Innehållsförteckning för November 2023 från TOTAL BMW

I am slightly bleary-eyed and sore as just yesterday (as I write this), we had the German Car Festival. Regular readers will have seen us pushing this show in the mag and across social media over the past couple of months, and that’s because it is our publishing company’s show, and so we are really invested in it. The show went really well; I really enjoyed it (despite the 4:20 a.m. start and outrageous temperatures), and we’ll have a show report in the next issue. But what I want to talk about here is the show experience. I spoke to a few people who’d never brought their car to a show before and some who’d never even been to a show at all. This was their first time experiencing what…

BMW is expanding its X1 range with the introduction of the new iX1 eDrive20. The new BMW iX1 eDrive20 will be available for delivery in the UK from the start of production in November 2023 at a recommended retail price of £44,560 for the Sport model, while the xLine trim will be available for £46,5600 and M Sport will retail at £49,310. As with all of BMW’s current electric vehicles, the new iX1 eDrive20 uses the company’s fifth-generation BMW eDrive technology.A highly integrated drive unit on the front axle of the new entry-level model generates an instantaneously available maximum torque of 182lb ft in addition to the maximum output of 204hp. The compact SAV accelerates from 0-62 mph in 8.6 seconds. Its top speed is electronically limited to 106 mph.…

It feels as if this moment has been a very long time coming. The G42 2 Series Coupé was revealed in July 2021, and even before we drove the M240i in November of that year, the rumours and talk of a new M2 were swirling around. Tantalisingly, BMW brought us along to the Salzburgring racetrack in Austria in May last year for an afternoon of flat-out laps in a pre-production prototype, and the signs were good. And yet, it was another five months before the wraps were finally removed from BMW M’s new junior, the G87. For various reasons, it has taken us until deep into the summer of 2023 to get our hands on the new M2 in its finished format, and despite the long wait, it’s quite a…

2.5 E30 M3 “ The whole combo means more power, just under 260hp, more performance, and, above all else, an absolutely intoxicating induction noise that makes this E30 M3 even more thrilling to drive It’s safe to say that the appeal of the E30 M3 will never die. It will always be the ultimate BMW motorsport icon that enthusiasts lust after. You used to be able to find cars for sale for around £30,000 if you weren’t fussy, but these days you’ll be lucky to get one for less than £50,000, assuming you can even find one for sale in the first place. The E30 M3 has gone from an iconic classic within the realms of possibility for some of us to a car that will now be forever out…

When the weather is good, there are few things more liberating than driving a Motorsport convertible with the roof down. Despite what some BMW enthusiasts may say, freedom is best enjoyed at the helm of a fast four-seater convertible, with a smile on your face and the wind in your hair. And despite our changeable weather, plenty of drivers agree, with the UK boasting the secondhighest ratio of drop-tops per capita in the world. That said, it would be fair to say that one or two previous Munich convertibles have delivered a less-than-perfect overall driving experience. But when they are as wellengineered as these two thrilling M cars, then satisfaction is all but guaranteed. Both the E93 M3 Convertible and the F12 M6 Convertible boast arresting styling and potent performance,…

Stance Fever has been a staple of the UK show scene since 2014, and every year, it attracts a huge selection of modified cars from across the country and beyond. At its current home at Newbury Showground, the show offers everything you could possibly want fromacar event. There’s loads of outdoor exhibition space, plus an indoor area where you’ll find the topend builds showcased. Throw in a fine range of food and drink options, plus a selection of trade stands and a really nice, chilled vibe, and you’ve got all the ingredients you need for a perfect show. While Stance Fever welcomes all makes and models through its gates, it’s the BMWs we’re interested in, and you’ll never be disappointed by the selection of Bavarian machinery on show. There was…

@totalbmwmag The last thing on the to-do list for the E36 was to get the alignment sorted. Over time, this deviates from where it should be, and that means your car won’t drive as well as it should. It seemed very likely that the E36 had not had an alignment carried out in a very long time judging by the wear on the tyres, so the guys at BMSport (020 8304 9797) recommended one. This was especially worthwhile considering it had fresh rubber, as it would ensure the car would be driving as well as it possibly could. I popped in, and the guys stuck it on their high-tech laser alignment machine. With the sensors attached to the wheels, the rig did its thing and showed that while the alignment…

TURBO E46 M3 While we love all BMW builds, it’s the really extreme ones that always get us fired up the most. How can they not? It’s the idea that someone is so committed to their BMW vision that they go all out to create their ultimate build. All it takes is a quick glance at the absolutely outrageous E46 M3 spread across these pages to understand that. And while we fully understand that it won’t be for everyone, because it really takes things to the next level, it’s impossible to take in what you’re seeing and not be impressed. Owner Daniel Kowall (@dk_boutiquerealestate) has been absolutely committed to the pursuit of his perfect E46 M3, and what we love above all else is that as extreme as this build…

MStyle G05 M50d Package MStyle has made the G05 M50d look even tougher than it already does by using an X5M body kit with X5M gloss black accents. The example shown also has Lumma Design wheels, an Active Sound sound booster and lowering links. As usual, MStyle can supply just the parts or supply, fit and paint them in its Romford-based workshop. Web: www.mstyle.co.uk Email: info@mstyle.co.uk Tel: 020 8598 9115 Dodo Juice Crudzilla As the nights draw in and the temperatures plummet, car owners begin to dread the Sunday morning removal of salt, mud and road grime as part of their car care routine. Luckily, the clever chemists at Dodo Juice have made it all the work of mere moments with Crudzilla. As the name suggests, this spray will effortlessly…

