B M W CAR CLU B MAGAZI NE: BI M M ERLI FE
9
Red Car, aka the Diva, has popped in
and out of my life now for well over a
decade. The Hellrot 1995 E36 M3 first
appeared for sale when I was in college. My
then-boyfriend—now husband—Garrett
scoped it out for a friend, who ended up
purchasing it.
After some time in Colorado, Red Car
eventually made its way to California,
where our friend moved for school, then
work. Over the years, Red Car slowly got
tricked out for the track with mods like
a StopTech big-brake kit, SuperSprint
exhaust, a full carbon intake, and an aero
package, to name just a few upgrades.
The modifications culminated with an
S54 engine swap along with a full OBD-
II conversion and four-channel ABS
that involved hours of electrical and
programming wizardry to pull off.
Red Car popped back in my life when
Garrett took a week off to fly to California
to help our friend with the engine swap.
Maybe I should have known what I was in
for from the smiling selfies sent back from
his “vacation”—which may have involved
Garrett wedged into an engine bay from
dawn to dark.
Red Car went on to be a (mostly) reliable
track-day champ and daily driver. When
our friend decided to part ways with the
car in 2020, naturally we were first in line;
when you have put blood, sweat, and more
than a few curse words into modifying a
car, you might as well keep it in the family!
Over the years, the running punch line of
the Red Car joke became: “Because… race
car.” Why drive 36 hours in four days to
trailer a car back to the state where it came
from? Why ask favors of friends to store
your other BMWs so that you have space
in your two-car garage to work on the
Diva without having to play musical cars
with your four other vehicles? Why keep
modifying a 27-year-old car in the first
place? Because race car.
Red Car’s latest transformation involves
shedding some weight to be less street-
legal—okay, not street-legal at all—and
more of a track-day beast. The list of
continuing mods includes ditching some
creature comforts in the name of weight-
saving, an upgrade to MCS remote
doubles, pulling the windows—again to
save weight—and a rewiring project that
has involved stripping the car down to a
husk full of wires.
I’ve had my reservations about the Diva,
who has earned her new nickname for her
rather unpredictable temperament. There
was the time that we took the then-street-
legal car on a drive, only to have her refuse
to start at a gas station 20 miles from home
(cue my father-in-law coming to save us
with our own trailer). Then there was the
driving school where I was finally supposed
to get behind the wheel, but Red Car
dished up all sorts of electrical gremlins
and refused to start (colossal thanks to
R O C K Y M O U N T A I N C H A P T E R
D I Y
A ND
T H E D I VA
B Y K R I S T E N A R E ND T
162
B I M M E R L I F E S P R I N G / S U M M E R 2 0 2 3
Rocky Mountain Chapter
Broomfield, Colorado
Follow Us
Web: rmcbmwcca.org
Facebook:
@rmcbmwcca
BMW Car Club
of America
Rocky Mountain Chapter
April 30: Car-Control Clinic at EVOC
May 6: Test & Tune at Colorado Air &
Space Port (CASP)
May 13: Autocross #1, CASP
May 20: Driving School at High Plains
Raceway (HPR)
June 18: Autocross #2 at CASP
June 25: Women’s Autocross at CASP
July 8: Driving School at HPR
July 9: Autocross #3 at CASP
July 22: Autocross #4 at CASP
August 5: Autocross #5 at CASP
August 26: Autocross #6: CASP
September 16: Autocross #7 at CASP
T U N I N G S H O W C A S E
my fellow RMC BMW CCA members
Christine Foley and Andrew Cofelt, who
let me hop behind the wheel of their
respective cars so no track time was lost).
There are days and evenings that bleed
into weeks and months when I walk out
to our garage to find Garrett sitting in a
colossal ball of wiring in a car sans seats,
dash, or anything that remotely resembles
an interior. Is this a bad idea? Possibly, but
“because race car!” resonates with us.
Many DIY projects start with you not
knowing anything about what you’re
doing. From a logical perspective, this
isn’t exactly a brilliant starting point. I
won’t ever be the one doing the heavy
lifting on the DIY mods for our BMWs.
Garrett is already a bajillion hours of
knowledge ahead of me on that, and we
still turn to our local shop (shout-out to
SCR Performance) for help from time to
time when we get in over our heads or just
can’t face going further down the DIY
rabbit hole. But I still see the appeal of
DIY mods, even with a Diva. The learning
process, problem-solving, and eventual
CHAPTER EVENTS
mastery is somehow all part of the fun.
Like with any new hobby, you start off
wondering if you can even do it. Turns out
that with enough hours, patience, research,
and quite a lot of tools, you usually can.
When I do finally get to take Red Car for
a spin at HPR, I bet I’ll come off the track
grinning ear-to-ear.
