Safeway's** magazine stand is often my public library.
Check first the Sailing magazines, next the Cigarette Boats powered by V8's and Bikinis, then the 'Mustang' and 'Cuda' ponycars, a flick through the Aircraft section, close the eyes (not the mind) past Playboy & Co. (up here they're in clear plastic wrappers), cringe at the 'Muscle Mag' covers, rifle through Road and Track (R&T), page through Motor Trend, and then buy Car & Driver (C&D).
Nothing like some R & D (Research and Development) and R & R (Rest and Relaxation) for a Type A, library shopping...
But the February issue of Road & Track... Buy it!
15 pages of BMW !
4 very good articles.
Between Road & Track and Car & Driver each monthly they each usually run a comparison article on handful of Cars and 'Sports Sedans' seeing which one is best. The unspoken (but 'everybody knows' ) challenge is to see who can beat BMW. No matter! For the last 5 or so years BMW is the bench mark and the one to beat. The line up is usually like this :
Mercedes vs. BMW
Audi vs. BMW
Cadillac vs. BMW
Pontiac vs. Mercedes *
Lexus vs. BMW
Infinity vs. BMW
Acura vs. BMW
or Mercedes, Audi, Lexus, Cadillac, Porsche and Infinity vs BMW
but then, in February R&T it's:
"Sin - Sin"
Sailors, you can stay with us or
skip to a chuckle down below.
Travesty! 
R&T runs the new M5 against the new M6. Both have the spectacular V10 500 HP 'get me to 60 in 4.2 seconds' engines. The new M5, the World's best sports sedan, is put up against the new M6 (sometimes called the Bavarian Ferrari). The M6, at just under 100 Large ($ 100,000), has 2 door and four seats. The M5 is $10,000 cheaper, if you can call $ 90,000.00 cheap. And with the BMW Logo on you tail end, 'Down goes the flag'. The unspoken is : "I'll run my car (BMW) against your car (Ferrari, Porsche, Maseratti, Corvette or whatever) and win .". Up in this league, you get your car, a Bimmer, for a lot less money.
(Such a deal is an expression, which comes with a shrug of the shoulders, a slight tilt of the head, a long sad face while raising of both palms up. Practice that! It's fun).
With a BMW, the ATTITUDE is not so much owned, but really in their minds, not ours. Don't ya think ?
I often challenge our sailboater owners to run up the BMW Logo on a sail, as on the Oracle boats, fly a BMW pendant or put BMW Roundels on the hull. It seems they are either a shy bunch, these sailors, or we get,' The rules don't like Advertising.' I ask, "Since when is politely asking all friends, wannabees, and comers for a little race 'Advertising?'...
As
for you S2 7.9 owners with inboard BMW D7's, why not ? The handicap is stacked against you. Sporting a 'BMW On board' sign like we see in car windows, is like what we call in a squash game, giving your opponent a 'Spot'. If they have to cheat to win???
When BMW wins the Americas Cup with their Oracle, will all this change?
That day's coming. Valencia Spain, summer 2007.
www.bmworacleracing.com
Meanwhile, 'back at the Ranch' * and the Road & Track Issue; off in Advertising Land in Dee-troit, Chicago and New York, the marketing boys and girls, for the OTHER brands, having read the February's R&T issue and must have started thumping their heads and wondering, " How the 'H' do we beat those (&&%% Bavarians !)
" We knock them down, they bounce back up. We knock them down, they bounce back up. We knock them down, they bounce back up."
*&%#$%^*((*%%(*$# ! ! ! ! ! !
Thump Thump Thump ***.
And a call to the editors at R&T will do no good. 'Now we know why they started wearing Flak Jackets at work, weeks ago.'
Thump Thump Thump ***.
At Car & Driver, the girls and boys try to figure out how to go one up on the R&T BMW Issue. Let's see...
A Bentley against a Bentley?
A Trabant against a Trabant ?
Enough shots.
That's it ! That's all...
