Sunday, December 27, 2009

Christmas with a BMW

Christmas has been and gone, leaving in its expensive wake a raft of shattered and mauled parents with drained and red bank accounts.

As I get older Christmas gets less like a Dickensian Post card and more like a Dickensian Workhouse. Months before the fateful day we squirrel money away, and still find on the 26th the account is more than empty. Just so the evil putrid slugs that run the banks can afford a better set of golf clubs for next year, yeah I’m talking to YOU Abbey National or Santander or whatever you are called, give me my bank charges back!

But surely this time of year can bring great joy to the motorist? He has all sorts of humorous gifts that distant relatives can shower on him. Homer Simpson Ice scrapers come to mind, or a nice AA book of the road. One of those car care kits, with an air freshener and a sponge you wouldn’t use on your dishes, let alone near the paintwork of your car. No one thinks to get him a new set of shocks, a service or even a tank of fuel, all things that would be greeted with sage nods and deep thanks. Or if you are feeling like splashing out, how about getting his chassis and suspension set up? buy him tickets to a track day, new set of decent tyres anything but another pair of driving gloves.

Well, Christmas aside, lets plunge into the red meat of this entry, yes I know its been a while coming and I realise that in order to keep you readers happy I need to be fresh and throw out new material all the time, but have you ever considered just how hard it is to write about the act of motoring? Let me tell you it’s not easy finding new things to talk about, so I spend a lot of time thinking about other things and relating them to motoring. This is mainly because what I really want to do is write about cars. The only one I can talk to you about is mine, because thats the only car I have access to. No one has been crazy enough to let me drive off with their brand new set of wheels and not make a squeak about it. Even Honda told me to ‘bugger off’ when they discovered the real reason I wanted to test drive the new Civic. Yup no one has been nuts enough to hand me the keys to anything… until now!

This is not a review, as I didn’t have the car long enough so it’s a rambling impression of it

BMW make reasonably good cars, thats a well-known fact. For a while they made terrible cars and relied on the badge to sell it, they created a compact and dropped the price and the quality until BMW almost had the exclusivity of a branch of Tescos. That said, most people will be impressed when the blue and white propeller pulls up outside and you step out (even if it has a comedy bodykit on it) The badge still screams ‘German’ and that means ‘well built’ and ’solid’ and ‘reliable’ and ‘boring’.

A crazy man let me loose in his nearly new BMW 1 series 2008 model with a 2.0 Diesel engine. I wont tell you who he is as he uses his car for his business, and it would terrify his clients to know that the car he was teaching in could tailslide like that… oops did I say too much? Anyway, I was given a chance to play with this on what could only be described as the wettest day in history, it was as if God himself was bailing out his cellar with a bucket, but undeterred, I fired it up and headed out.
Being a man, the first thing I did was turn off the traction control, and for the first part of the drive the car behaved itself very well, its runflat tyres gripped the road as we pootled around in urban mode, not going over 40, no sharp turns and no sudden drama, the only thing that threw me was the ecomentalist computer that turned the engine off every time I stopped at a set of lights, but you get used to it and it can be turned off. Soon we left the town behind and hit the A roads. Because it was raining a bit, every other driver was panicking and driving at 3mph down the center of the road, eyes bulging, knuckles white on the wheel. eventually, after about three seconds of this I decided I had had enough so dropped it into third and went for it, only to find the engine totally out of puff and lights on the dash demanding what the bloody hell I was playing at.

This was a big shock to me, this car is full of clever electronics, designed to help you along. It has lights to suggest what gear you really should be in, it has automatic wipers, lights and what not, all things that blokes would, like me ignore or turn off. I know what is best not some German technician in castle BMW so I found I was fighting the car and not driving it. The gent that had given me the keys had foolishly (or sensibly) decided to come along for the ride, and so far he had not said a word (probably out of fear or loathing) but he suggested, as we struggled to over take that I should let the car help out, and do as it suggests. So, at the next nice twisty bit of road, traction control on, I went for it.
The car handles well for what it is. It’s forgiving and responsive, it tells you through your backside what it’s doing, you can ‘feel’ it. I was expecting the electronics to be brutal with me as the road was wet and I was pushing, but help from the abs and the traction control came in a gentle curve, it only stamped its foot when I got a bit too lairy. I think this is the point of the car, it’s not designed to be a race car out of the box, its not designed to be belted round every corner, but if you ask it to it will. No it’s designed for a family to pootle about in comfort and safety. Have a crash in this and if all its airbags go off you can use it as a raft. Leave the kids behind and you can have a little fun with it but being a BMW and a diesel, it’s going to be  sensible fun.

