JAN-FEB 09 NEWSLETTER · Brian Boehmer [email protected] Newsletter Editor Becky Brighton...

12
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2009 | www.bmwia.org NEWSWERKS THE OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER OF THE IOWA CHAPTER BMW CCA JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2009 IN THIS ISSUE: New Treasurer See Page 2 Cedar Rapids Informal Social See Page 2 Chicago Auto Show Trip See Page 3 Fall Color Tour Recap See Page 4 Annual Meeting and Awards Banquet Reservation Form See Page 5 Getting Board with Life? See Page 6 2009 Board of Directors Ballot See Page 6 BMW M3 See Page 7 Welcome New Members See Page 8 Brake Tech Session See Page 10 Annual Meeting and Dinner by Ken Boatwright and Jo Harvey Mark your calendars for Saturday, Feb. 28 at 6:30 pm! It’s the Annual Meeting and Dinner time again and we will revisit the Stoney Creek Inn at 5291 Stoney Creek Ct. in Johnston - more simply it is behind (east) of the American Furniture/ Appliance store on 86th St, north of I-80/35 at Exit 129. If you are coming early or staying late, there is plenty to do and eat nearby. On to the important parts; namely, dinner and speaker: Our featured speaker is David Splivalo. David is a Californian who now lives is Des Moines and is the owner of his own full service public relations firm, Freestyle Public Relations (david@freestylepr. com)with offices in West Des Moines and the SF Bay Area. As a life long Formula 1 fan, in 2005, David and his firm were selected to be Formula 1 driver Scott Speed’s first and only PR Manager. Splivalo was in charge of the whole gamut of PR, from advising on press relations, to Team Scuderia Toro Rossa interactions and publicity, to online newsletters for each Grand Prix event. If you want to know the inside scoop on the world of Formula One from the PR side, come hear David. David is also a 14 year BMWCCA member who has been a Board member in the Central California and Golden Gate Chapters. His current drivers are a 2008 135i and 1984 318i as well as some classic British autos left behind in California. Dinner by Christiani’s starts at 6:30 with hors d’oeuvres and a cash bar featuring an International cheese board of Maytag Blue, French Brie and fruits, assorted relish tray with Grilled Asparagus and Mushroom Caps and assorted crackers. Buffet dinner follows at 7:30 with salads, roast chicken in wine sauce, carved roast beef, Italian meatballs and sausages in sauce, penne in meat sauce and Romano, roasted potatoes, French green beans and fresh baked bread and butter. Dessert will wrap it up. The price to you is only $30.00 each and your BMW Iowa Chapter picks up the rest. See the registration form elsewhere in the newsletter or use Pay Pal at our chapter website. Come and enjoy the good times, camaraderie & door prizes with your fellow BMW owners and friends. Meet the familiars and make some new acquaintances as well. For those coming from out-of-town who need a room, the Club has a block of 30 rooms reserved until Feb. 1. Call Stoney Creek Inn at 515-334-9000 (stoneycreekinn.com). We are registered as BMW Club of Iowa. 2009 Annual Dinner Reservation Form on page 5.

Transcript of JAN-FEB 09 NEWSLETTER · Brian Boehmer [email protected] Newsletter Editor Becky Brighton...

Page 1: JAN-FEB 09 NEWSLETTER · Brian Boehmer boehmerbrian@hotmail.com Newsletter Editor Becky Brighton newsletter@bmwia.org Webmaster Dana Schrader dana@equineforce.com Immediate Past President

J A N U A R Y / F E B R U A R Y 2 0 0 9 | w w w . b m w i a . o r g

NEWSWERKST H E O F F I C I A L N E W S L E T T E R O F T H E I O WA C H A P T E R B M W C C A JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2009

I N T H I S I S S U E :

New TreasurerSee Page 2

Cedar Rapids Informal SocialSee Page 2

Chicago Auto Show TripSee Page 3

Fall Color Tour RecapSee Page 4

Annual Meeting and Awards Banquet Reservation FormSee Page 5

Getting Board with Life?See Page 6

2009 Board of Directors BallotSee Page 6

BMW M3See Page 7

Welcome New MembersSee Page 8

Brake Tech SessionSee Page 10

Annual Meeting and Dinnerby Ken Boatwright and Jo Harvey

Mark your calendars for Saturday, Feb. 28 at 6:30 pm! It’s the Annual Meeting and Dinner time

again and we will revisit the Stoney Creek Inn at 5291 Stoney Creek Ct. in Johnston - more simply

it is behind (east) of the American Furniture/ Appliance store on 86th St, north of I-80/35 at Exit

