The Roadster Chronicles

1966-'75 Lotus Europa | Hemmings Motor News

2011-12-20T19:12:00.000-08:00

1966-'75 Lotus Europa | Hemmings Motor News

Lotus Europa for sale | Hemmings Motor News

2011-12-20T19:11:00.000-08:00

Lotus Europa for sale | Hemmings Motor News

13th Annual British and European Car Show

2011-12-13T05:28:00.001-08:00

The Williamsburg British Car Club
13th Annual British and European Car Show
on April 15th, 2012(Sun)
at Chickahominy Riverfront Park
1350 John Tyler Highway(Rt5)
Williamsburg, VA 23185
web site - http://www.wmbgbrit.com/
contact – Roy Gavilan
rgavilan@verizon.net
757-220-4774

BMW Z4

2010-09-30T14:32:00.000-07:00

BMW Z4

BMW Z4 Review

2010-09-03T12:54:00.000-07:00

BMW Z4

BMW Z4 Review

2010-09-03T12:47:00.000-07:00

BMW Z4

2010-08-31T18:30:00.000-07:00

The Roadster Chronicles are changing. Instead of the impossible task of covering the entire gambit of Roadsters, I’ve decided to concentrate on what I know best, mainly the one(s) I own or have owned and their assorted brethren. That pretty much limits it to BMWs, Alfa Romeos, Triumphs, MGs and Jaguars although I don’t think you’ll be seeing much about the latter three unless I get a wild hair and buy one in the next decade or two.

I’ll continue to post the occasional mindless dribble now and again, simply because I think it is funny or I have nothing better to offer or I’m bored or all of the above. So rabid fans, standby for a morphing of The Roadsters Chronicles Blog and The Roadster Chronicles Web Site. This should be almost as much fun as a episode of The Big Bang Theory.

Tight Squeeze

2010-08-31T12:48:00.001-07:00

High performance. BMW Z4 sDrive35is

2010-08-25T14:12:00.000-07:00

Milestones BMW 328

2010-08-25T13:55:00.000-07:00

Pagani Zonda HH fully revealed

2010-08-02T11:31:00.000-07:00

Pagani Zonda HH fully revealed

Austin F1 track location revealed

2010-07-28T18:49:00.000-07:00

Austin F1 track location revealed

BREAKING: Porsche approves 918 Spyder for production

2010-07-28T18:47:00.000-07:00

BREAKING: Porsche approves 918 Spyder for production

Rumormill: Smart Roadster to make a comeback

2010-07-24T07:41:00.000-07:00

Rumormill: Smart Roadster to make a comeback

Cool €'s

2010-07-18T15:28:00.000-07:00

Decisions...decisions...

Porsche 918 Spyder reportedly to fetch half a million euros apiece

Porsche 911 Speedster in the works

2010-07-18T15:19:00.000-07:00

After an old 959 and the new Spyder as well as the new 918, I guess I'll just have to expand the garage again.

Rumormill: Porsche 911 Speedster in the works

For those of you with too much money

2010-07-18T15:03:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthdays: Chopard celebrates Alfa Romeo with special line of timepieces

Report: Lotus to increase involvement in Indy

2010-07-18T14:57:00.000-07:00

Report: Lotus to increase involvement in Indy

1962 Mercedes-Benz 300SL headlines Baumberger auction

2010-07-11T08:12:00.000-07:00

1962 Mercedes-Benz 300SL headlines Baumberger auction

Officially Official: Audi announces 4.2 V8-powered R8 Spyder

2010-07-03T09:00:00.000-07:00

For something a wee bit more affordable, please see preceeding post.

Officially Official: Audi announces 4.2 V8-powered R8 Spyder

Volkswagen Bluesport gets the green light?

2010-07-03T08:54:00.000-07:00

An Audi R8 Spyder for the rest of us? Just as Germany was finishing off Argentina 4-0, I came across this piece. From what I read it is an article about nothing. Will we have a successor to the KG or no? It has been a long time coming if so. Keep your fingers crossed VW Roadster fans.

Report: Volkswagen Bluesport gets the green light

Beauty is only skin deep...

2010-07-03T08:33:00.000-07:00

but FUGLY goes clear to the bone.

Report: KTM planning fresh X-Bow variants

Report: Jaguar XE small sports car to debut at 2011 Geneva Motor Show

2010-07-03T08:29:00.000-07:00

OK, now who in the world would buy a new "small Jaguar" sports car? Well, me for one, if it were somewhat evocative of the E-Type and something less in price than the second mortgage on my house.

Report: Jaguar XE small sports car to debut at 2011 Geneva Motor Show

eBay Find of the Day: 1957 BMW 507 is a black beauty

2010-06-20T06:42:00.000-07:00

eBay Find of the Day: 1957 BMW 507 is a black beauty

Ferrari to unveil limited-edition 599 roadster at Pebble Beach?

2010-06-10T11:06:00.000-07:00

The more Roadsters the merrier!

Ferrari to unveil limited-edition 599 roadster at Pebble Beach?

Roadster, Roadster, Roadster, Roadster, please!

2010-06-07T16:05:00.000-07:00

Report: BMW Megacity to spawn EV, Sport models, Gran Coupe coming in 2012

Bzzz Roadster

2010-06-07T16:03:00.000-07:00

I know the Miata is the new "B" and Hybird is the word of the year, but really, an eco-friendly Roadster? Really? Pedal to the metal, downshifting, hit the apex all the while saving the planet too boot. Really? There is more oil currently floating on the surface of the Gulf than this car will save in Akio Toyoda's lifetime. Give me a Roadster with power and sound.

Toyota CEO wants to add

Rumormill: Ferrari 458 Spider to go hard-top?

2010-06-07T15:51:00.000-07:00

Rumormill: Ferrari 458 Spider to go hard-top?

I gotta get me one of these!

2010-06-07T15:50:00.000-07:00

First Drive: 2011 Porsche Boxster Spyder drops a weight class and hits harder than ever

May we have a Roadster version please?

2010-05-17T06:53:00.000-07:00

Rendered Speculation: 2013 BMW sub-1 Series hatch with front-wheel drive

If you don't know where you are going, any road will take you there.

Road Trip tp GSP Anyone?

2010-05-17T06:49:00.000-07:00

$99 Ultimate BMW Experience reinvents the factory tour

If you don't know where you are going, any road will take you there.

BMW 2010 Mille Miglia Entry List

2010-05-09T18:47:00.001-07:00

Seventy years ago BMW won their first ever Millie Miglia. Play it again Sam. Where once there were five, no fewer than 12 "factory" cars/teams are entered in this years retro classic along with four private entries. It was by far BMW's greatest four wheel victory to that time and it served as the launching pad for many, many more racing victories since and yet to come.

To mark the anniversary BMW Classic has recreated a model that vanished 60 years ago, the BMW 328 Kamm Coupé. "We are very proud to be lining up for the Mille Miglia again 70 years later with this milestone of motor racing history and vehicle aerodynamics," says Karl Baumer, Director of BMW Classic. Typically German, typically understated. Hoorah!

