Hello, folks. I've already been posting a bit but I thought I'd take advantage of this forum and introduce myself. I bought my first BMW relatively recently. I've owned my 2001 330xi for about nine months. It's the first car I've had since my first car: a 1993 Ford Escort that had been my beater since university! I love that car. It's a zombie. It refuses to die. The 330xi has the premium package, cold weather package, premium wheels, and premium audio. Aside from the fact that shifting seems a little weird (I've read elsewhere on this BBS that there's some sort of delay mechanism in the clutch) I'm very pleased with the car. In fact, I'm already pricing out the next Bimmer I want (a fully loaded M5!) I'm a pretty avid driver (as in racing) I've been to Skip Barber's Racing School and I'm always throwing the car around when it's safe to do so (as in, not on the commuting streets) I've a peculiar interest in the physics behind racing. That said, I've very little knowledge about car mechanics beyond cursory knowledge. I'm eager to learn and have been looking for books that describe typical car system in great detail. I'm a software engineer from Maryland. I joined the BMW CCA mostly to learn about my car, meet other owners, pick their brains, and participate in auto cross events. I've been very pleased to speak with some of the kind folks here, already!
Then give it a bullet; or put it on Craigslist for some other starving college student. Use the proceeds to buy yourself tools. A decent jack and one of those kewl 12V impact guns so you can change tires and brakes at the track is a good start. Get to know your current car better first. The M5 is a big leap in handling dynamics and although it puts you far ahead of about 99% of all drivers on the roads, (Dare I say it?) one Skippy School only shows you how much you don't know in terms of performance driving. As I said, a good start. There are a few of us who are also very interested and involved in the study of handling dynamics. You can devote an awful lot of time to this and still have more to learn. I will suggest seeking out those kind of people at BMW CCA driving schools because, among other things, you can afford three or four of them for the price of one Barber school. Well, there's the Bosch Automotive Handbook that's very thorough, but it's a little 'dry'. One of the most understandable quick reads I ever found for understanding suspension dynamics is The Car and Its Wheels. It's out of print, but there's one cheap copy here. Wilkommen!
