Innehållsförteckning för July 2023 från TOTAL BMW

I'm not sure whether I'd classify myself as a particularly lucky person, but a recent sequence of events made me feel like it was worth buying a lottery ticket. The local water company was digging up the pavements on my street, and one of the guys suggested I might want to move the M3 as they would be working near it. Having grabbed my keys, I tried to start it, and it was really struggling. It kept cutting out and eventually settled into an awful, lumpy idle. When I gently coaxed it off the drive, I saw the reason for its unhappy start. There was a very large puddle on the ground, and a quick sniff revealed this to be petrol. Not good. I called the AA, and, on the…

NEWS Producing the highest output ever for an all-electric car from BMW, the new i7 M70 xDrive marks another milestone for BMW M in its electric mobility transformation. Following the launch of the i4 M50 – BMW M GmbH's best-selling model worldwide in 2022 – and the iX M60, this is now the company's third performance model to have an all-electric drive system. The new all-electric performance model from BMW M will be launched worldwide in the second half of 2023. The i7 M70 xDrive is equipped with what is currently the company's most powerful electric motor. The motor powering the rear axle generates a peak output of 489hp, and it's joined by a 258hp motor on the front axle, creating an electric all-wheel-drive setup generating 748lb ft in Sport…

TIFF AT THRUXTON Sitting next to a driver who really knows what they're doing is always an aweinspiring experience and one that can also be somewhat humbling. Secretly we all like to think we're something a little bit special behind the wheel, but sit next to a professional driver, and you just have to marvel at the way that they can get a car to respond with a deft touch here and there while their feet dance across the pedals. We've been fortunate enough to have been driven by the likes of Hans Stuck, Nigel Mansell and Andy Priaulx, among others, over the years, and watching each of them at the wheel was a mesmerising and exhilarating experience. Naturally enough, these dream passenger laps have been at press events that…

EVENT After the success of its inaugural show last year, the organisers of the Ultimate BMW Meet, father and son duo Sukh and Parmi Rawan, had to bring the event back for 2023, and they went all out to make it even bigger and better than before. Considering last year's event was meant to be a small Sunday morning meet for 50 cars or so, its growth into a BMW show of immense scale is truly impressive, and it's no surprise this year's event was even more ultimate. Around 1100 display cars and over 4500 people descended on the British Motor Museum at Gaydon in Warwick, and the sheer scale of the show had to be seen to be believed. Honestly, we were knackered by the end of the day,…

BUYING AND TUNING GUIDE In modern motoring, there is a persistent desire to go back to the way we were and a craving for the old school. Modern cars keep getting bigger and heavier, and while they are also getting more powerful that doesn't mean much because they're losing that connection to the driver. There's a lot more to motoring than just going fast. It's all about enjoying yourself, the car, and the experience, and that's why cars like the E30 M3 are still held in such high regard, thanks to their purity and genuine thrill that they deliver. Do you want that sort of experience in a modern BM? Well, it's arguably the 1M that nailed it so perfectly, but at north of £40k, they're not cheap, so the…

OUR CARS In the last update, I introduced my new purchase of the 2000 E38 735i Individual with 119,000 miles, so here is the next update as I re-live the late 1990s/early 2000s of BMW ownership. Day three of ownership was to give the car its first detail, which I always find quite nervous as there is always something you miss on the bodywork in the excitement of initially going to look at a car to purchase. But I am very happy to report that there was nothing really amiss with the bodywork, with no rust present on the bodywork and actually, the stunning Orient Blue paintwork being in fantastic condition with little to no swirls present. There is some rust, however, in the inner part of the boot, but…

E30 318is Imagine you could walk into your local BMW dealer today and buy a brand-new E30 318is. Would you? Andrew Burke decided that yes, he very much would. But of course, there are no ‘new’ E30s left in the world, and even if there were, modern regs would prevent any BMW dealer from selling you one. So after a crash totalled the chassis of his previous 318is, Andrew came up with the next best thing – the most meticulously resto-modded E30 that probably exists anywhere on the planet right now. Everything bar the long block and gearbox is either new or restored to better than new, and the whole car is so well done that we dare anyone to come up with a cleaner example in 2023. To prove…

E39 M5 TOURING We find BMW's lack of faith in high-performance estates disturbing. After dipping its toe in the water with the E34 M5 and its E61 successor, BMW bowed out from the rapid wagon game, allowing Mercedes’ AMG estates and Audi's RS Avants to assert dominance. Only now, finally, after five previous generations of M3 has a Touring arrived and judging by how many we're seeing and how positive the reviews are, hopefully, this one will be sticking around. But it's slim pickings for fast BMW estate fans. If you want something rapid and Touring-shaped that isn't one of these three Bavarian offerings, you either have to sit there and be sad about it, or you take matters into your own hands, and you do something about it. And…

2.9 M20 E21 I wanted a 323i, but finding one wasn't exactly easy. After six years of searching, I managed to find one listed online on eBay - the problem was it was 3000km away, so I couldn't inspect it… Based on a few photos, I pullled the trigger In our June issue, our E21 buying guide showed that the OG 3 Series is something of an under-appreciated classic. Prices have yet to soar like those of the E30, and it just doesn't get the love it deserves. The E21 looks every bit as iconic as the E30 does, and that sharknose styling is to die for, plus it's got bags of character and class. We have seen some seriously nice E21 builds, but it's a car that deserves a…