BMW Classic Teams

79 Enzo Ciravolo Maria Leitner BMW 328

80 Maximilian Schöberl Stefan Grundhoff BMW 328

81 Klaus Draeger Joschka Fischer BMW 328

82 Kurt Liedtke Torsten Bursch BMW 328

85 Ian Robertson Phillip Jones BMW 328

86 Torsten Mueller-Oetvoes Greg Kable BMW 328 Frazer Nash

88 Giuliano Cané Lucia Galliani BMW 328 Mille Miglia Coupé

89 Ludwig Willisch Eric Neubauer BMW 328 Mille Miglia Roadster

90 Marcel Botterweck Reiner M. Löslein BMW 328

91 Ulrich Knieps Hans Hamer BMW 328

92 Leopold Von Bayern Adrian Van Hooydonk BMW 328

93 Karl Baumer Dennis Dremmen BMW 328 Kamm Coupé

BMW Private Teams

87 Aldo Bonomi Tarcisio Bonomi BMW 328

84 Richard Croul Massimo Raimondi BMW 328

83 Massimo Ermini Lapo Ermini BMW 328

368 Bernd Werndl Alexandra Schörghuber BMW 507

If you don't know where you are going, any road will take you there.

Who says you can't take it with you?

2010-05-09T18:47:00.000-07:00

Lifelong BMW fan gets fitting headstone at death

If you don't know where you are going, any road will take you there.

Jaguar 75th anniversary continues with 27 car entry in Mille Miglia

2010-05-09T18:46:00.000-07:00

Jaguar 75th anniversary continues with 27 car entry in Mille Miglia

If you don't know where you are going, any road will take you there.

BMW to build limited edition Z4 sDrive35is Mille Miglia

2010-05-09T18:44:00.000-07:00

BMW to build limited edition Z4 sDrive35is Mille Miglia

If you don't know where you are going, any road will take you there.

BMW offering chauffered tours of Munich in classic cabrios — Autoblog

2010-05-09T18:41:00.000-07:00

BMW offering chauffered tours of Munich in classic cabrios — Autoblog

Love the Finger

2010-05-09T18:36:00.000-07:00

BREAKING: BMW X3 prototype reportedly causes bomb scare outside NY museum — Autoblog

Study: BMW replaces Toyota as world's most valuable automaker

2010-05-01T18:23:00.000-07:00

and I thought they only valued my money...
Study: BMW replaces Toyota as world's most valuable automaker

Report: BMW X4 back on the table?

2010-05-01T18:18:00.000-07:00

Uglier than a Bangle Butt?

Report: BMW X4 back on the table?

With F1 behind it, BMW planning return to DTM in 2012

2010-05-01T18:13:00.000-07:00

With F1 behind it, BMW planning return to DTM in 2012

Service Department

2010-04-22T17:42:00.000-07:00

As promised, here is the story of my recent Zed 4 service. I have to tell you it was uninspiring. It’s not that it was bad mind you, but for the money I would have expected a little more attention to detail. Let’s start with what was done; all the fluids were changed, yes all the fluids. There was the brake fluid, coolant, transmission fluid & differential fluid, along with that, I had a discussion with the service rep about the cooling system and the fact that BMW’s water pumps and radiators are prone to failure anytime after 60,000 miles. Nothing really new there. My Alfa’s were prone to water pump failure early in life and in fact my ‘84 Spider’s failed with less than 20,000 miles on the clock; however, when it was replaced under warranty it went to at least 100,000 without a hitch. How much beyond that I don’t know as I had to “release” it as part of a divorce settlement. Last I knew, thanks to Carfax, it now resides in Southlake, Texas, but I digress.
After the initial conversation the question was left open as to whether replace the pump or not. Oh, and the oil sensor that has been acting up since I first purchased the car. The next day the service rep called and strongly recommend the pump be replaced. As I was leaning that way anyway I told him to go ahead. I then asked about the radiator, thermostat and hoses. He agreed the thermostat should be replaced, but not the hoses or radiator, so that is what I had done. I was a bit bewildered as to why you would not replace the hoses when you replace a water pump no matter what condition the appear to be in, but I relented for now and will change them myself at the next coolant change in a years time. Notice the term “myself.” Yes, after touting that I am not really interested in doing much, if any, of my own work anymore, the shock and horror of the bill for a few measly quarts of assorted liquids and a minor mechanical preemptive repair was enough to throw my 401K into fits of apoplexy. Therein lies some of the er, shall I say lack of admiration of this particular shop’s accomplishment.

The second (or is it third & forth?) reason(s) for my dearth of enthusiasm is that when the car was returned it was coated with that lovely yellow pollen that graces our area for several weeks this time of year. Now I know it is a bugger to keep up with and yellow is a color quite complementary to the Merlot Red paint, but my car was left outside to be coated with a thick layer of the stuff and the subsequent rain and then even more pollen atop that. A simple wash would have taken care of most of it and considering the fact that a) I purchased the car there in the first place and b) I just spent over $1400 for maintenance, I would not have thought it too much to ask before handing back the keys. The biggest complaint I have; however, is when I got the car home and proceeded to give it a thorough cleaning myself, I found said pollen coating the inside of the engine compartment and interior to such an extent that could only be possible if the car was left outside of the shop with the hood up and windows open/top down for an extended period of time. Also, I discovered I small scrage (technical term) on the rear bumper that was not there before. It could have happened at my gym’s parking lot later that same day, but as I park in a rather isolated location, I think not. Aruggh!

But that’s not all folks! I also asked for the cabin air filter to be replaced as well, but seeing as they were so busy I guess it was overlooked, even though I mentioned it a couple of times during the initial write up. This does not seem to be an unusual occurrence for service departments be they a dealer or independent. I firmly believe that to be a “service advisor” you have to be a bit ADD, not that there is anything wrong with that. Either that or they are so damned busy and overworked they cannot possibly keep up with what everyone wants or needs done to their cars. This is just the latest in a never ending string of like occurrences for me at a variety of service departments (Hello Honda!). My bad for not noticing it was missed until I got home as I was preoccupied with the pollen count. Anyway, back to the show (who’s ADD now?). With it all said and done I think I’ll be doing a lot more of my own work again. I guess Avril and Enzo will just have to give up a little quality time with their husband and master, unless of course, they enjoy passing me the reverse-threaded schraubbolzen removal tool.

If you don't know where you are going, any road can take you there.

Be sure and visit The Roadster Chronicles Web Site

Top Gear BMW Z4 sDRIVE35i vs Nissan 370Z

2010-04-21T14:11:00.000-07:00

Drive Me to Hell!

2010-04-16T12:58:00.000-07:00

Roadster of the Week

2010-04-14T12:15:00.000-07:00

Jumping onto the turn of the century Retro Craze bandwagon, albeit late, Ford came in with a new Thunderbird after a four year hiatus of the model. The Thunderbird’s styling was based upon the first T-Birds of 1955-57, although the lines were not as crisp and there were a lot fewer chrome accruements. Of course the new car had to meet all the safety, mileage and emissions regulations put in place over the previous 35 years. the new Thunderbird was a chopped-down version of the chassis and components used in the Lincoln LS, which included an all-independent suspension and 3.9-liter, V8 mated to a five-speed automatic transmission. No downshifting into the apex in this baby.
Ford’s retro T-Bird is a classic Roadster in the American sense of the word, which is to say it is not a sports car in the usual European perception. To put it another way, it makes a great boulevard cruiser, but not a track car or even a windy mountain road car. It has been a couple of months since I last drove one, but I still recall the feeling of heaviness in the car, not unlike our old Jaguar XJ-6. Acceleration is well, modest, while the brakes and steering lack “feel” although they are adequate for the driving you would be doing in this Roadster. The seats lack lateral support, the reason for which I assume is due to the ever widening width of the Great American Backside and the steering wheel harkens back to the old plastic wheels of the sixties even though it does house an airbag.
You won’t be able to haul the family’s vacation luggage to Florida in the trunk, but then again it is adequate for taking a roll-aboard or two along for a nice weekend getaway to a B&B. There is an optional detachable hard top which can be removed and installed as the seasons or your mood dictate. The soft top retracts with a latch and the push of a button. This new Thunderbird actually lasted one year longer than the original on which it was spiritually based. Ford was unable to make a case for the car for 1958 and things were no different after 2005, so like a good soldier it just faded away.
Is this a car a true Roadster aficionado would embrace? Well, if the best of your sporting driver days are behind you or you prefer to cruise more than drive or if you just long for those days of Fun, Fun, Fun with the top down and the Beach Boys blasting from the onboard 180-watt stereo system, then it may just be for you. Personally, I’ll stick with my stick-shift Bimmer for now, but then again my left knee is a bit gimpy, Social Security it not too far away and my wife really likes it in robin’s egg blue...

