The advance guard of the blogosphere were afraid that they missed the blogging and social media wave back in 2006 when I wrote Surfing as a Metaphor for the State of the Blogosphere and Don’t Worry You Didn’t Miss the Height of the Blogosphere, which assured folks that the height was nowhere in sight (forgive me, I am from Hawaii):

Truth is, in terms of the height of the blogosphere, it isn’t even a wave yet. A few people have caught the wave already, but it is just forming. It certainly hasn’t crested! It is far from curling. The wave is still only accessible to the top 10%, but the real market is always in that 80%.

Well, maybe we have come upon the tipping point, according to Jay Deragon in his article, Has McKinsey Created A Tipping Point? In this article, Jay says,

“There has been plenty of discussions throughout the social web about how businesses can gain from the use of social media. marketers from every corner of the earth promote their services to businesses and proclaim “expert status”. However their is only one name in the globe that has the power of getting business leaders attention. That name is McKinsey.”

This may very well be true because McKinsey is, in fact, the living gospel of big business. You, too, can read this article,  Six ways to make Web 2.0 work: Web 2.0 tools present a vast array of opportunities—for companies that know how to use them.

Over the past two years, McKinsey has studied more than 50 early adopters to garner insights into successful efforts to use Web 2.0 as a way of unlocking participation. We have surveyed, independently, a range of executives on Web 2.0 adoption. Our work suggests the challenges that lie ahead. To date, as many survey respondents are dissatisfied with their use of Web 2.0 technologies as are satisfied. Many of the dissenters cite impediments such as organizational structure, the inability of managers to understand the new levers of change, and a lack of understanding about how value is created using Web 2.0 tools. We have found that, unless a number of success factors are present, Web 2.0 efforts often fail to launch or to reach expected heights of usage. Executives who are suspicious or uncomfortable with perceived changes or risks often call off these efforts. Others fail because managers simply don’t know how to encourage the type of participation that will produce meaningful results.

What say you?  Are we at the tipping point?  Can we all start making money now instead of just being gurus, mavens, connectors, and early-adopters? Well, hopefull. Again, from Jay:

This article should be considered a tipping point. When McKinsey speaks business leaders listen and you can bet this article will stir more engagement in social media activities from businesses around the globe.

I missed the cold rain because I started the run quite late. I need to sort out my Nokia N95 8GB because I use it as a phone, as a podcast player, and, using Sport Tracker, I can track my run, my pace (slow) and my route using the built-in GPS. Unfortunately, I ran out of batts so, for the last couple miles, I didn’t have any tracking or any podcasts (via Jockular)

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Abraham & Harrison offers its clients comprehensive Online Conversation Marketing campaigns based on the core fundamentals of effective Marketing Communication techniques. We integrate Online Publicity, Online Grassroots & New Media Marketing, Business Intelligence and Search Engine Services to ensure that our clients’ message, the right message, is being portrayed in every corner of the digital space. Additionally, we offer our expertise in the areas of profiling, intelligence, forensics and crisis management. Although Abraham & Harrison offers its clients the ability to cherry pick the services that best suit their needs, we strongly suggest customized, tailored packages of services for most clients, as our experience has proven the power of an integrated, comprehensive approach.

Please see our website for further information: http://www.chrisabraham.com/

Abraham Harrison LLC Services

Online Publicity and Blogger Relations

Not unlike traditional public relations, the Abraham & Harrison Online Publicity and Blogger Relations strategy not only identifies the right people for you to be talking to, but also connects these people with your brand and your message. In targeting the true online opinion leaders, we are able to not only hone in on the demographic communities that matter most to your brand, but also promote your products and services in a favorable light. Online Public Relations is an ideal brand awareness and brand promotion solution for small to mid-sized businesses looking to increase their visibility online. In leveraging the constant flow of online chatter, the Abraham & Harrison team creates and fosters relationships based on like-mindedness, or the opinion leader’s likelihood to be receptive to your brand and messaging. It is the relationship building aspect of this program that makes Online Publicity an optimal solution for prospective clients that have the infrastructure to support and maintain relationships with interested parties.

Examples of typical Online Publicity campaigns include: Event Publicity, New Product Launches, Crisis Communication, Brand Re-Information Campaigns, Overall Brand Awareness/Promotional Efforts.

Online Grassroots and New Media Marketing

Also referred to as Online Advocacy or Online Guerilla Marketing, Online Grassroots and New Media Marketing is an integrated approach to identifying and reaching your targeted demographic from the bottom up. These programs are a quick and effect means of spreading news and information to a targeted network of online influencers within the blogosphere, message boards, video communities, social bookmarking sites, listservs, etc. This strategy involves the development of key creative and general messaging by the client and allowing our team of Online Grassroots experts to run with it, determining the best way to roll that up into what the demographic audience would be most receptive to. As opposed to the much targeted approach of Online Publicity, Online Grassroots Marketing allows us to capitalize on the “long tail,” or the complex nature of online chatter in which dialogue about our client’s brands isn’t always localized within its primary, secondary or tertiary demographic targets.

Examples of typical Online Grassroots Marketing campaigns include: Social Network Marketing, Asset Distribution, Social Media Marketing, Viral Marketing.

Business Intelligence

Collectively, the Abraham & Harrison Management Team has over 5 decades of global branding and marketing communication strategy experience. It is with these years of experience that we have learned that for some clients, their bottom line is most affected by having real-time, accurate business intelligence information about market landscape, trends in their overall brand perception and valuable online opinion about their competitors. The deliverable on these initiatives is a comprehensive, detailed report, evaluating and analyzing trends within the mediasphere; blogosphere; user generated content outlets, message boards and forums. The Online Business Intelligence service also gives the prospective client to determine which demographic communities about which they are most interested in gaining information. These reports can be delivered as a one-time State of the Union analysis or as an ongoing trend analysis, depending on the client’s needs.

Search Engine Services

Brand of the world, large and small, know that visibility of favorable content within key search engines can make or break your marketing and public relations initiatives. In addition to offering tailored marketing communication and business intelligence solutions to our clients, Abraham & Harrison is also a full-service Search Engine Marketing agency. Programs falling within this department include: Traditional Search Engine Optimization (Promotion), Defensive Search Engine Optimization (Protection), Domain Name Protection and Domain Name Services.