Incoming Scud...
Á bien tôt...
I'm out of here... **
Next after the M5 and M6 'Bavarian Brothers' article is a story on the M1.
Talk about beautiful photos! So you have a Marine B220. The B220's, based on the automotive M30 'Big Six' engine, have a SOHC (single overhead cam), fully balanced 'Forged Steel' crank, triple HEMI combustion chambers and a rare on any six cylinder engine, 'feed the kids well' 4 barrel carb. The M1's engine, a variation of your B220, is called an 'M' engine. It has a special 4 valve, twin cam (DOHC) head plus a few other goodies. In garden variety, she cranks 274 HP. Force feed her some high octane Blue Ridge Mountain 'licker', maybe some Laughing Gas, and now your north of 400 HP. How BMW got 475 HP out of this M1 six is beyond me, but they did. But then, they are BMW.
Interested in a Marine M1 engine? Our skunk works in Hamburg is working on building two Marine 'M' 3.6 litre sixes as we write. Two of these makes 12 cylinders ! Next best thing to a V12. And I can only imagine the sound they'll sing at full throttle. Can our Hamburgers build two for you ?
Call now. The lines are open.
Next
up, on page 96 is the R&T's Owners Survey column, featuring the Mini Cooper and Mini Cooper S. As many of you know, BMW now makes the 'MINI'. After the hugely expensive dance with England's Rover, BMW is having fun and being successful with the MINI. For your information (F.Y.I.), the MINI is not marketed under the BMW name or logo. But then, neither is the Rolls Royce. You'll enjoy the many interesting comments from MINI owners.
Lastly, R&T in their 'Pole Position' column by Joe Rusz, Joe writes about Alex Zanardi.
In 2001 Zanardi was in a serious racing crash, and lost both legs. Now he's back and driving a BMW 320 six. A good man. A good story. BMWCCA in their Roundel magazine of June 2005 ran a full feature on Zanardi. He has written a book... maybe worth a read. You can
find it on Amazon.com.
To our offshore readers: No Safeway! No North American magazines ?
If you'd like a copy of Road & Track's February issue,
shoot me an e-mail and I'll mail you one. Just put $ 10.00 to a good cause, and we'll call it even.
Attention Stefan in Munich: A Good Cause is not the Friday Afternoon Oktoberfest practice.
(Tradition is, in Munich, Bavaria, business closes down each Friday at 1.00 PM. We foreigners can't help but think, the Local 'Teams' must go and practice for next years Oktoberfest. I've seen it, and the competition is fierce. Quite happy too.)
(borrowed from RCR Yachts Newsletter):
Feb 15-19 Syracuse Boat Show (In New York State, not Greece)
Feb 22 BHSC meeting
Feb 28 Holimont Sailors' Ski Day
Mar 1 Obersheimer lecture
Mar 4 J/Boats Rendezvous, PCI, RI
Mar 7 Gary Jobson in Cleveland
Mar 8 Obersheimer lecture, Cruising
Mar 11-12 Safety at Sea Seminar, Newport, RI
Mar 12 Dr. David Frew, Steamship Atlantic at Long Point
Mar 17 Gary Jobson at Rochester YC
Mar 18 Race Officer Seminar at Rochester YC
Mar 28 BHSC meeting
April 1, 2 North U Course in Buffalo
April 5 Obersheimer lecture
April 12 Obersheimer lecture, Cruising
April 26 BHSC meeting
May 15 BHSC Race Packet Stuffing, Troop I
May 17 BHSC Race Packet Meeting Night
July 22 Sodus Bay Junior Sailing Assn 50th Anniversary
Sept 27 BHSC meeting
2006 Holimont Sailors' Ski Day:
February 28, contact Kasey Tripodi for info. HoliMont Ski Area, Ellicottville, NY (716) 699-2320
9th Annual J Boats Mid-Winter Rendezvous will be Saturday March 4th.