If you don’t know where you are going, any road will take you there.

Sauber seeks answers for lack of pace - Racer.com

2010-04-08T14:00:00.000-07:00

Sauber seeks answers for lack of pace - Racer.com

2011 BMW Z4 sDrive35is - Article - Road and Track

2010-04-07T12:52:00.001-07:00

2011 BMW Z4 sDrive35is - Article - Road and Track

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Pininfarina Alfa Romeo 2uettottanta Concept - Auto Show - Road and Track

2010-04-07T12:47:00.001-07:00

Pininfarina Alfa Romeo 2uettottanta Concept - Auto Show - Road and Track

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BMW Vision Dynamics Concept

2010-04-07T12:35:00.000-07:00

BMW North America has alluded to a new car coming in the 2015 time frame that will include many of the Vision Dynamics Concept’s features. No specifics were offered; however, a production range of 5,000 to 10,000 cars was mentioned. Whether or not this the next generation replacement for the Z4 or just another supplemental model in BMW’s ever bulging lineup is not known and would be pure speculation at this juncture. A just in time replacement for the new Z4?

With a three-cylinder turbocharged 1.5-liter direct injection Diesel fitted in front of the rear axle, BMW’s Vision concept is unconventional yet not exactly breaking new ground. Engine output is 163 hp with peak torque of 214 lb-ft, delivered by a six-speed double clutch transmission (DCT).

The combustion engine is supplemented by two electric motors applying BMW’s so-called “ActiveHybrid philosophy,” which combines a hybrid synchronous motor on the front axle and a full-hybrid system at the rear. BMW claims it offers greater efficiency over a wider range of speed than with a conventional hybrid car. The 33 hp electric motor is positioned between the Diesel engine and the DCT put out 33 horsepower and is able to reach a peak of up to 154% of its rated output. Maximum torque for the rear electric motor is 214 lb-ft. When coasting or applying the brakes, the electric motor acts as a generator and feeds electric power to the lithium battery pack.

A second electric motor acts on the front axle and similarly puts out up to 140% of its rated 80 hp power for up to 30 seconds or approximately 174% for up to 10 seconds.

If this does come to pass, you can bet the Z4 Vision will have a price tag north of the $60 grand barrier making it accessible to the 1/10th of 1% of the American population to which BMW seems to be mostly aiming for these days.

Hey, I’m all for techno-advancement and clean cars, just make sure the top folds down and keep the K-Mart Special grill. Oh, and how about that 1 Series Roadster I’ve heard about? Come on Munich, throw us poor middle class slobs a bone, even if it is sans the electric blue grill.

If you don’t know where you are going, any road will take you there.

2010-04-06T10:19:00.000-07:00

I’m taking the Zed in for its first maintenance since I purchased it in July of last year. I've only put 2,000+ miles on the car since then and it just went over 75,000. I'm taking it in today to have all the fluids changed even though the maintenance minder shows something like 14,000 miles to the next oil change. Fuggettaboutit! Maintenance indicators are nothing more than the company's method of complying with government regulation and marketing the car as low maintenance. I think my car was maintained by the book in its previous life because of its current condition, but I don't know that it was. Even at that, the current level of a manufacturer's maintenance schedule is based on the new car owner who trades his or her car every five years or less, not for the enthusiast like us who are looking for a long-term relationship. With the low mileage I put on my "fun" cars every year, I go Old School and replace all the fluids every year, but that's just me.

There was a time that I would do all of this kind of thing myself, but today I’m neither inclined nor predisposed to doing so. I guess you can say I’m like Kimi Raikkonen in that regard, even if I do drive more like Milka Duno. Maybe it’s an age related thing or maybe it’s because I have more disposable income than before. It could be that I haven’t been bothered to learn the mechanical intricacies of the BMW like I did the Alfas and assorted Brit Roadsters, or maybe I’d just as soon sit and drink a nice glass of wine rather than sweat, toil and curse in a hot, cramped garage. Either way, I’m not doing it so there will be a little less disturbance in the force as a result; something we can all be thankful for, especially my wife & dog.

On the plus side it is going to be 90º+ today with brilliant sunshine so I’m looking forward to a nice leisurely drive down the Colonial Parkway, and I think I'll have a nice glass of wine when I get home.

Hals und Beinbruch!

BMW Z4 sDrive 35iS: The best Z yet - Racer.com

2010-03-22T11:19:00.000-07:00

BMW Z4 sDrive 35iS: The best Z yet - Racer.com

Unique 1937 BMW 328 Mille Miglia to highlight RM's Monaco auction

2010-02-28T17:20:00.000-08:00

Unique 1937 BMW 328 Mille Miglia to highlight RM's Monaco auction

Kobayashi fastest on second Jerez test day - Racer.com

2010-02-12T12:27:00.000-08:00

Kobayashi fastest on second Jerez test day - Racer.com

Gentlepersons Start Your Engines

2010-02-06T10:09:00.000-08:00

Ah, the racing season is upon us. Daytona kicked it off last week and we have the Bubbas starting to bump and grind tonight in the “Shootout.” Of course, I would be remiss if I did not mention that there is also a Bubbette competing in the ARCA race today as well. Now, before you go off and accuse me of being some male chauvinist pig, I happen to like Danica and I think she has a lot of talent. I’ve pulled for her from the time she started in Indy cars. I was proud of her when she won her first race in ’08. I think it is great that she is going to give NASCAR a go. It will do the sport good to get a woman in there and shake things up a bit. I can’t wait to hear the pundits and the old school fans the first time she beats Junior to the checkered, and yes that will happen.

I’m not a huge NASCAR fan; however, I do enjoy the super speedways, but that’s neither here nor there. F-1 is just around the corner and Le Mans have just announced it’s entry list (see below). A big question remains; will USF1 be there in Bahrain? Most of the other teams are testing or have scheduled a debut, but we have yet to see anything from the Ken & Peter Show. Their recently announced driver, Argentinean Jose Lopez, had some dominant drives in the junior series in ’02 & ’03 and has spent the last three seasons in his home country’s Touring Car Championship, winning the title in each of the last two seasons. Good luck to ‘em and I hope they come through.

