Not being a Florida regular I sought advice on scenic routes, posting the question on a well known US-based BMW web forum. Scenic routes from Miami to Sebring? Oh, how they laughed.

Plan B stumbled into action. Take the M3 down to the Florida Keys, because that will be scenic, for sure. So, I head south from Miami, thinking “It can’t be that far, then I’ll just turn round and head north to Sebring”.

It is that far, actually. This then, of course, means that the journey north to Sebring is that far, plus quite a lot.

Fortunately, the M3 is a surprisingly relaxing companion for the cruise south. Comfortable, very quiet, effortlessly quick, soothing. DCT removes a large chunk of the stress of driving on the wrong side of the car/road, and I just slot it into D and let it get on with the job.

But, be in no doubt, getting all the way to Key West for a symbolic shot of the last naturally aspirated M-car (as it almost certainly will be) takes a long time, thanks to the distance involved and the interminable speed limits and road works.

End of the Road - is this the last naturally aspirated M car?

So long a time, that once I do finally get to the very end of Highway 1, the most southerly point of the USA, I barely have time to take some shots and then hit the road back north to Sebring.

The views are superb in places, with some impressively long bridges, separating the Caribbean on one side from the Gulf of Mexico on the other side. The pelicans do alarmingly good impersonations of low flying aircraft, causing me to duck several times in anticipation of a major strike. But most of the time all I see is commercialised USA.

The usual brands you see everywhere, spread along a narrow ribbon of land on each side of the road. It looks good on Google Earth, though.

So, it is well over 400 miles now, to get to Sebring. Time to start exercising those 420 Bavarian horses. The run back north (back to Miami, in fact, such was the quality of Plan B) is pretty mundane, but once to the north of the city, the interstate all of a sudden gets very, very quiet, as the sun sets over my left shoulder. And very straight. I take advantage of the circumstances and distances seem to shrink as the M3 plays the GT to perfection.

Mile after mile of almost completely deserted interstate, with just an occasional big truck to blast past. And not a sign of a police car. Until a 50 limit in a small town, and someone else decides to overtake on the right, narrowly missing me as I slow down behind a slow, law abiding citizen. And all of a sudden there is the cop car, flashing lights go on and the other guy – not me – gets pulled over.

Lucky, lucky…this time, anyway….

Sebring or bust

My luck holds and the last 100 miles disappear in short time as I finally trundle in to Sebring at 9:30pm, having left Key West just over 7 hours earlier. The E92 M3 destroys distances. But my 25mpg average to Key West has turned into a rather smaller number now. A pizza later, and I am out like a light.

Next day, Friday, and it is time for the great American sporting event. I have attended some before (American football) so, in my ignorance I reckoned that I knew what to expect.….but that was before my first experience of the 12 Hours of Sebring, the 2010 opener for the American Le Mans Series. That was before I got hooked.

For most people outside the US, the ALMS is a bit of an unknown, and with little TV exposure it might almost get overlooked by the rest of the world. That would be a serious mistake, as the rest of the world needs to wake up to what could well be the most diverse, competitive and entertaining branch of motorsport around at present.

Forget the over-hyped, over-exposed and over-paid F1 procession. ALMS is where real racing happens, and in cars which do actually have some sort of connection with the real world.

RVs provide the best view for the true racing enthusiast

Sebring, right bang in the middle of Florida, has become the focus of a real racing event phenomenon, something which has built up over the years since the 1950s, and which now attracts crowds upwards of 100,000 people. And if you want to watch it properly, as I now discover, you need that quintessential piece of American kit – the RV. Preferably a big one.

In fact without it, you are going to miss out on both the view of the track, and that other bit of the experience – the eating and drinking part. And given that the best viewing spots are hunted down early, with the real enthusiasts getting into line 3 weeks before the gates open (Wimbledon queuing – Nah, that’s nothing by comparison) in order that they get to their favourite turns for the near week long event, an RV is pretty much essential to get the real Sebring experience.

Hotels/motels are booked months in advance, and if you are lucky enough to get a room it will probably cost you $250 – $300 per night – with a minimum of 5 nights being demanded. So an RV starts to become the sensible, practical, essential and economic choice. That’s why I can see literally hundreds of them all around the circuit, parked side by side, with just enough room to get between them. If you are conventional, you have 2, 3, maybe 4 garden chairs on the roof, and then you’re sorted.

For the more imaginative, garden chairs are just the starting point. Sebring is about way more than just the race, as a tour of The Zoo – sorry Green Park in-field spectator area – uncovers entertainment delights.

Check out the old school bus, converted to a bar and pole-dancing establishment, by a team of owners who first started coming here in the 1970s. Since then, the school bus has been supplemented, with another bar/diner facility, which also incorporates – surprise – a race viewing area. For the daylight hours, at least.

I am travelling with the BMW Rahal-Letterman team, and that gets immediate attention from the race fans, attention especially for the race suited young lady, who is acting as my guide as we seek out the “flavour” of Sebring.

It is a hot and sunny day, and the alcohol-fuelled chat-up lines always seem to be around what items of clothing – if any – she wears under the suit. But American good manners are still evident – some of the chat-ups are at least preceded by an enquiry as to whether I am her husband.

The invitations to return to the party after the sun has gone down are numerous. Some of them even include me. “What happens in Sebring, stays in Sebring”, is a frequently heard expression….

Let them eat cake - just imagine this scene in Formula 1: On the left the engineers work on Car 92, whilst just a few metres away the team entertain guests with a slice of cake. Joy indeed.

There is a lot of flamboyant vehicular cruising going on, with massive tyred, jacked up 4x4s trundling around, laden with Stars and Stripes, big sounds and high mounted seats, occupied by happy and friendly kids, just having a good time. Smile and wave for the camera. Ok, that’s enough. Move along, now. Next please. We could be here some time.

