How to Get Your Garage Ready for Warm Weather

It’s finally warming up in most parts of the country, and that means it’s time to start getting your garage ready for nice weather. What do you need to do to make sure that this room — whether you’re using it for storage, crafting or parking your car — is ready for spring?

Organize Your Seasonal Items

You won’t need snow shovels and driveway salt now that the temperatures are starting to climb. Take the time to stow your winter gear — including clothing and jackets, if you store them in the garage — and retrieve your spring and summer equipment.

Don’t just throw everything in the garage as you sort it out. You’ll hate yourself later when you have to go through it all again and clean it up. Instead, organize your spring and summer gear — from beach toys to lawn mowers to trimmers — so you can easily access it without cluttering up your space.

Keep Out the Bugs

As temperatures start to climb, so to do bug populations. If you’re in the garage a lot during the day or keep the door open, you’re inviting six-legged guests into your space. Start by storing food — for pets or humans — in sealed containers.

Make sure you’re sweeping or vacuuming any food spilled on the floor. Spray the inside and outside baseboards of your garage with insecticide to kill any bugs that are already inside and keep any new ones from crossing the threshold.

Just because your garage isn’t a living space doesn’t mean you need to invite bugs to share the area with you. Get ahead of the problem before the weather warms up and you have to call an exterminator.

Clean the Floors

If you park your car in the garage or walk through it after parking in the driveway, chances are high your floor is covered in salt, dirt and other debris you’ve tracked in.

Take the time to give your garage floor a thorough cleaning as the temperature starts to climb. Dirty floors can be a sign of unclean work conditions, and if you’re planning to sell your home, a dirty garage floor could detract from the property’s value.

Clean and Maintain Your Door

Spring cleaning isn’t just limited to the interior of your home. It’s also a great time to clean and maintain your garage door, so it’s ready for the season.

Inspect the hardware both inside and out for any signs of rust or undue wear and tear. Take the time to wash the door — again, both inside and out. If it’s been a while since you painted it, now is the perfect time to add a new coat.

Restock Your Spring Chemicals/Materials

Spring doesn’t just bring showers and bugs — it also brings weeds, and just like the food in your pantry, the chemicals you keep in your garage will eventually expire.

Go through all the chemicals you’ll need for your spring chores and yard work. Make sure they’re stored properly and replace anything that has expired or doesn’t work as effectively.

Enjoy The Warm Weather

Now that the temperature is finally starting to creep up, the last thing you need to do is get outside and enjoy the warm weather.

Once you’ve got your garage ready for spring, you won’t have to worry about it until the thermometer starts dropping and you need your winter coats again.

BMW Gives the Mini Clubman a Well-Deserved Upgrade

BMW is a big fan of giving it’s vehicles a mid-cycle refresh, making small changes and upgrades to improve comfort, performance and the car’s aesthetic.

The second generation BMW Mini Clubman came out in 2015, which means that it’s long overdue for a refresh — and BMW finally delivered. Let’s take a closer look at this fantastic new Clubman and see what’s changed and what has stayed the same.

The Original 2nd Gen Clubman

The second generation Clubman hit highways in 2015 — while it’s not as sleek as the Cooper S that starred in The Italian Job in 2003, it’s nothing to shake your head at. Larger than the cooper, this 5-seater has three engine options — 1.5L 3-cylinder, and two 2.0L turbocharged 4 cylinders — all of which can be paired with either a 6-speed manual or 8-speed automatic trans.

With three tire-size options, depending on the Clubman model you choose, there was easily something for everyone, whether you are using this compact little sedan to haul cargo or kids. It comes with all-wheel drive too, making it an ideal daily driver, regardless of the weather conditions.

What did BMW change with this latest mid-cycle refresh?

What’s Changed?

If three engine choices isn’t enough for you, BMW has delivered. The refreshed Clubman will have six options to choose from — three gasoline and three diesel. You still have the option to choose a six-speed manual transmission, but the eight-speed automatic swapped out for a seven-speed DCT gearbox. That’s it for the drive train changes through. Most of the changes are on the exterior of the vehicle, not under the hood.

The front end has received a rework, polishing some of the rough edges of the Gen 2 Clubman and redesigning the radiator grill. All of the traditional lamps — head, tail and fog lights — have been replaced with LEDs as standard equipment, and you can even opt to have a Union Jack design added to your tail lights.

The upgraded suspension lowers the Clubman’s by 10 millimeters and BMW traded in the aluminium wheels for light alloy alternatives. This refresh also adds new interior and exterior colors, including Piano Black for the exterior and leather trim and interior upgrades.

The stock infotainment system includes a six-speaker audio system, USB port and hands-free telephone addons when you hook up your phone via USB. The car is also equipped with a SIM card, so you’re constantly connected in the event of an accident. The onboard computer can even automatically detect your location and how severe an accident is

An Upgrade Well Deserved

It’s been four years since the second generation Clubman started rolling off the assembly lines, which means that it was long overdue for an upgrade. Most of the changes are limited to the car’s exterior and interior, but that doesn’t make this refresh any less exciting.

These new Clubman models are on sale in the UK now, so if you’ve been dreaming of adding a new car to your collection, now is the perfect time to sign on that dotted line and bring home a newly refreshed BMW Clubman.

New CBU Z4 Roadster Launched in India

Heads up, BMW enthusiasts — a new Bimmer roadster has entered the fray. BMW has introduced a new Z4 roadster as a CBU option for fans of the brand. What does this new roadster have to offer, and will it be available for international drivers?

A CBU Roadsters

Pictured: Dr. Hans-Christian Baertels, President BMW Group India

All cars in India have one of two designations — CBU or CKD. CBU stands for Completely Built Units. In this case, it means that the vehicles are shipped to India fully assembled, and the government charges an additional 120 percent on top of the price of the car.

CKD, on the other hand, stands for Completely Knocked Down. These vehicles arrive in the country in pieces and need to be assembled on site. It costs importers an additional 60 percent to bring these components in, but having in-country assembly plants helps to promote the “Make in India” movement, encouraging more manufacturers to set up a local shop instead of just shipping their wears in from other countries.

The new Z4 Roadster is delivered as a CBU, meaning that it will cost quite a bit more for Indian BMW fans even though BMW does have a local plant in Chennai, India which celebrated it’s 12th anniversary this year.

Specs and Color Options

Don’t expect to get a hard-top with this new roadster. The new CBU Z4 only comes with a convertible top and embodies the Bimmer roadster in it’s most real form.

It sports the iconic roadster silhouette, with a long hood, a kidney grill, and vertically aligned headlights. It has extra air intakes in the front end and a smooth rear lateral design that perfectly compliments the wing attached to the rear-end.

The interior is entirely focused on simplicity and functionality. The cockpit is oriented around the driver, and he or she can adjust everything to their preferences and save those settings in the car’s onboard computer. You’ll never have to worry about readjusting the seat or the mirrors manually more than once with this fantastic little car.

You’ve got plenty of options if a cherry red roadster doesn’t appeal to you. In addition to red, the vehicle is available in Alpine White, Mediterranean Blue, Black Sapphire, Mineral White, and Glacial Silver. The M40i version also comes in Frozen Grey II or Missano Blue.

The interior comes in standard black, but you can opt for white, or black with magma red or congac decor stitching.

The Future of BMW India

We’ve got no news yet on whether this new CBU roadster will be available for anyone interested outside of India, but chances are you can probably find someone willing to sell — if you’re willing to pay for international freight shipping to bring it home.

This roadster may become a CDK option in the future, but for the moment anyone interested in adding one of these Z4’s to their collection will be paying extra for the privilege. As of April 9th, these new roadsters are available at BMW dealers across India with the base model costing Rs 64.90 lakh (6.49 million Indian Rupees or roughly USD 93,839) and the M40i coming in at Rs 78.90 lakh (7.89 million Indian Rupees or USD 114,082).

We’ll keep a close eye on these new Z4’s and let you know if they become available internationally.