Bruski

That video popped up on my algorithm too. Worth a watch and I agree with the sentiment (so the youtube algorithm is clearly working well). I think part of it also down to out-sourcing, out of necessity (cost), the development of the software that underpins the technology and probably there is some element of rushing the delivery of said software too, lack of testing etc. Add to that designers who are catering to a demographic that seems to value size and bling and shiny screens over quality and engineering prowess and you have all the variables of a poor outcome.

Now on trade me with more pictures and details. BMW Bike Holder Bike Rack x 2 | Trade Me Marketplace

I've had a bit of a saga with the battery on my BMW star key recently. It all starts during the export from the UK to NZ back in 2018. The shipping firm lost my original e36 style key so as I was en route to NZ via Singapore when they told me so I could not get them the spare key, they had to pack the car in the container using those rollers they use for expensive motors. Fancy. Anyhoo, the key the shippers lost is the e36 style that is really easy to replace the battery on, as shown here: The shipping company contacted BMW UK who issued a replacement key, programmed it to the car and did all the donkey work. All good I thought. What I did not know of course, was they had replaced the e36 key with the newer star key, or e46 / e39 key. Not to worry I thought, it is a bit flasher after all, and it works, who cares. Issue is of course, the key has recently stopped reliably opening the car. I was not using the car very much so I figured the key battery was being discharged and not charging enough while driving. After driving for a ways, I would have to be very close to the car, hold the key to my head and hope for the best. Still worked on start up and for driving though. But I thought this is not sustainable so I asked the internet. First I tried this geezer in a shell suit. He was on the money: It actually worked...........for a week. So then I tried this German chap: https://youtu.be/0kjGAUTb3Wg?si=twnlMTVnDmhvBHe9 This worked too, for a night. Oh dear I thought, what about recharging it using a tooth brush charger: That sort of worked, then didn't, at all. Battery was burnt out I think. But I thought, well I can cut it open and replace the rechargable battery or I can go the local stealers and buy a new key. I was all set for sourcing the new rechargable battery when I stumbled across this guy in the US: Note how the battery is just regular long life. Hmmmmmmm I thought. What are the chances. Sure enough, after a bit of a go around on the key with a blade and a hacksaw, I opened the key to find a non rechargeable. Thanks BMW. So $2 worth of battery later, I have a functioning key, no need to program again. Bonus. They key looks ok super glued back together, not quite so flash as before I attacked it with a hacksaw, but beats a trip to the stealers for a new key IMHO. Anyway, thought it might be useful to post for others who experience battery problems with the star key. Thinking about it, whoever at BMW in the late 90s or early 2000s who thought it would be good to go from a screw release unit to a sealed unit, well danke, dummkopfs.

jaffa on tour? presume the 963 is in reference to the Porsche 963 Prototype or am I reading too much in to this?

This popped up on my youtube algorithm today: BMW M5 (E39) Commercial with Madonna (youtube.com) Skip ahead about to about 4 mins plus and it gets going so to speak.

looks like it will sell around $23k with 12 mins to go

That's not an m, it's an M !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Maybe try these guys down in Archers Road: Wheel Balancing and Puncture Repairs in New Zealand (tyretech.co.nz) Did the alignment in the Audi for me. No complaints so far. Gave some good (advice on a technical issue I was having as well as discussing some of the finer points of camber on older BMWs.

True, and Yes, the 'recently' imported one was on for 90k or close to it not so long ago if memory serves.

I'd agree with that. The newer Audi is definitely +1, maybe 2kph difference. The y2k bimmer however, at a vmax200 event in the UK many, many moons ago, the dial was showing a somewhat shaky 163mph but clocked at 160mph on the timing beam, so 5mph over the stated limit in the manual, but still, 3mph/4.8kph off being 'accurate', at least its consistent all the way through the speedo range. That shows something for 1990s engineering and technology.

Like buses, wait for ages then four come along at once.... mostly s50s with one of the rarer s54s - the pick of the bunch IMHO. 1999 BMW Z3 M Coupe | Trade Me Motors 1999 BMW Z3 M Coupe | Trade Me Motors 2002 BMW Z3 M Coupe | Trade Me Motors 1998 BMW M Coupe | Trade Me Motors

There is also a strong case for older cars that benefit from upgraded performance parts that were not widely available or were not fitted to the factory edition such that a modern equipped older car will arguably be a much 'better' drivers car than when it left the factory. Bigger, newer brakes for starters. MUCH better tyres!