2010 Le Mans 24 Hours Entry List & Nominated Driver

LMP1
• Team Peugeot Total - Peugeot 908 HDi FAP - Alexander Wurz
• Team Peugeot Total - Peugeot 908 HDi FAP - Nicolas Minassian
• Peugeot Sport Total - Peugeot 908 HDi FAP - Sebastien Bourdais
• Audi Sport North America - Audi R15 TDI - Mike Rockenfeller
• Audi Sport Team Joest - Audi R15 TDI - Andre Lotterer
• Audi Sport Team Joest - Audi R15 TDI - Tom Kristensen
• Aston Martin Racing - Lola Aston Martin - Harold Primat
• Aston Martin Racing - Lola Aston Martin - Darren Turner
• Signature Plus - Lola Aston Martin - Pierre Ragues
• Team Oreca Matmut - Peugeot 908 HDi FAP - Olivier Panis
• AIM Team Oreca - Oreca 01 AIM - Soheil Ayari
• Kolles - Audi R10 TDI - Christian Bakkerud
• Kolles - Audi R10 TDI - Christijan Albers
• Rebellion Racing - Lola B10/60 Rebellion - Andrea Belicchi
• Rebellion Racing - Lola B10/60 Rebellion - Nicolas Prost
• SORA Racing - Pescarolo 01 Judd - Christophe Tinseau
• Pescarolo Sport - Pescarolo 01 Judd - Ho-Pin Tung
• Beechdean Mansell Motorsport - Ginetta-Zytek Z09R - Nigel Mansell
• Dome Racing Team - Dome S102 Judd - Sebastien Philippe
• Drayson Racing - Lola B09/60 Judd - Paul Drayson
• Autocon Motorsports - Lola B06/10 AER - Michael Lewis

 LMP2
• Highcroft Racing - HPD Acura ARX-01C - David Brabham
• Strakka Racing - HPD Acura ARX-01C - Nick Leventis
• RML - Lola B08/80 HPD - Mike Newton
• OAK Racing - Pescarolo 01 Judd - Richard Hein
• OAK Racing - Pescarolo 01 Judd - Jacques Nicolet
• Quifel-ASM Team - Ginetta Zytek 09S Zytek - Miguel Amaral
• Racing Box - Lola B08/80 Judd - Luca Pirri
• Team Bruichladdich - Ginetta Zytek 07S Zytek - Karim Ojjeh
• Gerard Welter - WR Zytek - Philippe Salini

 GT1
• Luc Alphand Aventures - Chevrolet Corvette C6.R - Stephan Gregoire
• Luc Alphand Aventures - Chevrolet Corvette C6.R - Luc Alphand
• PekaRacing NV - Chevrolet Corvette C6.R - Anthony Kumpen
• Young Driver AMR - Aston Martin DBR9 - Christoffer Nygaard
• Matech Competition - Ford GT - Natacha Gachnang
• Marc VDS Racing - Ford GT - Eric de Doncker
• JLOC - Lamborghini Murcielago GT1 - Yogo Atsushi
• Larbre Competition - Saleen S7R - Roland Berville

LM GT2
• Risi Competizione - Ferrari F430 GT2 - Jaime Melo
• Risi Competizione - Ferrari F430 GT2 - Tracy Krohn
• Corvette Racing - Chevrolet Corvette C6.R - Oliver Gavin
• Corvette Racing - Chevrolet Corvette C6.R - Jan Magnussen
• BMW Motorsport - BMW M3 GT2 - Andy Priaulx
• BMW Motorsport - BMW M3 GT2 - Jörg Müller
• RSR - Jaguar XKR GT2 - Paul Gentilozzi
• Flying Lizard Motorsports - Porsche 997 GT3 RSR - Seth Neiman
• AF Corse - Ferrari F430 GT2 - Luis Perez Companc
• Hankook Team Farnbacher - Ferrari F430 GT2 - Dominik Farnbacher
• IMSA Performance Matmut - Porsche 997 GT3 RSR - Raymond Narac
• Team Felbermayr-Proton - Porsche 997 GT3 RSR - Horst Felbermayr
• BMS Scuderia Italia - Ferrari F430 GT2 - Matteo Malucelli
• JMW Motorsport - Aston Martin Vantage GT2 - Rob Bell
• Spyker Squadron - Spyker C8 Laviolette GT2R - Tim Coronel
• Modena Group Racing - Ferrari F430 GT2 - Roman Rusinov
• ProSpeed Competition - Porsche 997 GT3 RSR - Paul van Splunteren

Le Mans Entry

2010-02-04T18:23:00.000-08:00

Le Mans organizers have posted their entry list for this June's race and BMW have entered two M3's in the GT2 class with drivers Jorg Muller and Dirk Werner announced so far.

BMW??? Sauber

2010-02-03T17:58:00.000-08:00

So do we root for BMW Sauber this year even though they now sport a Ferrari engine? I still have the Type MA-1A Sauber BMW F-1 Cap(s) as I'm sure a lot of you do (unless you burned them in protest). A lot of former BMW people are now with (BMW) Sauber and frankly, I just kind of like Peter. The driver line up at (BMW) Sauber is very, very interesting. We all saw Kamui Kobayashi jump into the Toyota last year to fill in for Timo Glock after his shunt in Japan. Driving “absolutely crazy” in Brazil and Abu Dhabi, Kobayashi impressed not only the TV announcers, other F-1 drivers (especially reigning F-1 Champ Jenson) and fans, but apparently Peter Sauber as well because he signed him up to drive the new (BMW) Sauber C29 for 2010. It seems to be paying off early as Kobayashi set the second fastest time at Valencia in testing on Tuesday.

Long time F-1 veteran Pedro de la Rosa will be Sauber’s other driver. Pedro’s F-1 career began in 1998 at Jordan and shortly thereafter he landed at Arrows and then on to Jaguar for two seasons. For the past six he has been a test driver at McLaren. Pedro has competed in a total of 72 F-1 races, the most recent with McLaren in 2006 after Juan Pablo Montoya left the team mid way through the season.

Can Sauber be the second team in a row to win a championship after their factory pulled out? Another interesting F-1 season is just about upon us. And what about the Michael factor? Program those TiVo's boys and girls!

Good luck Peter!

Hals und Beinbruch!

P.S. If anybody has a few million $, £ or € to spare, it looks like (BMW) Sauber could use a sponsor logo on their new car.

Where Have I Been?

2010-02-03T17:30:00.000-08:00

I haven’t been doing much writing lately due to some overwhelming medical and family issues as well as the weather, but hopefully that will change since I seem to be on the road to recovery and spring is just around the corner. As things settle back to normal I hope to bring you some more articles involving our favorite type of top down car The Roadster, some test drives and maybe even an interview and/or an event recap two.

Hals und Beinbruch!

Rolex 24 Disappoints BMW Faithful

2010-02-03T17:06:00.000-08:00

The results of the Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona were a mixed and somewhat troubling outcome for BMW fans. No outright wins, a second and third place in the prototype class and distant finishes in GT. Although the #2 Ganassi-Riley-BMW piloted by the formidable driver combination of Montoyoa/Franchitti/Dixon/McMurray lead for most of the first seven hours the engine finally gave way under Juan Pablo’s watch and that was the end of that.

At the end of the day (or 24 hours later, as you wish) the #1 Ganassi entry finished second to the Action Express (former Brumo)-Riley-Porsche. The #95 Crown Royal/NPN-Riley-BMW rounded out the podium with a third place finish.

The second Crown entry also exited with a blown engine and while the Starworks car crashed out in the wee morning hours during a pit lane exit shunt that also fell a GT Porsche. I guess that’s one way of eliminating the competition.

Both M6’s in the GT Class finished a distant 8th (Turner) and 11th (Corsa) after each spent considerable time in the garage area during the night undergoing repair.

It is apparent that the Ganassi Team holds a lot of promise for the remainder of the season. Turner, on the other hand, needs a bit of work to be in contention; even the new Camaro spanked ‘em. Personally, I would like to see BMW throw a bit more of their former F-1 money this way.

Hals und Beinbruch!

