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April - June 2008 River City Bimmers
The Newsletter for the
River City Bimmers
River City Bimmers BMW CCA April - June 2008
Inside this
Issue!
Ole Mississippi Drive
Spring TSD Rally in Northern Mississippi
Autocross is BACK!
Susan G. Komen Drive
by
M3 and 1 Series Susan Parker
Premier Parties Our spring TSD (Time, Speed, Distance) rally took place on April 26th in northern Mississippi. Rallymeister
Mike Windham once again put together a fantastic event for us to enjoy. The route covered some of the most scenic
Detailing Clinic areas of Hernando and Tunica. Believe it or not, there are some curvy and hilly roads in Mississippi’s DeSoto and
Tunica counties!
For those initiated in the ways of the TSD rally, Mike had some very nice surprises including a “right at first
Summer Cruise-In’s!
opportunity” instruction only to have 5 dead end roads in a row. For the Rally novice, dead ends are not opportu-
nities! Add to that some fiendish “double back on itself ” routes that had cars passing one another several times
Visit our Website, which added confusion and doubt. Then there were the DIPS in the road! The dips were so deep that the entire car
Forum, and Photo fit down into the dip (like a tiny valley) and at the bottom of the dip, most drivers were looking directly at the road
surface on the other side of the dip.
Gallery! The rally ended at the Blue & White Restaurant which has been open since 1937. We enjoyed the southern-style
www.rivercitybimmers.org food as much as the “war stories” from the rally. See more pictures from the rally on our web site at
www.rivercitybimmers.org. Click on the Photos link then navigate to the rally pictures.
Our next rally in the fall will be a gimmick rally – possibly a poker run or a hare and the hound rally. Regardless,
(Above, then below and clockwise) you can count on it being a fun afternoon driving your car. Bring a navigator and come on out!
Steve Pavlovic and Dianna Walker
take their M Roadster through the
rally. Mike Windham helps out a lost
rally team. Dead Ends are NOT
opportunities! The Blue & White
Restaurant is a local landmark since
1937. This Dip is a BIG one! Carolyn
Windham and Susan Parker stand by
at the first check point.
1
River City Bimmers April - June 2008
2
April - June 2008 River City Bimmers
From the President River City Bimmers
P.O. Box 382305
Susan Parker
sueann3342@comcast.net Germantown, TN 38183-2305
www.rivercitybimmers.org
Aloha River City Bimmers! It’s getting hot out there! Spring has been a HOT
season for our chapter. We’d like to thank North Point BMW in Little Rock, AR Chapter Officers and Staff
and RoadShow BMW in Cordova, TN for hosting River City Bimmer exclusive
Premier parties for the new 1-series and M3. We’re fortunate to have this kind of
President
support from our local BMW dealerships. We’d like to thank Dick Carruth and Susan Parker 901-383-2853
James Parker for bringing Autocross back to River City Bimmers, not once, but sueann3342@comcast.net
twice this spring. We’ll have two more autocross events later in the year once the
temperatures fall to a balmier level. Standing 3” from the sun at High Noon with Vice President
a sultry level of humidity all day is just too much and dangerous to boot. RCB Dick Carruth 901-210-5399
members get reduced pricing AND first crack at registering for this fun event so Rdcarruth@aol.com
keep your eyes open for our next autocross.
Two thumbs up, go to Mike Windham and Carolyn Windham for their Treasurer
hard work in bringing the Good Ole Mississippi Drive TSD Rally to northern Mark Calabrese 901-378-1888
Mississippi in April. I’m pleased to report that no possums were harmed in the mj@calabrese.cc
designing or driving of the rally. Read the Rally article for more information on
this highly entertaining event! Better yet, ask a vet from the rally for their war Secretary
stories from it. Keep your eyes open for our fall fun rally! Mike Windham 901-484-1744
You can look forward to a winery drive, Putt Putt family day, Street Survival, m3mike98@yahoo.com
autocross, fall fun rally, monthly Sonic Euro Cruise-ins at Sonic in Cordova, TN
(2nd Saturday of the month at 6:30 p.m.) and more in the back half of the year.
