N55 DISASTER PREVENTION

I own a 2018 M2 (F87) and love it. I keep my cars for ten years or more and am a big believer not only in regular “old school” maintenance but preemptively replacing parts that have higher failure rates.

I replaced the plastic charge pipe early on several years ago, and I am considering replacing the plastic “Mickey Mouse” flange (thermostat to cylinder-head hose) and adding a crank-seal guard. What are your thoughts regarding these? Can you recommend any other replacements that may help prevent costly repairs in the future

Mort Kahlenberg
Atlanta, Georgia

As one N55 M2 owner to another, I have found that these two failure items usually occur only when neglected. The Mickey Mouse ear flange does get soft over time due to its material; if you do ever remove it and it shows signs of being brittle, then it is very wise to replace it. I think by the time you are at the 75,000-mile mark, it should be considered for preventive replacement. However, I have seen them go for much more mileage (100,000-plus). Once they are removed, we discover the true integrity of the part.

Same with the serpentine belt: If there are signs of cracking or fraying on the edge of the belt, replace it. I will say that BMW belt life has improved considerably in the last fifteen years, but they can still fail by or before the 100,000-mile mark. Also, a failing idler pulley could cause the belt to fail and get sucked into the front crank seal, so I think the guard is a good idea for peace of mind. Maintaining the engine with a known good serpentine belt and healthy pulleys can prevent belt failure.

As for other replacements, I recommend a new water pump by 100,000 miles. I do not trust an electric water pump as far as a I can throw it, so I replaced the one in my wife’s M2 at around 65,000. But other than that, the N55 is solid and requires relatively low maintenance.

LOWERING A FIVER—OR NOT

I have a 2001 530i five-speed with sport package. I love this car and how it rides, but I would like to lower it, especially in the front—just a little bit to close the fender gap. The rear ride height is fine. Do you have a suggestion?

Also, my driver’s-door window regulator is making cracking or popping noises, and I am afraid it is about to go. Can you recommend an available replacement that is a high-quality part? I have been told that most of them will not last a month.

Rob Walshe
Morrisville, North Carolina

When it comes to lowering the car, you must do it in conjunction with both axles—you should not just lower the front a little, because that will induce more rake into the chassis geometry, and can make the car feel unstable. Also, the only way you are going to lower the car is to use an aftermarket spring kit, which comes as a set, front and rear. If you only want to lower it a little bit, then I would recommend an aftermarket OE replacement spring or one that will only lower it no more than half an inch. Most aftermarket “sport suspension” springs will lower the car over an inch in the front and half an inch in the rear. Also, changing the springs will change how the car rides; it may not be noticeable to some, but if you are pleased with the way the car drives and rides now, please understand that changing the springs and lowering the chassis will affect it.

As for the window regulator, there is no upgrade that I am aware of. If you buy it from BMW, then it comes with a two-year unlimited-mileage parts warranty whether they installed it or not. Hope this helps.

X3 SUNROOF WOES

On my 2018 X3 (G01), my sunroof “pops” when it is opened after it has not been opened for several days. When this occurs, the interior headliner associated with the sunroof often bunches up instead of retracting the several inches as it should. The popping is loud and smacks of a significant mechanical interference. It has been doing this for several months, and so far, nothing has broken, but I am worried. I did apply Gummipflege to the gaskets between the moveable glass panel and the larger glass panel that retracts farther back; I thought this might resolve the problem, and it did not re-occur for several days, but eventually the popping came back.

Dave Lenderking
Wilmington, New Jersey

Sunroof popping noises are never good—however, it is tough to determine what exactly is causing the popping without entirely removing the sunroof cassette. My concern is that at some point it is going to pop and stop moving, and you will not be able to close it, so please beware of this risk.

You will most likely need to take it to someone who is familiar enough with the sunroof cassette to diagnose the issue. While it may be possible to remove the retractable glass part, you still might not be able to see the defect with it still installed in the car. Assuming that you do get the cassette out of the car, it may be determined that the failed part is not serviceable, meaning that there is no separate replacement part, and you will have to replace the entire cassette, glass excluded. I just had this experience with an F13 6 Series, and the repair was $3,500 at the dealership—with discount. I recommend that you prepare for the worst-case scenario.

The post Tech Talk | Preventing Destruction, To Lower or Not, and Sunroof Problems appeared first on BimmerLife.

MAYBE IT’S VANOS SPLINES

I’m a long-time BMW CCA member (#103837) and have owned too many BMWs to count: 2002s, my bought-new E30, E28s, and several E46s (kids’ and wife’s cars).

I bought our E39 (’99 528i) new. It’s a sport package, five-speed car with just shy of 185,000 miles on it. I have always maintained the car myself with one exception: the original A/C compressor failed. I used a long-time friend’s shop (also a long-time BMW CCA member) to fix the A/C system. Unfortunately, he retired and closed the shop. Our E39 has been and still is a great car.

