Current Blog
Title: Sweaters and boots in the Summer
Strange title for an interesting time... It is Summer and definitely not a good time for a sweater!! After that last 100 degree day I think people probably hid every warm bit of clothing they could..... Well thats the point of this entry actually.
BMW has decided that the launch of the new 5 Series would be primarily in the normal "i" format.. The "dreaded" rear wheel drive version... Oh boy... This has caused furrowed brows and disappointment like never seen in a BMW showroom. I think it is funny that when people don't realize the new 5 is an "i" they drive it and their first impression is how well it drives and how nice the balance and steering are compared to their previous 5 that had X-Drive. When they ask why that is they can't believe the answer... No its not because the car is new... It is what happens when you take all of that extra weight and steering feel robbing power and hardware out of the area it doesn't need to be. I did have the 328 X-Drive last year and I admit it comes in handy for the end of the Fall when that first snow may catch you without your snows on. However I drove a rear wheel drive 3 not long ago and remembered how nice the steering was and how well the suspension responds without having to be lifted way up there to clear the added hardware and still be stiff enough to maintain handling... See the rear wheel drive car is better balanced and lighter. Its also about 17% more efficient with it's power and fuel due to lack of driveline friction. Hmmm less complicated, more efficient and it drives better. Why wouldn't we all be in these normal "i" models? It might just be fear... We all had one of those days where we got caught out. I've had it happen myself. Its not a great feeling but can usually be avoided with a little planning and most of the time we tried to go somewhere in our sport package car with the nice wheels that we had to have because well, look at them!!... and we pushed too far and paid the price. The point of all of this is that it is only really bad a couple of days each year. If I went back and counted the last 5 years how many snow days there were I would probably be on the high side if I said 5 days a year. Now there are 365 days in a year... There is a point here somewhere!!! We decide to compromise a better drive and efficiency over 5 days!!! We actually give up the better drive for 360 of them for those 5 days!!!
So back to the heat of Summer... Its pretty warm out there but it will be cold in December and January!! Should we get those winter coats and boots out of storage now and wear them just in case so we are warm in the Winter? Probably not... We know enough to change our outfits for the seasons and maybe we should think that way with our cars. I don't wear my nice work shoes out when its snowing and most women put away the heels when its not nice out nevermind snow!!! Why not change the car's shoes and give it a try?! The cost of "new shoes" for your car is about $800 to $1000 less than the cost of X-Drive and it allows those nice Summer or all season tires to last longer too!!! Nevermind the added gas mileage... Something to think about... Especially in these times where cost effective and efficient solutions seem to make a lot of sense. With all of this technology we seem to forget the basics... When was the last time we didn't use the computer or calculator for what is really basic math? It is almost like we forget these things based on the safety cushion available in the form of electronics and all of this technology available at an ever increasing rate. The same applies to our driving... There weren't many awd cars not long ago and we all somehow survived. The technology for traction/stability control and tire technology have come leaps forward in the last 5 to 10 years. On top of that the BMW chassis in rear drive form is just about a perfect 50/50 weight front to rear. The old front wheel drive arguement was hilarious.. We'll make a car horribly nose heavy and drive those front wheels... It will cost tons less to build and we can make smaller cars that are no fun to drive at all BUT... look at the traction you will have in snow!!! now thats a compromise!! By the way I practice what I preach... I turned in the 328X-Drive and went back to the "dark side"...a 2010 335i M-Sport... I'll be putting it's boots on in November and getting ready for the season. Now I have to hide my calculator!!!
Jason Smigel
jsmigel@bmwofnewport.com
On a side note... BMW of Newport does store your winter or Summer wheel and tire package on site... Easy switch for the season and no space taken up in your home... I've had the stack of tires... I know!!
Title: Spreading the JOY....
