No, I'm Not Going to Race You in the Rain

[mb135is]

On another topic - it annoys me when people try to race me in the rain or not. Most often it's on the highway. I never fully engage because it's the height of stupidity, but I also won't be pushed around out there (or cut off).

St|g said it right - the foundation of the angst and view of BMW is that the cars were simply better. Also the 80s and the idea of "yuppies" crushing around in their e30s didn't help. Clarkson thinks bathe douchey-ness has shifted to Audi owners, but I don't really agree. I think there are plenty among us.

[NorthernDancer]

Nothing will piss off those others more than simply ignoring them. And as someone has already mentioned, we go for performance, not bling. (best tires, brakes, RSFB's, etc, stuff you cannot see). Plus the benefits this forum, all the other BMW forums, Bav Auto & Pelican DIY videos, BMWCCA, Mike Miller, CCA driving schools.

[Zombie1]

I've never pulled up to another car to race I just don't go looking for it, but I sure do get a lot of Spanish guys in Hondas/toyotas trying to race me revving their car to grab my attention. I always oblige them for a second if the road is empty, I only say a second cause that's all it takes to make them disappear in the mirror. I've never understood people who drive recklessly on crowded roads why risk someone else's life?

P.S I love the Spanish!

[128Convertibleguy]

Originally Posted by TheSt|G

BMW community by in large is actually pretty good. Sure, there are the stancetards(which is much more prevalent in the Japanese car scene), but in general the BMW community is a rather excellent combination of money and a hands on approach.

You've got to be kidding. The people here, sure. Your general BMW owner? No way. There's a reason BMW has gotten away with RFTs, most BMW owners either don't notice or feel it's good for safety.

I'm a very serious car guy. I've raced wheel to wheel, including a brief fling with Formula Ford. The people I've been privileged to see race in person include Graham Hill, Mark Donahue, all the Andrettis, Prost, Senna, and Schumacher. And Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson. I have a friend who's equally serious. When I told him I bought the BMW, he said maybe he'd still speak to me <smile>. And he knows very well what BMW is (used to be?) all about.

These days to get my BMW to be decent by my standards, I'm going to have to replace the wheels and tires, and retune the RFT tuned suspension. The good bits are almost anachronisms with BMW these days. FWD and four cylinder turbos are coming.

I'm very unprejudiced about brands, tho. My last car was an fbody. Before I bought it, I test drove a Z3 and rejected it - lousy suspension. Reworked (as I knew it could be), the fbody was a very decent sports car.

Here's the thing. Everyone here has far more in common with the fbody people I hung out with on the net than they do with your typical BMW owner. The gap is not between brands, it's between car enthusiasts and not. The majority of car owners, of whatever brand, are not car enthusiasts.

Originally Posted by JimD

Streets are not a good place to race, of course. Too many drawbacks from a safety standpoint.

This is a pet peeve. To use the term "race" in connection with messing around on the street is disrespectful of racing. Racing is hard, very hard. Winning is harder, and means a great deal. Messing around on the street is easy, and "winning" proves nothing about either car or driver. Well, maybe street messing around says something about the driver.