129. If you are coming early or staying late, there is plenty to do and eat nearby.

On to the important parts; namely, dinner and speaker:

Our featured speaker is David Splivalo. David is a Californian who now lives is Des Moines and is

the owner of his own full service public relations firm, Freestyle Public Relations (david@freestylepr.

com)with offices in West Des Moines and the SF Bay Area. As a life long Formula 1 fan, in 2005,

David and his firm were selected to be Formula 1 driver Scott Speed’s first and only PR Manager.

Splivalo was in charge of the whole gamut of PR, from advising on press relations, to Team

Scuderia Toro Rossa interactions and publicity, to online newsletters for each Grand Prix event.

If you want to know the inside scoop on the world of Formula One from the PR side, come hear

David. David is also a 14 year BMWCCA member who has been a Board member in the Central

California and Golden Gate Chapters. His current drivers are a 2008 135i and 1984 318i as well as

some classic British autos left behind in California.

Dinner by Christiani’s starts at 6:30 with hors d’oeuvres and a cash bar featuring an International

cheese board of Maytag Blue, French Brie and fruits, assorted relish tray with Grilled Asparagus and

Mushroom Caps and assorted crackers. Buffet dinner follows at 7:30 with salads, roast chicken in

wine sauce, carved roast beef, Italian meatballs and sausages in sauce, penne in meat sauce and

Romano, roasted potatoes, French green beans and fresh baked bread and butter. Dessert will

wrap it up.

The price to you is only $30.00 each and your BMW Iowa Chapter picks up the rest. See the

registration form elsewhere in the newsletter or use Pay Pal at our chapter website.

Come and enjoy the good times, camaraderie & door prizes with your fellow BMW owners and

friends. Meet the familiars and make some new acquaintances as well.

For those coming from out-of-town who need a room, the Club has a block of 30 rooms reserved

until Feb. 1. Call Stoney Creek Inn at 515-334-9000 (stoneycreekinn.com). We are registered as

BMW Club of Iowa.

2009 Annual Dinner Reservation Form on page 5.

Page 2: JAN-FEB 09 NEWSLETTER · Brian Boehmer boehmerbrian@hotmail.com Newsletter Editor Becky Brighton newsletter@bmwia.org Webmaster Dana Schrader dana@equineforce.com Immediate Past President

Cedar Rapids Informal Social by Kolin Brighton

Roger Menneke has notified the board that the commitments of the treasurer position were

tending to take too much of his time, and asked to have a replacement named at or before the

coming elections. Cindy Dolmage, veteran chapter member and automotive repair assistant,

volunteered to step up and hop into the QuickBooks accounting pond. After understudying Roger

for a bit, Cindy has now been appointed as the chapter treasurer. We thank Roger for his hard

work, and welcome Cindy to the Board!

About Cindy – Just over 10 years ago my husband Denny bought a BMW M3 Roadster, a

beautiful blue car. This was the third convertible in the family fleet. Since that time, we have had

many pleasant drives, particularly doing the rallies and Fall Color Tours provided by the club. For

biographical information, I am a life-long resident of Iowa. I graduated from Iowa State University

with a BS in Economics and have been married to Denny for 30 years. We have two sons and too

many cars. Currently I am an executive recruiter for Iowa Career Connection.

New Treasurer Joins the Board by Fred Bell

Join us for a night of fun and amazing food in Cedar Rapids, Saturday, January 17. Daniel

Arthur's Restaurant, 821 3rd Ave. SE, will be the site of an eastern Iowa informal social event and

cocktail hour. Club-provided appetizers will start the evening at 5:00 pm in a private penthouse

on the upper level of the restaurant. This will be the informal portion of the event and you are not

required to stay for the second half. A formal (up-to) 7 course meal will follow for those interested,

in one of the unique rooms adjoining the main dining room. The second half of the event is at

your own expense, and will be an impressive meal you won't forget.

