CA 93455
805 614‑0306
Claridge’s BMW
4421 5 Auto Mall Circle
Fremont, CA 94538
510 360‑5900
Coast BMW
1484 Auto Park Way
San Luis Obispo, CA 93405
805 543‑4423
East Bay BMW
4355 Rosewood Drive
Pleasanton, CA 94566
925 463‑2555
Patelco Credit Union
www.patelco.org
415 442-6200 Special Offer
Phaedrus
San Francisco
415 567-8000 10% Parts
Portola Valley Garage
Portola Valley
650 851-7442 10% Labor
RennWerks
Campbell
408 370-7480 20% Labor
Rossi’s Tire & Auto Svc
Salinas
831 424-0011 Various
SAS German Auto
Pleasanton
925 846-4886 10% Parts
Schulba BMW Service
Belmont
650 592-7352 10% parts orders
Sound Innovations
Hayward
510 471-9062 10% Parts
Valley Motorwerks
Rancho Cordova
916 636-9526 10% Parts/Labor
West Bay Bavarian
San Rafael
415 457-0820 10% Parts/Labor/Dinan work
BMW of Fremont
Fremont
510 360-5900 10% Parts/Labor
BMW of Monterey
Seaside
831 899-5555 10% Parts
BMW of Mountain View
Mountain View
650 943-1000 10% Parts
BMW of San Francisco
San Francisco
415 863-9000
East Bay BMW
Pleasanton
925 463-2555 10% Parts
Peter Pan BMW
San Mateo
650 349-9077 10% Parts
Roseville BMW
Roseville
916 782-9434 10% Parts
Sonnen BMW
San Rafael
415 482-2000 10% Parts
Stevens Creek BMW
Santa Clara
408 249-9070 Various/20% Parts/Labor
Weatherford BMW
Berkeley
510 654-8280 Various
Peter Pan BMW
2695 S. El Camino Real
San Mateo, CA 94403
650 349‑9077
Prestige BMW
2800 Corby Avenue
Santa Rosa, CA 95407
707 545‑6602
Dealership Discounts
24
Factory Authorized BMW Dealers
Friday the to Sunday. This is the best car club event
held in the country—period.
O’Fest will be held in Fort Worth, Texas, starting
September 30. The E30 M3 is the featured marque.
Registration has been a little slow, so please encourage your membership to attend.
Next year’s O’Fest will be held in New York. The
track will be Watkins Glen.
Coming up in October is the first Sierra Chapter
high-performance driving school to be held in Reno.
This should be a great event at a new track—RenoFernley Raceway. Billy Maher (GGC) will be chief
instructor. Let’s all do what we can to ensure the
success of this new chapter by supporting this event!
Web Site: At this year’s O’Fest dinner, BMW
CCA will preview the new state-of-the-art web page
to the attendees. It is anticipated that this new Club
tool will be up and running two weeks after the
preview at O’Fest… stay tuned.
Finally, there will be, or already has been, a
survey sent seeking ways to involve members going forward. Please encourage your membership to
complete the survey candidly.
Congratulations to Mike Mills on his selection as
Club Racing Chair.
CCA Discounts
Tales Of The Pacific
From: Steve Johnson,
Pacific Region VP
National Board Meeting: At the recent National
Board Meeting held in Denver,
discussions centered on the
upcoming Oktoberfest and
changes to the O’Fest format
starting next year in New
York. Changes include reducing the event to five days, down from seven, and
adding Tech Fest to the format.
Minutes from the meeting will soon be available
at www.bmwcca.org
Wynne Smith: As most of you now know, Wynne
will be leaving her position as Executive Director at
the end of O’Fest. She will begin her new position
as a contract grant writer/fundraiser with the BMW
CCA Foundation at that time. Wynne will continue
her work with Concerned Citizens for Animals. I’m
sure all of you join me in wishing Wynne well in her
new position. You can drop her a note at wynne_
[email protected]
Events: This past week, the Puget Sound Chapter held an outstanding concours event which was
strongly supported by BMW of Seattle and Griot’s
Garage, featuring the E36 M3.
The upcoming Monterey Festorics weekend is