Jobson Comes to Cleveland:
North Coast Women's Sailing Association hosts Gary Jobson in Cleveland on March 7. Info: Pat Metzler,
The CCA is hosting a two day Safety at Sea Seminar at the Hyatt Regency Hotel on March 11 and 12 in Newport, RI.
Dr. David Frew presentation on the Steamship Atlantic at Long Point, at the Rum Runners, SUNDAY MARCH 12th, 2006 6 PM
Jobson Comes to Rochester: Gary Jobson at Rochester YC on March 17.
Obershiemer Winter Sailing Seminar Schedule 2005/2006
Wednesdays 7:15 to 9:30 PM Niagara Street, Buffalo March 1 Starting, Strategy, tactics, upwind, downwind, at
marks, Driving techniques, how to make the boat go fast! 8 Cruising April 5 Spinnaker Trim, How to drive the boat down wind, 12 Cruising.
Our
business is very international and as a result, we deal in many currencies. Trends show up; who's where and where they are going. Sitting here next door to America, there is no shortage of financial information.
For example, the prices paid at the recent Barrett Jackson (
http://www.barrett-jackson.com/) auto auctions in Phoenix Arizona indicate the American economy is very very strong. The US unemployment rate, under 5%, is one of the lowest in the world. Germany, Norway and other Europe countries stagger under high unemployment rates over 11%.
The sleeper that keeps rocketing along, just off the Deck, often below the radar is Australia. Their currency gained rapidly on the US dollar then recently fell back, returning to them an 'export' advantage. International, they are now out trading Canada.
The saying of 'Location Location Location', also applies. Australia sits on the doorstep of the 'Hot Beds' of world commerce today, namely China, India and Arabia.
Vladivostok, , the Russian's Wild Wild East, is the gateway to the riches of Siberia and the oil fields of Kamchatka. 1993 - 94, I happened to travel to Vladivostok many times. The Aussi's presence; they were # 2, just behind the Americans. Sidney, like Vladivostok, Seattle and Shanghai, is a port of the 'Pacific Rim'.
Australia's day the sun seems to be arriving. Investments by Canadians television and newsprint, are paying very well. Their smaller size allows them to move quicker than the bigger players. Their relationship with New Zealand is good, strong and competitive. Their relationship with the USA, with the signing of many free trade deals the last few years, also bodes well.
The Aussis love to compete and will race anything, sailboats, cars, anything.
GM's Holden makes the Pontiac GTO (with the Corvette engine) here, and 'Export ' them to America. 4 years ago, one of our customers, John Terracall, was already running a 'Paperless' office. Australia and New Zealand use e-mail for business more efficiently than any other country.
Hollywood, Russell Crowe and Mel Gibson, both Australians, have a presence. In sports, they compete hard, challenging much larger America and others. The perception is they are the ones to beat all swimming competitions The recent tennis tournament , not Sidney but Melbourne, opened another piece of Oz to the world.
Sailing, their smaller neighbor, New Zealand may lead, but this gives the Aussis a 'point of reference'.
Australia's retirement 'Superannuation' tax program, much like the US 401K and Canadian RRSP plans, is again the news.
Will super prosperity hit Australia ? Will it become the next Ireland ? They have the geography and natural resources. They also have a lot of' Heart'. They are definitely now a 'Player' on the World Stage.
RL
(maybe just a bit 'Ahead of the curve')
1. Actual (modern English) = 10% truth!
*** Thump = The sound of one's palm striking one's forehead !
** Pontiac vs. Mercedes = The $ 35,000 Aussi GTO against the $ 75,000 Benz. This was a great article. Sorry no reference of where it was printed.
** Older 'Baby Boomer expressions.
** Safeway is a large grocery chain store operating mostly in Western North America. Canada's own Sobeys is coming, running Safeway for the top dog spot.
Question: Who is to be the BMW of Grocery stores ?
Answer [ in Aussi ] : No Drama ! They don't sell engines.
This century old battle continues...
vs 