Arkansas Officer at Large
Due to busy summer schedules, Memphis area members are getting a break and
Clyde Gates 501-225-2936
will see the next dinner meeting in September. Arkansas members, get in touch
cpgts@yahoo.com
with Clyde Gates to get the latest information regarding events in Arkansas (see
contact information at right.)
Kick the tires and come out to play! See you soon! Social Director
Dianna Walker
Membership Coordinator
Lars Gustafsson 901-325-7970
larsggustafsson@yahoo.com
Newsletter Editors/Web
Site
Disclaimer National Office, BMW CCA James Parker 901-383-2853
This newsletter is a publication of the River 640 South Main Street
james3342@comcast.net
City Bimmers (the Chapter) and its contents re- Greenville, SC 29601
main the property of the Chapter. The Chapter Phone: 864-250-0022; Fax: 864-250-0038
is not connected in any way with BMW A.G. or E-mail: bmwcclub@aol.com
BMW N.A. All information furnished herein is Website: www.bmwcca.org
provided by the membership of the Chapter
for members only. The Chapter assumes no
liability for any of the information contained
herein. The ideas, opinions and suggestions ex- Vice President, South Did you call one of our
pressed in this newsletter are those of the au-
thors and no authentication is implied. Unless Central Region advertisers?
otherwise noted, none of the information in Mark Doran
1777 S. Harrison St. Suite 70
If you call or use one of our advertisers,
this newsletter is “factory approved”. Permis-
sion is hereby granted to reproduce any mate- Denver CO 80210 please be sure to tell them you heard about
rial published herein provide full credit is given Mdoran@rmcbmwcca.org them in RiverCity Bimmer’s Newsletter.
to the author and River City Bimmers, UN- Also, if you have a good experience with
LESS OTHERWISE NOTED OR SPECIFI- an advertiser, let us know and we’ll include
CALLY PROHIBITED.
Modifications within the warranty period
it in the next newsletter!!
of your BMW may void the warranty.
3
River City Bimmers April - June 2008
Editor’s Notes
James Parker
james3342@comcast.net
We’ve already grown the newsletter
to the point we needed to add more pages.
That’s a good thing. But, because of cost,
we had to make a sacrifice which I am sure
you have noticed. We’ll keep the color on
the outside of the newsletter, but inside
we’ve gone to black and white. If you have
ever wondered how the newsletter is paid
for, the chapter receives a monthly allow-
ance from National that is based on the
number of members we have. The more Susan G. Komen Foundation and BMW Raise money for Cancer Research
members, the more we get. That money
is used for postage (newsletters and those This year Roadshow BMW was on the front end of the Susan G. Komen Drive
colored reminder notices you get), print- for the Cure. Where in the past, the date was usually set for mid-summer, this time it
ing of the newsletter, insurance for events, was held on March 31st. The good news about this year’s event was the inclusion of the
and supplies for running the club (toner, new E92 M3, an Alpina B7, a manual transmission Z4, and to our surprise, the new
paper, labels, etcetera). 128 and 135! The 128 and 135 were not even at the dealership when the drive started,
The additional pages will allow us to but showed up that afternoon. Mike
have more content and more photos with- Windham, our secretary, was the first
out being so crowded. We are always look- to drive the 135 – it had less than 25
ing for more authors for articles, items for miles on it. The X6 was there as the
the classified section (cars or otherwise!), signature vehicle only – it was not avail-
and photos to publish. able for test drives.
The general consensus on the M3
was that it was a beast – extremely fast
How Can We Contact You? with a simply gorgeous exhaust note.
We have a lot of events going on this
However, after driving the snick-snick
summer and we want you to participate!
short throw shifter in the Z4, the
Because our newsletter is published every
shifter in the M3 felt absolutely sloppy.