For menus and restaurant information visit www.danielarthurs.net

To RSVP for the event, contact board member and Daniel Arthur's Chef Kolin Brighton at kolin.

[email protected].

Be sure to include how many attending for social hour, and how many for dinner.

2 N E W S W E R K S • J A N U A R Y / F E B R U A R Y 2 0 0 9 | I O WA C H A P T E R B M W C C A | w w w . b m w i a . o r g

NEWSWERKS is published for the Iowa Chapter of the

BMW Car Club of America.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

PresidentFred Bell

515.225.4179

[email protected]

Vice PresidentDavid Brighton

[email protected]

515.576.8059

SecretaryDave Trachtenberg

[email protected]

TreasurerCindy Dolmage

[email protected]

At LargeBrian Smith

[email protected]

At LargeKolin Brighton

[email protected]

At LargeNehru Cheddie

[email protected]

Driving Events CoordinatorBrian Boehmer

[email protected]

Newsletter EditorBecky Brighton

[email protected]

WebmasterDana Schrader

[email protected]

Immediate Past PresidentMike Benge

[email protected]

NEWSWERKS is a publication of the Iowa Chapter

BMW CCA and is no way associated with BMW AG.

The contents featured herein shall remain the property

of the chapter. This publication is mailed to chapter

members in good standing six times per year. The ideas,

suggestions and opinions expressed in this publication

are solely those of the chapter and/or its members.

To become a member of the Iowa Chapter BMW CCA visit

our Web site at www.bmwia.org

Please submit material suitable for publication to:

Becky Brighton at: [email protected]

Calendar of Events: January - June 2009 Events, club activities, and all happenings BMW

THE OF F I C I AL N E W SLE T TER OF THE IOWA CHAPTER BMW CCA

NEWSWERKS

Saturday, January 17, 2009Informal Social5:00 pm at Daniel Arthur's Restaurant

821 3rd Ave. SE, Cedar Rapids

See article below

Tuesday, January 20, 2009Informal Social6:30 pm at A-Dong Restaurant

1511 High St., Des Moines

Saturday, February 7, 2009Informal Breakfast Social9:00 am at Iowa Machine Shed

11151 Hickman Road, Urbandale

Saturday, February 21, 2009Chicago Auto Show TripSee article on page 3

Saturday, February 28, 2009Annual Dinner & Awards Banquet6:30 pm social hour, 7:30 pm dinner

Stoney Creek Inn, Johnston, Iowa

See article on front page

June 5 - 7, 2009Longest Day Driving SchoolMidAmerican Motorplex

Saturday, June 27, 2009Annual PicnicPalisades State Park, near Cedar Rapids

Page 3: JAN-FEB 09 NEWSLETTER · Brian Boehmer boehmerbrian@hotmail.com Newsletter Editor Becky Brighton newsletter@bmwia.org Webmaster Dana Schrader dana@equineforce.com Immediate Past President

3 w w w . b m w i a . o r g | I O WA C H A P T E R B M W C C A | J A N U A R Y / F E B R U A R Y 2 0 0 9 • N E W S W E R K S

DMVR SCCA Sponsored Chicago Auto Show Trip Saturday, February 21(See www.chicagoautoshow.com)By Rick Talbot

For several years, I’ve had the fleeting thought that it might be fun to

attend the Chicago Auto Show at McCormick Place with a busload

of similar minded, “car crazy” folk. . . unfortunately, that idea usually

hits me sometime in late January. . . too late to act upon. For some

unknown reason, the thought hit me this year in October...

So. . . I did a little legwork, got some bids, put together a plan and

discussed it with Fred Bell and Kolin Brighton to gauge Iowa Chapter’s

potential interest. I then presented it to the DMVR SCCA board

for approval and viola’ – Iowa Chapter members now also have an

opportunity to be part of 55 folks heading to Chicago Saturday,

February 21.

Here’s the deal –

Schedule:

4:00 am Departure from Des Moines; location to be determined.

