I continue to be grateful to and flattered by the massive outpouring of support and voting during the course of the contest, and I hope that everyone who helped me try to achieve this goal understands how much I appreciate their efforts.  It’s been truly amazing to see such a huge group of people helping me.  Thank you.

Congratulations to all the entrants who made it through to the last stage, it’s been a pleasure competing with you, and talking BMWs with you!  Congratulations to the winner, and good luck!

I’m looking forward to seeing what things I do next, and am glad to have such a large group of supporters!

Update: For those that are curious, here’s the email:

Dear Ultimate Blogger Contestants,

Thank you so much for your interest in the competition and your incredible enthusiasm for the Endras BMW brand and the role of our Ultimate Blogger. It was a pleasure to meet you during your interview and see your passion for BMW. We had so many worthy candidates for the role of our Ultimate Blogger – all of you were obsessed with BMW, had a true passion for the brand and many of you had excellent ideas on how you would take hold of the position and promote Endras BMW. After interviewing all of you, we truly realized that any one of you could have filled the role and therefore it was a really difficult decision to choose just one of you.

We wish we could have hired all of you but as you know, we can only hire one Ultimate Blogger so I am pleased to announce that the Endras BMW Blogger is Alexander De Clerck (username Alexotics) from Vancouver, British Columbia. Congratulations, Alex!

Mark and I would like to thank all of you for participating in our competition and we do hope to stay in touch with all of you. BMW fans are a true community of enthusiasts and we sincerely hope you continue to fuel your passion for the brand as we do every day.

Thank you so much.

Here are the key points for this round:

• The voting starts Monday, April 4 at 10:00AM Eastern
• Voting ends April 22 at 11:59PM Eastern
• You can vote for me once a day at the usual place, cconover.com/ubvote
• The top 10 people from this round move on to the final event: interviewing at Endras BMW in Toronto!

I’m not going to embed it here, for a couple of reasons: first, I’d like people to watch it on the voting page to ensure that they remember to vote.  Also, there are easy Share buttons right from there to post it on all of your social networks. Since the contest has ended, I’ve embedded the video here.

Thanks to everyone who’s been supporting me, please keep it going and let’s make it all the way!

Teaser: I recently discovered that I have a famous relative from radio, who’s a part of the video.

But it’s not over yet!

There’s another round of voting coming up, and everyone starts back at zero!  At this point it seems fairly safe to say that I’ll be in the top 20, which is the requirement to move on.  This weekend I’ll be putting together a video to demonstrate why I’m the Ultimate Blogger.  By the end of Sunday that video will be posted, and the race will be on.  I’ll be asking once again for everyone’s votes to put me in the top 10 video entrants.

Keep an eye out for information from me over the next few days on how the video voting stage will work and when it’s time to start getting those votes in & spreading the word!

Thank you so much to everyone who’s been helping and supporting me, let’s keep it going!

Vote for me!

You can check the leaderboard here.

I’ll also put up a PDF of the original article, as well as a scan of the article in the actual print paper when it comes out later today.

Update: take a look at the PDF of the article.

Here’s the text of the article:

Hopefully we’ll see a nice bump in votes from this!

If you want to check out all the details about the contest, check out my post with all the information.

For the past couple of weeks I’ve been an entrant in a competition called the Ultimate Blogger.  When I submitted my entry & started promoting it, I figured I’d get a respectable number of votes, but it would be a ludicrous understatement to say that about what’s actually happened.  Within a couple of days I’d managed to grab 2nd place and pass 1000 votes.  At this point I’m a little more than 2 weeks in & have almost 4200 votes, putting me in 3rd out of nearly 500 entrants!

I’ve been in second place up until this morning, when an entrant suddenly surged to the front of the pack at a rather astounding rate (somewhere along the lines of 5000-6000 votes in less than 12 hours).  Regardless, I’m still doing very well with a significant lead ahead of the folks behind me, and my votes continue to climb steadily.

Don’t forget, you can vote once a day per IP address, so please do so!  You can vote by going to cconover.com/ubvote and clicking the “+1″ icon on the right.

Since this post is being written on March 2, that means we’re officially less than a month away from the end of this stage of the contest!  Despite feeling like forever at first, the time is actually going by pretty quickly, which is exciting.

I’m also doing a daily video update on my YouTube channel about the contest, so be sure to check that out.

Thank you to everyone who’s been voting & spreading the word, I’m very grateful for all the support!