Parties have clearly been going on for some days, with many areas looking like an explosion in a beer can factory. Live music – actually pretty good live music – is pounding out near Turn 7, but even the Janis Joplin tribute band cannot compete with the decibels from the track.

ALMS: one of the world’s most varied race series…

This noise really is the unmistakable signature, the defining characteristic of ALMS. Mix in the high-tech, high revving LMP cars, some of them diesels, with the screaming V8s of the BMWs, the flat 6s of the Porsches and that absolutely unmistakably charismatic sound of American racing machinery – the Corvettes – as they blast along the start/finish straight. To any petrol-head, this is spine-tingling stuff.

Racing is close in the production based GT Class - 450-500 horsepower and a minimum weight of 1,145 kilograms - featuring the BMW M3, Corvette C6.R, Ferrari F430 GT, Ford GT-R, Jaguar XKRS, Panoz Abruzzi and Porsche 911 GT3 RSR.

All this, and a proper race to watch, too.

And racing it is – not just a pole position, first corner-determined procession. The diversity of cars competing in ALMS means that competition is fierce, intense and extended throughout the 12 hours. Overtaking is not something that has to be engineered through incessant rule-tinkering, it is a constant and influential challenge to all the drivers.

BMW are competing M3s in the GT2 class. They are here because GT endurance racing sells cars, and the US is their biggest market. With the demise of their F1 team, GT racing will now take centre stage, and ALMS is big in the US. Other endurance races are also on BMW’s calendar – Nurburgring and Spa 24 hours, and of course, the big one, the real Le Mans 24 hour race in June.

Each of these 24 hour races has significant, but short-term exposure. ALMS is a season-long series, starting now in March, and running through to October, so this is a big deal for the BMW team and factory support of the Bobby Rahal, David Letterman sponsored operation is high profile.

Running two cars here, Number 90, driven by Joey Hand, Dirk Mueller and Andy Priaulx (his first appearance at Sebring) and Number 92, driven by Sebring veteran Bill Auberlen, Tommy Milner and Dirk Werner.

Left to right: Tom Milner, Bill Auberlen, Andy Priaulx, Joey Hand, Dirk Mueller, Dirk Werner

The BMW M3 Race Version…

The cars, whose numbers allude to BMW 3-series model designations, are based upon the V-8 M3 coupe, leveraging the “Race on Sunday, sell on Monday” maxim, with perceived links between race and road cars far more apparent here, than in F1.

Pumped up wheel arches and mega rear spoilers provide significant external visual differences between these racers and the cars that we can buy, but they are still recognisably E92 M3 coupes.

Under the skin, differences are more significant of course, but the 4 litre V8 is much closer to road car spec than you might imagine, producing horsepower in the high 400s, when fitted with mandatory intake restrictors. Ah, yes, the restrictors….more on them later.

Besides an additional 70 bhp, many of the differences between road car and the race version are down to airflow management

The most significant conceptual difference between the M3 GT2 and the road car is the use of a rear transaxle, in order to optimise weight distribution. Carbon fibre trunking feeds cooling air to the transaxle from the front of the car and dominates the interior of the shell.

So much of the enhancements to the car are about airflow management – front splitter, vents to feed air to and from brakes, and of course feed and cool the engine. And – fortunately for the drivers in this Florida heat – the interior of each car is air-conditioned, a mandatory requirement.

In amongst all the serious race activity, it is very noticeable how spectators get a whole load more access to the teams than seems the case in other classes of racing. On the day before the race, an hour or so before the final qualification session, all drivers are required to attend autograph sessions, and the teams welcome visitors into the car preparation areas. Posters, lanyards, pictures are all getting the autograph treatment.

A young lad, carrying a model Corvette gets in line for autographs at the BMW trailer, a little optimistically. He wants the BMW drivers to autograph his Corvette…..I am not sure that is going to happen, no matter how accommodating the team usually are.

The BMW Car Club of America are welcomed into the BMW RLR car preparation tent, even getting anniversary cake, before taking part in procession laps of the circuit. This is in celebration of the 35th anniversary of BMW’s first ever victory in North America, coincidentally also at Sebring, in 1975.

I manage to sneak into line for the cake (excellent sugar overload) and also quietly get into the laps (fun but not that fast) in my M3. The laps prove one thing beyond doubt – this circuit is most definitely very bumpy, not just on the concrete sections, and with plenty of off-camber turns…

Qualification…

Qualification goes very well for the BMW team, with Dirk Mueller in Car 90 posting a superb, record qualifying lap of 2:00.782 to secure pole position in GT2 ahead of the primary competition from the Ferrari and Corvette teams. Talking with the drivers they believe that the BMWs have the highest cornering speeds in GT2, but they still need to make something up in straight-line speed.

Joey Hand cites the 80+mph, 180 degree right Turn 17 (at the beginning of the start/finish straight) and the 110+mph, 90 degree left Turn 1 (at the end of the straight) as being key to a strong lap, with the M3s sustaining more than 2G cornering force.

It was Car 90, driven by Joey Hand, Dirk Mueller and Andy Priaulx that achieved GT2 pole position, however failure of the mandatory stall test left them starting from the pit lane

The challenge of each of these turns is that the concrete surface, a legacy of its airfield roots, is very rough, causing 4.6G spikes which stress driver, car and tyres. A fast exit to the left hander T1 then sets up the left/right/left combination of Turns 3/4/5 where the BMW’s handling balance and agility is so important.

The 3.7 mile circuit is an intriguing mixture of concrete slabs and often rippled tarmac, with 4 significantly long straights to favour the more powerful cars. In the wet it must be a nightmare of varying grip levels and the soothsayers in the Dunlop tyre team are suggesting that race Saturday will indeed be wet.