2002 TOURING Modified 2002s don’t come up that often. They are out there; we’ve seen a few, and we’ve even got a few lined up for future features. But even so, walk around any show, and you’ll be able to count the modified 2002s you see on the fingers of one hand. Or maybe even no fingers at all. The thing is that when you start getting into older BMWs, it starts getting a little more complicated. If you want a 2002, first of all, you have to find one, let alone a good one, and you’re not exactly going to be spoilt for choice either way. Then there are inevitably going to be the repairs you’re going to have to carry out, as well as a lot of ongoing…

BUYING GUIDE Our first reaction to the E60 upon launch 20 years ago in July 2003 was one of shock. Of course, as the know-all experts most people consider themselves to be, pretty much everyone confidently predicted that the E60 would be a disaster. And, of course, it was anything but. The E60 was pretty much all new. The styling under the direction of Chris Bangle was by Boyke Boyer and Davide Arcangeli, combining smooth sides without a side moulding with real technological advances such as a front end made from aluminium – wings, inner wings, chassis legs and bonnet using riveting and bonding. The alloy front and rear suspension components were an evolution of the E39 as well, a car famed for its excellent handling and ride, although the…

M1 PROCAR BMW has created many mind-blowing race cars from sports to F1 – but the midengined M1 and the one-make Procar series of races both win enthusiasts’ hearts for out and-out thrill appeal. Only a handful of cars were built, and just one captures the crowds Down Under in Australia. The fact that the car now brings Aussie crowds to their feet is due to one Christopher Bowden and the Bowden family from the Sunshine State of Queensland, more of ten associated with the Gold Coast, golden beaches and a hinterland that produces a fair slice of the world’s pineapples, sugar-cane and the shirt on your back if it is made of cotton. Chris runs a company supplying motorists with a range of products that keep their everyday cars…

If you hanker after an M3 Saloon or an M4 Coupé but also fancy enjoying occasional top-down motoring, then the F83 M4 Convertible is the M car for you. It does carry a bit more weight than its M4 Coupé sibling – but boasting a twin-turbo straight-six power with oodles of low-down torque, you’re unlikely to ever notice the difference. And there’s no discernable scuttle shake, luxurious seating for four adults and refined eye-catching styling – plus a hard roof that stores itself elegantly away in just 20 seconds. Better still, it’s now good value, with a respectable example setting you back between £23,000 and £32,000. The F83’s three-part folding metal hardtop is an impressive piece of kit and comes with a noiseabsorbing headliner and air curtains, plus an optional…

The Vision Vehicle embodies a clear design language, with expansive surfaces and just a few distinctive lines, that has been pared down to the essentials. This approach accentuates signature features like the BMW kidney grille and the Hofmeister kink of the side window graphic. In the interior, the next generation of iDrive guarantees a unique digital user experience that merges real and virtual worlds. Increased use of secondary raw materials, resourceefficient production and a fully-electric drive train with sixth-generation BMW eDrive technology reduces the carbon footprint of the Neue Klasse across the vehicle lifecycle. “30% more range, 30% faster charging, 25% more efficiency–the Neue Klasse represents a major technological leap that will take EfficientDynamics to new heights. The same applies to its design – which could not be any more…

MANUAL E63 M6 Things never stand still in the motoring landscape, with technology constantly evolving and generally making our cars better as new innovations are incorporated. Back in the day, we had rodoperated brakes, then we moved on to brake drums, disc brakes, ABS, ceramic brakes, and now we even have automated braking systems. Perhaps the latter still needs some refinement before it’s perfect, but you get the picture – advances in technology have made our cars safer, more refined and more enjoyable to drive. Perhaps one aspect of these new technologies that’s troubling for the more dedicated petrolhead is the seemingly slow and protracted demise of the manual gearbox. Automatics and automated manuals have slowly been taking over, and the number of M cars that you can buy with…

E28 M535i There’s a perennial and enduring problem with motorists in the world today: misplaced ‘M’ badges. Every day, we see BMWs with erroneous badging glued to their rumps in a haphazard and higgledypiggledy manner, fooling no one and diluting the specialness of true M-ness for everybody else. Bone-stock 520i Saloons with M5 emblems, M-badged E46s with 320d motifs still in place, chunky SUVs wonkily rebranded ‘MX5’, despite that being the name of a rather different kind of car. It seems that everyone wants to tap into that hallowed motorsport heritage, regardless of such frivolous fripperies as honesty, logic, or appropriateness. One application that can be a bit of a melon-twister for the uninitiated is the M535i – and for those who know what they’re looking at, this is no…

The Bowden family history starts back in the early 1920s when Frank Bowden began chalking up sales with some of the first Australian-built Fords at his sister’s dealership at Dalby in Queensland. After WWII, and with this sales experience behind him, he set up his own General Motors Holden sales centre. His first car, bought at the tender age of 12, was a 1932 model Ford, and, coming of age, he started to devote his spare time to racing hot rod Ford V8s. And the bug has never left the family! David was the first Bowden to be taken with seeking out and buying rare and special cars, and one of the first, a Ford GTHO Phase lV, is nowalegendary car to Aussie petrolheads. With that car under his belt,…

M. It’s just the 13th letter of the alphabet, but in BMW circles it stands for a whole lot more than that. Or at least it used to. M for Motorsport. BMW uses the English word partly due to the US market and probably because Porsche historically had used RS RennSport (racing sport) on increasingly more extreme versions of the 911. For BMW, of course, it began with the M1, a car designed and built purely for homologation into racing, to take the fight to Porsche. Although it was a commercial disaster and the class it was intended to race in had moved on before it reached the grid, it set the foundations for the M3 and M5 to build upon. The M-prefix was assured of its place in the…