I don’t typically like to do things like ask for votes or otherwise campaign for my own stuff on this site, but this one’s pretty big and I need your help. You see, Endras BMW in Toronto is running a contest to find a blogger to hire full time.  In addition to the opportunity to try out a new & unique experience, the perks list is pretty significant.  Plus, it’s great exposure & opportunity to make connections as I work to establish myself in this industry.

Folks who read my blog (which I assume is you, since you’r reading this) know that I’m skilled in writing, and readily interact with my readers.  I’m sure it’s also very evident by now that I’m obsessed with cars & have an especially strong love for BMWs.  I even do a show every week about them!  That’s why when I came across this contest that Endras BMW is running, I realized this would be perfect for me.

As I mentioned, they’re looking for somebody to hire as a full time blogger for their dealership.  The winner will be hired for a year, receive a $65,000 salary, a free condo in downtown Toronto, a new BMW every 6 months, and get sent to a bunch of events, drives, promos, etc. all over the place!  Talk about a sweet perk package.

I’ve applied, and now I need votes to move forward in the competition.  In order to move on to the next round, I need to be in the top 20 applicants.  If you’d be so kind as to vote for me, I’d very much appreciate it.  Who knows, I might just win!  If so, party in Toronto at my place!

Voting lasts until April 1st for the first round, and you can vote once a day per device and/or IP address.  So, if you have multiple computers, a smartphone, an iPad, your work computer, etc. feel free to vote on all of them!  As the old saying goes, “vote early, vote often!“

Update: I’ve made it to Round 2, be sure to vote for my video!

Here’s the text of my submission:

This is the moment I’ve dreamed of all my life. Not just since the first time I sat behind the wheel and felt the unmistakable rush of forward movement, of limitless potential and raw power waiting for me. This is a passion that started the first time the thunderous shout & titillating lines of my neighbor’s Corvette called to me like Jessica Alba in a swimsuit; from the toy car that was my inseparable fixation for the first years of life. While other kids were playing cops and robbers, I was designing the world’s fastest, best handling and most innovative racecar out of Legos. This goes beyond a fascination with suspension and 1-2 shifts – for me, this is life itself.

All this flies through my mind as I ease the M3 into 1st, revving the engine and feeling the rhythmic pulsations of 414 thoroughbred German stallions whinnying with a sound like the Boston Pops. Time to focus as 3…2…1…I’m off! Fast through the revs and up through the gears, then back down as I slow for Turn 1, and as I come out the other side after the perfect apex, I realize: I was born for this.

Vote for me in the Ultimate Blogger contest

There’s an opinion floating around my circle of BMW friends that Clarkson is a [fill in gratuitous derogatory term here] because all he ever does is bash BMW for stereotypical reasons rather than acknowledging the merits of the cars.  To an extent that’s true, but with this situation the story is different.  Here he’s explaining that the M3 is the best car of its type, and try as they might competitors still can’t beat it.  His quote near the end (6:39 in the video below) pretty much says it all:

The Lexus does a lot of things brilliantly…but the BMW – that does everything brilliantly.

That’s high praise by normal standards, so for Clarkson to say it is like the M3 being knighted.  So here in the flesh, ladies & gentlemen, is proof that Clarkson can acknowledge one of the finest automobiles on the planet despite any biases he may possess.

Here’s the full clip:

So let’s see those Z4s!  I don’t happen to own one (yet ) but it’s one of my favorite cars, let alone roadsters.  Whether you have a first or second generation Z4, we want to see them all!  Maybe include a story about it, but definitely show it off.

Happy Z4 day!

Last night’s BMWCCA National Capital Chapter social turned out another beautiful restoration: a 1956 BMW 502 Cabrio with a 2.6L V8.  The owner actually has his own BMW shop and is very experienced so the end result is pretty much perfect.

The 502 was first launched in 1954, and took the title of Germany’s first post-war V8 car.  It achieved a top speed of 160km/h (about 100 mph) and was reported to be Germany’s fastest sedan in production.

More photos after the break.

Now let me be clear: I don’t buy into BMW’s statement that the 1 series is a harkening back to the 2002.  The 2002 was revolutionary, and a classic.  It was BMW’s true entry into the automotive mainstream in the U.S. and there’s something majestic and sporty about it that would be nearly impossible to match again.  Perhaps 30 years from now I’ll look at the 1 series differently, but for now I can’t draw the parallel.  I see the 1 series as a modern E36, with the smaller, more nimble platform and slightly boxier shape than the E92 3 series.  To be fair I’m a little biased toward the E36 since my first BMW was a ’92 325is, but the E36 is a fun and exciting driving platform.  It’s a good size for a modern sports coupe or sedan, and it handles well & provides good driver feedback.  The 1 series is an updated extension of this concept, and I like it.