FOTA urges fans to participate in survey - Racer.com

2010-02-02T14:01:00.000-08:00

FOTA urges fans to participate in survey - Racer.com

BMW Sauber launches new C29 chassis - Racer.com

2010-02-01T04:12:00.000-08:00

BMW Sauber launches new C29 chassis - Racer.com

Alfa Romeo's return to the U.S. market "on hold" - Racer.com

2010-01-14T19:00:00.000-08:00

Alfa Romeo's return to the U.S. market "on hold" - Racer.com

And Now For Something Really Important

2009-12-18T13:36:00.001-08:00

Yesterday it was 36º when I took the Roadster our for a spin. It was errand time and Avril had the Dakota as her Accord was in the body shop. Cruzin with the top up is not my idea of great time; however, a jaunt in the Beemer is better than any other option I can think of.
A fine layer of dust had settled upon its freshly waxed skin having sat in the garage for the past two weeks, but it was far too cold to wash the beast in the driveway. I don’t have a car duster, which I don’t think work worth a damn anyway, nor do I have any of the spray-and-wash products that are so popular these days. Soooo...I motored on down to the local car wash. Blasphemy! you shout. How can you do that to your poor car? you cringe. Well, let’s review. This car came to me with 74,000 miles on the odo. It has a lot of road rash already on the hood and rockers. It is not a show car, but a driver. Now, having said that, I haven’t taken it to a car wash before simply because I’m never too sure about what damage could be done to the top. No matter, how bad could it be?
Well, pretty good actually. The shop we use for our “regular cars” is one of those professional outfits with all the wax additives, Rain-X, and foam suds, etc., etc. Kind of fun to watch really. Of course I sprang for the Super Cosmo Foam Wax Rain Impermeable Rust Annihilator King-for-a-Day Special and all for only $36.95 (plus tax, tip not included). So for somewhere south of $50 my Roadster was now dust free! The only problem I have with these outfits is they do not vacuum the trunk and they do not wipe the water off from the channels under the boot (trunk) and bonnet (hood). And, they always move your seat and mirrors. Aruggh!
Of course on the next stop I could see the dried streams of water along both doors from that which continued to leak from the mirror housings. I guess that’s why the good Lord invented shirt sleeves. There is something about a freshly washed car that makes a man feel good. It’s like a good haircut or a fresh shoe shine. I suppose for a woman it would be like a new pedicure or a clean house, not that I really know because I’m rarely in touch with my feminine side. For you metrosexuals out there I suppose you could pick from any of the above; however, you probably won’t be reading this anyway because you drive a Prius, or ride a bicycle.
It is almost Christmas folks and with that idea in mind, buy your Beemer and your wife/husband/significant other something special this year. It don’t matter if you’re Jewish, Hindu, Muslim or Buddhist. Just be nice and buy something. Oh, and don’t forget the dog. Merry Christmas!

2009-12-13T12:14:00.000-08:00

I woke up this morning to find my Apple Time Capsule had died. Now, I know what you are thinking, just what in the hell does his Time Capsule have to do with Roadsters? Of course, those of you infidels who are thinking a time capsule is something to be buried and dug up somewhere in the future, you can either turn the page right now or continue reading and begin your journey towards enlightenment. For the rest of you who have already journeyed into the light bear with me.

Anyway, as I said, my TC was dead which meant no WiFi and no back up for my computers. I had only purchased it 20 months ago, but the warranty expired after one year. I was pissed. At $288 (including tax) it was not cheap. I was either going to have to pay to get it fixed (usually an expensive prospect) or just buy a new one (even more expensive).

The one nice thing about having a Web site is you can get on one and vent. It takes a little time and effort to create the page, but you will feel better afterwards. The same is true for blogs. Forums; however, are a whole ‘nother matter. You can get on a forum instantly and vent to your heart’s content and there will be a million other members of that forum there to commiserate, a million others to tell you what to do or not do and a million more ready to give you a ration of shit for no particular reason other than to just be a pain in your virtual arse.

Again I digress. I got on the Apple Support Forum and found out that a lot of other TC owners experienced the same problem; however, it was noted, if you contact Apple Support and you have an AppleCare agreement on one of you other computers Apple will replace your Time Capsule free of charge even though it is out of warranty! I did, they are and I am now saving a lot of frustration and probably $300 - $500. That is the mark of a great company. That is why I buy Apple products and why I have always bought Apple products and why I will continue to buy Apple products in the future.

OK, again not exactly about Roadsters, but my Apple’s allow me to bring you this outstanding Web site its associated Blog, so just go with it.

If you don’t know where you are going, any road will take you there.

Hals und Beinbruch!

Trip One (July)

2009-11-16T16:23:00.000-08:00

Our weapon of choice for is a slightly used 2003 BMW Z4. When I say slightly used, I mean one with just over 73,000 miles on the odo. After a month of getting used to the car we decided it was time to begin our quest for great B&Bs. Our first foray was not all too far from home with a jaunt to Charlottesville, Virginia and the Silver Thatch Inn. At one time the Inn served as a prison barracks for Hessian soldiers captured during the Revolutionary War, so if you are looking for that German/BMW connection that is about the best I can do for you. Normally a two-hour drive on the Interstate was forgone in favor of a three plus hour tour of the Virginia countryside. Wasn't that the same length as the tour aboard the Minnow? We left Williamsburg and traveled the best parts of Virginia Routes 30, 249, 2, 54, 22 and 231. There may be a US Route or two in there as well, but part of the excitement of this type of trip is to get lost and found over and over again. No GPS allowed. If you really want to figure it out then log onto MapQuest or GoogleMaps and connect the dots. If you do decide to follow this route make sure and stop by and say hi to Bob at Two Frogs on a Bike in Hanover Courthouse.

We missed teatime at the Inn; however, their single malt selection is superb and a free glass of wine or beer for newly arrived guests doesn't hurt any either. Jean was an excellent host and made us feel at home right away. The room was cozy and comfortable, especially the bed. Dinner is what could be described as an ala carte menu where you choose the "bites" you would like. I went for the gazpacho and ribs, Avril the broiled salmon and the shrimp potato cake. Both were excellent, but the pièce de résistance was by far the chocolate torte. We had the torte all three nights we were there and even brought two home with us. It is things like this that reaffirm your faith that there is a higher power out there (or at least in the kitchen). So day one was sports car driving in the country, wine, great dinner, dessert to die for and a single malt nightcap along with good conversation and new friends of both guests and hosts.

I guess I should take some time here to actually talk about the car. Even though it came to us well used, the body, suspension and fittings all remain tight and rattle free. The handling is superb, especially to someone like me who was used to S3/4 Alfa Romeo Spiders and old British sports cars. If I had one complaint it would be the steering is a bit too light. I would like a little more "feel" than is provided by the electric power steering. I will say; however, the ergonomics are great. I did not experience any of the usual sore neck and shoulder muscles after hours of spirited driving as I did during my arms-stretched-out-in-usual-Italian-style Alfa days. Avril's initial apprehension of spending many hours in a two-seat roadster vanished after the second day when she exclaimed she would love to take a trip across the country, with the top down of course, in this car.

Day two began with breakfast. Well, it is a B&B after all and then a quick jaunt to Monticello for a five hour visit of Jefferson's estate. I have been there before, but it was Avril's first time and as a Brit I think she came away with a different view as to just why we told the English to "buggar" off. Speaking of English, we spotted a gorgeous red TR-3 there on that day. In some ways I think of that car as a distant cousin to the Z4, and not only because BMW now owns the rights to the Triumph name. The TR-3 was the true definition of a sports car back in the day and I feel the Z4 is the best modern day incarnation of that meaning. A quick drive into Charlottesville for a browse around the Downtown Mall and an early dinner downtown at Siips Wine & Champange Bar. Definitely a place to stop for a nice, if not cheap, glass of wine and a very good, but not heavy meal. By the way, if you're into old books then make sure and visit the Daedalus Book Shop just next door. A cruise back to the Inn was followed by one more serving of the chocolate tort and of course another single malt to end the day.