The smiles and excitement of Dirk Mueller achieving GT2 pole position are fairly short lived, however, as Car 90 fails the mandatory stall test in scrutineering. The restrictors are there in an attempt to even out the power differentials between engines of very different sizes in GT2 and when blocked during scrutineering, the engine should stall. Car 90 didn’t, with an air leak probably due to faulty assembly of the air box. That could be worth 10 horsepower. So Mueller must start from the pit lane.

Friday night is pizza night, Mexican style, overlooking Lake Jackson.

Race day…

Saturday, Race Day, dawns with immaculate blue skies appearing through the mist as the sun rises. It is going to be a hot and dry Florida day, the rain anticipated by BMW’s Dunlop tyre technicians looks like it will be absent.

All around the in-field spectator areas, sleepy eyed – and probably sore headed – people are stumbling into action. Barbeques are smoking away. Coffee brews. Beer is being broken out. These people have stamina. A long day, and night awaits them, with the 12 Hours starting at 10:30am.

The BMW Rahal Letterman team are a combination of teutonic efficiency matched with down-to-earth racing enthusiasm

I am definitely seeing the benefits of the RV life here. Track visibility, with facilities, and somewhere to collapse when necessary. And they probably know their neighbours, here, as well as their neighbours at home, with friendships established over years, or even decades of Sebring attendance. The spectators who only venture into the stands do not know what they are missing.

It is possibly a cliché to think of US motorsport fans always being from the right of the political spectrum, but there certainly are plenty of reminders of Sarah Palin – and gun clubs – amongst the bumper stickers.

Those more from the left (OK – we are in the US, so maybe that should be less from the right) might actually find something they approve of here, with the green message – Global Leader in Green Racing – being very prominent in ALMS this year. There are prizes for going furthest/fastest with least environmental impact – just don’t ask me to explain how the winner is chosen. You can even find hybrids here – one of the breakdown recovery trucks proudly displaying its green capabilities.

Green is the big message of ALMS in 2010, in fact, with references everywhere. Window-dressing? Maybe, but the fact that the message is present is a pretty powerful indicator, as this would have been unthinkable only a few years ago.

Wandering through the parking areas and RVs you can find numerous automotive gems. A race-prepped Ford Anglia here, a Batmobile BMW CSL in 70s livery there, more Mark 1 Corvettes than you can count, Ford GT40s, AC Cobras (replicas or genuine – I don’t know), sundry Porsche 917s, Alfa GTVs and Spiders.

Many of these ageing heroes have competed in the historic races in the days before the 12 Hours finale of Sebring week. Some are just there because they belong in a place, an event like this.

Close Competition in GT2…

With all this going on outside the track – and the night-time partying hasn’t got started yet – the race might risk being a side show. But when it starts, the “Days of Thunder” soundtrack makes sure that no-one is in any doubt about what is going on. You need ear-plugs here, and not to counter the music.

Getting in close to the action in the pit-lane with the BMW Rahal Letterman team, even with foam ear-plugs the sound of the M3s exiting the pit is up at pain threshold levels. I need some of those cool ear defender/intercom things.

Each car can run for around an hour before having to pit for fuel. The circuit’s bumps are punishing on tyres, so each pit stop is generally also a tyre and driver change. The tyres degrade noticeably around the inside edges, due to BMW’s aggressive suspension settings and the speed being carried through the corners.

The pit team seems to be extremely well organised, with the pit stops I timed completed in around 30 seconds, compared with a neighbouring Ferrari team who take 40. This pace is accompanied by an amazing sense of calm.

Pit stops for the BMW Rahal Letterman cars are quick and unflustered

Driver change-over and re-fuelling happening simultaneously in near silence, with the tyre change team poised ready for their part. As soon as the fuelling nozzle is pulled from the tank inlet the on-board pneumatic jacks lift the bodyshell, raising all four wheels from the ground and the wheels are off, replaced and back down on the ground again, inside 12 seconds. The only noise coming from the pneumatic hub spinners. No words, no drama, no panic.

The team believe they have at least a 5 second advantage over their GT2 competition, at every pit stop. That works out to at least 60 seconds per race, without any un-scheduled stops.

I am right in the thick of it, at the suggestion of my hosts, but I worry that I could be getting in the way of important business. I say to one of the suited and helmeted technicians “If I am in the way, just shout”. His calm response “No problem at all, bud, you’re just fine”.

This relaxed air seems to extend to the drivers, too, as they are happy to chat, sharing their insights into the circuit, the race, the cars, the tyres. Joey Hand talks me through the critical high speed, jack-hammer rough turns (1 and 17) and then enthusiastically re-lives his way through the 3/4/5 combo, with its subtle weight transfers.

Twelve hours pass like clockwork – almost…

This aura of calmness and efficiency was not evident at the neighbouring Corvette Racing team pit, supposedly one of the best drilled in the championship, when their 2 cars manage to collide in the pits during the fourth hour. Both cars sustain significant damage in the collision causing them to lose time, from which they never really recover.

The BMWs are looking very comfortable, turning in consistently fast laps and frequently reeling in Porsches and Ferraris, on the longer straights even though they believe that they are at a power disadvantage. The on-board video feed, relayed to the pit-lane provides a constant, rhythmic, almost hypnotic source of interest through the day, and into the evening as the sun sinks and darkness takes over.

Joey Hand posts a GT2 class race record lap in Car 90, at 2:00.985, more than half a second quicker than the most competitive Ferrari 430GT.

I can see a charge developing here, but the vagaries of yellow flags and pace cars hit the BMWs badly, more than once, causing them to lose the best part of a lap, each time, on their main competition just as they appear to be reeling them in. But the race is far from over.

In the pit lane, the resting drivers are just as engrossed as me, sitting on the pit lane wall, watching the on-board video, as an in-house battle develops between Car 90 and Car 92, with the gap between them gradually reducing to a handful of seconds.