90 days, we sometimes add events or make
The B7 reminded me of piloting the
changes to them after the newsletter is
starship Enterprise – it was huge but
published. There are 2 ways you can stay
very fast. Warp speed was a pedal away
informed on what’s coming up:
but without any excitement or sense
1. Get notified via email by joining
of urgency. It simply went fast quietly.
our Yahoo Mailing List. To subscribe,
And with all the knobs, buttons, and
send an email to:
RiverCityBimmers-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
dials, it had way too many moving
Enter SUBSCRIBE in the subject line and parts for me. Trying to figure out
your real name in the body text. It may which lever or knob or button turned
take a day or so to be approved and added off the butt massager was a pain in
to the list. Don’t worry - we don’t share the… well, you know. The best drive Roadshow was the first to receive the 135i!
the list with anyone. of the day was the 135. Small, nimble,
2. Check our website, calendar, and huge brakes, plenty of power thanks to the twin turbo chargers, great steering feel and
forum! If you haven’t visited, we have a an uncluttered interior was very refreshing.
great website with a calendar of events, a But, as you most likely have heard, the base
discussion forum, and photo album of price on a 135 is $36K. That’s about $4K too
past events. Our website address is: much, in my opinion. With all the bells and
http://www.rivercitybimmers.org whistles you can bump that 135 up into the
Of course we will continue to send low $40’s VERY easily. At that point you are
out the reminder postcards but these close to the price point on a 335. I think I’ll
don’t give you as much time to plan be- wait to see some used or lease returns on
cause they go out the week before the event. Jason Phillips takes the Z4 for a spin. Continued on page 10
4
April - June 2008 River City Bimmers
True Friends Mid-America
’02 Fest by Clyde Gates
New Members
Please welcome our newest members!
Stephen Barek ‘97 540i Arlington, TN
Larry Burns ‘08 335i Little Rock, AR
John Goodyear Germantown, TN
Terry Kennedy ‘08 528i Collierville, TN
Michael Miller ‘97 740i Eads, TN
Paul Norman ‘98 740il Memphis, TN
Andrew Prislovsky ‘08 X3 Memphis, TN
The Eighth annual “True Friend of Alex Von Faulkenhausen” Hashim Alsaffar ‘03 325ci Cordova, TN
Mid-America 2002 Fest was the best yet. A total of 31 2002’s, David Bailey ‘07 530i Collierville, TN
accompanied by a turbocharged 320i, an Isetta, an Isetta Limo, and Andy Birmingham ‘08 128 Searcy, AR
several other 2002 admirers gathered in Eureka Springs the last June Brack ‘07 328i Cabot, AR
weekend in April to celebrate the most famous sports sedan in Scott Cohen Memphis, TN
BMW history. Bo Black and Keith Kreeger have done such an Michael Guthrie ‘87 M6 Memphis, TN
exceptional job Karon Martin ‘07 335i Maumelle, AR
organizing the ’02 David Perdue ‘08 750li Memphis, TN
Fest that it seems Bret Andrews ‘99 528i Cordova, TN
to almost take Robert Churinetz Germantown, TN
place by magic. Jacob Jenkins ‘02 M3 Oxford, MS
David Mayhall ‘98 328is Cordova, TN
Dennis Meredith ‘02 530i Little Rock, AR
Len Reuss ‘05 330i Memphis, TN
5
River City Bimmers April - June 2008
Autocross!
one the week before the event. We actually had a
full roster plus 2 or 3 people on the wait list. For
those thinking about doing the next one, we
Cone Dodging Days are BACK! advise you to get your registration in EARLY. If
you wait, you may not get a spot. The weather
held out all day and everyone got in seven runs –
that’s a LOT for an autocross. If you want to see
more photos or download the results, see our
website and forum.