If you have paid attention to BMW advertising lately you probably have heard the new message BMW has been promoting for their cars. JOY. They have it on their race cars in ALMS and all over the website at BMWUSA.com. The first time I saw this I wasn't sure if BMW was going soft or what it really meant.... Then I watched one of the commercials and really paid attention. To tell you the truth I really liked it and the more I see it the better it seems. We as enthusiasts see BMW spreading into many markets and really making cars for everybody. There are sedans, coupes, SAVs (remember BMW doesn't make sport utility vehicles they are sport "activity" vehicles) big ones, small ones, convertibles, hybrids, wagons(for now at least until the new GT takes over).... In other words some of us that drive BMWs because we like how they engage us in the driving experience and make us feel like we are a little better at the art of driving may feel that this BMW for everyone is watering down the brand. I am guilty of it myself!! I wonder about the direction they are going and question some of their decisions on models and design but we are an opinionated bunch. Anything that is controversial creates like and dislike. That is what makes this brand great. JOY is different for everyone. That is what we have to remember... What one person just doesn't like or understand is the best thing since sliced bread to someone else. It is growth and diversity that will keep BMW growing. The JOY BMW shows in their commercial is the kind a child finds... The letting go and remembering that life can be fun.. It is what most of us have long lost in the complexities of our everyday lives and can now maybe reconnect to in something as simple as the cars we drive. If you are reading this blog you probably know what I am talking about...
Well, I have to get back to work.... I have a lot of JOY to pay for!!!!!!
Title: New Beginnings
The long nights and short days of Winter are in the rearview mirror... Not that far behind us but things are definitely looking up. It has been a while since my last entry. Somehow the hectic nature of this past Winter at home and here in the office has made the monthly posting an afterthought.
With so much going on in the auto industry and BMW back on phase for major model launches 2010 will be an exciting year. As we speak there are new F10 535 and 550 models ramping up for production. If you haven't seen the new pictures or videos just think 7/8 scale 750 and you have the idea. With the GT launch last Fall BMW felt they could preview the new 5... from the front at least... however the side and rear are plain awkward and unfortunately not many people shared the enthusiasm of BMW on this venture. If you can get past the exterior/ rear three quarter view the interior is exactly as a BMW should be. This will make for a great new 5 Series. We have about 5 of these in my inventory and if you must have a Fiver with some extra room and a trunk/hatch I am sure we can find a way to make one of these very reasonable to own. Check the inventory for further information or send me an email... By the way, the US market is the only market where a 6-speed manual will be available on the new 5!! The true enthusiasts have finally gotten their way!!
The new X3 and X1 are also in the works. The X1 has been in Europe for quite some time and is pretty well received. Great size and performance in a package that looks X5ish but sportier. If you tend toward the 3 Series and need some space this is a great way to bridge the gap. BMW will try a 3 GT soon as well.... They probably burned their hands many times on the stove when they were young.... We'll see what happens!!
On a more disturbing note I have seen our friends at Audi playing a lot of commercials about their current sales prowess and market share. I must say everything is relative and although sometimes I think BMW is losing their way we should take a closer look at the numbers. BMW sales and the luxury market's sales for that matter did fall in 2009. Some more than others but we all saw a decline from previous peaks in the 300,000 unit range. Audi on the other hand not being considered quite luxury but entry level luxury actually saw improvement on their part. They sold somewhere near 80,000 units in 2009 (just a little less than BMW's Certified Pre-Owned brand) based on their lower costs and subsidized leasing programs. This part of the story is what bothers me... Audi makes a very nice product that is a nice step toward BMW if you are a car enthusiast. They look great and offer some great value for the money. The drive is not quite there yet and they still rely on drivetrains shared with more everyday vehicles such as Volkswagen. It should grab BMW's attention though because they have to remember they are not the only game in town and the true drivers out there want the simpler, less expensive fun cars that other manufacturers have no problem building. BMW should remember this is what made them great. Not GTs or X5-X6 M's with 555 HP !!! So yes Audi did gain market share and if we multiply their total sales 3 times they might be within reach of the luxury makes but truth is dependant on who's point of view you are viewing from... In other words I am thankful to be at a BMW franchise. We may be coming out with some strange product from time to time but they build uncompromised great vehicles...