The team's view of the race as it unfolds - perfect for keeping track of their superfast BMW M3 GT2 cars

Every 2 minutes we look away from the screens, to watch the pair of cars screaming past in the floodlights, along the straight, and then plunging into the darkness, their tail lights jinking right and then left as they disappear around T1. I begin to worry that enthusiasm for this battle could lead to disaster. I would hate to see them take one another out in the heat of their own race, with less than an hour of the 12 remaining.

In the end, this almost happens, as Dirk Mueller loses his brakes on the very last bend, spins and lets Dirk Werner through to take 2nd place in GT2. Fortunately, Mueller does not hit anything solid and has enough of a cushion to recover and take 3rd ahead of the Porsche 911RSR of Bergmeister/Long/Lieb.

Much handshaking, hugging and backslapping then follows, because this is a good result – and could so easily have been even better, with just a little pace car/yellow flag luck. The cars have been totally reliable and quick, as have the drivers, and, equally important, the pit-lane team.

Before the race I asked Mario Theissen, BMW’s Director of Motorsport, what he was hoping for. A podium position, was his response. And now he has two. Could this turn into BMW’s Season of Joy? I have a feeling it could well do so.

Both cars finished on the podium, recording 2nd and 3rd in the GT Class

After the somewhat extended podium celebrations – many sponsors, many prizes, lots of hat throwing, too much champagne spraying – I return to the BMW RLR transporter, where one lonely soul has, over the last 3 or 4 hours, done a fantastic job breaking everything down, whilst the rest of the team have been enjoying the fun, racing stuff. It is important that I get back here as there is more of the fine, sugary cake to enjoy. I know my duty, and bravely fulfil it.

The Florida night is getting chilly now, and I have more than 500 miles to cover in “my” M3 in the morning, with an appointment at the BMW Performance Driving School, in Spartanburg, South Carolina, first thing on Monday. I need to get some sleep. I steel myself for the inevitable big, slow, frustrating queues out of the circuit, but find that there aren’t any. I am out in just a few minutes, into the darkness, leaving the bright lights and music behind me.

Then I think about it. Why would there be any queues? The Sebring party is just getting into gear, most people have no thought about leaving here yet.

What happens in Sebring, stays in Sebring, as they say….

With thanks: This feature would not have been possible without the patience, generosity and sheer hospitality of BMW North America Motorsport including Martin Birkmann, Matt Russell, Bill Cobb and Kathy, the BMW Rahal Letterman team including Bobby Rahal, Tom Milner, Bill Auberlen, Andy Priaulx, Joey Hand, Dirk Mueller, Dirk Werner and of course Dr Mario Theissen, Director of BMW Motorsport.

Images courtesy of: BMW North America and Tony Braybon.

It is quiet, with little overt indication of what goes on within. Just a typical BMW sign outside, and a few road cars gathering a light dusting of snow in the parking area. You can tell quite a lot about an organization by its corporate headquarters, and also by its leaders.

Today I am meeting Dr. Mario Theissen, BMW Motorsport Director, as they head into 2010, with no Formula 1 programme for the first time in more than a decade.

Substance before Style

Once inside the building, the reception area is low-key, too, containing a small collection of recent racers – an E92-based M3GT, Augusto Farfus’ 2009 E90 3-series WTCC car, one of the infamous E46 M3GTRs and a Formula BMW open wheeler along with some motorsport engines. A handful of trophies sit on plinths, with 3 large illuminated cabinets containing a further – impressive – collection of silverware.

None of the bright lights, extravagant architecture and themed presentation of the nearby BMW World and BMW Museum here, however. When you consider how much of BMW’s coveted image is founded upon its sporting credentials and the relationship between its road cars and its racers, this first view of the heart of its Motorsport operation is curiously downbeat. But perhaps that is good news. Maybe the money gets spent on what is actually important, rather than what just looks good. That definitely used to be the rule with the M cars, anyway.

Formula 1 and the Strategy Shift

If you have watched F1 in the last few years, and been paying attention, you would have seen Mario Theissen. As high stress – if you are not winning – high visibility jobs go, being an F1 Team Principal is right up there with Premiership football managers. So I can’t help thinking that a part of Theissen might have been secretly pleased when the BMW board announced, last July, that the company was pulling out of this branch of the sport at the end of the 2009 season.

He is a tall, quite youthful 50 something, dressed in the typical ‘business casual’ style that you find so often in Germany. His office is a tidy person’s dream, with an almost complete lack of clutter or decoration. Just a few scale model cars here and there, to hint at the automotive world that surrounds us. His frameless glasses add a slightly scholarly air, backed up by a quiet and measured speaking style, in excellent English.

He explains the rationale behind the withdrawal.

MT: “There was a shift in overall corporate strategy. The board decided that Motorsport should be more clearly directed towards technologies which are relevant for future mobility, and although we will always be in motor sport, F1 did not comply with the mainstream of this new strategy. On the other hand F1 takes most of the resources in this area, and so this brought about the decision to stop F1 and focus on other areas of motor sport as well as other things that came about with the new strategy.”

The Green Agenda, then….

Dr Mario Theissen in his office at BMW Motorsport

BMW’s factory in Landshut, home of BMW’s motorsport foundry and source of carbon fibre for the M3 and M6

MT: “There is a comprehensive education programme – how to drive the car, how to set it up, data analysis, physical fitness, mental coaching, nutrition, how to deal with sponsors and the media. The feedback that we get suggests that it is a very good programme. We are doing this now with two series, the European series and another in Asia. It is very rewarding to see how the young guys develop through this.”

Given that this suggests a fairly big investment by BMW, what is the payback?