Online Reputation Clean-Up and Defense

Despite providing Internet users with a wealth of accurate information, some brands have faced the hard reality of the adverse affects that negative online chatter and mis-information can have. Fortunately, the majority of these trends can be reversed, if treated early and in the right way. By providing clients in need of Online Reputation Clean-Up and Defense services, the Abraham & Harrison team harnesses the power of an integrated approach to attach negative opinions and misinformation from all sides. In combining our Search Engine Services (including Domain Name and Defensive SEO), Online Public Relations, Business Intelligence and our Online Grassroots and New Media Marketing Programs, the Abraham & Harrison team is able to deliver quick results. In the past, we have proven effective in minimizing the visibility of unfavorable content online, countering misinformation with real information and creating valuable allies among online opinion leaders on behalf of our clients.

About the Founding Partners

Mark Harrison, Founding Partner and CEO

Mr. Harrison’s unique history of professional experience blends technology, education, business, and international affairs. Trained as a diplomat, Mr. Harrison has worked with UNHCR, the IMF, and the World Bank Group. He has served as a political functionary, technologist, and journalist in the US, Europe, Thailand, Israel, Tanzania, and Guatemala.

He has served as CTO and Technical Counsel to a companies ranging from Fortune 500′s to start-ups, and has guided projects across the globe. He served as a technology adviser to Primedia, the US media conglomerate, Channel One, the world’s largest in-school education and television news network, and largest minority-owned TV network in the US. He has built systems and infrastructures for the afore-mentioned organizations as well as a number of other major corporations including Booz, Allen & Hamilton, and Bell Atlantic/Verizon. Mr. Harrison currently acts as CTO and marketing adviser to Techcelerator, the Silicon Valley venture development firm headed by tomandandy.com’s Tom Hajdu. He is also an associate of Joseph Jaffe’s New York based new media marketing company, crayon LLC.

Over the past 15 years, Mr. Harrison has taught at the secondary, university, and post-graduate levels in the US, Canada, Germany &Tanzania, and has developed curricula in business, academic methodology, languages, and technology. Mr. Harrison has lived and worked in Africa, Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and Latin America and speaks English, German, French, Swahili, and Spanish.

Chris Abraham, President and Founding Partner

Chris Abraham is an Internet analyst, web strategy consultant, and adviser to the industries leading firms, specializing in web2.0 technologies, including content syndication, online collaboration, blogging, and consumer generated media. Chris is a leading expert on corporate and PR blogging with a focus on citizen journalism, new marketing, and search engine optimization (SEO).

In addition to his roles as consultant and analyst, Mr. Abraham currently acts as Chief Marketing Officer and technology adviser to Techcelerator, the Silicon Valley venture development firm headed by tomandandy.com’s, Tom Hajdu. He is also an associate of Joseph Jaffe’s New York based new media marketing company, crayon LLC.

Mr. Abraham is one of the internet’s social media pioneers, having entered the scene in the early 1980′s in the days of BBS’s via dial-up over 200 Baud acoustic modems. Throughout the 1990′s, he was a core member of the ground-breaking, Washington, DC-based Meta Network (TMN), and its parent company, Caucus Systems where in 1999 what is today known as “Web 2.0″ and “Enterprise 2.0″ was defined in colleague Tom Mandel’s whitepaper “How Companies Think – Creating Collaborative Intelligence Online” and executed on a daily basis for companies, universities, and organizations via the seminal social media platform, Caucus Software. For more than a decade, Mr. Abraham laid the groundwork for today’s modern social media as an online facilitator with Caucus Systems clients serving such clients as IBM and the US Government, and teaching with the University of Kalamazoo in the Education for the Arts project – the world’s first accredited online high school course in creative writing.

Before moving to his current position, Mr. Abraham was a Senior Account Supervisor and a member of the Interactive Team at Edelman in Washington, DC, doing online public affairs. Before joining Edelman, Chris was Technology Strategist for New Media Strategies, a pioneer and industry leader in online brand promotion and brand protection. At NMS, Chris directed the technology strategy for the firm, including the development, deployment, and launch of client and internal corporate blogs, marketing blogs, vertical industry blogs, PR blogs, promotional blogs, public affairs blogs, social networks, and podcasts.

Prior to joining NMS, Chris was a Washington-based technologist for over a decade. As Managing Director for Berlin-based beehive North America, Chris focused on developing web applications and offering training for corporate clients such as Pfizer. As GNU/Linux SA and online facilitator for Caucus Systems, Chris hosted virtual online events and communities of practice for clients such as IBM and eForum 2000.

Chris Abraham maintains the PR and marketing blogs, Because the Medium is the Message and Marketing Conversation. The blogs were originally designed as a laboratories in which to explore the media, the mediasphere, the blogosphere, marketing, PR, and buzz marketing but has expanded to become a media filter, including technology, blogging, pop culture, memetics, news, and analysis; meaning just about anything. Chris recently spoke about the main stream media and citizen journalism on the BBC World Service radio program World Have Your Say during the We Media conference in London.

Mr. Abraham is an active member and attendee of former US Ambassador Phil Lader’s Renaissance Weekend conference where together with other industry leaders, US Senators and Congressmen, former US Presidents, renowned artists and writers, and other cultural, political, and business leaders he has spoken on topics ranging from new media to technology futurism to virtual company management. He is an experienced sailor with thousands of blue water miles to his credit, an impassioned rower with his own single shell housed on the Potomac River, an avid bicyclist, a trained and qualified dive master, and an accomplished photographer with over 20 years of professional experience and thousands of images with the world’s top stock photo agencies.

Abraham & Harrison Vision Statement

In the rapidly changing world of marketing and public relations, the lines between traditional strategies and new media strategies continue to shift as the line separating the two is constantly moving. What was once viewed as impossible, is now quickly transforming into more and more of a science, with the Internet emerging as a unique and remarkable platform for consumer and business communication. Faster now, more than ever, people around the world are able to communicate with rapid fire quickness. Formerly “untappable,” obscure word-of-mouth is now a medium that many brands are leveraging to disseminate information; promote their products and services; as well as protect their namesakes. In this day and age, we don’t need to remind you of the Internet’s effects (be it favorable or dismal) on many popular brands. It is this phenomenon that has made Online Conversation Marketing an ideal solution for a variety of notable brands, ranging from Internet start-ups to public interest groups to major consumer brands.

Abraham & Harrison is comprised of a trained team of media, marketing and public relations experts working together to drive positive online presence on behalf of our clients. Operating in a “virtual office,” the Abraham & Harrison team is spread across four continents, representing more than 10 time zones and almost a dozen languages. This dispersion has given us a notable competitive edge, allowing us to quickly and effectively employ comprehensive Online Conversation Marketing Campaigns within more than 50 countries. Despite its benefits, the “virtual office” does not provide for the ideal environment for rapid response communication, in a traditional sense. Though Abraham & Harrison has proven its ability to provide crisis communication and react to changes in campaign strategy and messaging, we do not operate in a newsroom and are unable to collectively stop on a dime and refocus in the same way that traditional PR houses are able.

