[doubleda]

Hey all... sounds like a joke, aeh ?? Hey the big 3 brought back the Camaro, the Challenger, the Mustang. Why not !!
Sometimes the power of the people can make a difference. I know it sounds crazy ! But Ill bet there could be a big enough demand for them to consider it. There has got to be someone out there with relations high up with BMW executives, you never know. The big 3 didn't bring those cars back to lose money.
They all ready have the designs, probably the molds and tooling, parts are still in inventory, they know all the original vendors.
These new bimmers are just to darn complicated, HARD to work on, seem to break down a lot, and are so expensive to repair. You practicality need to be a damn rocket scientist to repair one !
I have a 05 325iT and I looooove it, sure Id like to put a 3 litre engine in it . But the cost involved for me is not worth it, 40 HP for at least 2000 to 4000.00. and I could do all the work myself.
So, lets say we ask them to build the coupe and wagon bodies only ! Sport and Premium package options. Put ONLY the B30 engine in them , maybe with the ZHP option. Keep the manual 5 or 6 speed option. An updated auto box as well. The 330 brakes, ABS of course ! Modern day tires of course. Leather interiors, only. Few options.
Do we all need the expensive modern day electronics that break down all the time and drive assistance features, etc., etc., etc. I say NO !! We all lived without that crap for years . I'm sure some of you all need a car that drives itself and does everything but wipes your butt, I surely do not !!!!!
My 05 is going to last me a loooooong time.
Lets give it a try. We may need a few more petitions than we think, and maybe a good lawyer or two, But lets give it a try ?? Whos with me ???

 

[case600lp]

Hey all... sounds like a joke, aeh ?? Hey the big 3 brought back the Camaro, the Challenger, the Mustang. Why not !!
Sometimes the power of the people can make a difference. I know it sounds crazy ! But Ill bet there could be a big enough demand for them to consider it. There has got to be someone out there with relations high up with BMW executives, you never know. The big 3 didn't bring those cars back to lose money.
They all ready have the designs, probably the molds and tooling, parts are still in inventory, they know all the original vendors.
These new bimmers are just to darn complicated, HARD to work on, seem to break down a lot, and are so expensive to repair. You practicality need to be a damn rocket scientist to repair one !
I have a 05 325iT and I looooove it, sure Id like to put a 3 litre engine in it . But the cost involved for me is not worth it, 40 HP for at least 2000 to 4000.00. and I could do all the work myself.
So, lets say we ask them to build the coupe and wagon bodies only ! Sport and Premium package options. Put ONLY the B30 engine in them , maybe with the ZHP option. Keep the manual 5 or 6 speed option. An updated auto box as well. The 330 brakes, ABS of course ! Modern day tires of course. Leather interiors, only. Few options.
Do we all need the expensive modern day electronics that break down all the time and drive assistance features, etc., etc., etc. I say NO !! We all lived without that crap for years . I'm sure some of you all need a car that drives itself and does everything but wipes your butt, I surely do not !!!!!
My 05 is going to last me a loooooong time.
Lets give it a try. We may need a few more petitions than we think, and maybe a good lawyer or two, But lets give it a try ?? Whos with me ???

I'll sign... The only thing I really want updated on my 330i is the radio/stereo to something modern. Other than that, I love my car...

I was talking to a BMW specialist in Dallas that repairs them and salvages parts and he said e46 was his favorite and thought BMW had sort of "jumped-the-shark" complexity-wise with the newer models.

 

[VpointVick]

Don't hold your breath fellas. They won't even bring their current station wagons here, much less their 20 year old ones.

 

[Megalocnus]

Don't hold your breath fellas. They won't even bring their current station wagons here, much less their 20 year old ones.

Yeah. And it's not because they don't want to sell wagons in the US, but because too few people buy them.

Additionally, I don't think the E46 platform and the M54 engines would fit the current EPA and NHTSA emissions and safety standards. At the very minimum, they will need more efficient catalytic convertors.

Niche market plus additional R&D - these wagons will likely cost as much as the current M3/M4s, if not more. I know which of these two options would I pick if I have to buy one or the other...

 

[elfer]

Hey all... sounds like a joke, aeh ?? Hey the big 3 brought back the Camaro, the Challenger, the Mustang. Why not !!

BMW would say the 3 series never went away. The new Camaro, Challenger and Mustang aren't the same cars they were before, just the same way the new G20 3-series isn't an E46.

I'd still love a new E46 though. An M3 especially!