MT: “It is a big investment, and you cannot make money by providing young drivers with a platform, a safe platform. This takes money, but it is our racing mentality and our attitude is not about payback here. We already have a lot of payback in motor racing and developing young drivers is a way that we give something back to motor racing.”

Is there any expectation of BMW having some involvement in the gap between Formula BMW and F1?

MT: “No, but we have a broad customer base, and if somebody wants to use a BMW engine in something, say a Formula car, we can provide that engine, but we will not become involved in another formula racing programme”

The much-leaked sneak pictures of the Life Cycle Impulse (LCI) to the E92/E93 3-series coupe and convertible suggested very minor cosmetic changes. The official pictures have now been released and the changes are rather…..erm, well, subtle in reality. In fact, it would take a highly trained BMW-geek on full alert to spot most of them. So get training then before the March 2010 UK launch, OK?

Mechanical changes are more significant, but still not likely to cause a huge rush to the BMW showroom and a mass waving of cheque-books.

Mechanical changes are – in the main – all about that CO2 Monster thing, such is the obsessive focus of most European manufacturers these days. Reading the press release material the frequency with which CO2 is mentioned is notable, along with EfficientDynamics. Of course.

There are some interesting highlights, some of which might prove quite controversial with the more performance oriented amongst us.

At one extreme, the 335i, hitherto so effective with its twin-turbo in-line six has – shock – gone to a single turbo, Valvetronic and High Precision Direct injection equipped specification. So bar-room bragging rights might take a hit there. But, wait for it, the power and torque peaks remain the same as the old engine’s (no indication yet of whether these have moved up or down the rev range) and the fuel consumption drops by 8% (to 33.6mpg) with CO2 by more than 10%, so sneaking the Coupe into the UK’s VED Band J at 196g/km. We will wait to see whether the Valvetronic technology, which loses the conventional throttle butterfly, will have any impact on the 335i’s previously highly responsive nature.

New lights, new engines and a new price – but is it just more of the same?

The 335d Coupe also claims an improved fuel consumption figure – though by only 0.6mpg, so pay attention or you just might not notice – and dives into a lower VED Band H, one less than its previous rating.

And at the other extreme of the range the 320d EfficientDynamics saloon, turns in numbers that do seem scarcely credible, hitting 62 in 8.0 seconds whilst achieving a top speed of 142mph and emitting CO2 at just 109g/km. It is claimed to be the most efficient and cleanest BMW ever, and might well retain that title indefinitely if you consider conventional internal combustion engines, without going to hybrid technology. It is – according to BMW – the first premium car ever to achieve less than 110g/km CO2 emissions, which means that it will attract the Band B VED of just £35. For the moment, anyway. Gordon (save-the-world) Brown will love you for it. Alastair (give-me-the-money) Darling will not…

Returning to the important stuff (the cosmetics, of course…) both Coupe and Convertible get new front and rear lights, minor revisions to the kidney grille, new front air dam and rear valence and alterations to the side rocker panels. The expected LED treatment arrives at the rear, with subtle changes to the lightbar tail lights, and LED indicators. The LED technology continues at the front with brighter white coronas for the side/running lights and for the indicators. So now BMW drivers can pretend to be Audi drivers. At last…

Even more subtle (yes, I know I keep saying that, but they just are, OK) alterations have been wrought to the front and rear bumpers, resulting in a slight increase in overall length (+29mm at the front and +3mm at the back).

Expect a new standard wheel design, together with new optional 18” alloy style and three new exterior colours: Vermillion Red, Deep Sea Blue and Mineral White (Yes – the market has been demanding another White. Hasn’t it?). Inside, Dakota Leather becomes standard on all Coupes and Convertibles and the new Anthracite Bamboo trim goes for the most unlikely description of 2010.

With M Sport variants accounting for 65% of UK E92/E93 sales changes have not been forgotten here, with a revised front spoiler, a new 19” M Sport wheel and er….the Mineral White. Not a lot there, then.

And, apart from the cosmetics (which from the outside will probably only be the rear lights, as with the E46 LCI of 2003), no changes appear to have been applied to the M3.

Prices for the new BMW 3 Series Coupé start at £27,845 OTR for a 320i SE and £30,200 OTR for a 320d SE. This rises to £52,730 OTR for a BMW M3 Coupé. Entry into the BMW 3 Series Convertible club starts at £32,905 OTR for a 320i SE and £35,115 OTR for a 320d SE rising to £56,740 OTR for an M3 Convertible.

All of the new BMW 3 Series variants go on sale in the UK from 20 March, 2010.

And that’s about it. Apart from the now confirmed rumour that a 335is will be joining the range shortly afterwards, featuring the 335bhp twin turbocharger six from the Z4 35is. But unless you spot the ‘is’ badge, you will probably think it’s just another 335i.

I said they were subtle.

The summit begins tomorrow, and will see more than 85 national leaders gather to discuss climate change and agree a round of measures to show the voters that they are doing ‘something’.

If you have been using the Internet in the last 10 days or so, you might have noticed a new term – Climategate.

Climategate has become part of our vocabulary after the unauthorised release of emails, documents and code from the Climatic Research Unit (CRU) of the University of East Anglia. Suddenly it has become one of the most searched terms on Google [Climategate results from Google] , with over 30 million results since first being coined just over a week ago. You would have to be Tiger Woods to pull more interest than that.

The cars that we drive, or would like to drive, are almost certainly going to get more expensive to buy, more expensive to drive and probably more expensive merely just to own. Because, as you already must know, cars are destroying the planet, tipping us towards climate Armageddon.

Or at least that’s what we’re told.

“The stink of intellectual corruption is overpowering” – Clive Crook, December 2009, The Atlantic Magazine

Drivers are becoming increasingly vilified as planet destroyers, willfully wrecking the environment to serve our own selfish interests. The assumption being perpetrated is that “if you love cars than you hate the environment”.