The upcoming M version of the 1 series is BMW staying true to itself.  It’s evidence of the company returning to what made it so popular in the first place: smaller, sporty cars with good looks, excellent handling, and some luxury comfort on the inside.  Over the years the cars have gotten bigger, to the point that the E90 M3 has a wheelbase and length just a tick smaller than the E23 7 series, with around the same curb weight.  There’s been a lot of complaining over this continual growth, and BMW responded with 1 series.  It’s not remarkably smaller than the 3 series, but it’s just small enough.  It’s gotten mixed reviews, but most of the negative comments have been directed at the cosmetics of the car while the mechanics & handling of it got a lot of positive feedback.  The M version will have cosmetic improvements in keeping with typical styling from the ///M Division, and will be powered by an upgraded version of the already excellent N55 3.0 liter twin-turbo inline 6.  There’s no doubt in my mind that these changes are going to make the car very appealing to enthusiasts, and may very well be a competitor to the M3.

I’m all for the return to smaller, more agile cars.  It won’t hurt that they should get better fuel mileage as well, but the main issue is a reduction in bloat.  The 1 series strikes a good balance between size & comfort for the modern automotive market.  I’m excited to see an M version of it come to market.

What are your thoughts?

This past Thursday I was at a social for the BMW Car Club of America National Capital Chapter.  Now that the weather’s getting nicer the turnout is getting larger, the more exotic/classic Bimmers are showing up.  This week was one I’d never seen before: a 1972 2000tii Touring.  It was fully restored, complete with Colorado orange paint and is absolutely gorgeous.  Done as a project by the owner to keep his mind off his son who was fighting in Iraq at the time, the car was completely overhauled to original quality.  In fact, the only original body metal on the car is the roof, and front & rear valence panels – everything else either came directly from BMW or was taken from other cars.  The car is truly a work of art & a classic – and a rare one at that!  More photos after the break.

On a sidenote, for you BMWCCA members who live in the DC area, the National Capital Chapter holds socials the first three Thursdays of each month, at rotating venues.  Hang out in the parking lot from 6-7 to admire each others’ cars, then go inside whatever restaurant we’re at that week & eat.  Club picks up  $20/head for food.  Lots of fun and a good way to meet other enthusiasts.

“The engineers arrived at the 2,500 HP number after measuring the car’s 60-0 MPH deceleration time (2.5 seconds), then calculating how much horsepower would be required to achieved equivalent acceleration (0-60 MPH in 2.5 seconds). This is obviously a number that exists merely in the calculations on an engineer’s note pad – the rear-wheel drive 3-series would need extensive modifications to transfer that decelerative power into accelerative power then send it to the ground – but it does demonstrate exactly how much more powerful the brakes are over the engine, which, in the case of this Bimmer, makes between 200 and 300 HP.”

So obviously this information doesn’t translate into any sort of usable data, but anyone who’s gone hard in the brakes in a 3 series can understand this.  I did the 60-0 brake test in my ’01 330ci to my buddy who drives a RAM 1500, and afterward he told me the incredible rate of deceleration made him feel a little nauseous from the forces felt on his face.

But really, who cares about this theoretical number?  Jalopnik goes on to explain why this is relevant.

“What’s this mean for unintended acceleration? Even if you couldn’t shift the car into neutral, even if the throttle was stuck wide open, even if you couldn’t turn the engine off, you could still stop the car by using the brakes, which can easily overpower the engine.”

This is good information to have, regardless of whether your car is apparently prone to throttle/acceleration problems.  Of course, the best solution to not being able to “shift into neutral” is to drive a manual

So besides this being valuable information and testament to awesome brakes, chalk up another awesome statistic for BMW fans to have in their arsenal.

What do you think is the best production BMW engine of all time? This includes ///M engines and engines sourced from BMW by other manufacturers for use in production/road cars.  Like last week, this is likely to be a very tough decision, but give it a shot anyway.

My choice for this question is the S54B32.  Used in a number of high-performance BMW models, most notably the E46 M3, this engine set the standard for the naturally aspirated inline 6.  At 343bhp for the European version and 333bhp for the U.S. it set records for power per liter, and won numerous awards for best engine.  Truly a work of art as much as an amazing piece of engineering, it’s testament to BMW and ///M to build truly amazing vehicles and powerplants.