not to be missed if you are a car nut! This event is
framed by the Central California Chapter’s Clean
Car Contest held at Concorso Italiano on Friday and
The Monterey Historic Races Turn 5 coral sponsored
by the Golden Gate Chapter. The Festorics run from
O
Sonnen BMW
1599 E. Francisco Blvd
San Rafael, CA 94901
415 482‑2000
Stevens Creek BMW
3737 Stevens Creek
Santa Clara, CA 95050
408 249‑9070
10% Parts
Weatherford Motors
735 Ashby Avenue
Berkeley, CA 94710
510 654‑8280
GGC, BMW CCA
Golden Gate Chapter, BMW CCA, Inc. is a nonprofit California corporation, it is a chapter of the
BMW Car Club of America, and is not connected
with Bayerische Motoren Werke AG or BMW
of North America. Die Flüsternde Bombe is a
publication of the Golden Gate Chapter, all ideas,
opinions, and suggestions expressed in regard to
technical or other matters are solely those of the
authors, and no authentication, endorsement, or
guarantee is expressed or implied. Golden Gate
Chapter BMW CCA, Inc. assumes no liability for
any of the information contained herein. No factory approval is implied unless so indicated. Modification of your BMW within the warranty period
may void the warranty, and some modifications
may violate federal or state laws or regulations. All
contents remain the property of the chapter, but
BMW CCA and BMW ACA chapters may quote
or copy from the publication, provided full credit is
given to the author and the Golden Gate Chapter,
unless otherwise noted or specifically prohibited.
Chapter Mailing Address:
Golden Gate Chapter BMW CCA
909 Marina Village Parkway, PMB #189
Alameda, CA 94501
BMW CCA
The BMW Car Club of America, lnc. is a notfor-profit national association of over 70,000
members, dedicated to the enjoyment of driving
BMWs. Membership is not limited to BMW owners and aimes to provide access to driving and
social events, maintenance and technical information, parts discounts, and more. Dues are $40
per year, with an associate member added for
$5 more. Members receive the monthly Roundel
magazine and a newsletter from their local chapter, or from a chapter of their choice. The Golden
Gate Chapter is one of the largest chapters in the
BMW CCA with over 4,500 members.
For a new membership or to renew an existing
one, please call toll free 1800 878-9292 or visit
www.bmwcca.org. Visa and Mastercard accepted.
BMW CCA mailing address:
640 South Main St., Suite 201
Greenville, SC 29601
Phone: 864 250-0022
Fax: 864 250-0038
www.bmwcca.org
Privacy Statement
By joining the BMW Car Club of America (BMW
CCA), you provided personal information that allows
us to contact you. BMW CCA provides this information
to the Golden Gate Chapter of the BMW Car Club of
America (GGC BMW CCA) for the following purposes:
To send the GGC magazine (Die
Flüsternde Bombe) by U.S. Mail.
• To help us create content and events most
relevant to you.
• To alert you to updated information and
other new services from ggcbmwcca.org
using an email announcement list.
GGC BMW CCA does not distribute personal
information to any third parties. The information you
provide to BMW CCA to be used by the GGC will
not be used for any other purpose—we promise.
•
Member Updates
Membership address corrections are
only accepted at the BMW CCa national office. Changes must be made
at www.bmwcca.org or in writing via
email, fax, or USPS.
26
Chapter Contacts
Board Members
Chapter Magazine team
GGC BoarD
[email protected]
PrESIDEnt
Mike Mills
510 537-8960
[email protected]
VICE PrESIDEnt
Jonathan Bensen
[email protected]
SECrEtary
Chris Webber
[email protected]
trEaSurEr
Tamara Hull
[email protected]
MEMBErShIP ChaIr
Jeff Cowan
650 322-4938 x2
[email protected]