F22 M235i When it came to affordable performance, BMW really knocked it out of the park with the F2x M135i. The price was low, the spec was minimal, and while, in its base form, it was a no-frills experience, it was an all-thrills driving experience. That was thanks to the turbocharged N55 under the bonnet, pushing out a healthy 320hp, which was sent to the road via an unreasonably entertaining chassis that made the car an absolute delight to drive. Two years later, BMW took everything great about the M135i and transplanted it into its F22 2 Series Coupé, adding a few chassis revisions to make the handling even sweeter, creating the M235i. And while we won't be debating styling here because that's very subjective, if you don't need the…

PART TWO Claiming that using a specific oil in the engine of a car will result in it going faster isn't quite what specialists such as LIQUI MOLY want to promote. Instead, they are more concerned about ensuring an engine and its drivetrain (gearbox and differential) can operate at their optimum level of performance whilst at the same time, minimising internal wear. What this also results in is the lowest fuel consumption and potentially the lowest emissions. We put the following nine questions to the experts at LIQUI MOLY, in an attempt to dissect how they manage to ensure their oils for the engine, gearbox, and differential can help to reduce wear and ensure the moving components within run at their optimum output. So if you want to know more…

Tyre replacement time at long last for the M340i, and mindful of the fact that, upon returning to the UK from business abroad, we had some long journeys coming up, I was keen to get the rears done. Blackcircles.co.uk, which I have used for years, once again came up with the goods, and two Turanza T005 Bridgestone 255/35 19s were duly ordered. At a shade under £215 a corner I was contemplating a £430 bill, which is fair enough for runflats. Regular sidewalls would be a lot cheaper, but, then again, there is something reassuring about knowing that should the need arise, one can continue on a punctured tyre. Plus, the modern runflat is not quite the unremittingly brittle-riding experience it perhaps once was. And, at that point, I remembered…

G8x M3/4 ‘Ground Effect’ styling MStyle is pleased to announce it now has a range of genuine carbon fibre upgrades for the G8x models of M3 and M4. The ‘Ground Effect’ styling is designed to visually lower the car for a more dynamic look. The styling is comprised of a carbon fibre front splitter, side blades, and rear bumper corner splitters. The styling additions really enhance the G8x M3/4, making it look a lot lower and more aggressive and adding a load more road presence. To complete the ‘Ground Effect’ look, MStyle can also supply an Eibach Pro-Kit front lowering springs and Bimecc spacers all-round. MStyle also offers a fitting service at an additional cost. Price: Carbon fibre front splitter MP-style £899, carbon fibre performance-style side skirts £1399, carbon fibre…

E46 M3 The debate will rage about the best generation of M3, and, truly, there is no wrong answer. Each generation has something to offer, its own unique character and appeal, and there's plenty to like about each one. For many people, though, it's the E46 M3 that stands head and shoulders above the rest of them. The combination of that howling straight-six, the aggressive styling, the compact size, the driver involvement and handling precision make it an unbeatable and irresistible package, and that was absolutely the case for Rich Paice. “I've been interested in BMWs for years,” Rich begins as we chat. “My first one was an E30 325i. It was a lovely car with a great engine. What makes them special is the build quality and the M…

E92 M3 As the only standard production V8-powered M3 (because good luck trying to buy an E46 M3 GTR), and the last NA M3 (because it's turbos and hybrids all the way now), the E9x M3 is something special. Every M car is special, of course, but some are a little more special than others, and when a car is the only one of its kind and marks the end of an era, it deserves special recognition. The S65 V8 that doesn't quite fit under the bonnet, hence the power bulge to accommodate the intake plenum, is a masterpiece of engineering. It's derived from the S85 V10, sharing the larger engine's basic architecture and aluminium construction, and these are the only two BMW M engines that did not evolve from…

EVENT The GR8 International Car Show definitely doesn't disappoint when it comes to the sheer scale and the quality of cars on show, and it's very much a case of anything goes, well, as long as it's good enough to get in, in the first place. Taking place over a weekend in mid-April, the show hosts over 1000 cars, all of which have been selected by the organisers, and there's machinery from all across Europe to enjoy here, with almost 40,000 visitors heading to Kortrijk Xpo to see what's on show. 39,000 square metres of exhibition space are packed with stunning cars, and there's something for everyone, with everything from rat rods, vintage machinery, muscle cars, sensational sports cars, and a healthy helping of modified machinery. Naturally, there were plenty…

Not a hugely busy month for the Harper fleet, but it hasn't been without its niggles. First up was the X3, that not only demanded a new headlight bulb but also decided that there was a fault with its headlight aiming system. The problems appeared to be unrelated, as once the new bulb was installed, it was a good couple of weeks before the aim warning appeared on the iDrive screen. I remember fitting a dipped beam bulb a couple of years ago and finding it to be a very unpleasant job more suited to one of those small little monkeys with tiny little hands than a grown adult man. Preparing myself for stripped knuckles and lots of swearing, I removed the cover on the back of the headlight and…

Paul Irving's E39 528i Touring Our Readers' Cars section isn't just for modified cars, all BMWs are welcome here, and this month we welcome Paul Irving's E39 Touring. “I bought this car 18 months ago while browsing Auto Trader. It took me back a few years when I used to own a few when they were new. Tired of modern cars, low-profile tyres and potholed roads, I thought this would just be a lovely relaxing drive,” he says. “It was previously owned by a disabled driver, even though it is quite a large car/engine and has a manual ‘box. He had also put on a private plate, which it still retains, however, his numbering could be out as the registration starts with M6 BP… “The car ran a little rough…