Online Conversation Marketing grew out of the increasing importance of relationships as it relates to effective branding via the Internet. Despite the wealth of information and opinions “out there,” Abraham & Harrison understands that an elite few lead sweeping trends in Online Conversation tone, volume and reach. These Online Opinion Leaders or Influencers continue to break news and share opinions that reach hundreds of thousands, if not millions of consumers everyday. Thus, the overarching strategy of Online Conversation Marketing is influencing the influencers – much like securing online endorsements on behalf of our clients. Unlike the formalized world of traditional marketing and PR, an effective Online Conversation Marketing Program takes much longer to develop, as Abraham & Harrison is in the business of securing positive relationships with often busy Opinion Leaders. We have been able to complete campaigns on behalf our clients in as little as 6 weeks, however, the turn around for the majority of brands is generally several weeks, if not months, longer. The “public” that we relate to is not the mainstream media, whose relationships can often be bought and sold; the “public” that we do relate to are the online influencers, who oftentimes, are no more than regular Internet users with a well crafted, interested blog or website that has drawn in its own audience. Although Abraham & Harrison already has a sundry of these influencers in pocket, we often have to develop new relationships on behalf of our clients, given their diverse demographic targets and needs.

Abraham & Harrison leverages email to conduct the majority of relationship building with online influencers, however, we are not a direct or email marketing agency. Often times, the opinion leaders that we contact on behalf of our clients are being reached “blindly,” meaning that they have not opted into any particular program. In order to effectively carry out these campaigns and still remain CAN-SPAM compliant, we pick and choose our targets carefully, ensuring that we provide them with relevant messaging and “gifts” or promotions or information that would be of interest to them. At the end of the day, much like traditional PR, a poorly thought out Online Outreach campaign (the facet of Online Conversation Marketing most like traditional PR in which we build relationships with popular bloggers and influencers on behalf of our clients) can result in little to no positive outcome for the client. It is for this reason that the ramp up time on these programs typically runs anywhere from one to three weeks, as we prepare lists of appropriate, likeminded targets that will likely respond well to our clients’ brands as well as development of appropriate, effective “messaging.”

All things to considered, it is also worth highlighting that unlike other Online Marketing and Advertising agencies, Abraham & Harrison does not thoughtlessly disseminate links and off-topic messaging throughout the user generated corners of the Internet. We value relationships and act as persuaders, storytellers and attractors on behalf of our brands. In working individually with online influencers and Internet users as both a macro (Online Outreach) and micro (Online Engagement, Grassroots Marketing) level, Abraham & Harrison builds relationships and drives favorable, organic conversation in a compliant fashion. The Abraham & Harrison methods reflect the natural progress of organic word-of-mouth – starting small and progressively growing to reach a larger and larger audience. In respecting the online community, the Abraham & Harrison team stands firmly against online solicitation (SPAM) of any kind. Both in Online Outreach and Online Engagement, we are fully transparent, or “open kimono.” We have found these methods to be the most effective when working with the “online public.”

As common conceptions of marketing relate to Online Conversation Marketing, Abraham & Harrison does operate neatly into the bucket of branding, as our methods are a combination of Search Engine Optimization, Grassroots Marketing and Online Public Relations. Clients in the past have likened us to online brand ambassadors. Such being said, we do not fit any pay-per-performance or CPM model. Our metrics are based on conversation and relationships rather than conversions and impressions, much akin to tradition grassroots and brand ambassador strategies.

To conclude, Abraham & Harrison is pleased to offer its unique Online Conversation Marketing services to an array of brands and organizations. Our past clients have found the mix of SEO, Online PR and Grassroots Marketing to be exceptionally effective in achieving their overall marketing objectives. Millions of people are talking online everyday – are you listening?

Last week, Mark was contacted by a reporter from IDG who wanted to know about how Abraham Harrison LLC uses Google Apps Premier, and Mark Harrison, our CEO, obliged. The article was published online today, For Web Apps, Get a Service Guarantee, in PC World (via Marketing Conversation):

For example, the Google Apps Premier Edition suite contains an availability guarantee only for its Gmail portion (for 99.9 percent uptime) and offers no commitment for the other components, which include word processing, spreadsheet, and presentation software.

“It would be comforting to have an SLA that covered the entire suite,” says Mark Harrison, founding partner of Abraham Harrison LLC, provider of online marketing services.

Abraham Harrison, founded in 2007, has been using Google Apps Premier Edition for about one year, and the uptime of its hosted applications and services, though not 100 percent, has been excellent, according to Harrison. Downtime incidents have been rare and brief, and have never proven disruptive to the company’s operations, he says. “We’ve never been crippled by an outage,” Harrison says.

Still, should a significant Google Apps outage occur, it certainly would impact the company, which is highly dependent on the suite. The company chose Google Apps in order to give its geographically-dispersed staff an array of software to use for communication and collaboration. In addition to the suite’s productivity applications, the company also uses Google Talk instant messenger and Gmail for e-mail. The company’s 22 employees, located in six countries and four continents, operate in 14 different time zones, and since most of their work is collaborative, Google Apps–which lets users jointly edit documents located on a central server–was a better alternative than e-mailing Microsoft Office documents back and forth.

Harrison would also like to see Google Apps provide an offline component that would allow users to work on their local PCs when disconnected from the Internet, a capability he knows Google is pursuing with its Gears technology.

That Harrison would feel more at ease with an SLA is telling. His company isn’t an ordinary Google Apps customer. Although the relationship between Google and Abraham Harrison is purely of the vendor-client type, meaning that the company receives no compensation from Google, the Google Apps team has singled it out as a model small business whose feedback it regularly seeks. As a result, Harrison is in close contact with the Google Apps team.

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Wendy Gottlieb is a board-certified plastic surgeon. Her certification was granted by the American Board of Plastic Surgery. More…

Dr. Wendy Gottlieb offers a woman’s touch, a woman’s understanding, and a wealth of experience to cosmetic and reconstructive plastic surgery in Northern Virginia.

Dr. Gottlieb is a board-certified plastic surgeon. Dr. Gottlieb is a native of McLean, Virginia. She graduated cum laude with a degree in philosophy from Yale University. She attended the University of Virginia School of Medicine where she received her medical doctorate with honors. She returned to Yale for three years of surgery training and completed her plastic surgery training at the University of Virginia. Dr. Gottlieb is certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery and practices at Reston Hospital Center, Inova Fair Oaks Hospital and Virginia Hospital Center.