Day three was a trip to Montpelier, the home of James Madison our most illustrious forth President. In many ways the estate was far more appealing and peaceful than Jefferson's home. More simple in taste and conventional in layout, it reminded us of a ramshackle home we looked at here in the Williamsburg area several years ago with an eye towards restoration, only twice its size. Of course the shear acreage of the Montpelier estate dwarfs anything we mere mortals could ever hope to own. To me, one of the best parts of the day was the drive to and fro. Again, some of Virginia's best sports car roads surround this area. Of course, it just wouldn't do to not call in on the Barboursville Vineyards and do some wine tasting (and purchasing) on the way back. Crowded but fun. Dinner was again at the Inn as by then we were too tired to go out. Just as well because they still had a few things on the "bites" menu of which we had not partaken. I suppose at this point it would be redundant to mention the chocolate tort and single malt.

Alas, all good things must come to an end so the next day we bid adieu to our new friends Terri, Jean, Sharon and Jim at the Silver Thatch Inn (after breakfast of course) and tried to find a back-way home. The plan was to stay south of I-64/Rte 60 and south of the James River. It almost worked too, until that is I got turned around trying to avoid Rte 60 through Richmond and ended up right in the midst of it all. Remember no GPS. By the time we figured out our escape route it was getting a bit late and we still had to pick up Enzo the dog from boarding. Our hope was to cross the James on the ferry at the Surry to Jamestown crossing and then on into Williamsburg and the St. Francis Pet Resort to pick up The Beast. Time and weather thwarted this plan; however, as typical late afternoon thunderstorms were building, so we just beat feet down Rte 60 to Rte 5 and into the Colonial Capital.

That is about it for Trip One. Next we will be making our way down to Florida for a week of sun and fun on Sanibel Island and to celebrate my father's 90th birthday. Me thinks a B&B will be in the works as we pass through Savannah, Georgia on the way down.

If you don't know where you are going, any road will take you there.

No Joy in Aussieland

2009-11-16T16:14:00.000-08:00

From the country that brought us Mad Max, now this; Herald Sun Australia reports that the new BMW Z4 campaign, “Expression of Joy” has been banned from the TV stations because the ad: “would encourage car hoons to spin and burn their tyres.” Now, I don’t pretend to know what a “hoon” is, but I think we can safely say it is not some Little Old Lady from Pasadena. And I used to think the Aussies were so cool. I mean, they are a hell of a good lot to party with. The entity that forced the ban is the Advertising Standard Bureau, the Australian’s advertising watchdog. Now I know that we in America have our right-wing Christian fundamentalist wacos who try and suppress sex, drugs, rock & roll, birth control and abortion, but please…suppress art because it may influence somebody to spin their wheels? Isn’t there a greater chance that it might actually influence someone to imitate the artistic articulation? BMW’s response was: “We believe the audience can distinguish between fantasy and reality.” So there. Like I said, our Australian friends are great folks. How about popping another Foster’s and forget about the whole hoon influence peddling thing?

If you don’t know where you are going, any road will take you there.

Roadster of the Week

2009-11-15T12:31:00.000-08:00

MBG

There was a time not too long ago in this country when you couldn’t swing a dead cat without hitting an MGB any time of the day or night. The were ubiquitous, inexpensive new and dirt cheap used and they were the iconic British Roadster. Everyone knew an MG when they saw one, even if it was really a TR-4 or a Healey. It was the sports car upon which I cut my teeth. Today, they are not so common. Like the original VW Bug they are currently more collectable than pervasive.

Born in 1962 within the bricks and mortar factory at Abingdon, England the MGB was the last in a long line of great sports cars from Morris Garages. Sure, there was the MGC, but it was just a variation on a theme. The factory is long gone now and even the marque no longer represents British motoring, but instead some sort of Chinese interpretation of the same. We do, however, have many “user groups,” i.e., fan clubs, and speciality suppliers that keep a fair number of the originals alive. On any given Sunday when the sun is shining, there will doubtlessly be a gathering of “Bees” or a least a lone gray haired bugger looking for the ultimate back road experience with the canvas top folded and all 92 horsepower planted to the asphalt thinking thoughts of Jim Clark or Graham Hill.

Quality was never a strong point for these cars, but by this time the car is either a basket case, received and amateur restoration or is a concurs trailer queen that has been done over and over done so many times so as the original construction is a moot point. The purpose of this article is not to tell you how to buy an MGB, God knows there are plenty of web sites and “experts” out there to tell you how to do that. This is just a review about the car in and how it performs.

The engine, although grossly underpowered by todays standards, is pretty torquey at low revs and as long as the tuning is up to snuff and the rings and valves are not too worn, you get a pretty good response from the throttle. Smoking the tires is not an option however. You can expect 0-60 times in the 12 second range. The gear shift is nothing if not notchy, but with experience it will become as comfortable as an old shoe. Once underway the steering is light and responsive, but it can be a bit of a chore to parallel park. A word about understeer. Yes it does. Yes it does. The car actually has pretty soft springs and that, when combined with the high castor angle, allows for significant body roll and induced understeer even on the later models with an anti-roll bar as standard. Still, the MGB is an iconic sports car and is a blast to drive. Just don’t expect Honda S2000 performance, remember 1962 is not 2002.

Reliability is as reliability does. Work on it one weekend in order to drive it the next. That is pretty much standard operating procedure for and MGB and that is not necessarily a bad thing. I enjoy getting mano y mano with my cars and the “B” is so simple to work on. Regular service and preventative maintenance will keep your MGB running forever. The biggest risk to this, or any Roadster for that matter, is the tin worm. Keep up with regular washing and waxing along with inspection and repair of suspect corrosion areas and your MGB will more than likely outlive you. Of course your grandson or granddaughter my have to convert the 1789 cc mill to run on hydrogen or bio-fuel, but you won’t be around to see such blasphemy.

If you don’t know where you are going, any road will take you there.

Roadster of the Week

2009-11-05T10:52:00.001-08:00

The better looking of the Roadster quartet from GM (the Opel GT and Daewoo G2X are exactly the same vs. the Pontiac Solstice) the Saturn Sky came on the scene in early 2006 as a 2007 model. The crisp lines and sprightly performance made it a very popular edition to the Saturn lineup. So much so that many Saturn dealers broke from tradition and chose to gouge customers with “market adjustments” for thousands of dollars over the suggested retail price of the car. All four of the Kappa platform Roadsters (Sky, Solstice, GT & G2X) are mechanically identical, differing only in styling and trim features. Sadly, GM closed the Wilmington, Delaware assembly plant this past July and the Saturn and Pontiac brands along with the other two Kappa platform Roadsters will be no more by the end 2010. The Daewoo was sold only in South Korea and the Opel GT in select European markets.

The base engine in the Sky is a 2.4-liter inline 4 cylinder producing 177 HP. The Red Line version has a Turbocharged 2.0 liter inline 4 cylinder that has an output of 260 HP. The car is rear wheel drive and sports either a five speed manual or four speed automatic transmission along with electronic stability control.

Storage is not an option on this car. The glovebox is small, and there are no door pockets. The bin between the seats could probably hold a pack of cigarettes, but you would have to keep you lighter in your pocket. There are worthless pockets on the back side of the seats and storage nets on the rear wall, but you better not put anything of bulk in any of them least it be crushed when you move your seat. I won’t go on about the cup holders; Roadsters are to be driven, not to serve as a mobile feeding kitchen; however, even if you wished to partake enroute, the cup holders on this car are between and behind, making it quite awkward to retrieve your dopplebock while negotiating the next hairpin. The bucket seats are ok enough for short runs, and offer good lateral support, but no back or thigh support for an all day cruise through the Blue Ridge or down Highway 1.