But why do the climate change zealots make these claims?

The simple answer is that we are an easy target. We have licences, registration documents, and can be traced, fined and banned from the roads if we do not comply with everything that is thrown in our direction. Generally law-abiding, we tend to accept the claims as true (we have had more than 20+ years of indoctrination on this one) and then go on to accept our punishment.

On what basis, though?

Let’s do the maths

Suspend your belief (or disbelief), if you can, that mankind is causing global warming – oops – better make that climate change just in case we all start to cool down again, and let’s think about some of the data.

CO2, the greenhouse gas that we are increasingly being taxed on for our emissions – because “it causes global warming” – makes up roughly 380 parts per million (ppm) by volume in the earth’s atmosphere.

That is roughly 0.038%, [CO2 in Earth's atmosphere - Wikipedia] with the balance being approximately 80% Nitrogen, and just under 20% Oxygen. Mankind contributes roughly 3.2% of that 0.038% CO2, or (3.2/100) multiplied by (0.038/100), or, oh come on, you have probably worked this out already – the answer here is infinitesimal, or a lot less than very, very small. The answer is that 0.0012% of the atmosphere consists of manmade CO2.

If we break down the manmade figures even further, figures[1] produced on behalf of our very fine and trustworthy government, I should emphasise, we have a couple of important statistics. In the UK, CO2 emissions are estimated at 20.7 tonnes per household per year. Of this, the amount attributed to private car use is just 2.5 tonnes (or 12% of the UK total). This figure, is exceeded by those for:

• Direct fuel use in the home (3.6 tonnes, 17.3%)
• Electricity use in the home (3.0 tonnes, 14.5%)
• Aviation and public transport (3.3 tonnes, 15.9%)

There is a whole list of other sources of CO2, but the above shows that car use comes in at a rather unexciting and not terribly impactful 4th place in household emissions. But do not forget there are many other sources, not attributable to households, including heating and lighting of government offices for example…..

So the car is producing significantly less than 12% of manmade CO2 emissions in the UK. We could query the accuracy of the above figures, but you can absolutely bet your mortgage that the numbers attributed to private car use have not been played down. Anything but, I would suggest.

Let’s summarise, using a bit of judicious extrapolation (assuming that all countries have a similar profile in their production of CO2) – the car is producing less than 12% of 3.2% of atmospheric CO2 content. So, that means 12/100 multiplied by 3.2/100, which equals 0.384% of CO2 in the atmosphere. And the CO2 totals 0.038% of the atmosphere as a whole.

How much? Yes, and I am sorry, but I do have to get all scientific here, cars are producing less than half of close to bugger all of the Evil Gas© known as CO2. That is 0.384% of a tiny proportion of the atmosphere as a whole.

Surely nothing could be as important as CO2?

There is something else that you need to consider when reviewing the causes behind climate change. The effect of CO2 on global temperatures, is massively outweighed by other greenhouse gases, the most significant of which is water vapour.

Water vapour, as well as being present in much greater volumes than CO2, is hugely more effective as a greenhouse gas, volume for volume, than CO2. For some strange reason the Climate Change zealots choose to ignore this. I cannot think why.

Climategate

At the start of this article we mentioned Climategate. The recent hacking – actually far more likely whistle-blowing by an insider – of emails, data and code from the Climate Research Unit at the University of East Anglia.

The peer review process by fellow scientists has been compromised. Freedom of Information (FOI) legislation appears to have been undermined, and most damagingly data has been manipulated to suit the “message” with the original raw data lost/destroyed.

The blogosphere is alive with comments on the Climategate affair, and what it means for our received wisdom on climate change, and our impact on temperatures, therefore our ability to “mitigate” climate change (i.e. control the increases in temperature, to use one of UK Governments favourite words).

You can bet, however, that the car driver will be singled out in our leaders’ plans, post-Copenhagen. You can also bet that the environmental benefits of their actions will have absolutely no perceptible impact on the climate of this planet. The effect on your pocket may be a different matter entirely.

So why are politicians so hung up on punishing car drivers? Well, we’ve been the silent majority for decades whilst pro-environmental campaigners have lobbied their agendas to become a part of mainstream politics. The simple fact is that climate change has been a vote winner and it’s here to stay.

The solution

Well, firstly we need to turn the argument away from being about good-vs-evil – car drivers can be environmentalists too.

We also need to encourage our leaders to share the truth with us. All the evidence is now pointing to little or no warming in the second part of the 20th century. Even if you accept the original claims about increased temperatures, the impact of man-made CO2 emissions on temperatures is infinitesimal.

All along, the argument has been “we have increased temperatures but cannot account for them, so therefore it must be man-made CO2”. As well as not being a terribly convincing argument, it is now totally undermined by the truth of actual temperature data showing this lack of warming. The Climategate leak has shown this.

Car manufacturers have made substantial improvements in the past 30 years to reduce the impact of the vehicles we drive [US analysis of vehicle emissions since 1970], and [Highway Vehicle Emissions: 1970–2001 Comparison], so ultimately this is where more effort should be channeled – perhaps by governments to further incentivise investment in environmental technology through positive tax ‘incentives’ and allowances.

There are many challenges for our governments to overcome including the growth of emerging nations, de-forestation and our ever increasing demand for travel and energy.

What can you do about it?

We have been working together with Live Talkback, a company run by ex-Adobe director Matt Millar, who provide an application that enables audiences to vote via the web, mobile phones and TV screens on live events.

Well, we have a live event, and we would like to capture how you feel about the Copenhagen Climate Change summit as it happens.

Live Talkback is a cutting edge solution that provides a ‘real-time’ view of audience feedback – you can vote as many times as you want and your vote will be transferred if you change your mind during the summit. Your vote will remain totally anonymous so nobody will be able to contact you regardless of your choice.

