Claudia Beckford asked:


This past weekend we witnessed the Ferrari team take once more the lead; as the Brazilian driver Felipe Massa won the third race of the Formula One calendar - the Bahrain Grand Prix. Massa is Ferrari’s second driver but he counts with an extend background and plenty of experience which helped out to obtain the first points of the new season.

Another impressive performance was that of BMW-Sauber Polish leading driver Robert Kubica who began the race in pole position but eventually lost spots and finished third in the overall race. BMW boss Mario Theissen made a odd remark regarding their new hard-line approach as it is clearly reflected on the constructors’ championship standings – currently in first place – basically the first time in the team’s history as well as their three consecutive podium appearances in the last three competitions.

Despite Kubica’s his third position arrival and fourth for team mate Heidfeld they gathered enough points to be placed in first position just one point from team Ferrari.

“It’s true we are ahead of schedule - which concerns me a bit because if we go on like this we will get criticised for third or fourth place in future!” joked Theissen.

On the other hand, the alarms have been going off at the McLaren team due to the recent agony leading driver Lewis Hamilton has had to put up with. First there was his mistake at the start of the race followed by a distraction coalition into Renault ‘s vehicle driven by the Spaniard Fernando Alonso; as the two drivers speeded up out of turn three, Hamilton came close to Alonso’s back axle and rode up on his right rear tyre losing its front wing. A very unfortunate fate for Mercedes which doomed Hamilton’s chance and transformed it into the worst race finish; thirteenth position.

In the view of some; Alonso had deliberately lifted the accelerator but even Hamilton admitted that if there was anybody to blame was him not Alonso. Yet; Renault’s director of engineering Pat Symonds holds data to show the Spaniard driver had not wrong doing in the matter.

After the eminent blow the 23-year-old Briton had not many choices but to continue and end his battle only that this time the gap between him and his Ferrari rivals Raikkonen and Massa was deeper as it meant many precious championship points.

Bahrain has been tough on McLaren and Hamilton who is used to error free performances; perhaps it is time to reassess the dynamics of the team as the championship is becoming a three way battle; in which BMW Sauber is showing sufficient pace to overcome McLaren and fight for more wins.

Nevertheless, we are still three weeks from the following F1 race in Spain and the Spanish racetracks have always been McLaren’s territory and we know that from this point forward each race will be more difficult especially now that the lines have been crossed and the speed knights’ motivations are in full gear.

Mark Flanighan asked:


When you are looking for authentic BMW Car Parts, the one place you shouldn’t buy them from is a dark alley where the parts are being sold out of someone’s car trunk. That kind of deal may mean the authentic BMW Car Parts were stolen from someone else’s car and are being sold at street prices. One common car part which is always being stolen nowadays is the side mirrors, simply because they are so easy to remove. And car thieves are getting smarter and more discriminating nowadays so don’t be surprised if authentic BMW Car Parts are now also the target of these enterprising crooks.

There will be demand for authentic BMW Car Parts so long as there are people buying the BMW cars and who intend to sustain the longevity of their BMW. Some might like to own authentic BMW Car Parts just for the heck of it, but for owners of BMWs, they need authentic BMW Car Parts in case their car breaks down at some point (as all cars inevitably do.)

How do you support the aboveboard suppliers of authentic BMW Car Parts rather than car thieves who are just as aware as everybody of the demand for authentic BMW Car Parts? One way is to buy from these genuine suppliers first – don’t begrudge them the profits they will gain from your purchases (both present and future ones) because if you want quality, sometimes you need to pay top dollar for it. Car thieves might be able to sell you dirt-cheap and allegedly authentic BMW Car Parts but there’s no after-sales service and no guarantee of authenticity, so if you find that the car parts you have are practically worthless then that’s all there is to it – you’ll never get your money back.

Another way is to report to the BMW Company itself if you know of any bogus suppliers of authentic BMW Car Parts. Naturally, the BMW Company would like to be assured that their customers are getting the type of sustained service that they deserve – both to protect the BMW name in the automobile industry and to protect the interests of customers. It makes for good business sense actually. You may want to hesitate before reporting such bogus suppliers to the government though because you never know if the bogus suppliers are paying protection money to some top dog in the government. Best go straight to the BMW manufacturer. If you‘re nervous about revealing your identity, you can always send an unsigned letter via snail mail then wait for BMW to act on your tip.

One of the authentic BMW Car Parts that are prized by both car thieves and genuine BMW owners is the stand-out BMW hubcap. You might even find some automobiles that were not made by the BMW company sporting BMW hubcaps. This may be because the BMW emblem is recognized worldwide and carries with it its own special prestige and allure to the public. It sort of says: this driver is someone to admire because he can afford a BMW. Even people who can never own a real BMW might be able to afford BMW hubcaps, at least. One can always dream right?

Chet Waters asked:


5 Things You Don’t Know About BMW

Most people think that they know everything they need to know about BMW when they go to the dealership, read about BMW in Consumer Reports or Car & Driver magazine or go online and do some “research”. You can’t go wrong by doing any of those things.

But the truth is my friend, there is so much more to the BMW experience than just the usual brochures and information.

When you own a BMW you’re not just buying a luxury car. You’re buying a tradition of quality and excellence. And to show you what I mean, let me tell you about some “little known” insider information about BMW. This is going to be like a trip through your family tree. And just like you are the way you are because of all members of your family that came before you, the same is true of BMW.

Why should you care about any of this?

First, just like you, every BMW has its own special personality that started almost a century ago in 1913. Even then the obsessive need to create great mechanical machines was born. And like most true stories of “greatness”, BMW has its roots in failure. Karl Rapp started the company as an aircraft engine manufacturer. With a gleam in his eye and a dream in his heart, his watched as his aircraft engines struggled to overcome vibration problems.

But all would not end well for Karl.In about three years the dreams of Karl Rapp were dead.

The financial problems of the company were just like a bullet through his heart. And there was no way he could survive this massive trauma. So in 1916 he sells out to Franz -Josef Popp and Max Fritz. For the next four years the company does well with the aircraft engine business. But it was not enough.

As the old saying goes, the only thing that stays the same is “change”.

Secondly, BMW started building motorcycles in 1921. And the reason this is important to you dear reader is because this was another turning point for the company. During the next six years the company has great success with its R32 and R37 motorcycles. In fact from 1924 to 1929 all German championships in the 500 ccm category were won by BMW. Can the vehicle you drive today boast of such an inspiring heritage?

1928 was a very good year. This was the year in which all descendants of every BMW model in existence today began to take shape. For like all visionaries, the owners of the company knew they had to find other markets for their engines because the world economy was changing. And they needed to change with it.

Why is the factory at Eisenach/Thuringia important to you?

Because, and this is the third thing you don’t know about BMW, this was the first factory the company owned that was licensed to build small cars. It’s sort of like saying what hospital you were born in and on what date. Do you feel the connection?

The fourth thing you don’t know about BMW is that 1932 was the first year the company entirely developed the first model BMW called the AM4. With this car BMW wins the Concours d’Elegance in Baden-Baden. Not a bad start for a car that would become a legend—-right?

And finally, the fifth thing you don’t know about BMW is that in 1933 BMW introduced the 303 saloon. This was the first inline-six cylinder engine produced by the company. This configuration is still in use in many more recent models.

Now you can no longer say that there are, “5 Things You Don’t Know About BMW”.

Chet Waters is the BMW Specialist. Learn How To Find Your BMW And At A Price You Can Afford. Go To:

http://www.bmwsauctions.com