Innehållsförteckning för February 2023 från TOTAL BMW

Welcome to our second issue of Total BMW, and while I might be writing this at the beginning of the month, you're going to be reading this at the end of December, so I hope you had a lovely Christmas and happy holidays, and I hope Santa brought you everything you wanted, especially if it involved car parts. With festivities and holidays pretty much over, we're hitting that deep, dark central core of the great British winter, with perpetually grey skies, miserable weather and temperatures that make you never want to leave the house. But fear not, because this issue of Total BMW will bring you a little bit of winter cheer and keep you feeling toasty as we launch ourselves into the new year. To get you properly warmed…

BC Racing RM-MA coilovers for G8x M3 and M4 xDrive BC Racing's RM-series MA coilovers are now available for the G8x M3 and M3 xDrive models. The RM coilovers feature inverted monotube dampers, which reduce unsprung weight by attaching the oil and gas reservoir to the bodyshell and reduce heat transfer to the gas and oil by moving it away from the hot brakes. There's extensive ride height adjustment via the bottom mount, which allows the coilovers to retain full damper travel, and 30-way combined compression and rebound damping adjustment to fine-tune your ride. They also feature pillowball upper mounts, camber-adjustable top mounts, adjustable spring platforms, and aluminium top plates. The damper units are black chromed steel for enhanced durability, while the aluminium components are anodised, and the steel lower…

Best BMW ever? The case could be made of a whole host of brilliant machines, but cars like the E30 M3, the pre-war 328 and the company's sole mid-engined supercar, the M1, will more than likely be up there in most folks’ shortlists. And the common thread that runs through these icons? Their very existence was born out of a desire to win races, and that's also true of the first BMW to wear the Coupé Sport Lightweight moniker, the glorious E9 CSL. While the E9 CSL has legendary status within the pantheon of BMW greats, it's interesting to have a look at its roots as it didn't have a particularly exciting genesis. Back in the early ‘60s, BMW was keen to expand its model line-up and launched the 2000C/CS…

You probably need a minute right now, and we get that. There's a lot to take in here. We will be the first to admit that we know this car is not for everybody, but, at the same time, we always have been (our past Performance BMW portion, at least) and always will be about celebrating the sheer diversity of the global BMW scene. Much like writing an English essay, there are no wrong answers when it comes to modding BMs (well, almost no wrong answers). While there are certainly some questionable choices made by many a misguided BMW enthusiast out there, if mods are done well and executed with a clear vision in mind, you really can't hate the end result. You might not like Thaddeus Gardner's (@thadart) Mad…

TECU GUIDE Winter tyre basics Below 7°C, it becomes too cold for your summer tyres to function properly as the rubber becomes hard, and, as a result, they aren't able to generate the same levels of grip they normally do in warmer conditions. This means that once temperatures begin to drop your regular tyres won't perform as well as you're used to. Combine the lower temperatures with often damp roads, and your summer tyres can have a hard time coping, but winter tyres will be in their element. When temperatures are into single figures winter tyres are in the zone. Their compounds are designed to remain softer, even in very cold temperatures, giving you more grip; their tread patterns are designed to deal with not just snow and ice but…

Mani's F06 640i SE Gran Coupé Readers from the previous BMW Car magazines will know that I used to own a couple of modern BMW classics. They were a 38,000-mile 2003 E39 530i Sport Champagne Edition II and an 84,000mile 2002 E46 330i Sport Individual. I say owned since, sadly, these are now in the hands of new owners. For the E39, I undertook a huge preventative maintenance plan starting in 2020, replacing everything from a new cooling system, suspension parts, and vapour barriers (as well as consumables/serviceable items) and sorting out the bodywork by getting rid of rust and the like. Anything that needed doing – it got. And while, of course, it did cause my wallet some pain (it is still in recovery mode), I have to say…

OUR CARS First service time for the M340i and I was pleased to be met with a smiling face upon booking OV71 for the resultant oil and filter change at North Oxford BMW. This may sound odd, considering that most BMW service personnel are a friendly bunch, but as I was getting the service done earlier than BMW would have perhaps been expecting, I wasn't sure what to expect. Many years ago, we were planning a road trip around Europe in the E60 535d I had at the time. We were living near Brussels in those days, and Tanghe BMW, just down the road from where we lived in Everberg, had supplied the E46 320d company car we also had (as did most of Belgium in those days, but that's…