I am getting stumped with a SES code: P1522, “A camshaft position actuator bank 2.” I have an ES Code Buddy Pro scan tool. I understand that the cam-position sensors are known to fail, and therefore I replaced both the intake and exhaust-side position sensors; I replaced them one at a time starting with the exhaust because of the “bank 2” reference. I reset it and not too many miles later, the SES light reappeared: same code. Referencing the “A” in the code, I decided that maybe it was the intake sensor, so I replaced that. I reset it and several miles later, the SES light came back on: same code. Note that I used BMW OEM sensors.

I then focused on the SES code term “actuator,” and decided that it must be referring to the VANOs solenoid(s). Separately, I have now replaced both intake and exhaust solenoids. (I bought Febi Bilstein solenoids.) I received the same code after each replacement. Because they are identical, I swapped the two solenoids hoping for a different code, but again got the exact code.

One footnote, my reader first says that the code is manufacturer-specific, so I have to select BMW to get to the referenced code. Maybe that’s merely a reflection of my reader more than the actual problem. About a year ago, I rebuilt the VANOS system (seals and bearings) due to what I believed to be a sign of seal failure: erratic idle when cold. I have driven approximately 1,000 miles since the rebuild without any issues prior to the recent SES troubles. The car continues to run great.

Could you help me or share my note with the appropriate person?

Phil Williams

Your diagnosis is not too far off. Since you have replaced nearly everything in the VANOS system, it’s time to turn to the camshaft sprocket and piston for the VANOS unit. The M52TU/M54 engine is pretty good at being able to keep running (and rather well) despite faults in the system. I’m going to assume for a minute that even though you rebuilt the VANOS unit, you did not replace the splined pistons that go into the adjustable camshaft gear(s); if this is correct, I recommend that you take a close look at the splines for both intake and exhaust pistons, as well as the splines in the camshaft sprockets. What I hope you find is that there are some wear marks indicating that the piston splines are touching the splines of the camshaft sprocket, causing them to bind. This will cause the fault P1522, “‘A’ camshaft position actuator bank 2” to be stored because the speed of the adjustment request by the DME is too slow. I think that’s why the car still runs well but throws the fault; it’s just barely out of parameters of the DME.

Can I also assume that this engine runs on 5W-30 oil as indicated on the under-hood label? It’s a long shot, but maybe running oil that is too thick is causing this as well. However, considering the mileage of your E39, my bet is on the VANOS piston/sprocket splines. Let me know what you find.

PARKING BRAKE ISSUES

I have a 2016 X3 3.5i with a parking-brake issue. I was having intermittent problems with it over the past few weeks, and had it repaired by a BIMRS shop. They replaced the brake switch; I left the shop and everything was great. I got it home, pulled in the garage, and turned the brake on. However, the red light on the switch did not come on, so I turned the parking brake off, and it immediately went into malfunction.

I have tried for the last two weeks to undo the brake. I tried every combination of starting the engine while pushing the brake-off switch. I disconnected the battery for two hours, but nothing worked. Apparently there is no manual way of releasing the brake for this year and model. At this point I can’t get the car out of the garage, because the brakes are locked up, unless I drag it out, which I would like to avoid. Do you have any suggestions—or better yet, a solution?

Ted Dannerth

Sorry to hear about this! BMW did not do us favors with the newer cars when trying to get them into neutral or unlocked in a rare emergency. I’m sorry you’re dealing with this. Fear not about getting the car out of the garage; most tow companies are equipped with wheel dollies that can get under the tire and allow the car to pivot and move with some man power. This link is what they usually have. https://www.harborfreight.com/automotive/jacks-jack-stands/vehicle-dollies/1300-lb-capacity-self-loading-positioning-wheel-dolly-64601.html

We have these at the dealership for when cars come in locked up as well.

I WANT TO BE ALARMED

Thanks again for your help when I was in desperate need of a differential for my E60 530i. During that period of uncertainty, I entertained finding a replacement—but now that the diff is fixed, this car is a keeper. I’ve owned it for eight years: new shocks, tires, A/C compressor. Plus it’s got BavSound speakers and upgraded interior. It’s comfortable, reliable, economical, and fun to drive.

Deciding to keep the E60, I’d been noodling with the idea of buying a second car, more for fun, for a couple of years. This week I pulled the trigger and bought a new old car, a 2008 E85 Z4 M roadster with a six-speed and just a few more than 17,000 miles on the clock! It’s in Cincinnati and should be delivered in the next ten days or so. Waiting is the hardest thing.

Reading through the build sheet, the car appears to have been wired for an alarm, but was not equipped with one. I assume that only the BMW alarm will work with the wiring. Are those available as an after-market purchase, and maybe within the capacity of this shadetree mechanic to install?

Thanks for all your help and expertise. You’re a great part of the CCA team!

David R. Good
Phoenix, Arizona

Hi, David! Glad I was able to help with the E60—and congratulations on the M roadster! I truly think that BMW nailed the roadster with the E85 chassis and S54 engine; that car is just a great top-down cruiser. If you’re able, stop by La Jolla Independent when you drive the car to California. Just tell them Nick from Tech Talk sent you. I promise you won’t be disappointed.