Dr. Gottlieb has a special interest in breast surgery. In addition to an individualized approach to breast augmentation, Dr. Gottlieb performs breast reconstruction after mastectomy, breast reduction, and the latest breast “lifting” techniques. Botox®, skin care, facial rejuvenation, eyelid surgery, face lift, neck lift, body contouring, liposuction, tummy tuck, laser hair removal, laser face and leg vein removal, and much more are offered.

Dr. Gottlieb performs Reconstructive Surgery and Plastic Surgery in Northern Virginia, Dulles, Reston, Fairfax, McLean, Arlington, Tysons. Dr. Gottlieb also performs a full array of post weight loss surgeries including body lift, breast lift, arms lift and thigh lift.

To schedule a consultation or an appointment at the Reston or Arlington office, please call 703-668-9499.

Featured Products, Services, and Information:

We Are Proud to Offer Mentor MemoryGel Silicone Implants
Wendy R Gottlieb, M.D., P.L.C., has always offered Mentor products and is approved to perform silicone implant breast augmentation surgery. Now, we are delighted to announce the approval of Mentor MemoryGel™ silicone breast implants. Mentor implants are made of a proprietary silicone gel formulation that is both safe and capable of giving women a more natural look and feel. Many consider silicone implants much more natural in appearance, texture, and feel than saline implants. More…

Wendy R. Gottlieb M.D., P.L.C. Featured on LocateADoc.com
Wendy R. Gottlieb M.D., P.L.C. has a featured Plastic Surgery, Cosmetic Surgery, Facial Plastic Surgery, and Minimally Invasive Surgery (BOTOX®) profiles on LocateADoc.com. More…

Breast Augmentation Frequently Asked Questions
Your questions about breast augmentation and other cosmetic procedures are best answered by Dr. Wendy Gottlieb. To schedule a consultation or an appointment at the Reston or Arlington office, please call 703-668-9499. More…

Breast Augmentation, Reduction, Reconstruction, & Lifts
Dr. Wendy Gottlieb has a special interest in breast surgery. In addition to an individualized approach to breast augmentation, Dr. Gottlieb performs reconstruction after mastectomy, breast reduction, and the latest breast “lifting” techniques. More…

Laser Hair Removal
By patient request, we are now offering laser hair removal. If you would like to make unwanted body or facial hair a thing of the past, I have something I think you’re going to like! If you have ever thought about receiving laser hair removal treatment, now is the time. More…

Laser Hair Removal Questions and Answers
It is important to us that you understand our laser hair removal procedures. We would like to share with you some of the common questions and answers our clients have had about laser hair removal and laser hair removal procedures. More…

Laser Vein Removal Laser System
Our CoolGlide system allows us to treat a wide range of aesthetic vascular conditions, including spider veins and reticular leg veins. Our ClearView handpiece with the variable spot size selector make treatments fast and easy. More…

Jan Marini Skin Care Products
Dr. Wendy Gottlieb is proud to offer Jan Marini skin care products to her patients. If you are interested in trying any one of Jan Marini’s skin care products, please call 703-668-9499 for a consultation or appointment at our Reston or Arlington office. We will be happy to work with you to find the right product for you and your skin. More…

BOTOX® Cosmetic Treatments
Dr. Wendy Gottlieb is proud to offer BOTOX® cosmetic treatments to her clients as a safe, simple, and effective way to treat severe frown lines and and other signs of aging. If you are interested in trying her BOTOX® cosmetic treatments, please call 703-668-9499 for a consultation or appointment at our Reston or Arlington office. We will be happy to work with you to find the right solution for you. More…

Obagi Skin Health Restoration System
Dr. Wendy Gottlieb is proud to offer We Carry the Obagi Skin Health Restoration System. If you are interested in trying Obagi Skin Health Restoration System, please call 703-668-9499 for a consultation or appointment at our Reston or Arlington office. We will be happy to work with you to find the right solution for you. More…

We Choose Mentor
Dr. Wendy Gottlieb is proud to feature Mentor products to her clients who are considering breast augmentation, breast reconstruction, reconstructive surgery, and liposuction & body contouring. If you are considering breast augmentation, breast reconstruction, reconstructive surgery, or liposuction & body contouring, please call 703-668-9499 for a consultation or appointment at our Reston or Arlington office. We will be happy to work with you to find the right solution for you. More…

American Board of Plastic Surgery Certified
Wendy Gottlieb is a board-certified plastic surgeon. Her certification was granted by the American Board of Plastic Surgery. More…

Cosmetic Surgery in Reston and Arlington in Northern Virginia
Dr. Wendy Gottlieb has a special interest in cosmetic breast augmentation surgery. In addition to an individualized approach to breast augmentation, Dr. Gottlieb performs reconstruction after mastectomy, breast reduction, and the latest breast “lifting??? techniques. Dr. Wendy Gottlieb is an exceptionally talented cosmetic surgeon who practices in Northern Virginia with offices in both Arlington and Reston. More…

To schedule a consultation or an appointment at the Reston or Arlington office, please call 703-668-9499.

The cars dance and the BMW wins every challenge: better acceleration, tighter turning radius, superior styling, and that light grey leather interior our two cars share.

All of the 8 short films in the BMWFilms.com series, The Hire, are amazing. I searched and found a great place to get the DVD, which is no longer available from BMWFilms.com, and that is from eBay Seller ENJOIWEB.

Check the list of stuff he is selling. He is an awesome seller and I now own the DVD of all 8 films for $25 delivered.

So worth it! Of course, if you want to see it, just ask me. I won’t loan it, but I will come over and we can watch it together.

To quote me, the Ford F-150 Supercab pickup is “one hell of a truck. That is one hell of a vehicle. Four doors, solid construction, plenty of room and lots of power. None of the plasticy squeakiness that American cars are known for.”

It is better than my e39 530i BMW, and that is the best series of sedan ever built. Likewise, the Ford F-150 is the best truck. Hell, Sam Walton owned a red 1979 Ford F-150 pickup and his daughter Alice owns a 2006 Ford F-150 King Ranch!

Press Release:

Triumph for Bugatti Veyron

The Bugatti Veyron has wiped the floor with the opposition in Autocar’s annual 0-100-0mph contest, featured in the current issue of the world’s oldest car magazine, even managing to beat a Suzuki GSX-R1000 superbike.

Featuring 25 of the world’s fastest cars, from the 14th placed £79,995 Aston Martin V8 Vantage to the second-placed £34,995 Ariel Atom, the shoot-out pitches the cars against each other in a straight fight to see which is the fastest to 100mph. There’s more to it than just outright speed though – slowing from 100mph to a dead halt is just as important.

