05/12/02 There haven't been many entries for the Coupe lately because it has basically become my daily driver (well, it would be if I drove daily - as it is 'weekly' is probably more accurate). It is by far the most practical vehicle I own, which I suppose says something about me. Today I ended up driving each of them in turn and came to the conclusion that the 748 is my second most practical vehicle. I dare not guess what that means. Compared to the others the Bimmer is downright luxurious (it is the only one with AC or a stereo), although powerful and fast enough to keep up with the rest of them in most situations. An amazing car really.

My neighbors probably think I'm nuts. They might be right.

09/08/02 Drove the M Coupe to watch bike races at PIR. Looking down at it from the grandstands couldn't resist taking a picture...

The car seems to always draw attention and positive comments. A while back I had the manager of the local Ferrari dealer tell me how much he likes the wheels. Just today going over a bridge, a teenage girl stared at the car as it passed by and in the mirror I saw her pull her dad's sleeve and point at the Coupe. Upon getting home, the car got a long-overdue wash and wax. Maybe not as exciting as running it on the track, but the size and the shape of it somehow makes the procedure quite enjoyable. Lots of curves :) Plus sometimes it's nice to just have a finite, simple task with instantly recognizable results.

09/09/02 What do you do when a perfect track day opportunity comes up but all your track cars are broken? Run the street car, that's what! Even if I said I wasn't going to do that... The Coupe acquitted itself quite well in some heady company.

At first it was quite strange to drive such a 'tall' and 'soft' car on the track. And of course the street tires and woefully inadequate brakes were a challenge (although despite what others have said about them, for me the Kumho 712 tires worked just fine for what they are, without any vices other than the understandable limited grip - certainly a great value for the money). Then I got into a groove and the Coupe and I once again clicked and worked well together. I was also fortunate to have an excellent instructor ride along and give me some pointers on new lines and techniques to try. The new stuff definitely makes sense and while I went only a little faster (so far) I felt a lot more comfortable with different sections of the track. A review of all the video footage showed a best lap of 1:37 which is respectable for street tires. This will serve as an excellent foundation for moving forward, in any car. A very cool day.

To make it even cooler, at the end, a special treat - a ride in the Radical SR3. The thing is WILD. It is farther ahead of the Westfield than the Westfield is of the M Coupe. It's just a whole different world.

On the way home from the track the Coupe felt more alive, happier somehow. I think it needed to get the blood flowing, to run like it was born to. I should oblige it more often :)

11/29/02 The weather has been rather agreeable lately, so our very informal Portland Coupe Group organized a quick drive. After a few posts on Roadfly forum and some e-mails we decided to meet near Multnomah falls, run some local roads and take in the many views. A couple of Seattle friends joined in as well. The Columbia river gorge is known for fierce winds (being one of the world's top windsurfing spots), and it didn't disappoint with 60+ mph gusts making it seem much colder than the 50 or so degrees F that it was. The meeting place was thereby moved to a cafe in nearby small town. The Coupes lined up by the side of the road certainly attracted some attention....

Once gathered, we blasted through some of my favorie twisties. Everyone was encouraged to go at their own pace and we waited at each major fork in the road for the group to catch up. Worked quite well and the drive went off without incident. Of course I forgot to bring a camera but fortunately others were kind enough to e-mail me a couple pictures.

Parked at the top of Larch Mountain Road our group again attracted attention - this time of a police officer who I suspect was summoned via cellphone by someone witnessing our enthusiastic progress up the mountain. He left, to wait for us on the way down. Expecting such trickery we kept the speeds on the straights much more sedate on the return trip and when we spotted him through the bushes we paraded by at a full 10 mph below the limit. Just out for a Sunday drive, Sir. Honest ;) Once off the main road onto some tourist-free twisties the pace picked up just a tad and traction control got a good workout, as did the motor and the brakes. Apparently people at the back of the group could identify the tighter turns by the brake smell hanging in the air :)

All in all a great outing. It was a pleasure to see everyone and meet a couple new people. Coolness.

03/13/03 Finally got around to replacing the brakes on the Coupe. The four track days have really chewed up the old rotors, and they have developed weird discoloration spots at every internal rib. The spots are somewhat visible on the picture below

The new rotors are from the European M3 and are of two-piece construction, with aluminum center. Surprisingly and contrary to common belief they are not any lighter as both new and old weigh in at 16 lbs flat. But they should be able to handle heat better, and weren't any more expensive than standar ones anyway. The Euro bits look pretty, too...

I used Repco MetalMaster pads in the hopes that they will hold up better under track use than the stock ones. We'll see - I will probably run the Coupe at the BMW track day on the 28th of this month. I'm instructing for the club, and it may be useful to have the BMW there as a reference and as a not TOO wild a vehicle in which to give rides to students. And living only 15 minutes from the track I can always run home over lunch and switch cars if fancy strikes... I just hope it doesn't rain.