V8 E30 We love V8s. Pretty much everyone who loves cars loves V8s by default. It's the noise – you can get more power out of much smaller engines with far fewer cylinders, and there are more exotic-sounding engines out there, and there have been BMWs with all of the above, but there's just something about a V8. Not all V8s are created equal, and there's a wide range of configurations that result in different soundtracks, but we're talking about the classic V8, the type you'll find in most BMs. It's got that iconic rumble, that roar, and just writing about it is getting us excited. And if you take that and stuff it into an E30, well, you've just made one of the finest car and engine combos imaginable.…

Remember when BMW thought it would be a good idea to put a V10 in a family saloon? Sure, Audi did that too, but BMW was the first car company crazy enough to stuff 10 cylinders under the bonnet of something unassuming and otherwise sensible. The E60 M5 (and its E61 Touring counterpart) became a legend in its own lifetime, and even now, almost 18 years on from launch, it remains an iconic performance machine that sits atop many a BMW fan's dream shopping list. And while super saloons may have reached another level of performance in recent times, with 507hp on tap, the E60 M5 is anything but slow, even by modern standards. This means that it takes a particular kind of person to look at that power figure…

E46 M3 CSL You never forget your first drive in an M3 CSL. It's a raw, visceral encounter, the M3 experience turned up to 11 and distilled into one of the finest rides to ever emerge from BMW M's hallowed stables. The staccato bark from its sublime straight-six leaves an indelible mark on your psyche while the CSL's deft chassis constantly eggs you on to try that little bit harder, rewarding you with a pure unadulterated driving experience. It's not perfect by any means, but on the right piece of sinuous tarmac and in the right conditions, the E46 M3 CSL comes awfully close to motoring Nirvana. The CSL owes much of its greatness to the already excellent E46 M3, but a series of tweaks by BMW M turned the…

Some BMWs have stood the test of time better than others, like the well-proportioned E46 models, which are prominent on many enthusiasts’ ownership wish lists. Their appealing styling is undoubtedly part of the reason, but affordable and practical E46 models also provide entertaining handling and – in 330i and 330Ci guise – a strong dash of performance, too. In addition, the M54 engine has proved durable (if well-maintained), and most parts are reasonably cheap. Decent examples start at just £2800. Produced from 2000 to 2006 and available in saloon, Touring, coupé and convertible versions, all 330i E46 BMWs come with the same 231hp variable-valve 2979cc M54 straight-ix engine. Coupés and convertibles were badged 330Ci, and although the saloon and Touring were phased out in late 2004 (following the introduction of…

OUR CARS @abcarpix A few months into E34 ownership, and all is well. I was more than a little apprehensive, to start with, understandably, as I bought the car without an in-person viewing and also as a non-runner! Previously, I carried out a great job of sorting the faulty fuel system and fully servicing the Touring. On the road, the 2.5 pulls smoothly without issue, plus the initially troubled auto ‘box has been transformed to factory fresh with a fluid and filter change. One thing I do like about this engine and ‘box combo is that it's quite relaxed when in economy mode and not over-keen to change down like many autos, making it ideal for cruising and good MPG. But flick the switch to sport, and the M50 just…

Both BMWs passed clean, advisoryfree MOTs last month, and the 730i has been to a couple of shows. The 318ti, however, has seen a few improvements. The viscous fan coupling has been a bit too keen recently and engages with that noisy and fuel-sapping whoosh too often, so a new Febi coupling was fitted. A 32mm open-ended spanner on the reverse thread nut, and off it comes; four 4mm Allen bolts and the coupling is removed from the fan. As well as wasting fuel, a locked fan coupling can throw a fan blade, and that does a fair bit of damage. I also replaced the axle beam bushes. As this was originally a track day car, I modded the worn bushes with a rubber exhaust O-ring on either side to…

We are putting together a directory of BMW clubs from around the world, and we want you to be part of it! Just send us an email with the name of your club, its location, and your social media details and website if you have one, and we'll add it to our directory! We'll also be putting your clubs in the spotlight, so if you'd like to see your club mentioned in the magazine, send us a write-up of no more than 500 words about what your club gets up to, along with some hi-res photos, and we'll get it in the magazine for you! Get in touch: Tbmw.ed@kelsey.co.uk…

BMW M has unveiled the crowning glory of its 50th-anniversary celebrations, the new 3.0 CSL. The car was designed to bring together the best of five decades of BMW M, and it's based around the traditional principles of what makes a proper, old-school M car, which means a classic sports car cockpit, lightweight construction, a straight-six, a manual gearbox and rear-wheel drive. Just 50 consecutively numbered cars will be built over three months, and it's a complex and involved process. For example, the exclusive interior carbon components are hand-produced by specially assigned bodywork specialists in Munich and at the BMW Group component factory in Landshut. Due to the complexity of the manufacturing processes, each BMW 3.0 CSL passes through eight assembly cycles at as many production stations, a procedure that…