The Veyron, with its 987bhp 16-cylinder engine, wasn’t necessarily the favourite to win. “A low weight tends to be the key to a good 0-100-0mph car,” said Autocar’s road test editor Adam Towler. “Cars like the Ariel Atom and Caterham Superlight historically dominate this contest.”

But the 1890kg £880,000 Bugatti ripped through the gears to hit 60mph in 2.8sec and 100mph in an astonishing 5.5sec. It then stopped in just 3.4sec, giving a 0-100-0mph time of 9.9sec.

Not only is the Bugatti faster than the Suzuki, it creates more g-force at maximum acceleration than you’d experience in an F-16 jet fighter at take off or when skydiving.

But the lightweights still turned in an impressive performance, from the relatively unknown £32k Brooke Double R in fourth place to the £35k Ariel Atom 300 in second.

“Although the Veyron is undoubtedly the quickest road car ever, you can still have nearly as much fun for much less money,” said Adam Towler. “It’s good to see British sports cars doing so well against such an impressive machine as the Bugatti.”

Autocar also brought along an A1 GP car, driven by Brit Robbie Kerr, to see how a purpose-built race car would compare with road-going machinery. The 550bhp single seater weighs just 695kg, and proved to be the fastest vehicle on the day with a 0-100-0mph time of 8.4sec.

Competing Cars 0-100-0 Time (seconds)

A1 GP 8.40

Bugatti Veyron 9.90

Suzuki GSX-R1000 10.70

Ariel Atom S’Charged 11.00

Ariel Atom 450 11.05

Atom Private Owned 11.05

Caterham CSR260 11.95

Brooke Double R 12.50

Porsche 911 Turbo 12.50

Ford Focus WRC 13.57

Lambo Gallardo 13.65

Ascari KZ1 13.80

Corvette Z06 13.80

Alpina B6 14.80

BMW M6 14.95

TVR Tuscan 2 15.00

BMW M5 15.20

Audi RS4 15.80

Aston V8 Vantage 15.81

BMW Z4M Roadster 15.95

Porsche Cayman S 16.46

Lotus Exige S 16.60

Nissan 350Z 18.80

Vauxhall Astra Sprint 18.85

Vauxhall Astra VXR 19.05

Renault Megane F1 20.55

Mazda 6MPS 21.00

Ford Focus ST 21.35

Vauxhall Vectra VXR 22.35

Vauxhall Astra Thurlby 22.65

BMW M5 Love via Wikipedia

E28 M5 (1984-1987)

Main article: BMW M5 (E28)

The first M5, based on the E28 5-Series, made its debut at the 1984 Amsterdam Motor Show. It was the product of demand for an automobile with the carrying capacity of a saloon (sedan), but the overall performance of a sports car. It utilized the 535i chassis and an evolution of the engine from the BMW M1. The M5 was handbuilt by Motorsport technicians and at its launch was the fastest production saloon (sedan) in the world.

The M5 was offered in four different versions. The first version was the Left Hand Drive (LHD) Euro Spec M5. The second version was the Right Hand Drive (RHD) Spec M5. The third version was the North American Spec (NA or so-called 1988) M5. The fourth version was the South African (ZA) Spec M5.

The LHD, RHD Euro Spec M5s and the ZA spec M5s had the M88/3 powerplant which delivered 286 hp DIN (210 kW) whereas the North American 1988 M5 was equipped with a catalytic converter, which reduced the power output to 256 hp DIN (191 kW).

Specification

• (Euro) – 286 hp
• (USA) – 256 hp

Performance

At the time of sale, BMW quoted the following (relatively poor) 0-60 times to give the impression that the E28 M5 did not outperform the more expensive, heavier and top-of-the-range E24 M635csi.

• (Euro) – 286 hp 0-60 mph – 6.2 s. Top Speed: 153 mph
• (USA) – 256 hp 0-60 mph – 6.5 s. Top Speed: 148 mph

Special versions

• Whilst BMW Motorsport did not built any special versions of the E28 M5, the German tuner Hartge produced the Hartge H35S-24, a 330 PS (325 hp/243 kW) version of the E28 M5. Main modifications over and above the standard E28 M5 were revised cams, a modified exhaust, modified Motronic ECU programming and a revised (and lowered) suspension setup.
• Alpina limited their tuning efforts to the older M30 engine powered models.
• Alpina B7 Turbo 300-330hp (0-60: 4,7 sec, 168mph)

E34 M5 (1988-1995)

Main article: BMW M5 (E34)

The E34 M5 was produced from 1988 to 1995, although sales in North America started in 1991 and ended in 1993. It was produced at BMW M GmbH in Garching, Germany and like the previous M5, was entirely hand-built. It utilized the 535i chassis which was produced at BMW’s Dingolfing plant. Assembly was done either by a single M employee or a team of M employees and generally took about two weeks. It is rumored that the test drivers of the E34 M5 could determine who or what team made each specific M5, due to characteristic quirks of the handbuilt nature of the E34 M5. The engines were also built by hand by BMW M technicians. All of the E34 M5 powerplants were built to 5% of advertised output.

The early E34 M5 used an evolution of the 24-valve I6 found in the E28 M5 and E24 M635CSi/M6. Designated S38B36, the engine technically remains a 3.5 L, with a bore of 93.4 mm and stroke of 86 mm for a total capacity of 3535 cc. The added stroke is due to a new forged steel crankshaft, though the camshafts were also changed. Compression was up slightly (10:1 versus 9.8:1). Other adjustments made included an electronically controlled butterfly valve in the intake plenum which provided better low rpm and mid-range power. The engine also featured an improved flywheel, Bosch Motronic fuel injection, equal length stainless steel headers and three way ceramic catalysts.

The E34 M5 had a highly-tuned I6 engine called the S38B36. Originally it had a displacement of 3.6 L and produced 315 hp (235 kW), and 266 lb·ft @ 4750 RPM. Cars sold in North America and Switzerland which, due to a different catalytic converter, produced 310 hp (229 kW).

In may 1992, the engine displacement was increased to 3.8 L with the S38B38, except in North America, which continued with the 3.6 L engine. Power was now increased to 340 hp (250 kW) DIN. Also in 1992, a Touring version was introduced in LHD form only.

The M5 came with an unusual wheel design. From 1988-1992 the M5 featured the M-System wheels. These wheels were 8x17J, but came with a bolted-on wheel cover. Under the cover was a black 5-spoke alloy wheel. The press was critical of the design, often claming it gave the M5 the appearance of having “white-wall” tires. In 1992 BMW changed the design and a new cover was produced – the M-System II. The original intent of the M-System cover was to direct more air to the brake assembly to increase cooling. The cover actually integrated a fin assembly behind the cover. The M-System II covers, known as the “throwing stars” did not have as much capability to direct air to the brake assemblies. In late 1994, the M5 came with M Parallel wheels that did away with the cover.

