Break My Wallet

Ok. I promised myself I would not turn this into a boring, car enthusiast blog. But after having reacquainted myself with the feel of driving a bimmer, I have one thing to say... "It is frigging Sweet!" I had forgotten the handling and responsiveness of a well built performance automobile. And I've noticed some things that go along with the BMW stereotype. I hope to dispel some of the myths about the real people who buy these cars and why.

First of all, when I drove the Cadillac, pretty women never looked over at me on the street. When you drive a bimmer, they look. And then they look away when they discover a middle-aged man with a receding hairline. And living in a small town, everyone looks, like they think I'm some ultra wealthy person to be noticed. If they only knew I paid less than they did for their cars. It's like I'm Teveye, singing, "If I were a rich man."

Secondly, you realize that Walmart isn't the place where you have your oil changed anymore. I cringe at the thought of an Oil Change Specialist scratching his head when he can't find the oil filter housing under the hood. True BMW people change their own oil, and have it analyzed too! They take it THAT seriously. I've read five page forum threads that involved heated discussions on what is the ideal oil change interval compared to BMW's recommendations.

Third, BMW fanatics, rate their peer's bimmers by the extent of modifications (Mods), they've done to their cars. And on how many BMWs they have. I've found the average to be three cars. A late model for their "daily driver", and one or more collector toys.
"Mods" can range from updated disc brakes to a complete sports package including chassis lowering for better handling. However, they do not knock anyone else's cars, as they all remember how proud they were when they did their first mod. They are a very helpful lot when it comes to questions about anything mechanical.

The first thing you buy, after the car itself, is your model's Bentley Service Manual. They make the ultimate repair manuals for automobiles, mainly European makes. Now you're ready to maintain it, because, owners have a love/hate relationship with BMW dealership service departments. Their parts and labor is outrageous. Imagine paying $200 for an oil change that you can do yourself for $50? I can't.

Then, there is the racing aspect. Many owners actually race their cars for track and slalom times. They want to drive fast and what's better than a nice gentle curve at 120mph without worrying about the cops? I'm not a speed freak so, nuff said.

I've found that being a BMW enthusiast is a disease that has no cure. Even after a ten year remission, I once again tested positive ... and I feel alive.