For the rubbing on the front guard, you can always cut out some of the plastic guard where it rubs. That stops the rubbing!

eek! Not an suv in sight 😉 Place Vauban On Any Given Sunday Morning - Speedhunters

People tell me to stop reading the Guardian, but every now and again.....comedy gold: Parisians vote in favour of tripling parking costs for SUVs | Paris | The Guardian

Has anyone tried Cove for car insurance? Shopping around after receiving the same shock - from Tower = up from something like 640 to 880 on the family shopping trolley is outrageous. And that is after raising the excess last year post a fairly hefty increase in 2023. Cove came out the cheapest. All the others were close to or a lot more than Tower. Cove seemed one of those 'too good to be true, probably is' moments.

I concur with your assessment. On the new SH1 m'way heading north from Auckland over the peak holiday period Waze was remarkably on point. Then again, given the time of year, running on the presumption that there will be 5 0 around every third corner of a brand new, safe as you like m'way, is probably as good a bet. I was busy telling my kids in the back of the wagon that the BIB like to sour holiday makers and add a fun tax over the holidays, when sure enough, a soccer mum SUV got pinged right in front of us with a laser doing what can only have been a smidge over 107, downhill with a tailwind. I mean really, what risk was this person posing to society and their fellow motorists? Zero IMHO. They were more in danger when sliding and swerving to an emergency stop on the lose gravel at the side of the m'way. Needless to say, the radar detector did not go off in my car nor did the laser detector.

This is way off topic but maybe belongs in this thread..... I stumbled across these characters on the webatron the other day and have now skimmed through quite a bit of their material. It is some sort of hypnotic catharsis.....anyway, way off topic but worth a butchers hook if only for shtz and giggles: Ghost driving while roof and car bonnet surfing (youtube.com)

Agreed. More on Waze the better. Get the message out there!

Echoes of the z3m coupe. Terrible colour for a concept car IMHO. Alpina looking alloys too.

This was a topic of conversation in the office the other day. General consensus, yes, traffic is billy bonkers. I think everyone recognises traffic spikes after schools go back but it does seem to me that traffic post school holidays has gone way beyond the 'normal' difference in traffic load. Maybe if schools started later, finished later, there might be some load balancing. Maybe. Then again, the route cause is arguably the politicisation of induced demand stifling new road building and the spin put on it by vested interests or politically or maybe better put zealotry: Why is induced demand still ignored? - Greater Auckland New Findings in the Netherlands about Induced Demand and the Benefits of New Road Infrastructure - ScienceDirect Skim to the conclusion......hmmmmmmm.

If you want rust work done, try Brendan at the Rust Surgeon. Located in Glenfield. Good guy, does good work, and is good to chat to about what you need doing. He only does Rust. Body-shops etc are probably going to turn you down.

£250 on fleabay back in 2009. Not bad depreciation in .... consults computer calculator ..... 23 years

Thanks guys, that about sums it up, you get too used to modern then going back to vintage is not great. And yeah, H7 as standard.

This has probably been addressed elsewhere but a hunt around the tinternet did not really yield results. I'm guessing others have had this problem too. I want to swap the original candles in my 2000 z3mc. Since picking up the z3mc in 2010 it has had a HID kit installed by the previous owner. 11 years of MOT and the first few years of WOF here in NZ it has been fine until my father took it to VTNZ - while I was in Singapore, without asking. Nuff said. Anyhoo, I took it out the other night, raining, couldn't see a thing. The original lamps are useless, shockingly bad. Especially when c/f modern lamps. I'm not keen on putting the HIDs back in, they are very bright I've been told, and rules is rules and all that. So, what to do? For every bulb that is on sale there are as many good reviews as bad. I would rather not spend big bucks on some fancy xenon retrofit, plus I don't really know what that is, all I really want is something that is brighter. I'm also after something I can source locally in Nu Zulin, so have avoided the US and UK forum postings on this - there are a myriad of options abroad. Any suggestions?