When BMW says “wired for alarm,” that means you can buy the alarm retrofit kit from BMW parts and have it installed. It will need to be coded to work properly, but the retrofit itself is not that involved. The alarm gets installed in the wheel well and then it gets encoded so that it will beep and do its job. An independent shop like LJI should be able to do the coding but sometimes they can’t. It just depends on what equipment the shop has. In the end, the dealership can get it done.

The post Tech Talk | VANOS Conundrum, Parking Brake Issues, and an Alarming Discovery appeared first on BimmerLife.

One of the things that all BMW owners share is an appreciation for cars “designed for driving pleasure.”

With the official BMW Car Club of America (CCA) National Capital Chapter (NCC) – M Chapter 2026 Wall Calendar, enthusiasts can personalize their space, organize their schedule and admire BMW’s timeless German masterpieces every day of the year.

The new 2026 NCC – M Chapter Wall Calendar is filled with a wide variety of pictures from leading Concours Exhibitions and BMWs in race competition. This is a must-have for every club member and all BMW enthusiasts. Order a few, use them as gifts, and share them among your BMW friends.

The calendar will also come pre-populated with holidays and many of the club related events that we already have scheduled to take place in the upcoming year.

Calendars are 8.5 x 11 and priced at $15 each, $14 each for 2 and $13 each for 3.
Additional home delivery option 1-2 $12, 3+ $23
Be sure to pick up a calendar for yourself or for a loved one as a gift for the holidays or a treat for yourself (we won’t judge).

To order, register at MotorsportReg.com and include in the comments your name, mailing address, your intention to arrange to pick up or get your order delivered (there’s an additional cost for delivery), email, and telephone number along with the quantity of calendars that you would like to purchase. We will respond with a payment confirmation.

The post Time to Order Our Annual Wall Calendar appeared first on BimmerLife.

Boot up your memories. This isn’t a throwback… it’s a time warp. We’re taking you straight back to the garage menu of Gran Turismo 2, the car-select screen of Need for Speed II, and the golden age of true driver’s cars. All your sports magazines have Michael Jordan on the cover, and yes, the Dallas Cowboys were still America’s team. 

This year’s Classic Raffle grand prize is pure analog magic: a refreshed 1998 BMW E36 M3 Sedan, Alpine White over Dove Gray, 5-speed manual, rear-wheel drive with no touchscreen in sight.

M3 Perfection. 4 Doors. 1 Winner. 

For a lot of our members, this is a sweet spot in the M3 lineage. Balanced. Responsive. Mechanical. The kind of car you feel before you even fire it up. And buttons – yes, there are there actual, physical buttons you can press. No touchscreens here. 

Whether you’re chasing apexes or chasing nostalgia, this refreshed E36 M3 delivers the kind of raw, rewarding drive that earned it a permanent spot in video games, tuner culture, and the hearts of BMW fans everywhere. 

And now? It could be yours.

BimmerWorld Refresh

This M3/4/5 was purchased earlier this year from longtime BMW CCA member and BimmerWorld team racer James Walker Jr., who kept the car in excellent condition with a detailed stack of service records. After a road trip from Texas to Virginia with James Clay and CCA President Jeff Caldwell, the car is now at the BimmerWorld Shop for a full refresh before heading off to its next lucky owner. In this first installment, James Clay teams up with our resident E36 expert Patrick Grace to inspect the car, review its history, and outline the plan to make this M3 the ultimate raffle prize.

ENTER FOR A CHANCE TO WIN THIS CLASSIC BMW E36 M3!

TICKETS ARE $25 EACH! 

Raffle ticket sales for the 2025 Classic Raffle officially launch on Wednesday, October 1st and will remain open until Friday, December 12th. Tickets are just $25 and can be purchased online at bmwcca.org/classic-raffle. 

There’s no limit to how many tickets you can buy. The more you enter, the better your odds of driving away in this analog dream machine. 

SPECIAL DRAWING PRIZES! 

There are even more ways to win! Purchase a Classic Raffle ticket during a special drawing period and you’ll also be entered to win the associated prize. 

The National Office will contact drawing winners directly via email and/or phone. Make sure your contact information is up-to-date! 

The post Ends This Week!! Win a 1998 BMW E36 M3 Refreshed by BimmerWorld! Reveal Video!! appeared first on BimmerLife.

Right now, my daily is a 2023 Honda Civic Type R, a truly fantastic car. I bought it three years ago, immediately after driving one at Road & Track‘s Performance Car of the Year test. My only car at the time was a Miata but we just had our first kid, so my excuse to my wife was that I needed a family car. The excuse worked. I went to the local Honda dealer and asked if they had one coming that wasn’t sold yet. Somehow, they did. It was blue. I told them I wanted a white one, and asked if I could wait. The wait? “We might get one in a year, or never.”

I bought the blue one.

That car has served me well, but life has also changed a lot. I have two kids now, work exclusively from home, and have less time to go on a drive than ever before. And when we go somewhere as a family, we take my wife’s car. That means the Type R spends a lot of time in the garage. Too much time. And here’s the thing, it’s a brilliant car, truly. Easily the best front-wheel-drive car I’ve ever been in. It’s reliable, has great seats, an amazing gearbox, handles well, and it’s actually fast. I love it. But it’s also not quite special enough to be a car I drive occasionally and it’s a waste to use it solely for school drop-off and errands. It should be on track or at the autocross, it should be pounding around back roads. Not only driving to CVS.

That’s why I’m heavily considering selling it, and soon. And that makes my brain go in two different directions for its replacement.

I could get a car that’s a little wilder to make those times I do drive feel like an occasion. Or I can get something a bit more normal that can handle the daily stuff easily. The main criteria is that I want an interesting BMW and I need something with backseats and more modern safety equipment for the kiddos. This would be my only car. Here’s the current list I’m considering.

E91 328i

Before I bought my (now sold) 2003 330i ZHP, an E91 was the top of my list. They’re relatively rare, which makes them interesting, relatively reliable, practical, and E90-chassis cars are fun to drive. They tick all the boxes for me. This is currently where I’m leaning.

The problem is the rarity, especially considering I’m only really interested in a rear-wheel-drive one with a manual gearbox and sport seats, and I’m not interested in certain colors (red or gold exterior or a white interior). Ideally, it’d be an LCI model, too. I know, I’m looking for a subset of a subset of a subset. Still, I’ve found a couple nice ones in the brief time I’ve been casually looking, so they’re out there.

i3/i3S REX

I’ve always thought the i3 was impossibly cool, a little moonshot that was ahead of its time and under-appreciated in period. I love the way they look and drive, and the way it would fit my criteria. An i3 would be inexpensive to run, practical, it’s interesting, and well-suited for the majority of my weekly driving.

There are problems, of course. I worry I’d get bored of it when the novelty wears off. I worry that, even with the REX, the occasional longer trip would be an exercise in annoyance. And I’d need to find one in a very specific spec: 2019–2021 model year with range extender, technology package so I get fast charging and the big screen, HK stereo, not black or red, and, while not a deal breaker, I’d prefer an S. In my couple of weeks of casual searching, I found one that fit the bill, and it sold pretty much immediately after I saw it.

E90 M3

I’m not going to lie, this is what I really want. I’ve loved the E90 M3 since it debuted, I find everything about it so cool. I want to put one in my garage, and badly. It’d handle school drop-off but also feel special on a quick backroad blast. It’d be fast on the highway and interesting around town. It fits every need I’ve mentioned.

But there are practical considerations. This would surely be the most risky and expensive car to run. Any M3 that I’d consider would need the big jobs done (rod bearings, throttle actuators, etc) and meticulous maintenance records. I’m really only interested in an LCI model, and I won’t consider a red one or one with a Dove interior. I’m less interested in an E92 or 93, but could be persuaded. Oh, and I vastly prefer a manual, though I would consider a DCT. If I had unlimited money, the car would be a low-mile 2011 slicktop Comp manual, single hump, in black, white, blue, or silver over Fox red.

I don’t have unlimited money.

I’m also considering a few other models a bit less seriously. The E34 or E39 M5 fit my needs, as does an E36 M3 sedan, but I’m not sure I want something more than 20 years old. An E60 M5 or E63 M6? Sure, but also I don’t want to go broke. And I’d need it to be a manual, which is impossible. I love E38s, but I simply can’t fit one in my garage. I don’t hate the idea of an X5, but I also don’t love it. I’m not against an E46 M3, but I already owned an E46 so not sure I want another one, at least right now. I’d love a Z4 M Coupe, but I’m not sure I can convince myself that I can have a two-seat car right now.

For any of these, I’m putting the top of my budget at $25,000. I care less about mileage than I do about extensive maintenance records. I’m not against a lightly modified car, but would prefer to be as close to stock as possible. And while I’m in N.J., I’m willing to travel for the right car.

So, now, I’m putting this out to you, the BimmerLife readers. What do you think of these choices? Have another idea I might not be thinking about? Seen one that I should consider? Have one of the above that fits my criteria–criteria that evolves daily, to be fair–you might want to sell? Leave a comment below or email me. I’d love to hear from you.

The post Help Me Pick My Next BMW appeared first on BimmerLife.

This is an E30 318i, and at a glance, it’s just a 318i, and a particularly clean one at that. It has BBS wheels and some aftermarket lights, but other than that it looks like any other E30 you’d see on the road. But look a little closer and you’ll notice an aftermarket exhaust. Then look a little closer at those wheels; there are five lugnuts, not the traditional four. That gives a few hints, but popping the hood reveals all. It is not a 318i, not even close. This has the 3.2-liter S54 straight-six and a six-speed from an E46 M3.

via Bring a Trailer

That means the 318i, which came stock with about 100 hp, has more than triple that now. The S54 in this 318i was also rebuilt with new rod bearings, and Beisan VANOS components. There’s also a CSL-style airbox, a tune, and a Supersprint exhaust. The five-lug hubs are from an E36, as are the brakes. The suspension has Eibach springs, adjustable camber plates, and upgraded sway bars.

via Bring a Trailer

The paint was stripped and a new coat of factory black was put on in 2021. The interior looks lovely, with a ZHP shift knob and a Momo wheel. There’s a lot to love here.

This car is for sale now on Bring-a-Trailer, and with a week left bidding is already at for $41,000. We’ll update when the auction closes, and if you by it, give us a call.

Update: On 11/17, the car sold for $55,000. 

The post This S54-Powered E30 318i Is So Cool appeared first on BimmerLife.

Many of the 420 registered cars were BMWs.

Last month, the historic Port of Los Angeles in San Pedro, CA hosted its third of the eight RADwood LA events. We’ll call it an event because it’s much more than a car show. It was fitting that this year’s event was held a week before Halloween, but pumpkins or not, costumes are always de rigeur at RADwood. For the younger set, that requires some “ChatGPT, show me some Eighties and Nineties clothing,” followed by scouring thrift shops. For others, it simply requires reaching into their closets and wishing those neon parachute pants still fit.

The 3-series is the most popular model/nameplate at RADwood.

This year, the RADwood team capped entrants at 420 cars. I might have been biased, but to my eye it sure looked like 97 percent of those were BMWs. BMWs were ubiquitous for Eighties prep; it’s not surprising it was the most represented marque, with the 3-Series being the most predominant nameplate. And with two decades of automotive representation, that covers a lot of BMW chassis from the E21 to all the way up to the E46 and even the E39.

The entry queue for the RADwood Royalty section provided constant oohs and ahhs.

For the uninitiated, if you’re a spectator, you simply park your car in the designated lot and pay your $20 entry ($25 at the gate if you dawdled getting them ahead of time). If you’re arriving in one of the 420 cars for display in either the RADwood Royalty or general entry, the queue was long. The morning juxtaposition of arriving cars likely gave multiple onlookers whiplash. It was a stream of awesome. A Pontiac Fiero followed by a Lincoln Mark VII ahead of a Toyota HiLux import a car length ahead of an E36 sedan. That was overshadowed by a lifted 1985 Dodge Ram truck lit up by the pop-up lights on a 928 trailed by a 500SL and then a laminate-wood paneled Country Squire wagon showing its brake lights to a Testarossa.

The RADwood team did a great job arranging cars inside the Royalty section.

The Royalty section was inside an old warehouse while the general entries parked outside. The retired SS Lane Victory cargo ship loomed behind some of those rows and many vendors, making for a picturesque and historic backdrop. That ship saw time in World War II, the Korean War (including bringing thousands of evacuated Korean civilians and U.S. troops out of Korea), and the Vietnam War, its wartime activities turning to museum ship in 1990—which also makes its arrival Radwood-era appropriate.

The SS Lane Victory towers above a portion of the event.

Food trucks, a fantastic DJ (we hear you, DJ dpfonix!), rows and rows of cars, trucks, and motorcycles, fantastic period attire, and active vendors and sponsors provided plenty of activities and eye candy for the whole family. In fact, one such vendor, XPEL, spent the day transforming the M Coupe of Jeff Siojo into a tribute to the Calder art car. Crowds gathered throughout the entire day to to see the process using their Color PPF.

Jeff Siojo’s M Coupe started the day in its solid red only. After four hours with the XPEL and PFS team and some Color PPF, it became a Calder Art Car tribute.

There were many other amazing sponsors and vendors but special mention should go to the Petersen Museum. The Petersen hosted an early RADwood LA and is currently featuring the Totally Awesome exhibit, replete with an actual BMW art car. So it was fitting that as one entered the warehouse, the first thing to see was the Petersen booth with four mic-drop cars from the museum: a Porsche 959, a Bugatti EB110, a Honda NSX-R, and the aforementioned Batmobile. Each car was responsible for many jaws dropping and many camera shutters clicking.

The Petersen Museum brought out some RAD royalty fer sure

There were countless RADwood veterans who made their annual pilgrimage the LA-edition of the show. Matt Rose and his girlfriend, Joelle Nottke, are repeat attendees. “We had an absolute blast!” exclaims Rose.  “That was our second time at the San Pedro location for the show and I don’t think we’ll ever miss one in the future.  Joelle and I love the 80s and 90s time period, from the cars to the music and the fashion from that era. RADwood is the perfect event for those to blend together.  We can’t wait for next year!”

Underneath the hood of Matt Rose’s E36 lurks an S52.

They arrived in their own example from that era, too. “We brought my 1995 325i convertible E36 with an S52 swap,” Rose continues. “I’ve had it for eleven years; it’s my first car! The highlight of the event was getting to see so many of our friends from all around SoCal. The Radwood community is second to none!”

Denis Lavrov and Jeff Siojo apply the XPEL Color PPF to Siojo’s M Coupe.