Specification

• 89-92 (Euro) I6-24v 3.6 L – 232 kW/315 hp (only available with 5-speed manual transmission)
• 92-95 (Euro) I6-24v 3.8 L – 250 kW/340 hp (also available with 6-speed manual transmission)
• 91-93 (USA) I6-24v 3.6 L – 229 kW/310 hp (only available with 5-speed manual transmission)
• 89-95 (EU/USA) – (no automatic transmission available)

Performance

• 89-92 (Euro) I6-24v 3.6 L – 232 kW/315 hp 0-60 mph – 6.3 s. Top speed: 155 mph (electronic limited)
• 92-95 (Euro) I6-24v 3.8 L – 250 kW/340 hp 0-60 mph – 5.9/5.7 sec*. Top speed: 155 mph (electronic limited)
• 91-93 (USA) I6-24v 3.6 L – 229kW/311 hp 0-60 mph – 6.4 s. Top speed: 155 mph (electronic limited)

* (available only with 6-speed manual transmission)

Special versions

• Cecotto Edition — A total of 22 Cecotto E34 M5s were produced with options of having either Lagoon Green metallic (266) and Mauritius Blue metallic paint (287).
• Winkelhock Edition — A total of 51 Winkelhock E34 M5s were produced with the options of having Jet Black (668) with contrasting lower body panels in Sterling Silver metallic paint (244).
• 20 Jahre Motorsport Edition — To celebrate BMW Motorsport 20th anniversary, BMW had built 20 specially equipped Euro-spec M5s in late 1992.
• UK Limited Edition — To commemorate the end of right-hand drive E34 M5 production, 50 examples of the E34 M5 Limited Edition were assembled between March and June of 1995.
• Alpina B10 Bi-Turbo — standart 3.4l with twin Garrett T25 turbo – 265kW/360hp, 0-60mph 5.1, 182mph – only 507 have made.

E39 M5 (1998-2003)

Unlike its predecessors, the E39 M5 was not handbuilt at the BMW M GmbH factory; it was produced on the same assembly line as the normal E39 5-series at the Dingolfing factory in Germany.

Introduced in 1998 at the Geneva Motor Show, production did not begin until late October of that year. A total of 20,482 E39 M5s were made from 1998 to 2003. BMW M produced three versions of the E39 M5, the European LHD and RHD versions and the North American specification version.

The E39 M5 had a highly tuned V8 engine based on the M62 engine called the S62, which displaced 4.9 L and produced 400 bhp (294 kW). The engine featured a 7000 RPM redline, Double-VANOS, which varies the intake and exhaust valves for both cylinder banks, and individual throttle butterflies for each of the cylinders, allowing for a much faster engine response time.

All E39 M5s were equipped with a Getrag Type D six-speed manual transmission with the following gearing ratios:

4.23(1), 2.54(2), 1.62(3), 1.23(4), 1.00(5), 0.83(6)

It is the same transmission used in the E39 540i but some changes were made to cope with the extra power the S62 engine produced. A reinforced clutch, rear differential utilizing a shorter 3.15:1 ratio and a limited slip differential with 25% maximum locking.

The E39 M5 suspension shared its basic aluminium-intensive MacPherson strut/multi-link design of the V8 E39 5 series. However, several changes were made by BMW M. Reduced spring height, 0.9 inch (23 mm) lower. A specific shock valving, thicker front and rear anti-roll bars, polyurethane auxilliary springs and steel balljoints.

Like all V8-powered E39 models, the E39 M5 was equipped with a recirculating-ball steering system. Overall steering ratio was reduced to 14.7 from 17.9 it featured a servotronic vehicle-speed-sensitive power assist that provides two levels of resistance controlled via console mounted Sport button. The E39 M5 is equipped with four-wheel vented disc brakes measuring 13.6″ in diameter in front and 12.9″ in diameter in the rear. On European-specification models, the front rotors are of a “floating” two-piece design for better heat dissipation. Anti-lock brakes were standard.

During its 5 years in production, there were some cosmetic changes, these include:

• Revised headlight design incorporating illuminated “Angel Eye” rings
• Jeweled tail light design
• Park Distance Control sensors in the front bumper (previously in rear only)
• Thicker three-spoke M steering wheel identical to the one fitted to the E46 M3
• Grey instrument panel
• Improved solar sensor for standard automatic climate control
• Revised navigation/audio unit with larger (6.5-inch) monitor
• Rear head protection airbags added
• Second-generation M Mobility tire repair system in place of earlier version
• Available M Audio System with special tweeters, Kevlar/carbon coaxial speakers and two subwoofers behind the rear console
• Alcantara headliner included with Extended Leather interior (previously only included with Complete Leather)

For the subsequent two model years, changes were limited to the addition of new exterior colors (from 9/01 production) and the upgrade to a DVD-based navigation system (from 9/02 production).

The E39 M5 is capable of accelerating from 0-60 mph in 5.3 seconds* and electronically limited to a top speed of 155 mph*, making it the fastest 4-door sedan in the world at that time.

* (factory sheet)

Specification

• (Euro) 5.0 L V8-32 – 294 kW (400 hp)
• (USA) 5.0 L V8-32 – 290 kW (394bhp)

Performance

• 294 kW (400 hp) 0-60 mph – 4.7 s. Top Speed: 250 km/h (155 mph) (electronic limited), 298 km/h (186 mph) (without electronic limiter)

E60 M5 (2004-Present)

The E60 M5 was introduced in 2004. It has a naturally aspirated 5.0 L BMW V10 S85 engine redlining at 8250 RPM and developing a peak output of 507 PS (373 kW, 500 SAE hp). Other key features include a stiffened aluminum chassis and a 7-speed SMG III manual transmission. The car weighed the same as the E39 of 1800 kg.

The BMW M5, along with the new M6, were designed to use the new SMG III electrohydraulic manual transmission. Therefore, they will initially only be offered with this new transmission. There was a relative uproar amongst the fans and buyer-base when this was announced—however, BMW announced the eventual availability of a manual transmission in North American markets.

Specification

• 5.0 L 40v V10 – 373 kW (507 PS)

Performance

• 373 kW (507 PS) 0-60 mph – 4.5 s. Top speed: 250 km/h (155 mph) (electronic limited), 330 km/h (205 mph) (without electronic limiter)
• Road and Track Feb 2006 tested 0-60 in 4.1 seconds.