MEMBErS-at-LarGE
Mark Dadgar
[email protected]
Kelly Collins
[email protected]
EDItor-In-ChIEf
Kelly Kirkland
650 400-9300
[email protected]
aSSIGnMEntS EDItor
Robert Pavel
415 752-7720
[email protected]
aSSIStant EDItor/CoPy EDItor
Patrick R. Demorais
[email protected]
aDVErtISInG ManaGEr
Percy Chow
925 323-4844 Cell
925 215-3547 Office
[email protected]
aD BILLInG ManaGEr
Tamara Hull
[email protected]
rEGuLar ContrIButorS
Jonathan Bush, Jeff Cowan,
Mark Dadgar, Kris Linquist, and Donovan R. Unks
PrIntInG
Commerce Printing
(Please don’t call with membership questions.)
rEquEStS for rEPLaCEMEnt or Extra
CoPIES of thE GGC nEwSLEttEr ShouLD
BE DIrECtED to thE MEMBErShIP ChaIr.
Event Staff
ChIEf DrIVInG InStruCtorS
Billy Maher
707 546-5572
BruCE nESBIt
415 461-1811
[email protected]
ChIEf StEwarD
Peter Guagenti
[email protected]
traCk SChooL ProjECt ManaGEr
Bruce Nesbit
415 461-1811 (9am-8pm)
[email protected]
DrIVInG EVEntS CoorDInator
Mark Dadgar
[email protected]
ChIEf SCrutInEEr
Ramon Le Francois
408 956-1662
Car ControL CLInIC CoorDInator
Bob Goebel / Grant Low
[email protected]
autoCroSS CoorDInator
Kris Linquist / Matt Visser
[email protected]
autoCroSS Car CLaSSIfICatIonS
Rodger Ball
[email protected]
415 566-1239
tEChnICaL SESSIon CoorDInator
Grant Low
[email protected]
CLuB raCInG
Mike Mills
[email protected]
www.bmwccaclubracing.com
BMw fEStorICS CoorDInatorS
David Crum / Percy Chow
[email protected]
SoCIaL EVEntS DIrECtor
Mike Zampiceni
[email protected]
CharIty EVEntS CoorDInator
Joe Fant
[email protected]
Communications team
CoMMunICatIonS ManaGEr
Kelly Collins
[email protected]
wEBMaStEr
Brian Ghidinelli
[email protected]
GraPhIC DESIGn
Percy Chow
www.percydesign.com
area representatives
north Bay
Open
[email protected]
San franCISCo
Ken Glidewell
415 345-3128
[email protected]
EaSt Bay
Percy Chow
925 323-4844
[email protected]
PEnInSuLa
Kyle Breton
650 380-7116
[email protected]
South Bay
Kris Linquist
408 392-0890
[email protected]
MontErEy Bay arEa
Ken Whitson
831 625-5133
[email protected]
San LuIS oBISPo arEa
Rob Torres Jr.
805 541-2002
[email protected]
BMw CCa Pacific region V.P.
StEVE johnSon
858 451-8906
[email protected]
28
SILICON VALLEY’S BMW CENTER
The Ultimate Dealership,
The Ultimate Driving Machine!
New
State of the
Art facility
Serving
Santa Clara
County
60 Service
Bays
BMW Club Members Receive 20% Discount On
Parts & Labor. Just Ask For Scott Fuller,
Service Manager, And Show Your Club Membership Card.
Stevens Creek BMW is an
authorized DINAN BMW
Performance Center
Come Visit And See Our
Commitment For The Future Today!
SILICON VALLEY’S BMW CENTER
w w w. s c b m w. c o m
4343 Stevens Creek Blvd., Santa Clara
408-984-0794
Want to join the club? Call 800 878-9292 or go to www.bmwcca.org and sign up for only $40.
Golden Gate Chapter
BMW Car Club of America
909 Marina Village Parkway, #189
Alameda, CA 94501
www.ggcbmwcca.org
Presort Standard
US Postage
PAID
Sacramento, CA
Permit 185
POSTMASTER PLEASE NOTE:
MATERIAL IS DATED, Thanks.
HAVE YOU MOVED? Please send address changes directly to the BMW CCA National Office at:
BMW CCA, Inc., 640 South Main St. , Ste. 201, Greenville, SC 29601, or to: [email protected],
or go to: www.bmwcca.org to sign in to your account and update your membership record.

September - Golden Gate Chapter

Transcription

Similar documents

OPTOR IE S May/June 2014

BMW ETK installation instruction manual

BMW Isetta - Studio 434

10% OFF*

New Transport Models and Smart Use of Transport Infrastructure

2016-07 - RGMotorsport

BMW6 Series - magazine media case study

Performance Realty

River City Bimmers - BMW Car Club of America

Event report - Rally Round