Huge thanks go to Dick Carruth, our Vice
by James Parker
President, who did 99.9% of the legwork to get
this off the ground and lay the foundation for
all of our future autocrosses. If you have never
Cold and wet. That was the Race-On Driving at Memphis
done it, you have no idea of the fun you are
weather for our first autocross in Motorsports Park.
missing. We had seven novices (3 or less
quite a long time. Despite the damp The afternoon session was cut
autocrosses) and each one of them walked away
chill, it was a huge success and a lot extremely short as the rain that had
with no scratches on them, or their car. Most
held off all morning came
have never put their car through its paces, espe-
in with a roar. Even
cially handling-wise. It’s just too dangerous to
though it was shorter than
do it on the street. The thought of losing con-
planned, everyone had a
trol and going into a ditch or another car keep us
great time and begged us
very controlled in our daily driving. However,
to hold another one as
on an autocross course there are no ditches. No
soon as we could.
oncoming cars, no trees, poles, or even curbs.
So we did.
It’s a huge flat, level runway and the only thing
Our second autocross
that might get hurt is your pride. Especially if a
was held on Sunday, June
certain someone in a Dodge pickup truck spanks
the 1st, at the same location.
you on the course. Come on out for our next
The cost of renting the air-
event and just watch if you aren’t sure you want
strip in Millington really
to drive. Odds are once you do, you’ll be hooked.
makes it feasible to run
autocrosses there
for a small num-
David Norman’s E46 M3 gets ready to run ber of cars and
also keeps the cost
of fun. Seventeen cars, including per driver very reasonable.
some from the Midsouth MINIacs, BMWCCA members ran
showed up at the Millington Airport for $25 and non members
on March 29th for a day of cone ran for $35. The number of
dodging. There was even a Dodge drivers was capped at 24 so
pickup truck driven by Michael Revelle each person could get as
and an Acura TL driven by Allison many runs as possible.
Flynt running the course! The Dodge BMWCCA members were
pickup did VERY well…. I guess it given priority registration
helps a little that Michael works for then it was opened to every- Minis line up at the grid for their runs.
What is Autocross?
An autocross is a timed competition where drivers navigate one at a time through a temporary course marked by traffic
cones, rather than racing on a track with multiple other cars, as in road racing or oval racing. Autocross tends to place more
emphasis on car handling and driver skill than on sheer horsepower, and events typically have many classes which allow
almost any vehicle, from economy sedans to purpose-built vehicles, to compete. Speeds are slower in absolute terms when
compared to other forms of motorsports, usually not exceeding highway speeds, but the activity level (measured in discrete
turns per minute) can be higher than even Formula One due to the large number of elements packed into each course.
Autocross courses are typically 40 to 70 seconds in length.
6
April - June 2008 River City Bimmers
Autocross Apex: The middle of a corner, where you want the car to come as close to the inside
of the turn as possible
Camber: How far your wheels tilt in or out towards the top on a vertical axis.
Terms
Generally, negative camber helps even the load across the tires during cornering. "More
camber" refers to increasing negative camber, since positive camber is useless in autocrossing..
DNF: Short for "Did Not Finish". You will not get a score for a DNF.
Don’t be a total noob - read Gate: Two or more cones that you must drive between to stay on course. A series of
up and talk like a pro! gates makes up the layout of the course. Marker/Pointer cones (cones lying on their side)
often point towards the gates to help you out.
Grid: Where the cars line up in rows waiting to make a run.
Line: A mental line of travel you want the car to take to maximize speed through the
turns, and ultimately the whole course. Try to pick a line that causes the least amount of
turning the wheel, maximizes straight-aways, and minimizes time the car is not traveling
in a straight line. This is usually determined when walking the course before the event.
Marker: A cone or series of cones lying down. The cone they point to is the direction
you must go around it.
Oversteer: When the back tires lose traction and carry momentum straight while the
front of the car is turning. More common in RWD cars, and can be used to pivot a car
around a turn. The crazy uncle of oversteer is "snap-oversteer". This occurs when you
brake hard, get a little sideways, turn the wheel opposite to correct, and the momentum of
the rear causes the car to spin out. If you feel it happening, it is too late to do anything
Alison Flynt takes her Acura TL through the cones. about it.
Paddock: Where uninvolved cars, trailers, and equipment are kept during an event.