There were probably just as many first-timers, too. Jeff Siojo had his car at the XPEL booth for the Calder art car treatment and spent a good amount of time helping with the installation, but still managed to get out and enjoy the show a bit. “There were certainly a lot of cars there that I had not seen before,” he says. “The event was definitely colorful, vibrant with both colors and energy. For me it was great because I got to talk to a lot of people who came up to the XPEL booth probably to watch what was going on with the car. It felt special to be part of something that big.  It’s one thing to have a booth car, but to be featured and active like that is pretty crazy.

“I’d have to say the new Calder art car livery is definitely rad and the colors, even though the actual car was from the seventies, fits the colorful vibe of the event,” Siojo adds. “I’ll keep it on for a few months at least. I already want to add a few things that we just didn’t get to in that relatively short time.  It’s a 1999 and I’ve owned it since 2017.  I like changing my wheels and other touches, but I know a lot of my friends did not expect this much a departure for me, but also for how quickly the car went from rad to…well, I think radder!”

The Batmobile, provided by the Petersen Museum, saw a lot of (foot) traffic all day.

Not taking anything away from Siojo’s “new” art car, the Batmobile ranked as a top part of the day for many attendees, new and returning, young and old.  One of those counting that as a highlight was RADwood co-founder Art Cervantes. “Having the ‘real’ Batmobile at the core of the show was amazing,” Cervantes says. “Big thanks to the Petersen for bringing that out and supporting the Rad-era! Overall, it seemed that there was even more variety and an even higher quality of cars than in some years past. We’ve done 57 RADwood events and now eight Los Angeles shows. This one was genuinely my favorite so far. We had a lot of great entrants, but we were also able to curate the show well.”

Somehow, Art Cervantes found time to clean his beautiful E30 all while running the event!

Cervantes is not just a rad-era fan; he’s a BMW fan, too, and brought his 1987 325iS. “I bought it stock in May of 2020 from a friend who had it at Radwood back in 2017,” he explains. “Since then, I’ve completely resto-modded the car mechanically and added some aesthetic touches. Some of those highlights include an engine swap to a Honda K24 that currently puts down 235whp at 7750rpm.”

This little Honda K24 is probably not stock in Art Cervantes’ 325iS.

“RADwood continues to grow, from an awareness standpoint, especially with ‘automotive-adjacent’ RADwood Era enthusiasts,” he continues. “These are folks who are into the lifestyle element and may be somewhat interested in cars, but not as hardcore as dedicated car people. This draws more people in and in some cases, leads to vehicle purchases, too! The key, though, is that RADwood caters to a broader audience drawn to the retro theme of the period versus just the cars. And nostalgia, in the words of the late Rick James, is a hell of a drug! And we have some epic things coming in 2026, including expanding ‘vehicles in motion’ at our shows!”

The early set-up at the XPEL booth before the M Coupe’s transformation began.

That energy is definitely growing. Last year, XPEL’s Senior Marketing Manager, Jacques Joubert, attended to get a feel for the event. This year, XPEL had quite the presence.  “XPEL is the official protection partner for Hagerty, so collaborating for RADwood made perfect sense,” Joubert says. “RADwood stood out as a key opportunity for us to connect with passionate automotive enthusiasts in a uniquely nostalgic and engaging setting. The event allows our brand to blend technical innovation with a genuine sense of fun and community.”

There was constant activity around the M Coupe all day.

Joubert was born in the middle of the Rad-era and is still drawn to many aspect of it. “I grew up surrounded by Eighties and Nineties sports cars,” he adds. “My father is a passionate car enthusiast. Some of my earliest memories are of his turbocharged 700 horsepower Honda CRX which he raced in quarter-mile and half-mile events. To me, that era produced some of the most iconic driver’s cars ever made. Seeing so many of them together at one event is a reminder of why so many enthusiasts, myself included, remain inspired by that period.”

The festival environment of RADwood provides a fantastic experience for attendees but also vendors and supporters. The attendees actively engage with them. “Most XPEL events focus on engaging with new vehicle owners who want immediate protection for their investment,” Joubert continues. “RADwood, however, offers a different kind of value.  It’s about passion and preservation. It gives us an opportunity to educate long-time enthusiasts on how our protection solutions can help maintain the look and integrity of iconic vehicles, not just new vehicle models. We’re very excited to participate in the next RADwood event at COTA in Austin, Texas, later this month. We’ll have another exciting live demonstration and are looking forward to connecting with local enthusiasts. It’s especially meaningful since XPEL’s headquarters are right nearby in San Antonio, so it will feel like a homecoming for the team.”

RADwood is more than just cars; its the celebration of the era.

For some, RADwood is an excuse to find that next car. There were a number of people (I may or may not have been one of those…) who leave the previous show wondering what attire—or even car—we need to acquire before the next one. It’s a unique experience that levels the playing field and allows a very used Eagle Vision to get as much applause as a Porsche 911, regardless of which cassette tapes are scattered on the passenger seat.

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The car-control clinic teaches the limits of your car, of yourself, and of physics, Street Survival for the grown-up crowd.

Eighteen drivers registered for the O’Fast 2025 event. Chaired by Bill Wade and Jaynee and Tim Beechuk—plus volunteer instructors—the event featured three different sections: an actual classroom, with video and an instructor; a skid pad; and a handling-and-braking course, set up similar to an autocross course with cones and asphalt.

First came the classroom, with videos and instruction on vehicle dynamics and what affects them: tires, suspension, road surface, weather—and driver attitude. Then came the fun part. With the class divided into two halves for efficiency, one group experienced the skid pad while the other took to the handling-and-braking course.

The skid pad is a circle described by cones, with a concentric outer circle perhaps twenty feet farther from the center than the inner one. The object is to drive the circle at increasing speeds, staying within that twenty-foot lane. Oh, and did I mention a spray truck that keeps the circle nice and wet? And if your car has traction control, it must be turned off.

Students quickly learned about traction limits—and how to recover from the resulting skid before it turned into a spin when those limits were reached. Speeds increased as did confidence—and grins.

While one group was going in circles, the other was experiencing what amounts to a short low-speed autocross. With some tight turns and a multi-gate slalom, it was much like downhill skiing, but for cars. The object is to learn how your car reacts to sudden and repetitive sharp maneuvers; the lesson is designed to improve your ability to perform. For example, a quick right-to-left-back-to-right maneuver in order to avoid a car that’s suddenly backed out a driveway in front of you.

Hard braking is also a part of this session. In this exercise a student would accelerate to a typical street speed—35 to 40 mph—and on the instructor’s command drivers were to come to a quick stop as close as possible to—but before hitting—a stationary cone. Some students experienced the potentially unnerving rat-a-tat-tat of their cars’ ABS systems for the first time; they also unlearned what Driver’s Ed taught before the invention of ABS.

I had a chance to talk with two car-control-clinic participants, both from the Windy City Chapter. Wes Diggs normally drives a 7 Series, on the larger end of the BMW vehicle scale, and wanted a little more expertise in keeping it pointing straight ahead, especially during Chicago winters. He was driving a friend’s smaller BMW (a 3 Series, if I recall). “The clinic really helps me to define the handling boundaries of my car,” he told me, “in a nice, safe environment—not on Chicago streets.”

Not only was this Theresa Buck’s first car control clinic but her first O’Fest-style event—and her first BMW. She comes by Bimmerhood honestly; her grandparents had BMWs, and when, in her words, she “got her first Big Girl car,” it had to be a BMW. She’d been driving her new-to-her BMW since February, but she said that she hadn’t really driven it. “The Clinic was a chance to dip my toes into performance driving, since I’m driving a performance car,” she said. “I learned correct hand positioning on the steering wheel for maximum control, and how to make all changes—turns, braking, accelerating—smoothly. On the skid pad, I quickly learned the difference between oversteer and understeer, and what to do when visited by either. My day was well spent, and I’m a better driver for it.”

Buck added that she was looking forward to trying an autocross, and then perhaps a driving school. I think she’s hooked!

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Photo: Jon vanWoerden

There were 36 entrants in the O’Fast autocross, most driving Munich products but also a couple of Stuttgart escapees—along with a big honkin’ Mustang. Sadly for me, there was not a single BMW 2002. If I didn’t leave mine at home, I would’ve been out there.

The course took advantage of Road America’s motorcycle/go-kart track. Since the pavement width catered to motorcycles or karts, this tight road course eliminated the need for the occasionally overwhelming traditional autocross venue: an empty expanse of asphalt peppered with seemingly random cones. That changed the normal autocross learning curve and worked to level the playing field, since there wasn’t a 400 cone course to learn in a football stadium parking lot. That let everyone get up to speed quickly and safely. As a result, there was not a single off-course incident during more than 350 autocross runs.

Steve Stephanian of the Los Angeles Chapter chaired the event. Stephanian and his crew laid out the course, while the Fox River Sports Car Club provided all the autocross essentials: cones, timing equipment, and volunteers. The finished design featured one sharp curve after another, with the only straight less than 200 yards long, ending at the finish line. This discouraged straightaway heroics to make up for lost time in the twisties.

Let’s take a run through all those curves. A rolling start—to preserve tire tread—led directly to an immediate sharp left, followed by a tight S curve, and then yet another S, this one shaped more like a horseshoe. A very short straight—measured in feet—ended with an unequal-length switchback and a second horseshoe. Midway through that second horseshoe, with the suspension partially unloaded, drivers reached the crest of the course’s ascending portion, and that unloaded suspension was now lightened even further in the transition to the downhill second half of the course.

Next up was a left-to-right two-cone slalom; a cunningly placed cone might have lured a driver into thinking it was the horseshoe’s apex, but it wasn’t. After a panicked braking on the first (or even second) run to make it through those slalom gates without collecting cones (and penalties), the learning curve kicked in for most drivers, and they chose an earlier apex. Unfortunately—but of course deliberately designed—that right-hand exit was exactly the wrong way to approach the final wiggle: a sharp right-then-left. Now, at last, came a straight—with gravity providing more speed than really necessary, while a nice wide—but slightly offset gate—tempted the hot-shoes.

Drivers concentrating on the road twenty feet in front of the hood were then oblivious to the sharp right-hand finish gate; much rubber was sacrificed near this gate in a (usually) successful effort to avoid those ever-lurking cones.

All of this maneuvering took less than a minute. A good time was in the mid-50-second range.

Eric Kersten of the Badger Bimmers chapter on top of the Class B podium, also holding the FTD trophy

With efficient staging and running, each of the 36 drivers had eleven opportunities to make that perfect run. After the (rubber) dust had settled, Eric Kersten not only won his Class B in his 2024 M2, he had the fastest time of day (FTD) with a best run of 51.638 seconds, leading second-place finisher Rafael Garces—also in Class B—in a year-newer M2 by less than a second.

Kersten in his frozen blue M2 Photo: Richard Daugherty

Perennial hot-shoe Michael Washington led Class A, and was third overall driving his ’95 M3. Class A’s second-place finisher, Scott Smid, also drove a ’95 M3. Dimitar Stavrakov had the best time in Class C in his 2003 M3, followed by Matthew Scott, driving the same year and model BMW. The fastest driver in Class D was Chris Riester, who drove his 2003 330i Sport, followed by another perennial O’fest autocrosser, Mel Dillon, in his 2014 235i.

A 2014 328i was Dimitre Dimitrov’s weapon of choice, taking first in Class E, while Victor Garces was less than two seconds back in his 2024 2 Series Gran Coupé. Richard Daugherty wheeled his ’23 X3—not generally thought of as an autocross vehicle—around the course quickly enough to win Class F ahead of Richard Daugherty’s xDrive 330i.

Finally, in Class X—for non-BMW rides—Brian Tippens drove his Hyundai Ioniq to a class win, beating the two Porsches and the Mustang, much to the surprise of everyone except perhaps the owner. Even more surprising, he was fourth overall (!) for the day, just 2.1 seconds off the winning FTD. Apparently, all that electric-motor torque—and Tippens’s driving skill, of course—overcame the weight from the Hyundai’s batteries.

As always, the autocross did what it does best and gave entrants of all skill levels the opportunity to find the limits of their car in a safe, controlled setting. The only problem is that once you start autocrossing, it can be become addictive. Not a problem, of course, just make sure to increase that tire budget.

Top Photo: Jon vanWoerden

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Toyota only offers the Supra as a coupe, and BMW only offers the Z4 as a soft-top. A clear point of differentiation, plus the designs are so different that it isn’t likely you’d know the Z4 and Supra were basically the same car unless you’re a car nerd. Even if the coupe and convertible divide was done purposefully to avoid overlap and direct comparisons, a new Z4 coupe would be amazing. Now one Supra owner is doing just that.

Mario Chan, @mysupraadventures on Instagram, is putting a Z4 front clip onto his 2020 Supra, with the plan to have it ready before the SEMA show next month. I figured it’d be a fairly easy task, these cars were co-developed, so I imagined the parts would bolt up easily, no huge changes needed. Turns out I was wrong. It’s not close to plug and play. Chan has had to bring in parts from Germany in order to make the Z4 clip work with the Supra. There’s also been the need for custom fabrication to make the Z4 and Supra designs work with each other, since the Z4  leans more towards GT elegance and the Supra looks aggressive, sportier.

But it hasn’t been easy. Over email Chan told me his biggest challenge so far:

The most challenging part about the build so far was taking an idea of building a current generation Z4 Coupe and actually turning it into a reality. From the start, we discovered very quickly that very few panels actually fit between the models as well as differing bolt points. The exterior geometry and wiring between the cars (A90 Supra and G29 Z4) are also different. Without any manuals on how to do this “conversion” or good reference materials between the two cars, much of the build became a hands on journey of trial and error which required a lot of problem solving, creativity, and a willingness to fabricate custom components along the way, whenever things didn’t fit or function as expected.

Above: The early progress is promising, but certainly doesn’t look easy.

It’s still a work in progress as SEMA gets closer, but it now has a custom hood and other panels test-fitted by SOS Customz to make sure they work without issue. Still, it promises to end up being a fitting tribute to the original Z4 M Coupe, with that classic fastback shape. Once the body is complete, it needs an S58 and a six-speed swap, something Chan says they’re considering down the line.

Since the car is a 2020 model, the ECU is unlocked, which allows us to run a flash tune on the vehicle for a substantial performance jump. We’re pairing that with a range of complementary, Euro focused performance upgrades to achieve that perfect OEM+ performance, look, and feel (refined but with real substance behind it). Given our tight timeline leading up to the debut at SEMA Show 2025, we’re focusing on getting everything dialed in for the show first. But after SEMA, we’re considering taking things a step further with a possible S58 engine and manual transmission swap variant, giving the car the proper M badge and performance it truly deserves.

Then we’d finally have the Z4 M that BMW now refuses to build. Let’s hope he makes it happen.

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