There is no cargo room in this car. In my mind this is a major failing. Take a look at the old Alfa Romeo Spiders or the current BMW Z3/4s and you can see that a proper trunk can be had in a Roadster. In the Sky you could fit a toilet kit in what is optimistically called a “trunk” and maybe a very, very small duffel. So if you and your sweetie only need a couple changes of underwear, a pack of condoms and can share a toothbrush then you could have a nice weekend tour in this car, albeit short hops would be highly recommended to avoid a visit to the chiropractor on Monday morning. All-in-all piss poor design engineering.

On the bright side and if you are beginning to think I think this car is all bad, the handling is excellent. Like most Roadsters it is great fun on country roads. Saturn says it will pull 0.9g on the skid pad that is up there in Porsche territory. The steering is nicely weighted and I will say it even gives a bit more feel that the Z4. The ride is typical sports car and to complain about harshness as some reviewers do makes me wonder if they even know what the hell a sports car is all about.

Frankly, the base engine is a dog. A VW Beetle has more umpf. If you are considering a Sky take the time to find a Red Line version and it’s turbocharged engine. They are only about $1,000 more on the used market. And the best thing? No turbo lag. You will be using premium fuel; however, if that is an issue with you than maybe you should just stick to a Prius.

Long-term prospects for this car are unknown. GM will certainly support the platform for the next seven to ten years, but after that you will be left with after market suppliers and replacement parts of dubious quality. The good news is the Kappa platform and the engines are pretty straightforward to work on and should actually provide a good number of years worth of reliable service and fun top down driving in the Roadster experience.

If you don’t know where you are going, any road will take you there.

Going Topless

2009-11-02T20:17:00.000-08:00

Sixty degrees and overcast; is that a roadster day? For me it is. I have had a number of discussions concerning when to put the top up and when to put the top down. I will admit that upon occasion in my younger, more foolish years, I would drive around in my MGB sans top in below freezing weather. As long as the sun was shining and I had a warm coat and watch cap I didn’t see the problem. As I’ve “matured” (matured being a relative term) I find I don’t “do” cold as well as I once did. Yes, you can compensate with long johns, gloves, windows up and heater full blast, but then what are you gaining? I always thought it looked a bit daft to drive around with the top down and the windows up anyway.

So therein lies the conundrum; at what temperature do we raise the roof, so to speak? No other than Mike the mechanic from the BMWCCA says 50º. Seems reasonable to me, until I tried it today and found that I just wasn’t enjoying it too much. It was 53º and cloudy with a chance of rain as I set off on my appointed rounds. I contemplated doing the top down, windows up thing, but as eccentric as I can be, being goofy isn’t part of it. So maybe the correct temperature for top down driving is directly proportional to your age. I didn’t have a care in the world driving around with the top down when it was 30º outside when I was thirty years old. Today, at 55 years of age 55º seems to be the lower limit of my tolerance for open-air motoring. I’m not sure what an upper limit would be, but here in Virginia it does get too damn hot and too friggin humid at times in the midst of summer so only mad dogs and Englishmen would be cruzing without cover. My limit seems to be about 95º.

That said, we are talking about cold, not hot so back to the issue at hand. Yep, I think age follows function or vice versa and I’ll stick with my age as guide for the lower limit for top down motoring, at least until I’m old enough to retire to the sun belt where it just won’t matter as by then I’ll start lying about my age anyway and the temperature never drops below 76º. There will always be exceptions to the rule, of course. It could be on that one sunny day while skiing in Angel Fire, driving on some twisty road through the mountains, crystal clear cold air, frostbitten lips and sunburned nose. It sounds like something a thirty year old would do. But then again if I were ever to grow up and act my age I’d be driving a Buick Lucerne and not a Roadster.

If you don’t know where you are going, any road will take you there.

Hals und Beinbruch!

2009-10-27T12:12:00.000-07:00

Isn’t it always so or does it only happen to me? Now don’t get me wrong. I’m no concours prepping, Q-tip wielding, anal-retentive wacko with car polish permanently embedded under my fingernails, but I do like a clean car. It just seems that every time I give the Zett a wash and especially if I spend the better part of the day waxing my pride and joy, soon thereafter as I go out on a drive, there is some malevolent sprinkler system that rises up and coats my freshly manicured Merlot Red paint job with mineral encrusted “recovered” water. It my be a parking lot at the local mall or the doctor’s office or even my own home association’s irrigation system spurting a fountain of water from a now decapitated sprinkler head done in by some inept “landscape maintenance professional” on his riding lawnmower. The horror, the horror. I don’t know what is more frustrating, a river of water across the road or the overspray from a misdirected nozzle.

There should be consequences. There should be fines. There should be culpability by the owners and/or management of said irresponsibly irrigated property. These cretins should be taken to task for the watermarks and streaks, the dirt splashed fenders and watered down and stained soft tops. This madness must stop!

Ok, ok, mountain out of molehill noted. Sigh. Look on the bright side; it is just another excuse to spend more time with your beloved (car, that is). One more wash and fresh coat of wax never hurt anybody. It’s a moment of Zen.

If you don’t know where you are going, any road will take you there.

Hals und Beinbruch!

2009-10-22T13:00:00.001-07:00

Hall and de Ferran, Chaparral and Acura, Sunshine and Fog

Brazilian Gil de Ferran, came to the United States to join Hall/VDS Racing in 1995 and promptly won CART’s Rookie of the Year. He went on to win consecutive CART titles in 2000 and 2001 and the Indianapolis 500 in 2003 racing for the Penske organization. At the end of 2003 Gil left CART to start his own ALMS team in which he would compete as an owner and driver.

De Ferran’s last race as a driver was this year’s concluding race at Laguna Seca. As a tribute to Jim Hall and Gil’s first win at Laguna Seca some 14 years ago, Gil adopted the livery of Hall’s Chaparral Can-Am car from the late ‘60s for his final race.

To show his appreciation of de Ferran’s gesture, Jim Hall brought three Chaparrals from his home in Midland Texas to California for the race. One was the car de Ferran had won with in Monterey in 1995. The 74 year old Hall manned the Chaparral 2E and de Ferran the Chaparral 2 with Simon Pagenaud in the Acura ALMS LMP1 entry as they wooed the fans with some fast laps around the Laguna Seca circuit.

As for the race itself, de Ferran and Pagenaud qualified on the pole and led most of the way until the clear skies turned foggy and visibility came down to less than half a mile in some places making the late afternoon look more like twilight. There was some late lead swapping with the Adrian Fernandez and Luis Diaz Acura ARX-01b; however, de Ferran/Pagenaud prevailed giving Gil the final driver’s trophy of his storied career.

ALMS gives us some great racing, but the rules, like those of most other series are about to change. Next year we can look forward to less factory involvement and a “spec” class at the prototype level. I am personally not a big fan of spec racing, but even F1 is embracing such nonsense with it’s one ECU supplier and banishing high tech developments such as launch and traction control and the Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KERS). Let’s hope this damn economy turns around so we can get back to real racing and racing development instead of every series emulating NASCAR and it’s one size fits all racecars.