In a Nutshell: The 105 bhp H2 Enduro is BMW’s first pure dirt bike. Twenty-five years of rally racing experience have made their mark in this design. It has a race-ready suspension and an extremely lightweight body, just 386 lbs dry.

Engine:
Type: Air-cooled/oil-cooled Boxer twin-cylinder
Displacement: 1170cc
Bore and Stroke: 101.0 mm x 73.0 mm
Fuel System: BMW Engine Controller – BMS K
Compression Ratio: 11.0:1
MPG: NA

Drivetrain:
Transmission: 6-speed
Final Drive: Enclosed driveshaft with two universal joints
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Brakes:
Front: One, two-piston caliper; 12.0 inch floating rotor
Rear: Single, two-piston floating caliper; 10.4 inch single fixed rotor

Suspension:
Front: WAD UPSD fork 45 mm
Rear: BMW EVO Paralever

Wheels and Tires:
Front: 90/90 x 21 tubeless tire
Rear: 140/80 x 17 tubeless tire

Dimensions:
Length: 92.5 in.
Seat Height: 36.2 in.
Steering Angle and Trail: NA
Wheelbase: 63.4 in.
Weight: 433 lbs. unladen with full tank
Fuel Capacity: 2.9 gals.

Miscellaneous:
Colors: Indigo Blue/Alaska Gray, Dirty
Price: $19900
Warranty: NA

Review from Dirt Bike Report:

The HP2 Enduro from BMW is an extreme off road bike its part of a new high performance series of bikes from BMW it has a tuned 105 Hp boxer engine.. Here is some more news on this bike.

As such – and in response to customer demand – a 17-inch set of street wheels is now available for the HP2, giving owners maximum riding pleasure on tarmac, with the added bonus of being able to quickly and easily change the bike back to enduro specification for off-road riding.

Since its launch in September 2005 the world’s most powerful production enduro bike has caught the imagination of off-road fans all over the globe. It has already seen action in legendary international races such as the Baja 1000 and Erzberg Rodeo, and even competed in the famous Hafren Rally closer to home. It also proved its long-distance capabilities and durability when Dakar rally veteran PG Lundmark rode one from the Nordkap in Norway all the way to the tip of South Africa earlier this year.

But it’s the short journeys where the new HP2 with street wheels will excel on tarmac. With sticky road rubber and more than 100 horsepower available, this high-performance BMW will be great fun to ride on the kind of twisty, bumpy, undulating surfaces that tie sports bikes up in knots. In town, its long-travel suspension and 920mm seat height will provide excellent visibility in traffic, while the massive amount of torque generated by the tuned 1,170cc Boxer engine (115 Nm at just 5,500 rpm) will undoubtedly make the journey to and from work the best part of the day.

Available after BMW’s New Season Launch weekend celebrations on 25-26 March, customers who purchase an HP2 Enduro can choose to have a set of street wheels included for an all-inclusive price of £12,595 on the road. The good news for existing HP2 owners is that they will be able to purchase a set of street wheels for a special price until the end of December 2006 – on submission of the appropriate vehicle documentation to their dealer. And for true off-road aficionados (who have no intention of riding their HP2 Enduro on tarmac) it is still possible to buy the HP2 Enduro without the street wheels option at £11,955.

The set of street wheels come as standard with tubeless Continental Road Attack tyres (120/70 and 150/70) although other tyres authorised for use include the Bridgestone BT 020, Metzeler Roadtrac Z6, Pirelli Diabolo Strada and Pirelli Scorpion Sync. The spoked wheels (3.5 x 17 front and 4.0 x 17 rear) have anodised black rims and mounted brake discs. Adapted fork protectors and assembly instructions are also included.

Changing from off-road to street wheels is very simple – and much like a standard wheel change – since the axle mounts are identical to those of the enduro wheels. Only the fork protectors have to be exchanged and the front brake calliper has to be bolted into the new assembly position in line with the larger brake disc diameter (320 mm).

From Motorcycle Daily:

BMW has released details of its new off-road model, the HP2, and it looks like they’ve really gone all-out to make this a real, competitive off-road bike in the same class as KTM’s Adventure. BMW states that the design targets for the HP2 were light weight, excellent handling, low center of gravity, and excellent off-road capability.

The HP2 is loosely based on the existing R1200GS model, and uses a slightly uprated version of that bike’s 1170cc boxer flat-twin engine. This motor should provide excellent performance when combined with the HP2′s claimed 386lb dry weight (claimed 430lb wet).

BMW plans to demonstrate the HP2′s off-road prowess through competition in a number of off-road venues throughout the world, including the SCORE Baja 500 and Baja 1000. The HP2 should reach dealerships in Autumn 2005.

From Motorcycle Daily:

The all-new BMW R1200S is packed full of torquey Boxer power. The boxer’s surge of torque is obvious from the moment you click the bike into first gear and accelerate away from a stop. First gear is slightly higher than I would have preferred, meaning that a mild dose of RPM is necessary to pull out from the lights.

At 7000 rpm the R1200S surges forward with a kick worthy of a sportsbike. 122 horsepower in an air-cooled twin is a BMW revolution, and the fact is that the new BMW is more powerful than most liquid-cooled, V-twin sports tourers. But the new R1200S is not designed to be a tourer, a fact made clear by BMW’s choice of venues for the bike world press introduction – we sampled the new BMW sports bike on South African mountain roads and on the Killarney race track, just outside Cape Town. I started the day in the misty mountains in the wine districts north of Cape Town. Because of the excellent roads and the mountainous terrain, the place had a European feel to it.

The R1200S is a much lighter motorcycle than the old R1100S. The Boxer engine will gives the R1200S a heavy look, but fact is that the dry weight has now been reduced to 195kg. This makes the R1200S the lightest road boxer ever. Only the HP2 Enduro is lighter, and that can hardly be called a roadbike. Still, the R1200S is a big motorcycle, and a mammoth compared to, say, a Ducati 999 or 1000SS. With 85cc more displacement, 24 extra ponies and 13kg less weight, the R1200S is a huge improvement on the old R1100S.

At a stop, the R1200S has the feel of a big motorcycle; however, it possesses the handling of a much smaller machine. On the mountain roads it felt like the easiest thing in the world to flick the big sportsbike from ear to ear. The new BMW will be delivered with several tire options. Our test bikes were fitted with Michelin Pilot Powers. These tires were not so confidence inspiring in the early morning on the slippery mountain roads, but as soon as it had dried and I had some heat in the tires they suited the Beemer very well. On the twisty mountain roads, both tyres and suspension contributed to a neutral and stable feel.

