BMW

Since my last report, much has happened with the “Z.” Besides getting a job in Abu Dhabi which called for multiple trips in the week to Abu Dhabi and back to Dubai, I had taken the car twice to Fujairah, became airborne with the car (almost becoming airborne myself!), and eventually selling it where it was shipped to Iran in June 2010. As a petrolhead, it was a fun experience to keep it always waxed up, hearing the deep exhaust and induction noise and most of all, driving with the roof down. An added minor benefit of having blue xenon lights is that traffic seems to get out of one’s way much faster.

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The 2011 BMW 5-Series sedan and the 2010 BMW 5-Series GT, both barely out on the streets yet, have all been recalled for a faulty fuel gauge that shows more fuel than is really there. We had a Gran Turismo for testing recently, and while we didn’t have this problem, it’s probably a good thing we didn’t let it hover too close to empty.

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The new-for-2011 BMW X3 has finally been revealed, and it looks exactly as one would expect it to look. It is longer, wider and taller than the old model, but its exterior and interior hold no surprises. It looks like BMW has at once chosen to release it with its larger 6-cylinder engine offerings, saving the smaller 4-cylinder engine choices for later.

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BMW claims that their X6 is a “coupe” while it has four doors. While that tidbit was thought up by marketing types, and is completely wrong, BMW still had hit on their hands. The X6 is the best-selling BMW in the UAE and possibly the whole GCC. The four doors ensured its success. But Russian tuners Apmotex wondered what a real X6 coupe would be like.

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BMW tuner Alpina, who like to refer to themselves as a “manufacturer” as per German laws, has released details on their latest model, the 2011 Alpina B5 F10 Bi-Turbo, based on the BMW 5-Series. It is sort of a pre-emptive strike on the upcoming BMW M5.

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BMW is apparently working on a project called the Megacity Vehicle (MCV), due for release by 2013. They say the Megacity Vehicle will be a “revolutionary” electric car, and will be the world’s first volume-produced vehicle with a passenger cell made from carbon-fibre.

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BMW has discovered a lucrative market by exploiting owners of regular BMW models who want their cars to look like an ‘M’ model, but without the expense or the performance. The 2011 5-Series is the latest model to receive an ‘M Sport’ package, namely a body kit with lots of ‘M’ badges on everything except the engine.

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There seems to be a sudden excess of aftermarket tuning parts for the current BMW M3, some of them from BMW’s own performance division itself. At least three other tuners have also taken it on themselves to make the M3 “better” in one way or the other.

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The U.S. NHTSA safety agency says that BMW is recalling all 1-Series models sold in the States between 2008 and 2010 for a potential fire risk. BMW has not yet found a fix for this problem.

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I hate street racing, and I hate wannabe street racers. I have never been in any street race on public roads, no matter what car I’ve driven, and I will never condone street racing. However, I occasionally push my own limits on the roads, and like the guy in this video, sometimes enjoy chasing down other speeding drivers who think they are heroes in their fancy cars, just to show them that they aren’t all that when the road starts turning. Done with enough distance, this is a safe way to explore your limits, and that’s just what the video shows.

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