Έχω καιρό να γράψω κάτι και με έτρωγαν τα δάχτυλα... ώσπου ήρθε η ευκαιρία
είναι στα Αγγλικά και δημοσιεύθηκε στο περιοδικό του BMW Car Club τεύχος Ιουλίου (δηλαδή αυτό το μήνα!).
Ο Jeff Heywood από το περιοδικό μού είπε "Ενδιαφέρον αν και κάπως προκλητικό." Οι κρίσεις δικές σας
Has BMW lost its BMW-ness??
Words/Photos Marie-Noëlle Lazaridou
I have been a BMW fan since the early 90s when the E36 was introduced. I was lucky enough to be able to buy a new E36 316i Luxus spec in 1998 in Greece, which is still with us, going strong with over 305,000 km.
The carΆs main characteristic? The well advertised 50:50 weight distribution that makes it a fantastic handling machine, even at the small 1.6lt engine guise with 105hp output. Some of you may have seen it when I brought it on and off to the UK in 2003 and we participated in many BMW Car Club events. Ultimate driving machine? Well certainly a driverΆs car, yes!
As time moved on and more and more BMWs started to appear with a great, as I have been told, automatic gearbox that can change gears quicker than the driver, that is more economical on fuel… and the new advertising is about fuel efficiency, smooth gear changes, no road tax, little BIK tax and things like that… nothing to do with driving dynamics, or driverΆs pleasure… I was in despair… test drove several of those, the F10 520d in auto mode (it drives just like my Jaguar XJ X-350, so why get a 5-Series with the automatic gearbox? I will simply keep my Jag). I even test drove the new 220d which came with the autobox… again… what a disappointment: the autobox really ΅killsΆ the performance and if one is a keen driver will most certainly ΅killΆ the fuel efficiency as well, so whatΆs the point?
So, came D3 ALP… yes an ALPINA D3 made in 2007 with manual gearbox (yipee!), twin exhaust, 200hp and 410Nm of torque; it goes like stink and it is such a good all-rounder, it certainly puts a very big smile on my face! On a recent trip to Greece, He (the car) met his old brother (…but more of that next time!).
Something was missing though…. whereΆs this burble when you press the accelerator? Just a diesel puff!!!… I should do something about it: an M car...? No, everybody has one, ha ha ha. I want something more rare and exclusive: an ALPINA D3 or B3 BiTurbo would be ideal, but they only come with an 8-speed autobox… thank you, but no, not another autobox please.
BMW has more news for us though, but not news to ΅die forΆ…itΆs rather to ΅die because ofΆ… The first FWD 2-Series is here… hmm, I do not know what to say, but certainly enjoyed immensely the bashing that this 4-wheeler (itΆs a sin to continue to call it BMW) had in a previous issue of Straight Six! And what about the new 1-Series, which, if equipped with the advanced Sat-Nav and has an autobox (again), will slow down on its own when it senses that a bend is on the way…. what… a car that will tell me what to do and drive me mad? No, no, no, no…
But wait a minute…why am I moaning? MY15 WRX (with a 6-speed manual gearbox, four exhaust pipes, 305 DIN, 407 Nm, 0-62mph in 5.2sec and top speed of 159mph) is waiting round the corner for me and I canΆt wait to get at the driverΆs seat again and again! Maybe the new generation of Subaru WRX STI is the answer that the keen BMW(!) drivers have been looking for, but instead we are ΅offeredΆ a new generation of Bimmer softies…! Of course D3 ALP is going to stay with me: these two are literally black and white! And how else would I go to the 50 years of ALPINA celebration?!
PHOTO CAPTIONS:
PHOTO 1: In action at a BMW Car Club Track Day
PHOTO 2: A 17-year old car at Neoi Poroi, a holiday destination near Katerini, Greece
PHOTO 3: This is how BMW dealers look after your car in Greece: see the covers on steering wheel, gear lever and hand brake. I removed the cover of the seat as I drove it away.
PHOTO 4: Old and new at Palio near Kavala in the north of Greece
PHOTO 5: Overseeing the bay of Kavala
PHOTO 6: Just wondering… is the STI the answer to the M?
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