Monthly Archives: September 2018

DIY, Information

How to Build the Perfect Garage for Your BMW

Owning a BMW is a fantastic experience, but it might be short-lived if you don’t have a garage to keep it in. If you’re like most of us, your garage is probably an overflow for all the stuff that doesn’t fit in your house — and cleaning it out is a huge hassle, so why not build another garage instead? If you’d like to create the perfect garage to store your BMW in and you’ve got plenty of spare property to build on, here are a few tips and tricks to get you started.

Step One — Planning

Before you break ground or start buying supplies, your first step should be to plan your new garage. You’ll need to account for everything from the foundation up, including ventilation, electricity and insulation, among other things. If you’re not handy with architecture programs, consider hiring a pro to design a garage for you. Even if you’re planning on building it yourself, this can save you a lot of hassle in the long run.

Here is also the step when you’ll want to start researching building permits in your area. Find out what permits, if any, you’ll need to obtain to legally build a garage on your property.

Step Two — Gathering

Step two involves collecting everything you’re going to need to build your garage — wood, concrete, electrical components and a garage door should all be on your list.

You don’t want to have to stop in the middle of your project to go pick up more lumber or drywall because you didn’t purchase enough to begin with. Make sure you gather all your supplies before you break ground.

Step Three — Construction

Step three is to build your dream garage. Start with your foundation — you’ll want a solid place to park your car. Once the foundation is in place, you can build it from the ground up — literally.

If you’re not confident in your handyman skills, or you’re worried about being able to build your garage up to code, it might be smart to bring in a professional to do the work for you. It might cost you a bit more, but you won’t have to worry about your garage roof falling onto your BMW, or your new garage burning down in the middle of the night because you incorrectly installed the electrical panels.

Once you have the garage built, it’s time for the fun part.

Step Four — Features

Now that you’ve got four walls and a roof, it’s time to trick out your garage with shelves, cabinets and other storage for your tools, toys and other car accessories.

Cabinets make an excellent addition to any garage, and you can build them yourself at home as long as you have the proper tools. These can be a great weekend project if you’re handy with a saw — and don’t forget to invest in high-quality saw blades to ensure you get clean cuts and smooth edges to build the perfect cabinet.

Step Five — Enjoy!

Once you have your garage built and tricked out, all that’s left is to park your BMW and enjoy all your hard work!

Constructing a garage can be an ambitious project, but if you’ve got a BMW or other luxury car and nowhere to park it, building a new garage is a great option — and it can add value to your property as well!

Information

Why BMW Is Ceasing the Production of Diesel Cars in the U.S.

Diesel cars have been a major part of the BMW lineup since they were introduced in the 1980s as a response to the oil crisis of the late 1970s. The design celebrated its 35th anniversary this year, which makes BMW’s decision to stop producing diesel cars in the United States all the more surprising.

Why is the German car giant ditching it’s diesel engines, and what will be appearing in its place?

Dropping Sales and Emissions Concerns

The demand for diesel cars has been declining in recent years, even in Europe, where they’ve been so popular until now. European diesel sales are expected to drop to 5 percent of new car sales by 2030, and in the United States, diesel sales have suffered in the wake of the Volkswagen emissions scandal of 2017.

Volkswagen was found guilty of modifying their diesel car’s emissions systems so that they would appear to pass emissions tests, but it was actually generating more CO2 and other emissions than was legal. It resulted in a massive recall, and only 222 Volkswagen diesel vehicles were sold in January of that year. The year before, January sales were nearly 4500.

The Rise of the Plug-In Hybrid


2018 will mark the end of BMW’s diesel line in the United States. That means some models, like the 540d xDrive, will only be available in the States for a single year.

This doesn’t mean the BMW model line will be shrinking dramatically, though — in spite of the rather abrupt announcement, the manufacturer has also announced it will be releasing several plug-in hybrids to replace the diesel models being removed from the lineup.

These may end up being a better idea for BMW in the long run, especially in North America, where eco-minded drivers are giving up their gas-guzzling cars in favor of hybrid or electric alternatives.

BMW isn’t the only manufacturer jumping on the green energy bandwagon. GM is planning on eventually phasing out all of its gasoline-powered vehicles sometime in the future, but will be introducing at least 20 totally electric models by 2023. Ford is planning on launching 13 new electric or hybrid models in the same timeline. Volvo is planning on rolling out electric cars for its entire line as early as next year.

2014 BMW All-Electric i3 Press Drive.


Replacing its diesel models with plug-in hybrids might be one of the smartest things BMW has done in a long time.

Industry experts haven’t released any information yet about the exact specs of the new hybrids, though they probably won’t be ready to roll out for the 2019 model year. For drivers who have their hearts set on owning a new diesel BMW, only a few are left on the showroom floors, but they won’t be there for long.

New hybrids might be changing the face of the BMW lineup, but they definitely won’t be sacrificing their luxurious designs in favor of better gas mileage. New information will hopefully be available at the end of this year or the beginning of 2019.

Information

What to Do If You Crash Your BMW

No one wants to think about car accidents, but no matter how safely you drive, they can happen to anyone. Whether you’re driving to work, to school or just to the grocery store in your BMW, what should you do if you accidentally drive your car into a storefront or other building?

A Look at the Statistics

Accidents between cars and buildings are more common than most people think. On average, there are 60 accidents where a car strikes a building every single day in the United States alone. These accidents result in upwards of 4,000 injuries and 500 fatalities every year.

While the majority of these accidents are the result of operator error and pedal error, many of them could be prevented with the installation of bollards — steel or concrete poles secured to the sidewalk outside the business. These bollards are designed to take the impact of a car instead of letting the car strike the storefront, potentially injuring pedestrians or customers.

What should you do if you crash your BMW into a store?

Assess

As with any car accident, the first thing you need to do is to assess the situation. Are you injured? Are any of the passengers in your car injured? Is the car dangerous — on fire, or billowing smoke? If you aren’t obviously injured, you can get out of your BMW to assess the situation. If you are hurt and the car is safe, the best idea is to stay in the car — moving after an accident can end up making the injury worse.

You’ll also want to call 911 and let them know there has been an accident so emergency workers can respond.

Collect

Step two is to collect information from anyone involved in the accident. If you end up striking a storefront, this will include exchanging information with the store owner or the manager on duty. You will also want to collect contact information from any witnesses. The first responders will also gather this information, but it can be useful to have in case your insurance company requests it.

Report

Once the police have finished their work and you are free to go, get a copy of the police report and contact your insurance company to let them know you’ve been in an accident. They will contact the store’s insurance and will likely request a copy of the police report.

Once you’ve reported the accident to your insurance company, they will handle the majority of the rest of the process. They may contact you again if you were injured or if they need any additional information.

Go

Finally, whether you feel injured or not, you should schedule an appointment with your doctor. The soft-tissue injuries caused by car accidents such as whiplash can take days or weeks to manifest symptoms, so it’s important to get checked out.

Getting in to see your doctor soon can also help you out with your insurance company. If you wait more than two weeks to see your doctor, it becomes more difficult to pin the blame for the injury on your accident, so if you are out of work because of injury, you will want that paper trail to pass on to the insurance company.

Accidents happen, no matter who you are, so the only thing you can do is be prepared for them when they do occur. Knowing how to respond in the event of an accident can help the recovery process go a little more smoothly.