 

[MrMCar]

I've sat down to dinner with folks from BMW and questions such as this often come up, not from me.

You told us you wanted the Touring with the manual transmission. You didn't buy them.
You told us you wanted a stripped down performance sleeper. You didn't buy them.

They don't listen to clubbies (not my words) anymore. From a strictly business perspective, I get it.

 

[hitbyastick]

I've sat down to dinner with folks from BMW and questions such as this often come up, not from me.

You told us you wanted the Touring with the manual transmission. You didn't buy them.
You told us you wanted a stripped down performance sleeper. You didn't buy them.

They don't listen to clubbies (not my words) anymore. From a strictly business perspective, I get it.

Don't blame these guys one bit. To be fair they offered and the buying public declined. They have to keep the lights on somehow just like everybody else. It's a business.

 

[TobyB]

Business is boring.

That's probably why I don't do so well in it...

heh

t

 

[NYRhockey]

I've sat down to dinner with folks from BMW and questions such as this often come up, not from me.

You told us you wanted the Touring with the manual transmission. You didn't buy them.
You told us you wanted a stripped down performance sleeper. You didn't buy them.

They don't listen to clubbies (not my words) anymore. From a strictly business perspective, I get it.

Was this before or after their designs went to shit? BMW has put out a lot of ugly crap out there the last 10+ years.

Still, i don't blame them either. They are a business and if people aren't buying they should stop making those cars.

 

[case600lp]

I've sat down to dinner with folks from BMW and questions such as this often come up, not from me.

You told us you wanted the Touring with the manual transmission. You didn't buy them.
You told us you wanted a stripped down performance sleeper. You didn't buy them.

They don't listen to clubbies (not my words) anymore. From a strictly business perspective, I get it.

Thats very interesting!

I guess what really bothers me is the newest complexity. In farming the trend with agricultural tractors has been a fight over whether customers can even work on their own equipment or not!!

Manufacturers are claiming their intellectual property demands/deserves "service contracts" and that the customers should have to pay factory service centers for all work.

I work in IT - and I see their point from a business perspective... But from a lifetime of growing up on the farm repairing engines or replacing bearings or tracking down electrical shorts, it seems shocking to think that era of self-sufficiency is disappearing... Obviously, from a tech perspective its easy to lock things up beyond the ability of most people from getting in.

Plus, from a practical perspective, out in our rural area from where I live - the nearest authorized BMW place is 330 miles away...

 

[BushPilot]

Unlike the Camaro, Challenger and Mustang the 3 Series never was discontinued from production so it's still here. It's just been updated as the cars above have too. With regard to maintainability, in my opinion, now that we have an OBD II service port and sensors to tell us what's wrong, maintainability is better. Not only that, the designs are more reliable, safer and perform better.

 

[VpointVick]

Was this before or after their designs went to shit? BMW has put out a lot of ugly crap out there the last 10+ years.

Still, i don't blame them either. They are a business and if people aren't buying they should stop making those cars.

Before. Long before in fact.

Not all that many Americans bought E46 wagons with manual transmissions, and then almost none bought E9x wagons with them, so they stopped sending them here. F31 didn't offer it even as an option, despite it being available in Europe and the UK.

 

[MrMCar]

Thats very interesting!

I guess what really bothers me is the newest complexity. In farming the trend with agricultural tractors has been a fight over whether customers can even work on their own equipment or not!!

Manufacturers are claiming their intellectual property demands/deserves "service contracts" and that the customers should have to pay factory service centers for all work.

I work in IT - and I see their point from a business perspective... But from a lifetime of growing up on the farm repairing engines or replacing bearings or tracking down electrical shorts, it seems shocking to think that era of self-sufficiency is disappearing... Obviously, from a tech perspective its easy to lock things up beyond the ability of most people from getting in.

Plus, from a practical perspective, out in our rural area from where I live - the nearest authorized BMW place is 330 miles away...

I'm all too well aware of what the likes of John Deere is trying to pull with respect to the DMCA.
This can directly effect the "Right To Repair" in the auto industry also. We at BIMRS are very active and watch this.
BMW (also several other Mfrs.) tried to pull a fast one in Massachusetts a couple of months ago with fear mongering/television ads. They wanted to lock out ALL the data from the OBD port.

I feel for ya brother.

 

[tcphoto]

Never going to happen, design and technology move on.

 

[VpointVick]

Never going to happen, design and technology move on.

At least the tech has improved, right?
Lol

 

[tcphoto]

Improved? It's moved forward and at least the cooling system in the E9X has improved.