Only cars involved in the current heat are in grid. Everything else stays in the paddock.
PAX Index: Stands for "Professional AutoX", perhaps better explained as RTP,
meaning "Racer's Theoretical Performance". So you still don't know what it is... It is a
handicapping system that applies a multiplier to your time to compare it evenly with other
cars in different classes. That way the driver of a Geo Metro can be evenly judged against
the driver of a Lotus Elise, more or less. There's still no accounting for taste.
Pivot: A sharp turn (over 90%) or hairpin, usually designated by one or three large
cones. Mad skills are required to negotiate pivots successfully.
Reference Point: Cones or landmarks chosen when walking the course that you use
to judge where to brake or aim the car. Since things go by so quickly on the course, it is
helpful to decide ahead of time what reference points you will use.
Red Flag: A red flag on the couse tells the driver to come to a complete stop, because
something has gone wrong. It may be an obstacle on the course, or some other problem
that requires you to stop. If you are red flagged because of something you did not cause,
you will get a rerun if you come to a stop.
Slalom: A series of cones laid out in a line that require you to zig zag around them.
Trail Braking: A tricky technique of still having your foot gently on the brake while
entering a turn. The idea is to keep the weight of the car transferred more to the front,
allowing the back of the car to rotate. See "Oversteer".
Mike Riley enjoys his first autocross ever. Understeer: The tendency of a car to go straight instead of turning when the tires are
pushed to their grip limit. Also known as pushing. This is one of the most annoying
handling characteristics of stock vehicles, especially front wheel drives. Cars are set up from
the factory to understeer, because it is safer for the average person to deal with understeer
than oversteer in an emergency braking situation on the street.
Wall: A line of cones placed to prevent you from missing a not-so-obvious change
of direction on the course.
This is by no means an all-inclusive list, leaving out items like the Chicago Box,
decreasing radius turn, heel-toe shifting, corner weighting, etc. Some great books to help
you learn more are: Secrets of Solo Racing by Henry A. Watts; and Speed Secrets (I-III) by
Tom Coughlin and his M Roadster on the
course. Ross Bentley.
(From http://www.sierrasportscars.net/default_010.htm)
7
River City Bimmers April - June 2008
Roadshow BMW and North Point BMW Host Premier Parties
The New M3, 1 Series and X6 Arrive! by James Parker and Clyde Gates
Roadshow BMW Speed Channel’s special “Ultimate
Instead of our usual monthly din- Driver’s Challenge” on a special epi-
ner meeting in April, Roadshow BMW sode of Test Drive. Racers Tommy
hosted the Memphis area members for a Kendall, Boris Said, John Andretti
private premier of the new 1 series and and Graham Rahal put the new
M3. We had over
20 members show
up for some
pizza, Lenny’s
subs, hot wings,
and drinks. Plus,
general sales man-
ager Michael
Routh had set up
the show room
with the brand
new 1 series and BMW M3 through its paces. The
the latest E92 M3. competition included challenges
The 135 is simply through a slalom run, lane
an incredible car. I’ve always liked smaller changes, braking, skid pad perfor-
and lighter rather than bigger and heavier. mance and autocross competition,
While 500hp in an M6 is spectacular, it’s with the winner being awarded a
still a big and heavy car. Put 300hp in a 135 Another thing many members noticed $10,750 Girard-Perregaux watch. Al-
and the feel of acceleration is much more were the HUGE front brakes on the 135. though the competition was close,
pronounced, even though it isn’t as fast The calipers simply dominate the wheel. I Graham Rahal won the event and
as an M6. It also feels more nimble and doubt it will ever need a brake upgrade. the watch. Once again Roadshow
agile. Like comparing a gazelle to a lion. Another thing we noticed was the M3 se- provided some nice door prizes and
While in a straight line or going by sheer dan had a cheaper base price than the posters for everyone. A huge thanks
power alone, the lion comes out on top. coupe. The M3 really needs no options – to Michael and Roadshow for host-
But add the agility of the gazelle and it just order the base model and enjoy. ing the event and having us after
can, on occasion, get away from the lion. We also had a chance to watch the hours!