Which engine is your favorite?

BMW announced today that they’ll be cancelling their iconic high-performance vehicle, the M3.  The company plans to end production of the car at the end of this year, and has no plans to restart production or roll out a new version.

Citing declining sales and a poor economy with an unsure future, along with an increased focus by the general public on fuel efficiency and government regulation to enforce it, the company says it’s not financially feasible to continue developing & producing the sports saloon.  They’ll continue to produce the current model for racing, but no word on whether a next generation M3 will be made available for the motorsport circuits.

In other news, April Fool’s.  Sorry, couldn’t help myself

In other news, Diggnation cohost and founder of Digg Kevin Rose wants to buy an Audi RS5 when they come to the U.S.  Pretty sweet car, but I think we need to push for Diggnation to do a series of head-to-head tests when that happens.   Not just drag racing, but corners too.

Anyway, that’s the celebrity news I have, congrats Alex!

Update: it seems that as I started writing this, Alex went in to get his M3′s 1200 mile break-in service done, and the horsepower limiter removed.  We want to hear your thoughts on all 414bhp, Alex!

Finally getting my M3′s 1200 mile unlock!Can’t wait to chech out all 414 hp!!!

— Alex Albrecht (@alexalbrecht) March 31, 2010

Photo courtesy of Alex Albrecht via YFrog

For anybody whose car model has a date that matches (for example, anyone with a 528i would be associated with May 28), I’ll make a celebratory post on that day.  Then, if you have a car for that date, post a link to a picture of it in the comments.

Let’s all give our cars honorary birthdays, and celebrate them!  I mean, why not, right?

If you’ve got a 330 of any variation, post it up in the comments.

It isn’t just the car itself that bothers me though, but what it represents.  For the past 20 years BMW has been building the 5 series touring bodies, and they’ve been highly acclaimed by owners and reviewers alike.  Cargo & passenger space to spare without sacrificing that quintessential BMW look & feel you find in the sedan version of the 5 series.  Sure, they may not have stood out to the average person as a performance vehicle, but they fit right in with their fellow Roundel-bearing models.  They were intended more for family use – carting kids & pets around, running errands, family road trips – than for use as an executive saloon, but they were unmistakably a car first, and a cargo hauler second.  They were true to what BMW does best & is known for.

What BMW wasn’t known for until recently was building SUVs (or SAVs as BMW likes to call them).  With the advent of the X series they’ve been trying to change that, which is disappointing.  At the time that the X series were introduced SUVs were all the rage, so it made good business sense to enter that market.  However, SUV sales and popularity have been steadily declining over the past few years across the board, to the point that a number of SUV models have been discontinued.  Yet what has BMW done?  They’ve not only continued building theirs, but they’ve introduced new ones (even M-tuned ones, but that’s a discussion for a whole other post) and now they’ve built a “car” that looks like, for all intents and purposes, an SAV.

Now, I’m sure there’s data to explain this decision, but frankly I don’t care.  What I see in the 5 GT is an identity crisis in the brand.  A car maker who has a nearly cult-like following for its amazing performance cars – both ///M and standard series vehicles – and has a long history of successful car racing is dedicating an increasing amount of money and resources to vehicles that don’t jive with this heritage.  The 5 GT looks like the kind of car you’d drive if you were really looking for a small SUV that didn’t quite look like an SUV.  It’s not a 5 series, and shouldn’t be considered a replacement for the Touring because it’s a totally different car.

The 5 Series GT might be a fine vehicle in its own right, but it looks weird & unappealing, and doesn’t make sense as an addition to the 5 series line.  The classic styling of a Touring body make perfect sense, because they’re just a long car.  The 5 GT doesn’t because it’s a bizarre blend of SAV and sort-of car with none of the good parts of either.  Basically, it doesn’t deserve a 5 series badge.

This week’s question: What’s Your All-Time Favorite BMW? I understand that this question can (and probably should) be all but impossible to narrow down to one answer, but give it a shot.  If you absolutely can’t get to just one, post a pair & we’ll vote in the comments.

I’ll start: I was torn between a few choices, but finally decided on one: the BMW 3.0 CSL.  I’ve had a love affair with this car for a long time, for a whole host of reasons.  First off, the obvious: it’s absolutely gorgeous.  This car embodies the best of BMW design & car design in general from the late 60s and early 70s, and has timeless beauty & appeal.  It’s a car you’d absolutely love to cruise around in or take on a road trip, but at the same time would be great to take roaring through the twisties.  From the long sweeping hood to the C pillar roundels next to the Hofmeister kink, all the way back to the sculpted tail, it’s the perfect example of a classic BMW coupe.