 

[Kneedspeed]

Not unless it’s a e46 SUV

 

[MrMCar]

Improved? It's moved forward and at least the cooling system in the E9X has improved.

Yes, as always there's caveats.

In general the cooling systems on new cars are a marvel. First and foremost is the advent of more powerful DME's (processing capability/speed and actual power delivery) now controlling an infinitely variable electric coolant pump. Looks just like a turbocharger with an electric motor attached to the back of the impeller. Now the DME can VERY closely monitor the coolant temperature inside the engine and choose to ramp up/down the coolant speed predicated upon engine speed/heat, demands of heater on/off and to mitigate engine overheating.

There's also a HUGE plus and the thing I like the most: The cooling system bleeding procedure;
Power supply hooked up to the jumping post. Full the cooling system. Heat set to full temperature and low fan. Turn the key to run and hold the gas pedal down for more than 5 seconds.
The DME will have the coolant pump ramp up/down, fast/slow for about 7 minutes. All the while you can hear the air bubbles purge out of the cooling system. Never have we had an air pocket with the newer pumps when the bleeding routine is used.

Caveats: In general the coolant temperatures are higher. Emissions reasons. So rubber & plastic parts need replacement sooner. Some pumps can/do fail from coolant migration past the seals and into the DC motor side.
Cost is significantly higher. Skill needed to replace is much higher.

We recently did a cooling system overhaul on a late model B48 engine. After the above I took it out for a very long test drive to monitor coolant temperatures via test #7 (yes still applicable) and marveled at how fast the cooling strategies changed. Cruising @ 70MPH constant 105°-108°C temps. Hammer down and it dropped some 10°C. Let off the throttle for a long exit ramp, up to 111°C. Then stopped at a traffic light, instantly switched to 95-98°C.
The DME/thermostat & pump work altogether very fast proactively. Conversely the M54 systems have to act after the fact.

Progress? Yes. However there are times that my Mk2 Capri 2.8L and a simple carburetor seems like nirvana.
(My first car BTW, a European Ford built in Cologne.)

 

[BushPilot]

Yes, as always there's caveats.

In general the cooling systems on new cars are a marvel. First and foremost is the advent of more powerful DME's (processing capability/speed and actual power delivery) now controlling an infinitely variable electric coolant pump. Looks just like a turbocharger with an electric motor attached to the back of the impeller. Now the DME can VERY closely monitor the coolant temperature inside the engine and choose to ramp up/down the coolant speed predicated upon engine speed/heat, demands of heater on/off and to mitigate engine overheating.

There's also a HUGE plus and the thing I like the most: The cooling system bleeding procedure;
Power supply hooked up to the jumping post. Full the cooling system. Heat set to full temperature and low fan. Turn the key to run and hold the gas pedal down for more than 5 seconds.
The DME will have the coolant pump ramp up/down, fast/slow for about 7 minutes. All the while you can hear the air bubbles purge out of the cooling system. Never have we had an air pocket with the newer pumps when the bleeding routine is used.

Caveats: In general the coolant temperatures are higher. Emissions reasons. So rubber & plastic parts need replacement sooner. Some pumps can/do fail from coolant migration past the seals and into the DC motor side.
Cost is significantly higher. Skill needed to replace is much higher.

We recently did a cooling system overhaul on a late model B48 engine. After the above I took it out for a very long test drive to monitor coolant temperatures via test #7 (yes still applicable) and marveled at how fast the cooling strategies changed. Cruising @ 70MPH constant 105°-108°C temps. Hammer down and it dropped some 10°C. Let off the throttle for a long exit ramp, up to 111°C. Then stopped at a traffic light, instantly switched to 95-98°C.
The DME/thermostat & pump work altogether very fast proactively. Conversely the M54 systems have to act after the fact.

Progress? Yes. However there are times that my Mk2 Capri 2.8L and a simple carburetor seems like nirvana.
(My first car BTW, a European Ford built in Cologne.)

I hear you but suspect that that Mk2 Capri 2.8L with carburetor broke down more than a modern car. So it may have been easier to fix but needed more fixing. I noticed a huge change in engine longevity when fuel injection replaced carburetion.

 

[VpointVick]

Synthetic oils and advances in machine tools that have allowed better tolerances have played into that as well, but yes.

I currently work on my car far less than I did when I last had a car hobby (muscle cars), and I'm doing far more of it for fun rather than because the damn thing broke again too.