The front Telelever is now stiffer, and on the racetrack I could easily change my line mid-turn. The Paralever EVO swingarm has been lightened and a glittery Ohlins shock is attached to it. When I first mounted the bike, the suspension felt soft with quite a bit of sag, but once on the move it seemed to work well at the stock settings.

On the road there is no doubt the R1200S can still be used as an alternative sports-tourer. The seat is comfortable enough, and the riding position does not put too much weight on the wrists.

The R1200S features a new ABS system that can be turned off. The system is not linked and there is no servo (to save weight). It is remarkable how good the front brake is, and when the ABS kicks in there is hardly any pulse action at all. I have never ridden any other bike with such a good unlinked ABS system. It was so good that I forgot to turn it off at the racetrack!

After spending the morning on mountain roads I traveled out to a sun drenched racetrack to put down as many laps as possible before the photographers arrived. Killarney is a short and easy racetrack with one sweeping left hander, two straights and several right-handers – perfectly suited for the R1200S. The corner speed can be adjusted up quickly as the R1200S is so stable both when turning in and when accelerating out of the bends. The only place I experienced instability on standard suspension set up was out of a big on-camber right hander that lead out onto the paddock straight. I chose second gear here to ride the torque and then full power up to third and then fourth. Over some uneven surface on full throttle at high rpm in third, the handle bars moved from side to side a little. I short shifted to fourth a couple of times, which calmed the chassis down a bit. However it was a great feeling to have a lively BMW under me so I stuck to third again later.

The BMW R1200S has got a steering dampe,r which probably is a bit unnecessary, however that slight headshake would have been amplified without the steering damper. I spoke to a couple of journalists that had not noticed the headshake I described, but they had all made adjustments to the rebound damping. For track use, there is plenty of adjustability built into the suspension – including rear ride height. I preferred to circulate on standard suspension settings, as I was racing no one but myself. Although that might not be entirely true, as I rode my fastest laps at the end of the day (after the photography was out of the way) and no one passed me on my bike with standard settings.

Even with ABS on, I could brake almost as hard as I wanted into the turns. It’s easy enough to explore the full handling potential of the R1200S, as it turns and steers beautifully. The Michelin Pilot Powers (120/70-ZR17 and 190/50-ZR17) provided perfect grip on the warm surface and really absorbed the bumps brilliantly. The tyres were helped by very good suspension, and also the fairly high weight that gives a stable feel over the bumps.

On the main straight it was possible to either max out in fifth gear or short shift to sixth before braking for the fast left hander that followed. I saw around 230km/h on the speedometer a couple of times, so I would guess that 250 could be easily achieved on a longer straight.

Because of the peculiarities of a flat-twin engine, the whole motorcycle wants to stand up on the suspension when the torque curve hits its sweet spot. But less so on the R1200S than other Boxer BMW’s.

The dog-shift six-speed gear box gave me no problems at the track. The only problem I noticed was that the box doesn’t quite like to be upshifted without the clutch, perhaps due to the unique torque pulses of the boxer motor. Whatever the cause, the R1200S sort of surges or jumps forward when you upshift without the use of the clutch. Other than that the ratios seem to work well, particularly the spacing between 2nd, 3rd, and 4th gears.

To sum up the track test, it is remarkable how fast something as peculiar and clumsy looking as the R1200S can be around a racetrack. Even though you start out with the feeling that R1200S is too big to be a sportsbike, its as satisfying as anything to ride through corners.

The new 1170cc engine descends from the big R1200GS update. The R1100S never got the 1150 engine, and for this reason the R1200S is miles better than the old R1100S. The new horsepower has been achieved by extensive modifications, to the cylinder heads in particular. The R1200S also features new high strength conrods, redesigned camshafts, stiffer valve springs, and new pistons. Compression ratio is increased to a staggering 12.5:1, and this increase is mainly responsible for the torqey feel of the high revving (8,800rpm) air/oil-cooled engine. Maximum torque is now 112Nm @ 6.800rpm.

An engine like this can probably be tuned to around 135-140 bhp in race trim, so the 122bhp in the standard bike with air/oil cooling is pretty good. It feels good too, especially at full throttle, where the engine pulls like an ox from 7.000 rpm on. It is evident that BMW has increased the rev ceiling as part of making the new R1200S as sporty as a Boxer can be. BMW has followed the US army motto; “Be all you can be” – and the R1200S is.

I am glad to see the new R1200S. It is more evidence that BMW is continuing to dedicate huge effort towards the sports market. The R1200S is still a gentle giant compared to the K series 1200 engine, but for most people that can be a good thing. If you own an R1100S, and have resisted the temptation to purchase something more powerful, now is the time to upgrade. The R1200S is a huge update compared to the old R1100S. It still takes most of the design cues, but the rear end in particular now looks more modern with the two pipes stacked under the passenger seat. But don’t expect your passenger to appreciate the new R1200S, as the passenger position is higher than before (due to the new underseat exhaust). The ABS brakes are great, and as with any BMW you get great second-hand value and no worries about maintenance. You just have to ask yourself this question; is it a better deal than a cheaper and more powerful Japanese sportsbike?

I can’t brag and crow enough about having my entire music collection in an old Apple iPod safely tucked in the trunk of my e39 5-Series BMW.

I control the iPod through the factory-installed radio and the steering wheel radio controls. Better yet, no tools required.

My previous articles:

Your e39 BMW and Your iPod Together Forever

Full Endorsement for USA SPEC iPod® Interface

As I said in long form before, If you have an e39 BMW and want to listen to your Apple iPod in your 5 Series BMW through your factory radio through wires then you need to order the USA SPEC iPod® Interface for the BMW OEM factory-installed radio.

The last time my e39 BMW 530i was in the shop at BMW of Arlington they loaned me a red Ford F-150 supercab with a Triton 5.9 liter gasoline engine.

I loved it. Its as well constructed as the Beemer and well-designed and really better made than anything I consider an American car. Mind you, my 1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo was well-made, but I have to tell BMW of Arlington that they had better be careful.

They are as likely to lose me to the house of Ford as they are to the house of Porsche.

That is one hell of a truck. That is one hell of a vehicle. Four doors, solid construction, plenty of room and lots of power. None of the plasticy squeakiness that American cars are known for.

How can Ford make both the full size Ford F-150 Supercab pickup truck and the god awful Ford Taurus, otherwise known as Ford Tortoise?

The Ford Taurus sucks as badly as the Ford F-150 rocks.

I guess I should add “in my humble opinion” to the title but I am not going to.