163
B I M M E R L I F E . C O M / P U B L I C A T I O N S
Celebrating all aspects of the BMW
enthusiast lifestyle, the new
BMW Car
Club Magazine: BimmerLife
is crafted in
a premium format with a lush style and
stunning photography.
BimmerLife
is
published in a single 200+ page, national
edition, featuring a mix of regional and
national features, plus Club news, events,
and articles specific to each region and its
chapters.
Launched in early 2020,
BimmerLife
is
published biannually in Spring/Summer
and Fall/Winter editions. Each issue will
reach the full membership of the BMW Car
Club of America and also be distributed
to BMW Dealerships, independent shops,
event attendees, enthusiasts in other
venues, and select digital and physical
newsstands. Digital versions are published
on BimmerLife.com and available to the
public for free.
It’s a bold and exciting part of the American
BMW enthusiast media universe.
Please see the map on page 11 with the
breakout of the five BMW CCA regions.
BMW C A R C LUB O F A M E RI C A
Amazing photography and engaging articles cover the full range
of experiences, adventures, and enjoyment that is the BMW
enthusiast lifestyle.
Individual chapter
profiles, events, and
members provide
unique insight into
each BMW CCA
region.
B M W C A R C L U B M A G A Z I N E
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C E L E B R A T I N G T H E B M W E N T H U S I A S T L I F E S T Y L E
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C E L E B R A T I N G T H E B M W E N T H U S I A S T L I F E S T Y L E
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B M W 7 S E R I E S : F I R S T L O O K
B
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22
B I M M E R L I F E S P R I N G / S U M M E R 2 0 2 3
IN THE 21ST CENTURY,
BUILDING A FL AGSHIP
FOR THE BRAND TAKES
MORE THAN A BIGGER ENGINE. IT REQUIRES
A NEW CONCEP TION OF
LUXURY AND PERFORMANCE
, AS EMBODIED IN THE
NEW 7 SERIES
.
BY
B AS E M WAS E F
PHOTOGRAPHY COURT ESY
BMW NA
B I M M E R
L I F E
23
B I M M E R L I F E . C O M / P U B L I C A T I O N S
R
olf Humberg of Burlington,
Vermont, built his 1972
BMW 3.0CSL Batmobile
tribute about 18 years
ago. He ran it for many years at
Watkins Glen before I purchased
it in 2019. Since then, I have
subjected the car to continuous
improvement, while trying to stay
period-correct. This has been due
in no small part to the engineering
skills of my son Bill and his friend
Franz Diebold.
Mechanically, the car was already
in excellent shape, featuring a
European M6 M88/3 24-valve
race-prepped engine recently
rebuilt by the original owner,
featuring a Metric Mechanic-
prepped head with shimless
buckets, rally intake cams, and
forged high-compression pistons.
VAC Motorsports in Philadelphia
has since installed proper M88/
S38 heavyweight valve springs,
together with stronger factory
valves, properly seated with full
head machining. While the
engine was apart, my son replaced
D A S G O S S E R B E E R E 9 C S L T R I B U T E :
A
FAT HE R-S O N P R O JE C T
B Y S A ND Y WA S HB UR N
W H I T E M O U N T A I N C H A P T E R
the main bearings with coated
bearings from VAC; he replaced
the rod bearings two years ago
with similar bearings. VAC also
supplied a special steel head gasket
which they use on competition
engines.
My son also installed a modern
Life Racing engine computer,
wasted-spark ignition, modern
Siemens Deka fuel injectors, a
Cosworth Omega data display,
and a Stack ST400 tachometer
for track use. He built a System
25 sealed engine-wire harness for
the car. The chassis harness uses
a Mclaren Electronics solid-state
relay box for all engine power
electronics, and a Bussman relay
box for chassis duties. The set
allows tuning from a remote
location.
Brad Schaab - etechphoto
A father and his son tune a
BMW E9 CSL tribute for
fun on the track.
94
B I M M E R L I F E S P R I N G / S U M M E R 2 0 2 3
White Mountain
Chapter
Londonderry, New Hampshire
Follow Us
Web:
wmc-bmwcca.org/
Facebook:
@whitemountain.bmw.club
BMW Car Club
of America
White Mountain Chapter
Lorem ipsum
Lorem ipsum
Having mapped a number of
the original PTG engines as well
as various other factory BMW
Motorsport engines, Franz
Diebold was right at home with
the M88/3. Along with the chassis
dyno, Franz has been able to
remote calibrate the Life Racing
F88 computer over the last two
years, accommodating changes
to the exhaust and intake setup,
which has added 30 rear-wheel
horsepower to the engine.