North Point BMW
With all the bad weather, aka “Tornadoes”, we have been having this year, I think that March (In like a Lion, Out like a Lamb)
is about 3 months long. March 26th, however, was one of the exceptions.
After a flurry of e-mails and telephone calls, and with many thanks to RCB member Don Pilkington, members of the Arkansas
contingent of the River City Chapter were invited to a special unveiling – and driving – of the new BMW 1 Series and the new BMW
M3. A week before the notice was given to the public, General Manager Brett Morgan of North Point BMW greeted about 50 River
City locals with edible treats and soft drinks – but the real treats were the new M3 and 1 Series to drive.
An X6 was also there on the showroom floor, but not available for driving. It was amazing to me that the proportions of the
X6 are so nicely balanced that I did not realize how big it was until I got up next to it and sat in it.
Oops, please excuse my divergence – back to the M3 and 1 Series. The M3 and the 128 and 135 coupe and convertibles were
available for driving, and there were very few periods of time during the 2 to 3 hours that they were not being subjected to rather
spirited driving. So much so that at one time, a member of the local police drove onto the dealer lot and requested that the
exhilaration level be reduced (it seems that someone in the “Arrest Me Red” M3 shifted into second gear and “squalled” the tires
immediately in front of the officer). As best as I could tell, the result of the officer’s visit was a short term change in the exit from
Continued on page 10
8
April - June 2008 River City Bimmers
Spring Detailing at Roadshow BMW
Saturday May 10th Roadshow BMW hosted us for a day of washing and detailing
our cars. They provided a large wash area and reserved an entire lane in the service
department drop off area so we could wax and polish in the shade. It was a great
opportunity to not only get the cars ready for summer (and those Saturday night Sonic
Cruise-Ins!) but to make people aware of the BMW CCA. We had many people
dropping their car off for service stop by to chat with us. Hopefully we’ll pick up a few
members as well! If there is enough interest, we may run another one towards the fall.
Thanks to General Sales Manager Michael Routh and Roadshow for hosting us
and providing the bottled water!! Susan Parker and Alisa Neal discuss detailing
techniques.
Dick Carruth shows off his Dinan 325ix We had 5 cars in the bay at all times getting detailed. The worst part of washing your car - Peter
Looked Great!! Zisson cleans his wheels.
1995 540i Black on Tan 133K miles.
Classifieds New clutch, new drive shaft, new motor mounts,
new on-board computer, new wheels and tires, and
new floor mats. I have also replaced the auxiliary
Email your ad to james3342
cooling fan, thermostat, water pump, and all coolant
@comcast.net. Be sure to include con- hoses, belts, and idler pulleys. It is exhibiting the
tact info. Pictures are optional. Item(s) front end shimmy that is common on these cars
does NOT have to be BMW related. and I have brand new upper and lower control
arms with upgraded bushings to fix this. It has a
Ad will only run ONCE unless it is
dent on the hood and a few dings and chips. The
resubmitted. Also, post your own transmission shifts smoothly and the engine pulls
classifieds on our forum! hard. $7000 OBO Contact Adam Coats
www.rivercitybimmers.org/forum acoats36@gmail.com (901) 487-6191
Want to be notified of upcoming events via email?
Dates, times, and locations can change. Sign up for email notification today! E-mail notification of meetings, events, etc. is
done through a Yahoo Group. When you subscribe, please enter your actual name in the body of the email, or at least your first
initial and correct last name, so we know who is who. The group is for Chapter members only. Names that are not recognized may
be removed. To subscribe to the mailing list, send an e-mail to: RiverCityBimmers-subscribe@yahoogroups.com. Your e-mail
address will not be sold or used for any purpose other than notifications from River City Bimmers.
9
River City Bimmers April - June 2008
Dates and times are subject change! Sign up below for email
Calendar of Events notification and watch our forum at www.rivercitybimmers.org
for the latest info!!