So, don’t be silent, let’s show that drivers have a conscience too.

Click on one (or all) of the following links to enter your vote;

Poll 1: Climate Change Villains: are car drivers really to blame?

Poll 2: If driving was the major cause of climate change, what would you do?

Poll 3: Which produces the most CO2 per household in the UK?

(you will automatically be redirected to our mobile site if accessing the link from your phone). You can also load the application from the iTunes App Store by clicking on (App Store > Lifestyle > Live Talkback), or just type ‘live talkback’ into the search box.

[1]  “An Environmental Behaviours Strategy for DEFRA”, page 15.  Document obtained via “Climategate” release

In a “recession, what recession” move the German – sorry – Italian supercar maker heads into South America for the first time, as it expands its global dealership network and opens the first official franchised Lamborghini dealership in Latin America . It looks like the Brazilian bankers of Sao Paolo will have a new target on which to spend their bonuses.

The dealership will be managed by Via Italia Group, one of Brazil’s most experienced luxury sports car sales companies and Lamborghini chose São Paulo for its status as one of the most modern and luxurious cities in South America and a large global financial center.

Located on the famous Avenida Europa in the heart of downtown, Lamborghini São Paulo now has a stand-alone showroom and a dedicated team of sales and service staff. The after-sales facility, technical service and original parts departments will have a dedicated warehouse in nearby Vila Leopoldina.

“Entering South America continues Lamborghini’s ongoing strategy to further develop the brand’s comprehensive worldwide dealer network,” said Stephan Winkelmann, President and CEO of Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A. “Via Italia Group was chosen for its expertise in the luxury sports car market, extraordinary sales performance and its reputation for exemplary customer service.”

Refine and improve, or break it all down and start again?

This is Dr Kay Segler’s challenge, since taking on the role of President of BMW M GmbH earlier this year. His life will not be simple as he contends with the expectations of the many M-car traditionalists who fear the future means massive 4x4s, turbocharging and automatic transmissions.

It is fortunate that Segler is an enthusiast having arrived at M Division from his previous role as Senior Vice President Brand Management at Mini.

I first met him 10 days before the Frankfurt Motor Show at a BMW Driver Training event at the Nordschleife – 2 days of intense circuit training in DCT equipped M3s. And he wasn’t just visiting for the evening social, he was there as a pupil. An hour or so after my initial interview with him at the Frankfurt show, our paths crossed again, when I was photographing some of the M-cars which formed part of the (rather small) BMW M-presence in the IAA exhibition hall.

He grabbed me by the arm and led me over to a limited edition (of 100) M6 Competition Edition, telling me that he had been evaluating the new semi-matt silver grey paint finish, driving the car on road to see how it looked when dirty.

He clearly loves it, stroking the front wing of the car, saying, “You must be careful not to polish it, of course…”.

Despite Segler’s obvious enthusiasm, the overall health of M division has been a cause for concern to many enthusiasts.

This summer’s launch of the X5 M/X6 M has been met by many with a grudging acceptance of their capability, but disbelief that these – how should we put it…..rather large and heavy vehicles – could be considered true M-cars?

What has happened to the carefully refined-over-many-years philosophy of rear-wheel drive, high revving naturally aspirated engines and driver involvement?

This year’s Frankfurt Motor show demonstrated the car industry’s current obsession with fuel efficiency and environmentally-friendly motoring. All of the volume manufacturers have gone into hyperdrive, or perhaps ecodrive, in their efforts to demonstrate their good citizenship.

BMW’s own exhibition hall showcased their Efficient Dynamics concept admirably with a procession of whiter than white, eco-logoed cars dominating the visitor experience, as they circulated the hall on a banked track. M-cars were present, but in very limited numbers, parked, almost tucked away in a corner, as if their presence was a touch embarrassing in amongst all the planet saving. The display was dominated by Mini, and even Rolls Royce had more floor space, and a more prominent position.

Segler’s vision for the M-brand is “Childhood automotive dreams realised” which sounds good, but what will this mean in practice? The cars themselves are getting more complex, heavy and expensive, so the entry point becomes higher and harder to attain for many people. Those who do have the funds have found the E9x M3 to be less engaging initially than its predecessor(the E46 M3), and so are not necessarily getting their chequebooks out on the strength of a 20 minute test drive. It has become – at first acquaintance anyway – a supremely good GT, rather than an overtly sporting car.

Segler agrees but counters this with “The M button”, which he sees as a key differentiator over BMW’s competitors, with its capability to alter so many of the car’s characteristics – throttle sensitivity, steering weight, suspension damping and traction control thresholds – in an instant, changing the relaxing GT into something much more responsive and almost hard-core.

The best of both worlds available at the touch of a button. This, he believes, positions the M3 uniquely against its competition.

“How would you feel after driving from Munich to Frankfurt in a 911? Tired and stressed” says Segler, “not so in the M3, which is relaxing when you need it to be, yet also entertains when you want to have fun”.

This begs a difficult question. What’s the M3’s true competition? The 911? Maybe, but Segler counters that the 911 doesn’t deliver the relaxation of the M3 when it’s in GT mode.

It‘s not just the noise levels either he argues, but the quality of the noise and this is something that BMW spends much time and effort optimising. Anyway, the 911 is far less versatile in terms of accommodation and usability, something which Segler maintains as a core virtue of the dual-personality M-car.

In the USA, he identifies the M3’s principal competitor as the Corvette. Mercedes C63? Lexus ISF? Nothing volunteered here by Segler.

I did mention Audi’s RS4, but I think I got away with it…..

Audi’s interpretation of the compact V8-powered sporting GT is a bit of a sore point with Munich people, with dark mutterings about former BMW executives, walking with future model plans. There was still no mention of BMW’s response to Audi’s R8, nor of an E92 M3 CSL and I get the sense that neither of these are particularly high on Segler’s to-do list.