So there is a lot going on out there these days. My little boy Jenson was born 6 weeks early this past January. If you know Formula 1 you may recognize the name from our current F1 champion... Still not sure how I got that one by his mom!! My 3 has a carseat out back now. Never dreampt I would see that one... He will probably be attending the ALMS round at Lime Rock this July so he is getting an early start. I'll need to start now on finding him a project car to work on during those crazy teen years to hopefully keep him out of trouble. Well for now he gets to go for the ride.
On to the new year..... Track days have started so check your chapter publications for events... Be careful out there!!
jsmigel@bmwofnewport.com
Title: Reflections
Fall has made its appearance obvious now and it is funny how this time of year always makes you look back because it comes so fast and signals the beginning of the end of the long days and warm weather of Summer. I have to admit I enjoy Fall. The weather is great and the nights are crisp and cool. It is the kind of weather that makes you want to relax indoors with the fireplace going and lose track of time. The warm days and cool nights, the colors changing, Football coming back and the Fall Classic of the playoffs for Baseball... All good things but somehow tainted with the message that the end of another year is coming...
I always find it hard to avoid making a major purchase at this time of year... I have had a few conversations with friends about it and we can never figure out why. Each one of my friends is caught in this actually. Partly because they are friends with me and if I can't buy something big in the Fall I'll find somebody that will.... Thats what you get for being friends with someone who is a car enthusiast and happens to be in the sales department of a company that sells BMWs!! I think a lot of people go through this though. Being in a business where there is a lot of emotion ruling the purchase process I see it a lot. Is it our way of making it easier to let go of Summer and prepare for the coming Winter cold and darkness by making ourselves feel better with a new toy? Possible....Or could it be the angle of the Sun makes the colors shine and glow in a way that is unavoidably attractive? I do notice that a new car in the fading Fall sunlight is pretty incredible to look at. I have been known to "pose" cars outside in the late afternoon when I knew someone was coming to look at it... The full effect is pretty impressive... Maybe there is something to this!!
In any case, the fact that this time of year occurs about the time of my birthday brings on the look back at everything that has happened during the year and I always grade the year in some way... As life marches on and I find myself another year older I realize how far I've come and look back at those milestones like when I went into the Military leaving home for the first time, when I finished school, turned 25 so my car insurance went down!! Made it to 30, bought my first house... The years went fast and had their ups and downs. Now another chapter comes as preparation for the arrival of a new baby for the end of February, beginning of March begins... Fitting in a way, Winter will just be moving itself out. Its pretty amazing how things just keep moving forward... If there was ever a time to look back and see where I have been so I can see where I am going it is now... Yes Fall is a good time and the anxiety and excitement of the changes of life are all unfolding fast... If I had "empty garage syndrome" right now there could be trouble!! Looking at strollers has been fun, its kinda like like looking at cars...Four wheels, varying levels of performance in corners and those colors again..Its impossible to avoid!! Well enjoy the season and try to hold off the urges... If its impossible to subdue, well you know where I am and I'm right there with ya'!!!
jsmigel@bmwofnewport.com
Title: BMW on Track
It has been a while since I have gotten a chance to write in here... for anyone who actually takes the time to check this and sees nothing entered I apologize!! It's been busy lately and I really haven't been able to take too much time out with my creative side to write. So, now that July has ended and August has begun its time... July was a good month for BMW, sales were strong and they maintained the gap over their rivals in the luxury market. All good news for what pays my mortgage every month anyway!!
On Saturday the 17th I finally took a day off to go to the races. First one this year and it was great!! We caravaned up to Lime Rock Park for ALMS round 5. BMW campaigns the M3 coupe there under the Rahal/Letterman racing banner and the car is really making progress... For those of you who don't watch that enjoy great racing you should try to catch a few rounds this year. Its addictive... The real fun is watching the M3 racing on track then following one home like I did. A friend of mine brought his M3 out there so on the way home he got to take point and I got to listen to the great exhaust note one carlength back. I don't know how he maintained quasi-legal speed the whole way back... Its hard not to drive fast after watching live racing like that!! My 328 was getting its exercise for days after!!
