| Informant Zone

10 Tips For Modifying Your Ride

I’ve been in the tuning circle in many capacities since I got my first 1994 BMW 325ic back in 1999. I now have a 1999 BMW 328ic and a 2000 BMW M5 which are modified to my liking and I will do an article on them as soon as the weather gets better here in Vancouver to take some photos. Looking back over my experiences as both being an automotive technician for a well known European tuning shop and a member of various enthusiast clubs, I’ve realized the amount of money I’ve wasted on my cars, later to find out that I really don’t like the modification or it wasn’t truly meant for the car. So here is a list I’ve put together of some of the do’s and don’ts that I recommend a modder should take a look at before embarking on a modding project! 1.Research the source from which you want to buy the product to add to your car. Go to their website, read their descriptions and get a general feeling about how seriously they take their own products. 2.Read up on the related car forums and see what other members are saying about the company with the said product. 3. Usually if a product is being presented as a group buy on the forums it is generally a decent product since users generally set up the group buys. 4. What is the product made of in comparison to similar products? In the case of body kits, I recommend ones made from ABS plastic over fiberglass since painted fiberglass tends to crack more easily and will cause you fitting issues. 5. Try to see the item in person before you buy it over the internet. This will give you a good gut instinct on whether or not you’ll be happy with it. Pictures on the internet always look great! 6.What does your mechanic think? Ask them if they’ve had any experience with the item. 7. Will the item require additional modifications to your car just to make it work? Generally speaking, if you need to make a modification to make another modification, you might be getting yourself into a problem. 8. If your modification is something visual like wheels, paint, lights or body work, forum members of the related forum will be happy to photoshop a concept of your vehicle after the modding is done. 9. What is the warranty like? Many aftermarket parts other than one supplied by OEM companies do not come with that great of a warranty so make sure you find out what the average lifespan of the product is and compare that to the warranty. For example, HID bulbs will claim something like 40,000 hours before they need replacement but if you only have a 1 year warranty, what good is that? 10. The cheapest place to buy is not always the best! Find out from others what the customer service will be like after you buy the item. You want to make sure that if you have issues afterwards, the vendor will support you. There is nothing worse than getting stuck with a product that is useless to you. I have made many of these mistake myself and through trial and error and an amount of money I’d rather not think about have learnt my lesson. I hope these points are helpful and others are welcomed to add to it as well!

2011 BMW 1 Series – New Motor And New Transmission

Set to go on sale in April of 2010, the 2011 BMW 1 Series will be presented to us with quite a different spec sheet than compared to that of 2010. Honestly, I don’t think I can even remember the last time such drastic changes we made to a mid-production car in the BMW lineup. The base prices will not change from those of 2010 either with the 128i coupe and convertible costing $30,025 and $35,075 respectively, and the 135i coupe and convertible starting at $36,925 and $41,225. Among those changes and the largest in my opinion is a new motor. Yes, the older twin turbo 3.0L inline six N54 is being replaced by the newer and more production cost friendly N55 – a single turbo 3.0L inline six also used in the 2011 335i and the X6 xDrive35i. Do not worry though as the N55 will still deliver the same 300 horsepower and 300 lb-ft of torque we’ve come to love. Although no official numbers have been released by BMW, they claim that the latest single turbo 3.0L I6 will offer better fuel efficiency and lower emissions. Attached to the motor change is also a transmission change. One that will see an improvement in both the coupe and convertible’s performance specs. They will be trading their six speed automatics for BMW’s newest seven speed dual-clutch DCT automated manual transmission. This will add an extra $200 to the price tag (over the $1375 of the automatic) but hey, you are promised greater performance. We aren’t sure how much of a difference this will make in terms of acceleration since nothing has been officially said yet. Interior Make Over Get ready for a new interior as well. One laced with leather! No, you will not need to spend money hand over fist to get this over the previous “Pleather”. The good news is that this option can be had at no additional cost. When was the last time you heard that from BMW? This option will also include iPod integration. In BMW’s suspected efforts to clear the inventory path for their 2012 1 Series debut, they’ve bundled together a bunch of standalone options into what they call the Convenience Package. For the 128i coupe/convertible clients this includes keyless entry and ignition, xenon headlights, alarm system and rear parking sensors all for a $500 discounted sum of $1650. 135i coupe/convertible clients have access to the same package without the xenon’s since those already come standard for them for a $250 discounted even $1000. You will also be seeing a heated steering wheel added to both models for the Cold Weather Package which costs $750 and the previously unbranded Hi-Fi stereo system will be replaced with a premium Harman/Kardon setup for $875. #gallery-1 { margin: auto; } #gallery-1 .gallery-item { float: left; margin-top: 10px; text-align: center; width: 33%; } #gallery-1 img { border: 2px solid #cfcfcf; } #gallery-1 .gallery-caption { margin-left: 0; }