Competitors for other M-cars are rather more clear cut, according to Segler, with the X5 M/X6 M very obviously targeted at the Cayenne. The M6 hitting the upper reaches of the 911 range and the M3 sweeping up the rest. The M5, sadly appears to be drifting into obscurity. In fact it was not even on display at Frankfurt, which might be explained by the fact that it’s approaching the end of its term in E60 form, with the F10-platform 5-series due out next year.

Neither were the M3 saloon or convertible present, but without the same excuse this seems another symptom of the low – perhaps too low – profile nature of BMW’s M-presence at the show.

Getting back to Segler’s strategy he explains that it has 4 themes:

• the products, i.e. the M-cars, the ultimate realisation of the BMW dream
• the experience available via the BMW Driver Training programme, which is part of M, and frequently uses M-cars (for example the E92 M3 is currently the vehicle of choice)
• the Individual Programme where customers can configure the vehicle of their choice – within the limits of body colour and interior trim at least.
• M Sport packages which allow a low cost entry into the world of M via some cosmetic additions.

The latter theme conflicts somewhat with the functional enhancements available via the BMW Performance Parts catalogue. M-cars have always been known for delivering function over form, and Segler recognises that this conflict needs to be – and will be – resolved, either with a re-alignment of the M Sport and Performance Package offerings, or better still their full integration.

Segler sees the BMW Driver Training programme as being a fantastic opportunity to engage with BMW’s customers and let them experience the product in a way that is almost impossible on the road. This is a great selling tool but only serves an already willing and committed audience. For most people the idea of spending EUR2400 for a 2-day sales pitch at the Nordschleife is a little difficult to justify.

The Driver Training programme is, however going to be tailored and rolled out into new or rapidly growing territories, such as China and Malaysia – but without the theatre of the Nordschleife.

But what of the future?

The gap in the range – beneath the ever more powerful, heavy, thirsty and expensive M3 – needs to be filled, and not just by M cosmetics or the aftermarket Performance Products range.

A proper M version of the 1-series would be nice, but seems unlikely. Perhaps a new (as yet unknown) model will join the M Division range? Or maybe an M3 version that brings the M3 GT4’s capabilities to the road?

The withdrawal of BMW from Formula 1 will mean that the link between BMW’s motorsport participation and their road cars could well become more obvious. There was a hint here that a conversation with Mario Theissen might be useful. This though, doesn’t sound like a cheaper version of the M3 but might address some of the concerns of the traditionalists – who fear the imposition of 4wd, turbocharging and auto boxes and need – or at least want – the “purer” driving experience that goes along with high revving normally-aspirated power plants and rear-wheel drive.

For the traditionalists Segler has a message – “assume nothing and discount nothing”. BMW’s M Division plans to get ahead of their competition (whoever that is) by 15/20% in each sector. If that means 15/20% better on fuel consumption and emissions then whether the 911 or the Corvette is the target, such a leap from the current M3’s performance will be a major challenge.

There is little chance that this can be achieved via conventional technology – either naturally aspirated or using forced induction – without a significant weight reduction, or will hybrid capability be part of the next M generation, as suggested by the Vision concept?

Could they really deliver this in 3 years time? If they do, it would be a major achievement, but this introduces further challenges from the traditionalists, who already appear to be struggling with radical change.

If the next generation M5 comes equipped with today’s X5 M / X6 M powerplant it is unlikely to be significantly quicker, cleaner or more economical than the current generation without either weight loss, or assistive technology – as showcased in the X6 hybrid which with its 4.4 litre V8 combined with electric motors, is claimed to be 20% more fuel efficient than the Xdrive50i model.

Segler also agrees that BMW should engage closely with their target market and use the internet much more, and better than it does at present. Segler cited 2 web communities – the Z8 Club in the US (which has got to be a pretty exclusive club by any standards) and MPower World in Germany as examples. That leaves a very big gap for interactive engagement which is waiting to be filled.

So what did we learn from our time with Dr Segler?

BMW M Division is facing an uphill challenge to remain at the centre of BMW – pushing niche versions of existing M-products (such as the M3 Edition or M6 Competition) is perhaps easier to sell for the time being than more radical versions.

But there ‘will’ be something radical coming in the next generation of M models – Segler wouldn’t be drawn on what this would be, but he is keen on weight reduction and said that different (future) challenges might well require different solutions from those used in the past.. He suggested that ‘traditionalists’ risked being too dogmatic, therefore ‘radical’ might mean something very different to those past M Division icons such as the E30 M3 and M3 CSL.

“..assume nothing and discount nothing”.

Does M stand for ‘Motorsport’ or ‘Marketing’? Segler said that F1 did not offer sufficiently overt links to BMW’s road-going products (for example, who thinks about engine management electronics?, which is one of the clearer trickle-down benefits of F1) and it should be possible to demonstrate closer ties in future if BMW are involved with other varieties of motorsport.

What about a road-going derivative of the M3 GT4? At which point Segler suggested that a conversation with Mario Theissen might be worthwhile – there was a very strong hint that something will happen this autumn although Segler reiterated the need to leverage BMW’s WTCC efforts (which could mean 2 litres rather than a 4 litre V8).

So, how about a 2 litre turbocharged 3-series? This would soften up the market in advance of the next generation of turbocharged six-cylinder M3…

Whatever happens, Segler clearly has change on his mind. He was the man behind Mini and clearly believes in the “new niches within niches” philosophy that continues to benefit his former brand.

Segler said that he wanted to be more specific in his targeting of the competition (which varies from market to market), meaning more specific configurations of product by territory and we asked whether it was really possible to achieve this economically.

He said that it can be done, so perhaps what we have really learned from meeting Dr Segler is to expect the unexpected.