It's early but you can sleep on the bus we hope! Bus is

a 55 passenger tour bus. See www.arrowstagelines.com

and www.arrowstagelines.com/equipment.asp

~5:45 am Stop at Coralridge Mall to pickup additional participants;

depart 10 minutes after arrival

11:00 am Arrival McCormick Place

Six hours to see Auto Show or any side adventures you wish to pursue

on your own; Chicago's full of places to see besides the Auto Show...

BUT... "Don't Miss the Bus"

5:00 pm Departure McCormick Place; if you're late, see ya later!

Fast food stop along return route

Stop at Coralridge Mall to let off participants

End DSM... likely around 11:30 pm to midnight. . . a FULL Day o Fun!!

Price: $55.00 per person; check payable to DMVR, SCCA, and... MUST BE RECEIVED by Rick Talbot No Later Than Monday, January 12. This includes bus transportation, soft drinks/morning

pastry, some snacks and your Auto Show Ticket.

In addition, we will request participants provide a customary driver tip

during the return trip.

Mail Reservation & Payment to: Chicago Auto Show Trip, 3890 92nd Drive, Urbandale, IA 50322 and. . . Include participant's names

and e-mail addresses. I will confirm receipt via e-mail and tell you your

reservation number (#1-55). First come/paid, go.

Rules:

Open to SCCA and non-SCCA members alike•

Must sign SCCA waiver•

This is intended as an adult event but accompanied minors (under • age 18) must have a SCCA Minor Waiver form completed and pay

full price.

You must be on time• ; bus will depart DSM promptly at 4am from

DSM and 5pm from McCormick Place

No alcohol on the bus (there’s plenty in Chicago I’m told)•

What If’s:

If we don’t fill the bus with 55 PAID participants by Monday • January 12, the trip will be cancelled and you will receive your

check back uncashed. So…we’re all in this together so let’s fill the

bus!!!

If we seriously oversubscribe the 55 person capacity by early • January, I will explore reserving a second bus (but no guarantee

that will be an option at that time). Otherwise, those > #55 will

be waitlisted and their checks will be returned if we don’t have a

seat available.

If, after you reserve and pay for a seat, and assuming the trip • takes place but you must cancel, there is no return of your fee

as we committed to the cost of your seat (unless you find a paid

replacement for your seat).

If weather causes the bus line to cancel, you will receive all but • the $10.00 cost of the Auto Show ticket refunded to you. I will

send a cancellation e-mail if this occurs asap Friday before the

event. We will pre-purchase the Auto Show tickets to save time

waiting in lines Saturday morning.

Questions – Call me, Rick Talbot at home 278-2026 (voice mail) or

e-mail to [email protected]

3W C C A | J A N U A R Y / F E B R U A R Y 2 0 0 9 • N E W S W E R K S

Page 4: JAN-FEB 09 NEWSLETTER · Brian Boehmer boehmerbrian@hotmail.com Newsletter Editor Becky Brighton newsletter@bmwia.org Webmaster Dana Schrader dana@equineforce.com Immediate Past President

Iowa Chapter Fall Color Tour RecapBy Tom Clark

October 18 was a wonderful day for a drive so 30 of my closest friends and I all got together

and did just that! Of course we’d been planning it for a while and we were very grateful that

the weather did cooperate! We met at the Rockwell Collins parking lot at 11:00 AM and after

a brief discussion of the rules; there were none; we all took off on a nearly 200 mile tour of

eastern Iowa.

Our first stop was Stone City where Grant Wood spent time during the Great Depression,

running an artists colony. Many of us had lunch in the Old Stone City General Store, set on

the banks of the Wapsipinicon River. It wasn’t hard to imagine the artist sitting at the next

table having his lunch, too. I also took the opportunity to get everyone to act out a skit at the

side of the road and take a few family pictures.

From there we continued on into Anamosa and then back out of town on the Grant Wood

Scenic Byway, AKA Iowa Highway 64. Many of the vistas along this stretch of road were the

inspiration for Grant Wood’s landscapes, which is, I suppose, why they call the road that. As

we all headed west again, we came to our second stop in the village of Hale. Here I managed

to trick every single person on the trivia test – not one person knew Joe Biden’s middle name.

Look it up.

We also made a side trip and drove a section of the original “Interstate Highway,” the Lincoln

Highway. The stretch of road today serves as Main Street for both Lisbon and Mt. Vernon.