This is all far to nice for me, the car feels like it will be as reliable as a sunrise, and as safe as mothers arms, the only time this car will get out of hand is if you blind it by turning all the safety devices off and weld your foot to the floor. It’s like that nice girl, you know the one, who wears big pants to keep the cold out and always has a pen. Personally I prefer it to break now and again and threaten to throw us both into a ditch if I get it a tiny bit wrong, like that girl that doesn’t bother with underwear and has an emotional meltdown every time it rains.

Also known as an Alfa Romeo.

[Via http://motorfetish.wordpress.com]

Saturday, December 26, 2009

Albany Bar Scene: The Oh Bar

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On Fox News “O'Reilly Factor” Thursday night, guest-host Monica Crowley, filling in for Bill O'Reilly, went after “CBS Evening News” anchor Katie Couric for her recent comments that the economic situation has made the United States an “angry nation.”

“Way to attract more viewers, Katie,” Crowley said, asking, “Is this another example of the elite left-wing media looking down on Americans or is Katie right about the mood of the country?”

Crowley and Tim Graham, director of media analysis for the conservative Media Research Center, attempted to argue that Couric's comments come only as President Obama's approval ratings fall.

“I think it's one thing to say the country is angry,” Graham said. “I think that's fair. When she goes on to talk about how there's too much disrespect, that's when you're beginning to see that whole idea of how unfortunate that we would have people who would so publicly and angrily disagree with President Obama.”

“I'm wondering, Tim, where Katie Couric was and if her concern about an angry nation when the left was crucifying President Bush as a war criminal and Hitler, when Code Pink was in Condoleezza Rice's face, when there are wall-to-wall, left wing, vicious attacks,” Crowley responded. “Where was she in that concern?”

“You know it seems to me that anybody who is an elite left wing liberal, whether they are in the media like Katie Couric or not,” Crowley continued, “they are intent on smearing or tarring anybody who might disagree with the liberal agenda.”

WATCH:

More than two years after information about Comcast's data delaying techniques came to light, a class action lawsuit over the issue has come to a close with a settlement of $16 million and no statement of wrongdoing from the cable giant. That means Comcast continues to tout its newer bandwidth management protocols and those of you that used Ares, BitTorrent, eDonkey, FastTrack or Gnutella betwen April '06 and December '08 and/or Lotus Notes on the service anytime in the summer of 2007 can head over to the settlement website to either opt out of the class action or receive a $16 check. So is that enough cash to make up for the time wasted waiting for Naruto fansubs, Gutsy Gibbon images and the like to finish downloading?

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The Oh Bar, which sits right on Lark Street near Madison Ave., is one of Albany's most prominent gay bars. Weather you are gay or straight it's a nice place to hang out and have a drink, so I recommend you check it out.

The Oh Bar is usually less crowded than most places on Lark, and generally has some good seating left for you and your group. The inside is a bit dark and cold, with not too much decoration, and a lot of open space which is generally used for dancing or milling about. There is a pool table in the back, one of the few on Lark that you may actually have a chance at using without waiting five hours. The Oh bar is also clean. Even the bathrooms here are generally nice, which is unheard of in this part of town.

All of these things are great, but my favorite thing about the Oh Bar is its patio. It's a nice sprawling space that is more calm and private than most anywhere on Lark Street. It, sadly, is required by city ordinance to close at 11:00pm (noise codes, of course). Usually (word to the wise), the bartenders will not be so attentive to ht e closing time if it's a quiet night.

There are a couple of downsides to the bar. First off the drinks can be a little on the expensive side. Nothing outrageous, but for the area they are certainly not the cheapest around. Next are the flirting policies. Straight women apparently come here not to get hit on, so if that's your plan you may want to steer clear of this place. My friends and I have been removed from the bar before for even trying to strike up a conversation with groups of girls.

So, as long as you don't mind paying a premium price for your beverages, and aren't planning on taking a lady home tonight, you may like to have a relaxing night at the Oh Bar. It's a nice quieter place to socialize with friends or meet new people, if that's your thing.

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[Via http://nikejerseysgod.wordpress.com]

Thursday, December 17, 2009

BMW responds to Volvo with an electric 1-series

BMW escalates the fight in the eco-friendly cars segment as it’s 1-series has been converted to take on Volvo’s new electric C30.