Juli 2008 September 2008
Winery Tour & Tasting 9:30am Depart Memphis for Old Dinner Meeting 6:30pm Belmont Grill, 9102 Poplar Pike
Medina Winery, 2894 Old Medina Rd, Jackson, Tennessee Germantown, TN 38138........... ....................................18 Sep
38305. RSVP to james3342@comcast.net.....................12 Jul
Putt Putt Family Outing Time TBD. Bring the family for
Euro Cruise-In 6:30pm Sonic Drive In, 1305 N. unlimited go karts, batting cages, putt putt golf, and more!
Germantown Prkwy, Germantown, TN........................12 Jul Wrist band cost should be approximately $16 per person.
Watch our website and look for the reminder card in the
August 2008 mail. Contact james3342@comcast.net with your RSVP.
5484 Summer Ave. Memphis, TN 38134. ...................20 Sep
Euro Cruise-In 6:30pm Sonic Drive In, 1305 N.
Germantown Prkwy, Germantown, TN.......................9 Aug
Tunica Riverboat Dinner Cruise 6:30pm Tunica, MS.
Details to follow. Cost is $39.50 per adult. RSVP and Premier Parties
prepayment REQUIRED. 2 hour cruise includes dinner/ Continued from page 8
entertainment and dancing. Check our website for more
the dealer lot and the driving route.
information or email james3342@comcast.net............23 Aug
Is the new 1 Series the reincarnation
of the 2002? I drove a 2002, and still own
Sonic Night Cruise-In’s! several, and tried to match the memory
of the driving experience with the new
Remember as a teen you would wash
the car and hit the local drive-in on a Sat- ones. The new 128 and 135 are so much
urday night? It was cool to see all the cars more refined, engineered, competent, ca-
that would show up and to hang out with pable, and developed that there is really
your friends over a burger or shake. Well, only one comparison that counts - Lust!
those nights are back and the only differ- After driving my first 2002 in 1968, I
ence is we are a little older and it’s no longer came home and told my bride of a few
just Camaros and Mustangs. months that I was going to own one of
In April, the summer Sonic Euro Car them someday. After driving my first M3
Cruise-Ins started. The cruise-in is loosely in the late 1980s, I had the same type of
organized and open to everyone, but the visceral reaction – which remains unsatis-
emphasis is on European cars – BMW, fied to date.
Porsche, Mercedes, Ferrari, Lotus, Mini Minis and BMWs - Perfect combination The new 1 Series (even the convert-
Coopers, MG, Alpha Romeo, Maserati, etc. ible) did not have that same effect on me
You never know what may show up – – but of course, I am a lot less lusty in
we’ve had several Ferrari’s, some vintage many other ways now. [Editor’s note:
Alpha Romeos, Lotus Elise, right hand MANY thanks to the local dealerships for
drive Mini Coopers, antique MG’s, and their support of the BMWCCA and it’s
even a Smart Car! The only thing missing members!!]
is you and your BMW! The cruise-in is
held at the Sonic Drive-In, 1305 North Drive for the Cure
Germantown Road, in Cordova, TN from Continued from page 4
6:30pm until. No need to RSVP or any- Vintage Ferrari and right hand drive Mini
thing – just cruise by and get a burger or Cooper these and see where the price falls.
shake. We don’t meet if the weather is The Drive for the Cure is held each
bad – it’s a fair weather event only. Cur- year and raises money for the Susan G.
rently, the cruise-ins are set for the second Komen breast cancer research foundation.
Saturday of the month, but that could It’s for a good cause and allows us to drive
change. Be sure to check our website and the newest and best cars BMW (or any car
calendar for the latest updates. Hope to manufacturer for that matter) have to of-
see you there! fer. If you have not made an event, you
Anyone care to guess what this is? It had a should definitely watch the calendar for
small block V8 under the hood! next year’s!
10
April - June 2008 River City Bimmers
by John Lessel
11
River City Bimmers
P.O. Box 382305
Germantown, TN 38183-2305
