article - 10 old BMWs still worth driving (and 5 that straight up suck)

Yes, sounds right to me.

"The E9 represents the first of the BMW E chassis naming system, also the predecessor to the E24 6 series, sporting an even more prominent shark face design. Quite possibly the most iconic in terms of classic looks. If you had to drive only one BMW in your lifetime make it this one."
 
DWMBMW said:
Yes, sounds right to me.

"The E9 represents the first of the BMW E chassis naming system, also the predecessor to the E24 6 series, sporting an even more prominent shark face design. Quite possibly the most iconic in terms of classic looks. If you had to drive only one BMW in your lifetime make it this one."
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And how lucky we are to have them and drive them!
 
I feel put out......
Just glad to be in good company!!!!
Lololol
 

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its kinda like BaT ... they just get things wrong, they just write them because it sounds good. i thought the same thing that the e3 was the first. then i looked at the pic of the e9, that looks like Joshua Stern's chamonix with the s54 in it ... not your typical e9. i did like the 2002 tii too, good looking. even though it looks like its a square tail + not a roundie, at least it had the small bumpers. the one that took me by surprise was the M1 at the back of the list ... wouldn't be where i would put it. might not have put the isetta at the beginning either ... or at least not before the 507. i might also put the e30 m3 right behind the e9 - simply my biggest regret as a car owner - selling that car ... but then again, that gave me the money to buy the coupe

and who really thinks the Z8 sucks?
 
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These "best of" and "worst of" lists are purely to create conversation (and controversy). It all depends on your criteria for picking the cars and ordering them. Right off the bat, I'd own a Z8 in a heartbeat! :love:
 
rsporsche said:
its kinda like BaT ... they just get things wrong, they just write them because it sounds good. i thought the same thing that the e3 was the first. then i looked at the pic of the e9, that looks like Joshua Stern's chamonix with the s54 in it ... not your typical e9. i did like the 2002 tii too, good looking. even though it looks like its a square tail + not a roundie, at least it had the small bumpers. the one that took me by surprise was the M1 at the back of the list ... wouldn't be where i would put it. might not have put the isetta at the beginning either ... or at least not before the 507. i might also put the e30 m3 right behind the e9 - simply my biggest regret as a car owner - selling that car ... but then again, that gave me the money to buy the coupe

and who really thinks the Z8 sucks?
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I agree, any time a Zed8 comes up for sale, there are many bids well over $100k, doesn't seem to me that folks would part with THAT much money for a car that" sucks"!:cool:
 
rsporsche said:
its kinda like BaT ... they just get things wrong, they just write them because it sounds good. i thought the same thing that the e3 was the first. then i looked at the pic of the e9, that looks like Joshua Stern's chamonix with the s54 in it ... not your typical e9. i did like the 2002 tii too, good looking. even though it looks like its a square tail + not a roundie, at least it had the small bumpers. the one that took me by surprise was the M1 at the back of the list ... wouldn't be where i would put it. might not have put the isetta at the beginning either ... or at least not before the 507. i might also put the e30 m3 right behind the e9 - simply my biggest regret as a car owner - selling that car ... but then again, that gave me the money to buy the coupe

and who really thinks the Z8 sucks?
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I think ten is number one as they count backwards to the worst.
 
that would either be starting at 15 or 6 ... by the logic you stated that would be 15 / 15 which would be the M1. i would never agree that an e24 m6 is a better drive than an e30 m3 ... nor would i put a e38 - 7 series way up there either. i dunno, perhaps there is no order, just a list
 
Peter Coomaraswamy said:
Looks like the newer ones all suck, they happen to be the ugliest too. IMO
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I can confirm the tii is a square taillight. I am the two month long new owner of a 1976 2002. Thanks to JMinNJ. Shortly after the purchase I was talking with one of my tii buddies, yes there are two!!, and mentioned I wanted the chrome headlight surrounds with the "spikes." He said, "ain't gonna happen." I have a one piece grill that goes around the kidney. I am missing sheet metal to which the grill is attached. Impossible to mount an early grill to a square taillight car. But I did the bumper switch immediately. One ugly problem solved. And I also learned that euro 2002s have the square taillights. So my car in Europe at least, passes muster.

Now, question, do euro 2002 have my grille or the early grill? they did not get the ugly bumpers which I suspect had something to do with the grill change.

PS: Agree about the newer ones, Peter.
 
Steve, All markets got square tail lights and plastic grilles in 1974. Euro cars kept the chrome bumpers, US/NA market cars got the trunk and frame rail reinforcing and the big bumpers.
 
HB Chris said:
Except the author is wrong about the e9 being the first of the e series. The e3 was released in August 1968. The e9 debuted in Europe later in 1968 with 138 built.
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The 2000CS / E120 started in 1965? ...did BMW officially designated as an E120 back then? I know folks have used E10 with the 2002, but that's not correct.

Ed
splitting hairs..
 
The author has never actually driven a first gen X3....in a blizzard...over Vail Pass...in the dark. My six speed X3 is pretty great for what it is. And I am not an SUV person. Bought it used, and it was cheap, rugged, and reliable, with the normally aspirated engine from the e46 330i.
 
zinz said:
The 2000CS / E120 started in 1965? ...did BMW officially designated as an E120 back then? I know folks have used E10 with the 2002, but that's not correct.

Ed
splitting hairs..
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The NK cars were called model or type 120, the early 1600/2002 type 114.
 
craterface said:
The author has never actually driven a first gen X3....in a blizzard...over Vail Pass...in the dark. My six speed X3 is pretty great for what it is. And I am not an SUV person. Bought it used, and it was cheap, rugged, and reliable, with the normally aspirated engine from the e46 330i.
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we drove the 1st gen x3 then drove the audi q5 ... my wife greatly preferred the audi. i liked it better as well, but i didn't like the seats. that was 10 years ago, replaced the q5 with a macan ... pretty much perfect and much better than the new x1 / x2 / x3
 
DWMBMW said:
Yes, sounds right to me.

"The E9 represents the first of the BMW E chassis naming system, also the predecessor to the E24 6 series, sporting an even more prominent shark face design. Quite possibly the most iconic in terms of classic looks. If you had to drive only one BMW in your lifetime make it this one."
Click to expand...

Not a great two sentence summary of our cars. Once upon a time, I drafted up a little one pager to display with my car to provide some background to people who are unfamiliar with it. These are my opening two sentences:

Blending Italian design and German engineering, this car is one of the last of the coach-built BMWs, having been made to BMW’s specifications by the renowned coachbuilder Karman. Gloriously communicative to drive, elegant and solidly built, it is also one of BMW’s most beautiful designs.

They did pick a very nice overall look for showing off the beauty of our cars, however:

Jet Set I.jpg
 
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