Well, I'm now a member of the BMWCCA! Hi! I'm Ken, and I'm a closet car nut who's ignored my passion for a couple of years now. My wife and I have just ordered a 335 E90 with 6MT and we're going to Munich this April to pick it up. My car/driving background is somewhat limited, even though driving and racing are huge (expensive) passions. I spent a year and a half as the co-driver of a rally car in SCCA Club Rally, and I'm excited about autocross and track days for my new Bimmer. Otherwise my daily drivers have been modest at best; The BMW will be a huge upgrade for me. Here's a video link for those would like to witness my last race as a Rally co-driver (I was in the passenger seat) from 2004: http://www.ckrally.com/video/doowop rock n roll.wmv Anyways, hello everyone! Ken
Hi Ken I am in the Seattle area as well. Welcome to the club. Maybe we will see each other sometime at one event or another.
Welcome to the club!! And thank you for buying a Manual!!!! If we keep buying them in significant numbers BMW will (hopefully) keep offering them!
My Wife and I don't understand the fascination with automatics in this country. We both refuse to drive anything but a manual transmission. And having recently looked around, there aren't many sport sedans that offer good performance with a manual transmission. So here we are...and besides...twin turbos
After a 10-year hiatus from a manual tranny (in a '96 328is Coupe, by the by), I'm back! There's just no comparison IMO...plus the gas mileage is better Now, the bad news - gotta re-introduce the wife to a clutch and stick-shift. Ugh...
I too love a manual vs an automatic, but seriously try driving one west to east on Seattle roads. I have been caught at a red light in downtown Seattle at a very steep hill, it can be daunting (and I am a very experienced clutch operator). And yes I know the e-brake technique, etc. Just some thought.
I work in downtown seattle, the hills are certainly challenging, but not insurmountable. The awesome feature on the E9X is the hill assist; It holds your rear brakes when you let off the brake for 2 seconds so you don't roll back while you apply the clutch It's going to spoil me I can guarantee you that... I also think I'm going to have to do the mod to remove the CDV...
Welcome to the madness! I hope you get time to drive the 335i past break-in; otherwise the Autobahn will be frustrating! (Ask me how I know!) You're going to love the delivery experience at BMW Welt---be sure to take in the new museum, too! Hmmm: Must be time for us to run another Touring Germany story in Roundel!
Sadly, we wont get to do extended Autobahn driving, and I'm exceptionally cautious about break-in, that being said, I do think you can probably get up to 100mph without too many RPM for limited high speed enjoyment. We're spending 4 days in Munich so we'll get to see all the sights, then taking the long way to Fussen through the alps for 2 nights, Rothenburg for 2 nights, then on to Amsterdam (drop off the car) for 3 nights, a quick stop in Paris to enjoy Versailles (missed it on our honeymoon) and then to London for a week before we head home. The good news about dropping the car in the middle of the trip is that it should cut a week or so off our perceived wait for the redelivery.
manuals I have autos in my trucks and manuals in my car. I've had one suv and a car that were both autos. Nice and all, but I was SO bored. Only manuals for me from now on. I head to San Francisco and Oakland from time to time...lots of hills there too.
I would bet Frisco is worse than Seattle, use to live there however I was only 12. My truck is an auto and of course the roadster a manual (only way it came).