Eventually, the Lincoln Highway was replaced by US Highway 30, which in turn was replaced

by Interstate 80. Our final road stop was near the site of some of the worst flooding this past

year. Just past where we stopped, Iowa Highway 1 had been washed out and was closed

for several weeks while it was repaved. To further embarrass our participants, I chose a busy

intersection along the highway to have them each sing a song. I have to report, everyone in

this group is a fine singer – but probably not ready for American Idol.

To wrap up the day, we all converged on the Tuscan Moon, a restaurant in Kalona. To

entertain us that evening, a local Iowa City band, The Mayflies were on hand. They’re a

bluegrass trio and did a great job that evening! If you’d like to know what you missed out on,

go to http://www.themayflies.com. After the band was finished and we’d all had all the fun

we could stand for one day, everyone said goodnight and went home. And what can be bad

about that?

4 N E W S W E R K S • J A N U A R Y / F E B R U A R Y 2 0 0 9 | I O WA C H A P T E R B M W C C A | w w w . b m w i a . o r g

BMW CCA Iowa Chapter Sponsors

Page 5: JAN-FEB 09 NEWSLETTER · Brian Boehmer boehmerbrian@hotmail.com Newsletter Editor Becky Brighton newsletter@bmwia.org Webmaster Dana Schrader dana@equineforce.com Immediate Past President

5 w w w . b m w i a . o r g | I O WA C H A P T E R B M W C C A | J A N U A R Y / F E B R U A R Y 2 0 0 9 • N E W S W E R K S

EuropeanMotorcars Des Moines is a Proud Sponsor of the Iowa Chapter BMW CCA.

Their large selection of new and previously owned BMWs along with a facility second to none in the upper

Midwest makes it THE BMW retailer for Central Iowa.

BMW CCA members receive many benefits when doing business at EuropeanMotorcars Des Moines:

20%discount on parts,

accessories andBMW lifestyle items

10%discount on

service labor

EuropeanMotorcars • 9999 Hickman Road, Urbandale • 515-278-4808 • www.europeanmotorcars.com

Club Members must present their membership card in order to receive discounts.

2009 Annual Meeting and Awards Banquet Reservation Form

Mail Reservations to:

Iowa Chapter, BMW CCA

P.O. Box 42113, Urbandale, IA 50323

Reservations and payment may also be made via PayPal by visiting our website at: www.bmwia.org

Reservations are due February 13, 2009

Total number of reservations at $30

Name ____________________________________ Name ____________________________________

Membership # ______________________________ Membership # ______________________________

Name ____________________________________ Name ____________________________________

Membership # ______________________________ Membership # ______________________________

Number of Vegetarian meals ____________________ Enclosed is my check for $ _____________________

Page 6: JAN-FEB 09 NEWSLETTER · Brian Boehmer boehmerbrian@hotmail.com Newsletter Editor Becky Brighton newsletter@bmwia.org Webmaster Dana Schrader dana@equineforce.com Immediate Past President

Getting Board with Life?By Fred Bell

Occasionally someone asks about what is involved with being on your chapter’s board – what needs to be done, who can join the

board, etc. etc. Here’s the skinny on who/what/when:

The who/when: Every member in good standing of the chapter is entitled to run for a board position. Our By-Laws say that nominations

can be sent to the board verbally, in writing, or email. Elections are held annually by secret ballot and announced at the annual meeting

–see below for the coming year’s nominees. Every fall we put a note in the NewsWerks asking for nominations to include in the annual

election. Also, if we have an opening on the board mid-year, the board fills that spot by appointment. So, it’s important for members to

keep sending us ideas on people that would be good candidates. (Contact info is on the inside of the NewsWerks front cover). Even if

it’s not election time, an opening may occur and we’ll be ready to fill it that way. If you want to nominate yourself, jump on in! Board

candidates happen only because you or someone who knows you tells the board that you’d be good in the position.

The what: The responsibilities for each board position have been written out in good detail by current and former board members.