The engine in this car is an extension of this image of the perfect BMW.  A 3.0 liter inline 6 making close to 200bhp, it’s the grandfather to a long line of incredible, award-winning inline 6 engine in the 2.5-3.5 liter range.  The heart of this car beats pure Bimmer in every respect.

Finally, the history & heritage this car represents.  On the commercial production side, it marks the first project for the BMW M Division (OK, I got that from Wikipedia & couldn’t find a source for it so it may or may not be 100% true, but still…you get my point) which has heritage I don’t even have to explain.  As the ancestor to the ///M cars it has a proud place in history.  On the racing side of the house it was very competitive & successful in the European Touring Car Championship and other circuits.

Despite all of these amazing qualities (many of which, to be fair, apply to any of the 3.0 coupes) I had an incredibly tough time coming to this decision given how many excellent contenders there are.  Enough from me, though…

Which one is your favorite?

You know the drill: if you’re the proud owner of a 328 of any style or year, post a link to a picture of it in the comments below, and maybe add a description, or even an expression of adoration (we are BMW folks after all, that’s how we roll!) and share the love of this great car.

Full disclosure: this is actually a back-dated post after the initial one that gave me the idea was put up, and I realized it wouldn’t be fair for 328 guys to have to wait a whole 363 days for their celebratory day!

Let’s see those 328s!

Of course, according to this article that’s sort of what BMW has in mind.  The author states that the car is taking aim at the new Ford Fiesta, with a pricetag “likely to start from around £16,000″ (about $24,000 USD).  I certainly can’t fault BMW for wanting to expand into new markets (and really, this is a market they’ve been near in Europe for years with cars like the 120d as a recent example), but I don’t think this is the way to do it.

Certainly the report that 80% of 1 series drivers either think their car is FWD or couldn’t tell you either way is disappointing, but when you look deeper into that statistic and realize that it’s based on polls taken of drivers of 3 and 5 door 1 series hatchbacks, it starts to make some more sense.  The people driving coupes and convertibles, for the most part, know what their car is about and how it’s made.  They’re the ones buying cars for handling, power, balance, with some comfort & luxury added in.  The hatchback drivers are likely buying the car for economy, comfort, perhaps styling, and the ability to still have the Roundel on the hood.  Obviously speculation and generalization, but looking at the statistic cited above I can’t help but think that’s partly what’s at play here.

So capitalizing on that, BMW wants to build a sporty little hatchback on the MINI platform for an entry-level price.  However, they did that once before, back in the 90s during the days of the E36 – the 318i.  A 3 door hatchback with an economical yet still moderately powerful 4 cylinder engine with good handling & rear wheel drive like any other 3 series or proper BMW.  Why not build off of that model with the new 0 series?  Judging by the proportions in the photo, it’s fairly similar in size to the old 318i so it’s not a stretch to suggest it.  Sure, there are plenty in the BMW community who laugh off the 318i as a “baby Bimmer” and make jokes about its trunk having been stolen, but when you put all the kidding aside it was (& many still are) a good little car that was true to the BMW heritage.

If you want a BMW-built front-wheel drive 2 door hatchback, buy a MINI.  If a car is carrying the BMW emblem however, there are certain elements of the car that are non-negotiable: kidney grills, the Hofmeister kink, good handling & power, and rear-wheel drive.  Without those things, you might as well just drive a Civic or a Golf.

There are other days than Monday, therefore I am labeling the #BMWMonday crowd the #BMWbunch , if ya’ll don’t mind. Pass it along.

— Martin G. (@AsianMartin) March 22, 2010

So…I’m passing it along.  It’s a good point and a good idea, so let’s run with it.  You can find me on Twitter @ConoverBMW.

Update: @AsianMartin has made a valid point regarding this change:

Woah woah woah I didn’t mean to change #BMWMonday ‘s designation altogether! I just wanted to use the new name on other days than Monday…

— Martin G. (@AsianMartin) March 23, 2010

As a result, here is my proposal: Use #BMWBunch every day, and on Monday use both #BMWBunch and #BMWMonday together.

Update: RoundelTable has moved to the Wheelspin Network.  The show’s new page is at wheelspin.tv/rt and is on Twitter @WheelspinTV.

More pictures are on my Flickr account.

The source article for this can be found here.