The Bavarians from BMW have been working, like the swedes, on a small, electric, city hatchback which you can recharge from any ordinary electric socket. The whole development programme is called “project i” and its second phase will be revealed at the upcoming Detroit motor show. The car is known as the 1-series Concept ActiveE. That means that this all-electric 1-series beemer will have to face Volvo’s C30 as both cars will be launched at the same event. However, even tough both these cars are electric versions of small town models, don’t think that they are identical. The BMW for instance promises to be more sporty with its 170bhp and 184lb ft of torque. That is a lot even from a conventional car with an internal combustion engine. And, as always with electric motors, the torque comes almost instantly so the car can reach 60mph in less than 9 seconds. Don’t treat it wrong, this eco-friendly car is fast.

The range, BMW claim, is about 100 miles and it takes just 3 hours to fully recharge the batteries – a full 5 less than the Volvo. That is impressive indeed. But the changes don’t stop there – the new concept gets low-drag wheels equipped with low-resistance tyres and aerodynamic changes to help reduce drag. This car is really full of technology although I think that is more showboating than actual testing for production purposes. For example it has a kinetic energy recovery system (KERS) as used in 2009 in Formula 1. Basically what it does is it stores energy for the batteries while under braking – therefore charging the batteries and stopping you faster.

Like the Volvo, this project, will be offered as a lease programme to customers as BMW prepares to put the car into production in and it is expected to make an appearance at the Paris motor show next year. Estimations say that, if put into production, this all-electric BMW would cost the same as the Mini E.

Source: Autocar

[Via http://theblogofcars.wordpress.com]

New BMW Concept Electric Car with iPhone App?

P90054917 BMW already have an electric car in their stable, the Mini-E, which has begun trials with selected members of the public. Now BMW are adding to the fleet of electric vehicles with the BMW Concept ActiveE; an electric vehicle under the BMW brand. More specifically it is a 1 Series Coupé. The interesting thing and the reason why I am writing about this is that the press release mentions that there is mention of BMW’s ConnectedDrive services which allow a phone to connect to the vehicle to operate certain vehicle features and statuses:

“This includes specific remote functions which enable the use of a mobile phone to check the charge status of the battery, search for public charging stations and activate the vehicle’s auxiliary heating and air conditioning functions.”

While there is no mention of any brand of phone in particular, the press images do include some images which may be mock-ups of an iPhone application.

Some of the features which seem to be shown in the iPhone app images include: locate a charging station; schedule climate control; charge status and mileage remaining.

The vehicle itself is is said to give a maximum output of 170bhp and a maximum torque of 250Nm. 0-62mph is expected to be less than 9 seconds with top speed of 90mph (electronically limited) and range of up to 100 miles. If you have access to a 50amp connection, the car can be fully charged in as little as three hours.

Hopefully we will see some of these ConnectedDrive features from other manufacturers also without having to resort to third party add-ons in the near future.

 

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[Via http://techstatic.wordpress.com]

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

The Headlong Pursuit of Growth, and Its Aftermath

The December 12-18, 2009 issues of The Economist features a couple of fascinating articles on Toyota Motor Corporation. According to The Economist, Toyota’s President  reached the following dire conclusion on the situation Toyota is facing:

Mr Toyoda’s alarm call last month appears partly to have been prompted by reading “How the Mighty Fall”, a book by Jim Collins, an American management writer, which identifies five stages of corporate decline. Mr Toyoda reckons that Toyota may already be at the fourth stage. Companies at this point, says Mr Collins, frequently still have their destinies in their own hands, but often flit from one supposed “silver bullet” strategy to another, thus accelerating towards the fate they are trying to avoid.

In the litany of things that went wrong, an interesting point is made about the Toyota Production System:

… the recalls continued and Toyota started slipping in consumer-quality surveys. A year later Consumer Reports, an influential magazine, dropped three Toyota models from its recommended list. The magazine added that it would “no longer recommend any new or redesigned Toyota-built models without reliability data on a specific design”. People within the company believe these quality problems were caused by the strain put on the fabled Toyota Production System by the headlong pursuit of growth.