The document is too long to publish here, but I’m happy to send a copy to anyone in the chapter who wants it – just let me know. To

summarize it: the President, Vice-President, Secretary, and Treasurer positions are pretty much what you’d expect from the titles. There

are also currently 3 Directors At-Large, plus appointed positions for the webmaster and newsletter editor. Members of the board, either

elected or appointed, can take on additional duties as Social Events Coordinator, Driving Events Coordinator, and Membership. The

Coordinators are representatives of the board in working with the chairs of each event to get the publicity done, review requirements

from the National club, provide help with lessons-learned from past events – all the stuff you’d want to know when volunteering to help

run an event. Most importantly, board candidates need to have an attitude that they’re there to serve their chapter members, and make

decisions in the best interests of the membership as a whole rather than for individual interest groups or their personal preferences.

Candidates can expect to average one to five hours a week on club business, depending on position, which includes a monthly board

meeting for a couple hours on a weekend morning. In return, you get both the satisfaction of knowing that you’re doing something to

help out the club and its members, and commonly a free lunch after the board meeting!

6 N E W S W E R K S • J A N U A R Y / F E B R U A R Y 2 0 0 9 | I O WA C H A P T E R B M W C C A | w w w . b m w i a . o r g

All members and associate members, in good standing, may cast a ballot.

Mail your completed ballot to Iowa Chapter BMWCCA, PO Box 42113, Urbandale, IA 50323

[ ] President: Fred Bell, W. Des Moines

[ ] Vice President: David Brighton, Ft. Dodge

[ ] Treasurer: Cindy Dolmage, Waukee

[ ] Secretary: David Trachtenberg, Des Moines

Directors-at-Large[ ] Nehru Cheddie, Ankeny

[ ] Kolin Brighton, Cedar Rapids

[ ] Kevin Wake, Cedar Rapids

Member Name ______________________________________________________________________________

Membership Number __________________________________________________________________________

Iowa Chapter BMW CCA Ballot for 2009 Board of Directors

Page 7: JAN-FEB 09 NEWSLETTER · Brian Boehmer boehmerbrian@hotmail.com Newsletter Editor Becky Brighton newsletter@bmwia.org Webmaster Dana Schrader dana@equineforce.com Immediate Past President

7 w w w . b m w i a . o r g | I O WA C H A P T E R B M W C C A | J A N U A R Y / F E B R U A R Y 2 0 0 9 • N E W S W E R K S

Like my last BMW review, I have again chosen to write this one

well after all the pre-sales hype has cooled off. Also, well after the

initial marketing blitz is over and well into the model year of sales

for the new M3. And in this case, well into the time when most all

M3’s at your local BMW franchise centers are available at special

discount prices. Huh? Yeah that’s right, discounted M3’s in their

first year of production, but more on that later.

So where do you start to review the flagship M model in

BMW’s line-up? We could talk about all of the cars features and

technology, all of that I leave to be hashed over by those that

worry about the insignificant details. We could spew out numbers

and specifications, lap times and 0-60 times, numbers crunched

down to about any figure that interests you. All those numbers

have been published time and time again for your review and

they are only part of the equation. All things considered, this car

has one number and only one number that counts and on that

famous 1-10 scale - this car is a 10. What did he say? He gave

something a 10? Read on, my friends.

I first thought about comparing this car to the other high

performance sports coupe and/or sedans in its class. That has

already been done. Know what? For all the things I consider

important in this category, this car wins hands down already, and

in most respected publications across the world it has done just

that. So for a BMW CCA-based review what comparisons can we

make? I have heard this question come up far too many times so

let’s use it. Is the M3 really that much more of a car that the 335i

Coupe? Well, that scenario actually really worked out very well as I

had recently stepped out of a 335i coupe and directly into a new

M3; they even had the same color combination, black over red.