So BMW is on track both literally and figuratively... the business is working well and so is the racing effort. I will not get into F1, I refuse to recognize the issues at Sauber BMW!! I'll jump on the Red Bull BrawnGP bandwagon this year!!
On another note, I did see the M versions of the X5 and X6... My previous post here was on point. They are an insult to any previous car that has worn the badge... I did see another new car that is a little scary while I was at Lime Rock too but I am going save that for another entry....
Until next time, keep the rubber side down!!!
jsmigel@bmwofnewport.com
Title: Disappearing 6-speeds
I've noticed a trend lately that I'm not real happy about. It seems more and more sports cars or sport oriented cars are coming in as automatics. Its really hit hard in the 3 Series and the M cars. You see I notice cars everywhere. When I am in a parking lot at the store or driving down the road I can always pick out the "nice" cars and some part of me hopes its a stick everytime. I learned to be disappointed with Corvettes. I have a soft spot for those and whenever I see one I take a peek inside hoping for the 6-speed but usually I shrug my shoulders and walk away thinking "how do you order THAT car in THAT color combination and put a "slushbox" in?" Awful isn't it? I know, I've got issues....
Well one thing thats causing this trend is the European market. Isn't that ironic... They were the ones that started all this manual transmission sports car craziness in the first place. Now its onto sequential transmissions... Well everybody wants to be like the racers and they use dual clutch sequential transmissions sans the 3rd pedal... so now all the race fans over there are demanding the same technology in the road going cars. The manufacturers have to follow the market so here we are. In the US we have a population that doesn't follow roadracing as much... driving is more about getting someplace not the actual drive... so putting it in "D" and pressing that long pedal on the right is considered driving by a lot of people. If they press the pedal harder and go fast its "sport driving". The things that make BMWs and other European cars great fun to drive are what made them desirable initially...They are well balanced with great motors that sound great and brakes that could be modulated according to how much you really need them at the time.... not an on/off switch!! Then they became a great marque that brought with it status... the real reasons for their greatness dissolved into the past. In many cases its all about how it looks in your driveway or when you valet your car at the restaurant.... not how it carves a precise line through an exit at speed or helps you avoid the ladder thats in your lane...
So for those of us that enjoy driving its not too long before the manual transmission is a part of history. Rumor has it that the next generation 5 will not be available with a true manual transmission at all. BMW was the last holdout... Its a shame really. Thats what made us different. The take rate is so low it just doesn't make sense to build them that way. Mercedes benz is only offering the manual on the C300 and left the C350 with only an automatic. I had a client test one hoping he would like it and wished the C350 was available with a manual. Luckily he came and saw me and now is the proud owner of a new 3 with sport package and a 6-speed. I do know people with sport package automatic cars that I regularly pick on just because I can... Its in my nature so they expect it!! Especially the ones that have sport colors like red and black...
So this disappearance is really our fault. Everytime we go out and take an automatic when we really wanted a manual we are feeding the machine that will make them go away for good. What a shame!!
Until then I'll match my own revs on downshifts, thank you very much....
Jason Smigel
Title: Return of the Z
Have you ever not wanted to give something back once you had a small taste? Girlfriends/wives do this all of the time, when they try your drink or some of the dessert they didn't want to order, and suddenly it becomes theirs... You can't win that arguement so don't even try.
Well I'm familiar with this feeling too. I have had many great toys in my garage to show for it!! My Ducati was like that... take one lap of the test ride loop and "nope I'm not giving it back". Being in sales, I know well how this effect is for us enthusiasts. It's both good and bad for me. I tend to be my own worst enemy. My bank account's worst enemy anyway!!
So, on Monday a new car was delivered to the store...When I heard what it was, I actually waited in anticipation for it to come up to the showroom. Time clicked by until finally after about 20 minutes I couldn't wait anymore. The new Z was in and I had to see it in person. I have to say it DOES NOT disappoint! The look of the classic roadster has returned. Just enough aggression to remind us that it is a sports car but curved just enough to make the eyes follow the lines continuously as they flow across the bodywork...The same way a great sculpture won't let you turn away....Now it's time to drive.
If you've been in this area for the last couple of days there has been nothing but rain. Just great for roadsters right?
Not really... So when the skies cleared and the temp hovered around 60 on Wednesday - it was time to go for a drive.
The base motor is the 255hp I6 we all knew from the previous Z4 3.0si and the 330i. Great motor!!! With a 6-speed this car makes all the right sounds. It whistles a bit, burbles when running down from speed and shrieks up through the revs in that signature BMW way. You just have to love driving a car like this. The chassis even with the top down is solid with just the slightest bit of shudder over the worst bumps. The kind we should all try to avoid anyway. Otherwise the suspension is supple and the chassis allows you to really drive without feeling like you are riding on a knifes edge. It will forgive mistakes as any great road car should. Put this together with the ease and wonder of the power retractable hardtop and as BMW once said so well about a previous cabrio in their fleet.... Heaven above you, heaven beneath you....
In other words the new Z4 has earned a spot on my list....With other great and beautiful things that have found their way into my life.... I didn't want to give it back.
I'm not sure I will next time....
Jason Smigel
Title: Making room for squares...
Recently a client, my General Manager Michael Coleman, and myself were having a conversation in the showroom regarding BMW's direction with the 1 Series...
Our client wondered what the true purpose of the 1-Series is. Seeing that this new BMW is not all that inexpensive or as inexpensive as everyone originally hoped. Unfortunately, the Euro to Dollar relationship in 2008 had it's say on the pricing. In reality, I personally don't think the 1 was ever intended as "entry level".
I've driven and owned many different cars and quite a few BMW's own a spot on that list. Starting with, dare I say, a 318.... ti. Yes, the little hatch 3 that sold everywhere in the world except in the US. Actually, that was a great car and forced myself and my friend Mark, who also works for BMW, into this line of work and BMW ownership for many years. Crazy how that works. You see the 318 was considered entry level here and many people skipped it. Those that did actually missed out on a great car that was anything but entry level in Europe. I purchased mine in Germany and drove it there for about a year before reluctantly shipping it away from "the motherland" where autobahns allowed it to run freely at uninhibited speed for many kilometers... It was just as solid and BMW silky smooth with great agility as any I have driven. It was just a little slower.
Recently, another good friend of mine who also has the sickness with a monster M6 that sounds like a Formula 1 car, somehow placed the BMW bug into his girlfriend's mind. So a logical move for her was a new 128i. I've driven the 1 many times and now that he has driven it and spent some time he loves it! That was quite a surprise. Did I mention he has an M6? So much for entry level!! He and his girlfriend may now have to fight for the keys when they go out....Did he just get a new everyday car for himself through her? hmmm.
By comparison the 1 is like having the 3 coupe from the 90s... With a great 230hp motor or a 300hp twin turbo, Dynamic Stability Control, and all the current tech that make them efficient and safe.
I think the 1 is more of a car for enthusiasts, the BMW lovers who enjoy driving and graduate to M cars in the future. This car has the attitude, spunk and build of the great coupes and sedans that surround it in the lineup. In turbo form, it's a formidable sport coupe that nips on the heels of many more exotic and expensive cars looking like a bulldog. I can't describe it any other way...
So no, the 1 isn't 4 doors or AWD with cameras and lane departure warnings... It isn't for everybody. That's why it's great. It has character and attitude in a package that happens to cost less than the others. If that's the face BMW would like to use to introduce new owners to this brand.....
I'm all for it!!
Jason Smigel
Title: Whats happening with BMW M
Some of you may have noticed there is no punctuation in the title to this entry... It was done deliberately because there are things brewing over in the Motorsports corner and that means there is news to speak of.....On the other hand I am wondering what they are thinking over there lately. From some of the conversations I've had with friends and fellow enthusiasts there are a lot of us questioning the direction BMW is taking our beloved M division!!
To start lets look at some present and future changes... If you haven't already seen the BMWUSA website you may have missed the new X5 M and it's brother the X6 M. I'm not sure what I think of this yet. My gut thinks we're pushing the M idea a little too far. I drove an X3 sport recently that had M badges everywhere... Great marketing but is an X3 really an "M car"? It is a great looking package that I have to say would become a requirement on my X3 if I were to get one. I just don't know if its good for the BRAND. BMW is a great brand that is instantly recognized and respecteded around the world. BMW builds the finest driving cars in the world that can be had in just about every configuration possible. (yes I do bleed Bavarian Blue and Alpine White) The problem is if BMW badged a car without it being everything a BMW is they would be tarnishing their brand. Not good for business... Not good for anybody really. So placing M badges on an X3 is not really representing what an M car is.... No compromises, no excuses, serious road car.... Which brings me to the next point...
The current M3 powerplant is most likely the last fully uncompromised special built and engineered motor that will be made for an M division car and only an M division car. No shared architecture... just pure motorsport. So what happened? Change in a new world economy that forced the cost factor to take over a larger portion of the equation than we are used to. Mercedes Benz has done this for years. Ironically they have decided to specialize more recently in order to gain more respect in the market and make the AMG brand more desirable. So now we have Turbocharged and intercooled beasts that will be let loose in the new generations of M cars. The new X series cars use 550 hp twin turbocharged V8 engines. Huge power, lower development cost. Sounds like a win, win. But what about when we look under the skin... pop the hood, listen to the sound? I can pick out an M car exhaust note with no problem. the motors sound as good as the exhaust with all the mechanical sounds any exotic should have. Are we sacraficing something here? I have a feeling we are. Maybe I'm wrong. Only time will tell.... Maybe there will be a new race series with X5 and X6 M cars racing on Supermoto style on/off road tracks. Imagine a Corkscrew of mixed tarmac and dirt leading to a big decreasing radius turn that ends with a small jump over the finish line!? Actually it sounds kinda fun....
Like I said, only time will tell....
Jason Smigel
Title: The RWD versus XDrive debate....
Well it doesn't seem to want to stop raining here... It is April in the Northeast so why complain. I recently had to make a change in cars and with BMW it is always a big debate for me. You see I'm a purist at heart so a RWD Sport Package 3 with a manual transmission is just what I think of first. Then I wake up on a Sunday morning ready for coffee and see a coating of fresh powdery snow on the ground making my 328 Sport useless until the salt/sand and plows make their rounds.... Even worse I can't have coffee down at my favorite coffee shop in East Greenwich either. This makes for a very bad day.
So for the first time in my life ordering a new 3 for myself I checked the box for XDrive. Yes I went to the Dark Side and my friends have had fun with this to no end. Its like giving in to getting older or wiser somehow and realizing you either cannot or refuse to do things you once did. So now I have my Jet Black/Black 328 XDrive Sport taking residence in my garage. Luckily I was still able to get a 6-speed so nobody can accuse me of going completely soft and my real toy, the 1098 is still resting in the garage next to the 328 every night.
In reality I don't think we really 'need' this XDrive but we're so used to the convenience of it and the few times we get caught without snows it starts to sink in...Truth be told I already had a good feeling back in March when I woke up to more of that snow piled outside. The new car soldiered on with not even a hint of a flashing DSC light on the dash. XDrive is pretty transparent in what it does and with the Sport and the manual transmission I am having a lot of fun turning every onramp and exit on my commute into my own little section of racetrack ;)
So the result of this... Technology is great and the drive is still pure BMW although somewhat compromised. I'll stay away from the memory of the slightly better balance, lightness and smoothness of my RWD 3. Living up here I have to say its nice to go wherever whenever and not worry BUT if I had my way and had the space and money I'd keep a "winter car" around and drive an E92 M3. Now wouldn't that be fun?
I think I need a raise.....
Jason Smigel
BMW of Newport
1215 West Main RoadMiddletown, RI 02842
(800) 523-7239
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