My son also fabricated a custom
stainless twin-pipe side exhaust
system, replicating the system in
the 1975 Sebring-winning factory
prepared BMW 3.0CSL models,
which provides the sound unique
to those competition cars. The
car already had the desirable Euro
long-tube exhaust manifold. The
transmission is a close-ratio dogleg
Getrag 265 (which enables plenty
of upgrade paths to close-ratio
gearsets in the future), a triple-
plate Tilton clutch, an AKG
works-type shifter adapted from
an E30, and a plated limited-slip
(75% lock) unit in the OEM E9
differential housing.
The car had a coil-over front
suspension when I purchased
it. The shocks are Bilstein, but
I am still not sure about the
springs. The front shock-tower
construction of the stock E9 is
quite strong, but a strut-tower
cross brace is needed when power
is added. The coil-over system also
allows camber adjustment. The
car has CCW two-piece wheels,
10.5x17” in front and 12.5x18” in
the rear.
I have also installed an OMP
full-containment race seat and
Schroth six-point harness, as well
as a new fire-suppression system
and Fuel Safe fuel cell. The car
already had a well-designed fuel
system with lift pump, surge tank,
and Bosch 044 high-pressure
system.
When I purchased the car, it
was immediately apparent that
although the paint and decals were
faded and worn, the body was
totally rust-free, with an excellent
April 18: Driving School at NHMS
April 30: Scenic Driving Tour
May 19–20: Driving School at
Club Motorsport
June 24–25: Driving
School at Palmer
July 28–30: Driving
School at Mont Tremblant
roll cage. Since then, I have
repainted the car dark green in
tribute to the unique 1977 Gösser
Beer BMW Alpina CSL race
car—with the appropriate Alpina
decals, of course.
Owning a race-prepared CSL has
been a long-term goal since I saw
them win the Sebring 12-hour race
in 1975. The stewardship purchase
of this CSL tribute is more than I
could have ever hoped for. With
over 300 horsepower and a curb
weight of 2,500 pounds, modern
Wilwood disc brakes, and Bilstein
shocks, this car performs as well
as the historic factory-prepared
BMW CSL models did in the
USA IMSA series. It is a joy to
drive at Watkins Glen, Lime Rock,
and Club Motorsports, which I
anticipate doing for many more
years.
The car is now strictly used in
driving-school track days with
the BMW CCA and other clubs,
which is a lot safer option at my
advanced age than true vintage
racing!
CHAPTER EVENTS
You may watch a video on the project by Bill and Sandy Washburn on
YouTube; search “Father + Son BMW E9 CSL Project”
or go directly to youtube.com/watch?v=U3p91KOY3XA.
The car runs laps at Lime Rock Park.
T U N I N G S H O W C A S E
95
B I M M E R L I F E . C O M / P U B L I C A T I O N S
T
H
E
F
U
T
U
R
E
SIX T Y YE ARS AGO,
BMW
TRANSFORMED ITSELF
INTO
A MODERN CARMAKER WITH
THE NEUE KL ASSE SEDAN. IN
2025, IT WILL DO SO AGAIN
WITH A
NEW NEUE KL ASSE
,
A CAR THAT PROMISES TO BE
AS RE VOLUTIONARY AS ITS
PREDECESSOR—AND E VERY
BIT AS DESIRABLE.
FA B U L O U S
L
O
O
K
S
BY
JAC KI E J OU R ET
PHOTOS COURT ESY
B M W AG
G E N E R A T I O N S
22
B I M M E R L I F E F A L L / W I N T E R 2 0 2 3
B I M M E R
L I F E
23
B I M M E R L I F E . C O M / P U B L I C A T I O N S
IN 1964, THIS
NEUE KL ASSE 1800
WAS
PITCHED AS THE
PERFECT FAMILY CAR
. FOR
STE VE AND RACHAEL KUPPER
, IT STILL IS.
STORY AND PHOTOS BY
KYLE VAN HOFTEN
G E N E R A T I O N S
THE PERFECT
FAMILY
CAR
54
B I M M E R L I F E F A L L / W I N T E R 2 0 2 3
B I M M E R
L I F E
Y
ou know marketing got it right when a sixty-
year-old message still rings true today. In the
early 1960s, BMW pitched its
Neue Klasse
sedan
straight to families looking for a four-door car
that would be practical yet fun to drive. In the 21st
Century, the Neue Klasse remains an ideal vehicle for
family adventures, as longtime 2002 enthusiasts Steve
and Rachael Kupper have discovered. Since buying this
all-original 1964 1800 in 2019, Steve and Rachael have
enjoyed about 15,000 miles in their Neue Klasse, most
with their four-year-old daughter Amelia in the back seat.
“How could I
not
pick this car to drive when Amelia
says, ‘Let’s take Daddy’s gray car. It goes fast!’?” Kupper
laughs. “I think she likes it because it has such great
visibility from the back seat, too.”
55
B I M M E R L I F E . C O M / P U B L I C A T I O N S