Formula One Photos From Monday’s Testing In Valencia Spain

Michael Schumacher Formula One Testing Valencia Spain 2010 Felipe Massa proved that he still hadn’t lost his edge after last season’s life threatening accident. He posted the top time for all of the drivers in the new Ferrari F10 while completing 102 laps during the 2010 Formula One testing in Valencia Spain. After his long awaited second Formula One debut, Pedro de la Rosa surprised everyone posting the second quickest time. Schumacher followed with third quickest time and Nico Rosberg fourth having been the first to take the W01 on its maiden voyage for Mercedes GP. McLaren test pilot Gary Paffett was the first to put the MP4-25 to its paces on Monday running 86 laps and posting the fifth fastest time. William’s new driver Rubens Barrichello trailed behind posting a time of 1:14.449 seconds which was good enough to see him sit in the sixth slot. Toro Rosso’s first constructors’ season with the 2010 STR5 (they had previously been using cars based on those of Red Bull Racing who had bought Minardi in 2006) had team driver Sebastien Buemi slide into seventh position while Robert Kubica in the Renault R30 clocked with eighth position. Monday was also the day in which fans got their first glimpse of the Toro Rosso STR5, the Mercedes GP MGP W01 and the Williams FW32. Unofficial Monday test times from Valencia: 1. Felipe Massa, Ferrari, 1:12.574, 102 Laps 2. Pedro de la Rosa, BMW Sauber, 1:12.784, 74 Laps 3. Michael Schumacher, Mercedes GP, 1:12.947, 40 Laps 4. Nico Rosberg, Mercedes GP, 1:13.543, 39 Laps 5. Gary Paffett, McLaren, 1:13.846, 86 Laps 6. Rubens Barrichello, Williams, 1:14.449, 75 Laps 7. Sebastien Buemi, Toro Rosso, 1:14.762, 18 Laps 8. Robert Kubica, Renault, 1:15.000, 69 Laps Drivers who did not get out to test: Vitaly Petrov (Renault), Lewis Hamilton (McLaren), Jenson Button (McLaren), Nico Hulkenberg (Williams) Test will however continue until Wednesday. #gallery-2 { margin: auto; } #gallery-2 .gallery-item { float: left; margin-top: 10px; text-align: center; width: 33%; } #gallery-2 img { border: 2px solid #cfcfcf; } #gallery-2 .gallery-caption { margin-left: 0; }

2011 Mercedes Benz SLK Roadster

I would say it’s about time for another generation change for this car that has been a great recent addition to the Mercedes family. What we once thought to be a cutting edge design has now started to wear out its welcome. To remedy that, late 2010 will mark the introduction of the next generation roadster for the model year of 2011. The current generation pricing starts at just under $46000 USD and this next-gen model is expected to be much more than that. This should be exciting as Mercedes Benz has tailored some well needed changes during the design process of the 2011 Mercedes Benz SLK. The latest roadster has will shed a remarkable 200 lbs and increase the trunk volume to 11.2 cubic feet. Compared to the last generation this is a huge improvement on an already confined platform. Rumors of a new power plant say that a 300-350 horsepower 3.0L V6 twin turbo will be included into the sportier next-gen SLK. The AMG model could also contain a small bore 470 horsepower 3.6L V8 twin turbo power house motor. Keep in mind these are just rumors and not facts confirmed by Mercedes nor AMG. Another possible engine option for the 2011 SLK will be a 204 horsepower/369 lb-ft of torque four cylinder 2.2L diesel currently being used in the C250 CDI. This will likely remain a European option though. These computer rendered photos are just a preview of what the 2011 Mercedes Benz SLK could possibly look like. Looking at the spy shots though, it’s apparent that the 2011 SLK will be using LED day time running lights and the front fascia will mimic that of the new SLS AMG with more of a square-ish look. This would be an improvement over the current controversial front nose of the SLK. The side mirrors will be door mounted on thinner stalks than previous generation. #gallery-3 { margin: auto; } #gallery-3 .gallery-item { float: left; margin-top: 10px; text-align: center; width: 33%; } #gallery-3 img { border: 2px solid #cfcfcf; } #gallery-3 .gallery-caption { margin-left: 0; }

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