Better than that, these were my own customer’s cars that were

fully broken in and real world daily drivers. Thank you Bob and

Tim; on to the comparison! There is none; end of testing, finished,

hand in your article, job done, game over, and the winner is…

wait a minute - I’m not out of the parking lot yet! That’s right, in

driving these cars in the category described, high performance

coupe’s, the M3 is far and away more able in every area measured,

felt, or evaluated. In fact I’ll go farther than that. It is actually hard

to believe these cars are built on the same platform. The 335i is

perfectly able in all areas, don’t get me wrong. Plenty of power

and torque, handling at a level most will never test, brakes and

grip at a very high level, did I mention the engine, so sweet! In

the end thought it’s just that, a very impressive engine in a very

conservative but very capable (but only if really needed) car. (I

do like it a lot). The M3 on the other hand, like all M3’s before

is, quite simply put, a weapon, a weapon cocked and ready to

fire. No not in a sawed-off shotgun way but more like a Olympic

target rifle. And the target? In my mind the target is and always

has been simply this: 1) A car that I can use as a daily driver 365

days a year for everything from commuting to transporting myself,

other people in all 4 seats, and/or a reasonable amounts of day

to day stuff. At the same time this car must deliver reasonable

fuel economy and a high level of driver/rider comfort, AND (this

is what separates them quickly), 2)Be able to drive from the

office, business, job, shop, on Friday afternoon directly to the

local road course and with out doing anything but hanging your

jacket on the fence and checking the tire pressures, go out for a

few sessions of lapping very briskly, in fact briskly enough to be

approaching the speeds and lap times laid down by all out exotic

cars costing tens and hundreds of thousands more.

You see that is what the M3 has always been and in each of

the previous generations the car could do just what I described

without missing a beat, breaking a sweat, or causing the driver a

concern. How many other cars in the world can do that? All of the

above remember, and at this level? See why this car is a 10 for me?

This car just drives so connected it’s amazing. BMW has always

said its M cars are about balance and in the latest version of the

M3 things have become amplified. The car just feels so much of

a complete package for driving quickly yet at the same time you

look around and you’re in a 4-place car that is as practical as it is

precise. And frankly no one else does this as well, actually nothing

comes close.

But all is not 100% roses for me. I’m not a huge fan of the styling;

the coupe is okay, the sedan needs to be lowered immediately

upon delivery. Honestly, not great style in either. And the price?

High-60’s to low 70’s is a very big chunk of cheese. And with the

present economy (thanks GW) BMW is having trouble selling

these. Of course BMW isn’t accustomed to having to actually “sell”

these at all, unlike your run of the mill 3 or 5 series. In the past it

was wait in line and we might sell you one at list price, we’ll have

the salesperson call you when it is time to pick colors. And the

dealers, well we won’t go there. This may be a big problem for the

new M3. As one of the very best features of our all-time favorite M

car is its ability to hold incredible resale value relative to other cars

and even other BMW’s. That has always made the M3 relatively

cheap to own and/or lease. Those discounts will not begin to

overcome poor initial resale values I’m afraid, so in this category

it may be a wait and see what the short term future brings. In the

mean time a portion of my upcoming power-ball winning ticket is

pre-spent regardless. What a Car!

BMW M3. The last word, or at least the last review.By Doug Wittkowski

Page 8: JAN-FEB 09 NEWSLETTER · Brian Boehmer boehmerbrian@hotmail.com Newsletter Editor Becky Brighton newsletter@bmwia.org Webmaster Dana Schrader dana@equineforce.com Immediate Past President

LAST FIRST CAR YEAR CAR YEAR CITY

Blasi Mike Ames

Klemme Kent Ankeny

Obermeier Bradley Ankney

Sonnersch C Ballwin, MO

Mariska Chad M3 2005 Bettendorf

Campbell John z3 2000 525i 2004 Bettendorf

Shearer Brandon Boone

Miller Dan E46 M3 2004 740iL 1995 Cedar Falls

Merritt Rich 332ti 1996 740i 2001 Cedar Rapids

Glassberg Ashley 325i 2002 Cedar Rapids

Busch Barbara Clear Lake

Schipper Steven 535i 2009 X5 2008 Clive

Binning Rachel Clive

Hansen Jessica Coralville

Hansen Jeff Coralville

Anderson Merlin Z4ci 2004 Corwith

Grau Tony Davenport

Furstenau Robert X5 2008 X3 2005 Des Moines

Black David Z4 2008 Des Moines

Bogwill Charles Des Moines

Boysen Jeremy Des Moines

Laws David Des Moines

Wieland Eric Des Moines

Puotinen John Des Moines

Chandrase K Dubuque

Welcome New Members

8 N E W S W E R K S • J A N U A R Y / F E B R U A R Y 2 0 0 9 | I O WA C H A P T E R B M W C C A | w w w . b m w i a . o r g