On the plus side, it is not often we see such a heartfelt thank you displayed by either competitors or team owners. Gil obviously felt he owed Jim Hall a debt of respect and thanks for bringing him to the United States in the first place and providing him a foundation from which to build a successful career in motor sports. Jim Hall was gracious enough to accept such a show of gratitude and acknowledge it with a display of kindness and respect of his own. Jim and Gil are both class acts and they make you proud to be a fan.

Falling Down

2009-10-17T14:31:00.001-07:00

Fall is here and with it the best driving weather in Virginia. The trees are just beginning to turn and in a few weeks time the foliage will be optimum for the usual fall colors drives. More importantly, perhaps, is the temperatures have broken and I can actually get out in the driveway or garage and work on my car without dripping of sweat or being eaten alive by out state bird, the swamp mosquito.

As such, I just finished putting the third season coat of wax on the Zett. It is actually the first time I waxed it since acquiring the car back in July. The first wax job on a new (used) car can be quite traumatic, what with discovering all the scratches, dings, dents, chips and blemishes I didn’t realize, or cared to notice, when I purchased the car. Oh well, I knew the hood was a little bit rough and I plan on having it redone this winter; however, the more I look the more I find. Now, of course, the thought has crept into my mind that maybe a full respray is in order. That brings up a whole slew of new questions with no answers at this stage. Do I just do a respray of the worst areas? Do I respray the whole of the car, or do I go all out and get the bare metal repaint. Who should I entrust the job to? If it is just a respray of the hood and rockers as was my original intention then I would feel comfortable taking it to the outfit where I bought the car as they have a competent body and paint shop. If; however, I want the Fully Monty, should I search out a shop that specializes in BMW restorations? Anything along that line will certainly put the car well into the category of having more invested in it than it will ever be worth. Not that that bothers me. Well maybe a little. I once owned a 1971 Alfa Romeo GTV that I paid a considerable amount of money towards resurrecting, including about $7,000 in paint alone and that was back in 1991. I will say it was superb and the outfit that did it, Auto FLM in Burbank, California was the absolute best at what they do. I had over $11,000 invested in that car at a time were it was probably worth $4,500 at the most. I lost it about two years later in a divorce settlement. Today you would be lucky to find a nice GTV for that kind of money as their values have gone up along with that of all other Alfas. It will be a long time before these Zetts will begin to appreciate in value like that making a full repaint worthwhile.

Actually, one of the reasons I bought this Zett knowing that it had blemishes is that I would then not fret over every ding, scratch and chip that came my way. A few years back I purchased a new GTO, partly to relive a very narrow portion of my youth when I owned a 1969 GTO convertible and partly because I wanted a “new” muscle car with a lot of power. The GTO was the best and cheapest way to get there. The problem I had; however, was I was paranoid about getting a blemish on it of any kind. I wouldn’t intentionally drive it in the rain, although I did get caught out in it a few times and I would stress out anytime I left it in a parking lot no matter how far away I parked from any other car. Long story short, it spent most of its time as a “hangar queen” only coming out only on high days and holidays. It was a total waste of a car and my money. I am of full belief that cars are to be driven. All cars. It was hard for me to reconcile my vanity with that credo, thus the Goat had a new owner about two years later.

You can see the dilemma can’t you? If I spend oodles of money have the car repainted as new, then I’ll be right back in the same predicament as I was with the Goat. I’ll fret and stress and the joy of just blasting off for a drive and maybe brushing a twig along Six Mount Zion Road will be a thing of the past. So I guess I’ll just keep the Zett nice and clean and maybe just get the worst bits redone. When I’m ready for another “hangar queen” I’ll stop by the airport instead.

Remember to visit RoadsterChronicles.com

Hals und Beinbruch!

Welcome to The Roadster Chronicles

2009-10-17T14:21:00.000-07:00

Welcome to The Roadster Chronicles and thank you for joining in. Follow along as we explore the pleasure and pain associated with ownership and the exhilaration of driving Roadsters across this great country of ours and maybe even a few foreign ones too boot. This blog will be regularly updated with stories from the road, sports car racing commentary and other associated pithy entries as I see fit and replaces the rather limited Bed & Bimmer blog I started some time ago. There may be some overlap while the transition takes place and the old blog is phased out, so please bear with me.

Although my current Roadster is a 2003 BMW Z4 3.0i, any Roadster may be included in any story. It is completely subjective and solely up to me, so there. What qualifies as a Roadster? Well, a top down two-seat sports car is my definition so that is what we will go with. If I come across something really interesting, which does not meet these criteria precisely to a “T” I may still include it if I deem it to be of interest to the Roadster community.

Now about sports car racing, I have a vast interest in most types of motor sports. F1, A1-GP, GP-2, Indy Cars, WTCC, WRC, Le Mans, ALMS and Daytona Prototypes. Notice I didn’t include NASCAR. Now strictly speaking most of these cars are not Roadsters; however, since I enjoy the sport almost as much as I enjoy driving Roasters, I will from time to time include a comment or to about a series, a race, a team or a driver.

Again, welcome. I look forward to supplying you with a number of stories from the road, both real and imagined. It will be up to you to figure out which is which. I eagerly anticipate reading your comments.

You can also enjoy The Roadster Chronicles at RoadsterChronicles.com.

Hals und Beinbruch!

Chick Car

2009-10-16T13:37:00.001-07:00

Is the new BMW Z4 a chick car? We often find today that most roadsters receive the label of “chick car.” Not to be judgmental, but it is mostly espoused by NASCAR loving, “Pinks” watching redneck cretins. OK, so I'm a little judgmental. Sue me. I’ve heard this epithet applied to the Saturn Sky, Mazda Miata and even our own beloved BMW Z3s and Z4s. In the case of the new BMW Z4 I am afraid it is more fact than fiction. In this instance the heads of the interior design and team and the exterior design team are both "chicks."

The interior design team was lead by Nadya Arnaout, 37, of BMW’s Designworks USA in Los Angeles, California. She is a graduate of the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena.

A Munich based team led by Juliane Blasi, 32, carried out the exterior redesign. This is the first car known to be designed inside and out by teams solely led by women.

The new expression of Chris Bangle’s original design began in 2005 and the new car was unveiled at the Detroit Auto show in January of 2009 for the 2010 model year. The car is wider and longer than the first generation Z4 and horsepower has increased by 17 bhp. Prices have increased as well. The previous Z4 started at around $36,700 while the 2010 model starts at $45,750 (gulp).

While the trend towards a bigger car bothers me, I can’t help but really, really like what they did to this machine. As with any thing automotive these days there are more and more complicated electronics included in the accessories as well as in what makes the car go. I prefer simple. I think simple is better, especially if you are looking to keep a car for a long time, which I tend to do. Electronics have proven over and over again to be the weak spot in automotive durability from the early days of “Lucas the Prince of Darkness” right up to the annoying and seemingly ever present check engine lights of today.

That said, I think Nadya did a good job of keeping the interior clean and simple. It is as well laid out as the previous generation, which I think is one of the most uncomplicated and ergonomically friendly designs found in a modern day automobile.

The new exterior smoothes some of the rough bits of the first generation and brings a more contemporary feel to the design without deviating from the concept or the style which we have come to cherish. It is certainly less aggressive than the Z3 to Z4 metamorphosis. The biggest change and one that can bring on the argument as to whether or not the Z4 is still a roadster is the folding hardtop. I have mixed feeling about it myself. It will be a boon in poor weather and provide a margin of safety that a canvas top can never provide when erected in the case of an accident; however, I fear down the road it will be an expensive nightmare to put right when it breaks and it will break, eventually. All in all a great job, so if this is truly a “chick’s car” then bring ‘em on.

2009-10-16T13:35:00.000-07:00

Welcome to The Roadster Chronicles...more to come...