Whatever Agile method you practice - Scrum, Lean, Kanban, Crystal, etc. – you need to be cognizant of three touch points with the Toyota experience reported above:

  • Just like the Toyota Production System, your software method is a “vehicle” which is subject to policy decisions from above. It cannot, however, compensate for policy failures.
  • If your company relentlessly pursues growth, the quality/technical debt liability it is likely to incur coud easily outweigh the benefits of growth. Consider the upside potential of growth vis-a-vis the downside of the resultant technical debt. When appropriate, monetize technical debt using the technique described in Technical Debt on Your Balance Sheet.
  • In addition to monetizing the technical debt, evaluate the various kinds of risks indicated in The View From The Executive Suite. A sense of how devastating those might be is given by Toyota’s own experience:

Just as Cadillac used to be synonymous with luxury and BMW with sportiness, Toyota was a byword for quality and reliability… The danger in all of this for Toyota is that its loyal (and mostly satisfied) customers in America have long believed that the firm was different from others and thus hold it to a higher standard. The moment that Toyota is seen as just another big carmaker, a vital part of the mystique that has surrounded the brand will have been rubbed away.

Please remember – unless you work for Toyota Motor Corporation, chances are your company would not be able to take the kind of risk Toyota can.

[Via http://theagileexecutive.com]

Saturday, December 12, 2009

Auto Industry $17.4 Billion Bailout Gets More Attention Than Wall Street $700 Billion Bailout

I would have been satisfied with just the headline of this article. I have printed it out in various alternates just to give embodiment to what I wish for. I now have one for Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, Rove and the rest of the “gang” that destroyed America in such a short time span. This is now the “American Dream”, since the previous one was taken from us.

“When Napster came on the scene, it felt like a big wave coming at us, and it appeared futile to try and stop it,” says Benji Rogers, founder of London-based Pledge Music. Rogers, who has been working as a musician for more than a decade, has spent much of his time building a company that aims to surpass the fan-funding models of SliceThePie, Sellaband and Bandstocks.  “We don't see the fans as venture capitalists, who are investing in our records,” he says. Instead, Rogers wants them to feel part of the process that gets a record into their hands.

Eastblished acts like Marillion, Public Enemy and Tina Dico (one of the first artists to use Pledge Music, raising £60k in just 30 days, have relied on their long-standing fanbase when leaving a major label to pursue their own direction. But can fan funding really work for artists who are just starting out? Rogers thinks so, but it takes time and effort. He says one of the mistakes record labels make is trying to squeeze a year-long development (with regards to marketing, promotion etc) into a couple of weeks. “When I started out, we collected addresses and phone numbers. Then we'd follow up by calling and sending letters to people on our mailing list. It was a lot more time-consuming and expensive than it is now.”

The first question Pledge asks when approached by an artist is how big is their mailing list. Based on that, they calculate how much money they can raise. Once they've worked it out, the Pledge team sits down with the artist to find out what they can add to the fans' experience to raise that money. The higher the amount a fan pledges, the more “extras” they get.

“£8 might seem expensive for an EP download, but when you add to it an eight-week campaign of updates, like video blogs from the studio, people don't mind,” says Rogers. In fact, American fans paid $50-70 for a T-shirt and signed CD, despite the asking price being much less. “We thought the credit card company had made a mistake, so we contacted them asking if they wanted more than one. They replied: “No, but if I have to, sure.” They just wanted to support us and help us reach the pledge amount.”

Rogers understands that some artists see the studio as an inner sanctum and don't want to show the recording process. Instead, he suggests other ideas to add value, such as sending fans handwritten lyric sheets, or letting them choose five songs for the artist to play at a soundcheck and sending them the recordings with a personal shout-out.

Pledge Music isn't interested in owning any of the rights to the music, and makes its money by charging a 15% commission on the amount raised. “It usually works out to be 9-11% in the end, since we cover credit card fees, processing and VAT,” says Rogers.

There are four corners to the Pledge concept: music, fans, recording studios (“if we bring them work, they'll bring us work”) and charities. The artists choose a charity they're passionate about and donate a percentage of the money raised to it.

On Tuesday morning, a pledge was launched for Irish artist Duke Special. That afternoon, he reached 43% of his target, by offering fans the opportunity to write a song with him for £100, and a private sightseeing tour of Belfast for £1,000.

“I believe, in their hearts, the fans want to do the right thing,” says Rogers. “We can't convince teenagers to buy CDs. The quest for me is to give meaning to it, so they don't want to steal it.”

Pledge Music is a fan-funded investment platform with a heart, which makes it a welcome alternative for artists who want to take control of their careers.

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Button-down collar economists are not known for shouting matches, but on CNN, Stephen Leeb and Peter Schiff had at it regarding auto industry bailout loans.

Economist Stephen Leeb insisted that President George W. Bush, not exactly known as a liberal, is doing the right thing by extending $13.4 billion in auto industry bailout loans to General Motors and Chrysler, followed by another $4 billion in the spring.

Economist Peter Schiff insisted that the government “should let market forces play out,” with General Motors and Chrysler entering bankruptcy.

The shouting match between Leeb and Schiff almost entered into commercial time for CNN, but Leeb and Schiff represented a great divide among Americans.

Somehow, the combined $17.4 billion in President Bush's package is creating more attention and more debate than the overall $700 billion bailout for the financial firms on Wall Street, and the nearly equal $650 billion minimum that is estimated for income President-elect Barack Obama's economic stimulus package.

Somehow, the auto industry is getting more attention than the Wall Street industry.

Only half of all Americans can afford to invest directly in the stock market, and many of those do so indirectly through their companies' 401-k and/or Roth IRA retirement plans. Most Americans don't understand Wall Street, even while they are invested in Wall Street. Take witness in the $50 billion scam that is alleged under Bernard Madoff. Even so-called sophisticated investors were ripped off when they gave their money to Bernard Madoff. Everyone is still trying to explain.

On the other hand, virtually all Americans feel that they understand the auto industry. They simply compare General Motors and Chrysler and Ford, the Detroit-based companies, to Toyota and Honda and Nissan, the Japanese imports. A majority of Americans perceive that the imports are of higher quality, which way have been true 20 years ago, but perceptions linger.

Furthermore, the false stories of United Auto Workers members making $75 an hour have gained legs of their own. These stories are embraced by the same crowd that still perceives Barack Obama as the candidate of radical terrorist Muslims. The typical United Auto Workers wage is more like $20 to $25 an hour, but critics have figured in everything from health care coverage to pension benefits to retirees.

Republican senators such as Richard Shelby from Alabama and Bob Corker from Tenessee have supported tax breaks for Toyota and Honda and Nissan to establish non-union shops in their states. At the same time, they have blocked Congress from providing aid to General Motors and Chrysler. This forced President Bush to act on his own.

President Bush stated, “Such a collapse (by GM or Chrysler) would deal an unacceptable blow to all American workers, even beyond the auto industry.” President Bush is focused on the total economy, and he is being realistic. President Bush figures that if Wall Street needs a $700 billion bailout, then protection of auto industry jobs is worth a $17.4 billion share.

SOURCE

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1208/16782.html

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[Via http://bmwcar.wordpress.com]

Thursday, December 10, 2009

Mitsubishi in Germany

Mitsubishi Colt on the foreground. A building partially blocks the view of the Berlin TV Tower

Along Unter den Linden in Berlin

Mercedes-Benz. BMW. Volkswagen.

I’ve associated Germany with cars long before I visited that country.

That was why when I saw a Mitsubishi near our hotel in Berlin, I couldn’t help but ask myself what that car was doing in the heart of the German capital.

I have nothing against Mitsubishis, I see lots of them in the Philippines.

But the Philippines is not Germany.

The sight of a Mitsubishi in the Land of Benzes and BMWs caught me by surprise.

I thought I would see only German cars in Germany itself.

[Via http://ljubomirgatdula.wordpress.com]

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

ATTENTION BUSINESS OWNERS!!!

Did you know that businesses benefit from the ability to expense the cost of certain vehicles in the first year of purchase?

That’s right, you your business may be able to combine some of the hottest incentives in the automotive industry and accelerated tax deductions for an opportunity to purchase eligible 2009 and 2010 model year Armadas, Pathfinders, and Titans.

With the IRS Section 179 expense allowance a business owner may be able to deduct the actual cost of new business vehicles weighing more than 6,000 lbs. GVWR in the year of purchase.  Section 179 limits the expense of $25,000 for eligible Armadas, Pathfinders and Titans with beds 6 feet or shorter.  Titan pickups with beds longer than 6 feet in 2009 can deduct the full cost of the vehicle in the first year.  Additionally, the Economic Stimulus Act of 2008 increased the depreciation deduction to 50% if the remaining investment (if any) for these vehicles.  In order to qualify, the vehicle must (among other requirements) be used for business purposes 50% of the time.  In contract, a car, truck, or SUV used by a business but weighing 6,000 lbs. or less normally does not qualify for the section 179 expense allowance and will typically be limited to normal depreciation.  In 2009 this will be a maximum amount of $3,060 plus an additional $8,000 as a result of The Economic Stimulus Act of 2008.

Eligible Vehicles 6,000 lb. GVWR or Higher         IRS Section 179 Expense Allowance
2009/2010 Nissan Pathfinder S/SE/LE/LE V8 4×4                 $25,000
All Armadas Eligible                                                                       $25,000
2009/2010 Nissan Titan King Cab SWB/ Crew Cab LWB   Actual Cost
2009/2010 Nissan Titan Crew Cab SWB                                  $25,000

Example:
Armada Purchase Price:                                $50,000
IRS Section 179 Deduction:                          $25,000
50% Depreciation year 1*:                           $11,160
Total Deduction in year 1:                            $36,160
Balance to depreciate(years 2-5):            $13,840
           *maximum allowance

Current Incentives:
Pathfinder: $2,500 Customer Cash or 1.9% APR for up to 60 months
Armada: $4,000 Customer Cash or 0.0% APR for up to 60 months
Titan:  Up to $5,000 Customer Cash or APR as low as 0.0% for 60 months

*Purchase your new vehicle to qualify for a tax deduction on your sales tax…
-Please consult with your tax advisor to determine eligibility of the additional $25,000 or more in deductions in the first year federal tax deductions. Financing subject to credit approval. Offer valid on vehicles in stock and ends December 31, 2009.

[Via http://teddynissan.wordpress.com]

Saturday, December 5, 2009

Recap in English issue no. 28 headlines

Right, boys ‘n’ girls, here’s a recap on some of the stuff what you missed out in issue 28, if you’re not into German language:


- Contrary to what Diário AS says, Robert Kubica’s contract (and those of 99% of the drivers) with Renault starts on 1st of January. There’s no “drop-out clause”! If Renault leave F1, he most likely will be able to chose to either insist on the contract being fulfilled by whoever takes over… or drop out. In that case: Mercedes here come;

- Same for Nick Heidfeld, he’s got a valid contract with BMW. Is more likely that he will want to see that fulfilled by Sauber, than accepting a one-year-deal with Mercedes GP;

- According to our sources Jacques Villeneuve and Jarno Trulli to be anounced by Lotus F1 soon;

- Piquet’s out of the running at Campos, Maldonado and Petrov are top choice. Soucek is a possibility;

- Petrov is also high on the list at Sauber alongside Heidfeld, also Trulli, Fisichella, de la Rosa and Klien;

- Despite MercedesGP having ruled out negotiations with Schumacher, rumour’s he might still have a stab at a comeback. And there might be a real surprise as far as that is concerned. Watch out for the next issue.

P.S. Just to rub it in: NOW Kimi Räikkönen’s management has confirmed towards Finish daily paper Turun Sanomat what P1Mag reported 3 weeks ago. YES, there was – and still is – an offer from Mercedes Grand Prix ! ! !

[Via http://grandprixinsider.wordpress.com]

Thursday, December 3, 2009

Random snap: Z3 M Roadster

We’ve had the clown shoe on here before, as well as the Z4 M coupay (a number of times), but never the roadster.

Now’s the time.

At the end of the day, we like the Z4 M Coupe over the Z3 M Coupe, but prefer the Z3 M Roadster over the Z4 M Roadster. We think it looks really, really good here.

Photo credit: Arnoud Wilbrink

- Gyro

[Via http://bulgogibrothers.wordpress.com]

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

1969 World Preview: BMW 750

Cover: The BMW 750; Special Preview: The All-New BMW 750 – an analysis of BMW’s bid for the sporting market; Tests: Bultaco 175cc Campera, Two Dalesman Puch 125’s; Features: Riding High -motorcycle adventure in California mining country; Iron Man Bailey; The perils of being a Shirobai – Japanese cycle cop; The unbeatable Ed Kretz; Helplessly Hooked (On sidecars); Competition; Firecracker International Motocross; Loudon National; San Jose National; Isle of Man TT; The Baja 500; more

1969 September Cycle World Motorcycle Magazine Back-Issue – BMW available at www.DadsVintageAds.com in the “ Motorcycle Magazines” category

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To search our full inventory of Vintage Motorcycle Advertisements, Articles, and Road Tests CLICK HERE.

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