LAST FIRST CAR YEAR CAR YEAR CITY

Oliver Jerry Grimes

Nguyen Thai 323i 1999 M3 1998 Hiawatha

Quellhorst N 323i 2000 Z3 2000 Iowa City

Crawford John-Paul 318iS 1991 325eS 1986 Iowa City

Burress Lee 330Ci 2002 Iowa City

Murphy Chris E46 325i 2002 Iowa City

Hayes Carnell 740il 2001 540i 2002 Iowa City

Chang Eugene Iowa City

Johnson Stephan Johnston

Anderson Nancy Logan

Heatwole Roger Marshalltown

McLaren Ian Shenandoah

Erickson Mary South Dart, MA

Heaney James Topeka, KS

Jacobs Charlotte x5 3.0si 2008 Urbandale

Moore Steve Urbandale

Nielsen Carolyn 328xi 2008 Waukee

Kovacevich Peter Waukee

Caruso Albert X3 2005 West Des Moines

Reddy Reena X5 2008 West Des Moines

Artis Patricia West Des Moines

Nahas Christina West Des Moines

Neary Marci West Des Moines

Slater Brian West Des Moines

Adams Kenny Westboro, MO

Page 9: JAN-FEB 09 NEWSLETTER · Brian Boehmer boehmerbrian@hotmail.com Newsletter Editor Becky Brighton newsletter@bmwia.org Webmaster Dana Schrader dana@equineforce.com Immediate Past President

9 w w w . b m w i a . o r g | I O WA C H A P T E R B M W C C A | J A N U A R Y / F E B R U A R Y 2 0 0 9 • N E W S W E R K S

Dan Kruse BMW has earned BMW NA Center of Excellence AwardThe highest ranking of combined sales and service customer satisfaction.

Master Technician Dave Baumann has been with Dan Krause BMW for over 30 years.

BMW North America ranks Dave as the #1 Master Technician in the entire Midwest Region.

Experience Dan Kruse BMW for your next BMW purchase, service, or parts need.

Discounts provided to BMW CCA Members.

How does this small BMW Center in Dubuque service and sell so many BMWs?

Why do our customers come from as far as Chicago and Des Moines?

Come in and find out.

Troy Sprenger, BMW Sales

Dan Kruse BMW • Pontiac • Nissan • 645 Century Drive, Dubuque, Iowa 52002 • 1-800-373-2277

www.dankruse.com

Page 10: JAN-FEB 09 NEWSLETTER · Brian Boehmer boehmerbrian@hotmail.com Newsletter Editor Becky Brighton newsletter@bmwia.org Webmaster Dana Schrader dana@equineforce.com Immediate Past President

Brake Tech Session

10 N E W S W E R K S • J A N U A R Y / F E B R U A R Y 2 0 0 9 | I O WA C H A P T E R B M W C C A | w w w . b m w i a . o r g

Simpson Motorsport Inc.

Jim Simpson

319-351-1269

3577 Perch Dr. SE

Iowa City, IA 52240

Page 11: JAN-FEB 09 NEWSLETTER · Brian Boehmer boehmerbrian@hotmail.com Newsletter Editor Becky Brighton newsletter@bmwia.org Webmaster Dana Schrader dana@equineforce.com Immediate Past President

11 w w w . b m w i a . o r g | I O WA C H A P T E R B M W C C A | J A N U A R Y / F E B R U A R Y 2 0 0 9 • N E W S W E R K S

Page 12: JAN-FEB 09 NEWSLETTER · Brian Boehmer boehmerbrian@hotmail.com Newsletter Editor Becky Brighton newsletter@bmwia.org Webmaster Dana Schrader dana@equineforce.com Immediate Past President

IOWA CHAPTER BMW CCA

PO BOX 42113

URBANDALE IA 50323

The alternative path to your next European dream car, and

its performance and maintenance – from basic service and

quality parts, to all-out, high-performance modification.

EuroWerkz…as it should be.

BMW FERRARI MERCEDES BENZ PORSCHE

www.eurowerkzlc.com | 641.891.3571 EuroWerkz

PRSRT STD

U.S. Postage

PAID

Fort Dodge, Iowa

Permit No. 486

ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED