adminabout what I am writing about but hey, that is why I am here to unravel these things.
In this week’s issue I am reintroducing you to the next best thing in the world of motor X sports – spinning – and one of the cars that is leading the pack in this sport is the 1990 BMW 325iA .
Never has there been such adrenaline pumping activities in motor sport like spinning, where you manoeuvre a vehicle into spinning motion.
When spinning, it is best to stick to rear wheel drive (RWD), because you need to balance the rear with the throttle, and that is why we use BMW for this particular exercise.
In essence, any RWD car can spin.
It is up to the driver’s skill to get the car to spin. Some cars spin easily than others but the driver is the decisive factor.
The sport is taking the world by storm and Zimbabwe is not an exception.
Some of you especially BMW fanatics may have had the opportunity to attend the Spin Festival, which was held at the Borrowdale Race Course a few months ago.
Though well attended, the crowd was not as big as that which is expected at another event planned in October.
There is going to be a brow-raising programme, which will have you talking for months.
After meeting up with the other organisers, Alistair Rosen, Isaac Mayor, Theofanis Diaskouris and Cris Sachikonye, I realised that life behind the wheel is the best drug ever.
I have also put my girly touch into it as well so you will see and read exciting progress in the next few weeks leading to the October show.
You will see stunts that are so extreme, even the stunt man and women in Hollywood would turn green with envy.
Bearing in mind that after market support is very limited to none regarding specific drift modifications, the organisers have arranged for mechanics who, under the watchful eye of Isaac Mayor, will make the necessary modifications.
It’s going to be a jam-packed event with regional spinners of BMW from South Africa and other fanatics from Botswana, Zambia and South Africa.
As I mentioned earlier, I am going to talk a bit about the 1990 BMW 325iA which, when well cared for, will still get from 0-60 in around eight seconds.
This car moves like its on rails and is a lot of fun to toss around.
The interior and exterior quality is very good.
For a 20-year-old car, nothing unexpected happens because it moves like it was manufactured this year with all the recent technology.
You can do several repairs yourself and find help thanks to the good-sized fan base these cars have.
The M20 engine in the 325i is very reliable and pretty much bullet-proof and despite its unusual proportions, it is a pretty/timeless car.
I know of a guy who only paid US$2 000 for his “Ultimate Driving Machine” and honestly it is value for money.
In terms of driving enjoyment, performance, design and reliability it is a bargain.
It is no modern day 3-series or M3 but it still performs well for its age.
You have to be committed to take care of one of these cars if you keep up with its usual maintenance, (oil changes, spark plugs) at 5 000km, timing and water pump at 100 000km, it will last well beyond 400 000km.
More major repairs will come up but this is the same for any 20-plus-years-old car .
Yes, the repairs can be expensive unless you do it yourself, but the shortcomings are well worth it when you find yourself on a twisty mountain road to play on or enter the Spin Fest with Theo, Isaac and the other spinners.
With 600hp and more supercharged bits, BMWs are going to be literally spinning heads in the next two months at the Borrowdale Race Course . . . ripping tyres and having you on the edge of your seats.
Expect to see great names in the game from South Africa and locally and loads of fast, supercharged BMWs.
The spinners do crazy things to outdo each other – they draw doughnuts in the tarmac with their back wheels; then jump out of the car while it is moving; or get passengers to do press-ups on the roof. I promise you – it is real.
Judging by attendance at the last event which attracted over 3 000 cheering spectators, the October one is set to be bigger than the Top Gear Event in March in South Africa which apparently just pulled a crowd of 7 000 fans. I have a special invite for this October event, so I look forward to seeing you there. Watch this space for details.
- Fact D. Jeke is a motoring enthusiast who has attended auto shows, rallies and has written for various publications in the region for the last decade. She can be contacted via email on [email protected]
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