AUTOGLYM CLEANING GUIDE One of the few good things that have come out of the cost-of-living crisis is a collective desire to get value for money. Rapidly rising prices mean we now have a tendency to question everything that has a financial implication, from the supermarket we shop at to the temperature displayed on our home thermostat. But when we recently discovered the per-wash cost of cleaning a car with a selection of high-quality Autoglym products and compared that with the cost of a quick once-over at the local car wash, our minds were blown. The value difference was greater than we expected. Intrigued? Let's front-end this feature and talk bottom-line first. We'll assume that as a reader of a Total BMW, you possess these car-cleaning essentials: bucket (with a…

Ironically, considering the ‘L’ stands for ‘lightweight’, BMW's CSL badge carries with it some considerable burden. Not in terms of pounds and ounces, of course – the little logo on the boot lid barely tips the scales at all – but in terms of expectation. Despite seeing service on only a few occasions, the CSL's history is long and illustrious. So the arrival of a new CSL model is not just a promise, but also a rarity. And by happy coincidence, it's also an ideal way to celebrate 50 years of BMW's M division. In the two decades that have almost passed since the M3 CSL was introduced, the BMW range has changed (by which we mean grown) significantly, and the obvious standard-bearer for the CSL moniker is the new…

The E38 might just be our favourite 7 Series. Yes, the E23 and E32 have plenty of charm, and the E65 and beyond trump it comfortably for tech, but in terms of design, it's the E38 that does it for us. The styling, the proportions, they're just so right, and even today, almost 30 years on from its launch, it still looks so good. There's an air of sophistication about it, a sense of unpretentious luxury, and, in the right spec, it looks, for want of a better word, money. It speaks volumes, then, that Amjad Ali (@mycarsmyway, @odl6_s7), Technical Director at Gunther Werks, a company producing some of the most incredible and exclusive Porsche resto-mods imaginable, drives an E38 740i. In fact, he owns no fewer than four BMs,…

The E30 is an absolute classic, arguably the 3 Series that everyone wants. While it might not have looked dramatically different from the E21, it was a big step up from the original 3 Series and introduced several revisions and improvements. As well as styling tweaks and updated power plants, the E30 also received revised rear suspension to help tame the oversteer which the E21 was criticised for, all of which broadened its appeal and made it a better car to own and drive. The 2.5-litre straight-six M20B25, meanwhile, delivered a wonderful soundtrack, plenty of power and an equally healthy helping of torque, making the 325i a superb driver's car, and it's lost none of its appeal today. A brief history The 325i arrived in 1985 with 171hp and 167lb…

Ultimate Stance has long served as the unofficial show season closer – it's the last show of the year, taking place long after other events are nothing but a distant memory and when most people have tucked their builds away for the winter. But the draw of the Telford-based event is such that it can bring the finest show cars from across the UK into its welcoming indoor halls and countless others crowding into its car park come show day. The BMW selection at this year's show was strong, with some eye-catching builds, both inside and outside, and with a little something for everyone. We loved the air-ride E30 we spotted, with its black arch extensions, wind splitters, single-wiper conversion, and Work Equips, and it ticked a lot of boxes…

@jasondoddphotos So after last month's decision to pull the plug on the all-new M2 order, I booked in with JF Automotive in Maidstone, Kent, which has a reputation for being one of the most respected and experienced tuning companies in the UK. After speaking to the guys in detail about the M2 and what I was after, we decided a Stage 1 map would be the way to go. I certainly never think of the car as being slow, but I did just feel some extra mid-range torque would make it extra special. The car was booked in on a Thursday afternoon with an allocated time slot of 1-5pm, and after I arrived, the car was strapped down on the rollers and Eoghan, who was doing the setup on the…

Pawet Świercz's E30 Baur (@e30royalbaur) You can't go wrong with an E30, and Paweł's charismatic Baur is simply stunning. The whole car has been restored and resprayed in its original shade of Royal blue, and it's a gorgeous colour. The interior was refreshed, and the original 1.8 M20 has made way for a 2.5 that adds some welcome performance and that iconic straight-six soundtrack. The chassis has also been refurbished, and this E30 now sits on air-ride over custom 16” three-piece Style 13 ‘Bottle Cap’ splits that look simply fantastic. Paweł has added a Vestatec front splitter and rear spoiler, and then you've got the yellow Hella headlights and Startec rear clusters, and it all combines to create a simply gorgeous Baur build. Willie Shak's F30 330d Willie's F30 proves…