Grassroots Motorsports
Issue link: http://grassrootsmotorsports.epubxp.com/i/397024
E nthusiasts all live in fear of it: the day they bring home a four-wheeled appliance of a car and walk away with a queasy smile that's usually reserved for the aftermath of that roadside $1.99 lunch special. "It was reasonably priced," you'll reason when it happens to you. You may even refer to those plastic paddles screwed onto the molded steering wheel as "F1 paddle shifters," but you and all your gearhead friends will still know you sold out on your dreams. That doesn't mean your buddies will disapprove. Oh, no. Who wouldn't buy a sensible, practical, effcient car for their daily commute? "You can fnally stop worrying about breaking down!" they'll assure you, nodding their approval of your purchase. But everyone knows that buying a "real" car has come to represent middle-class adulthood. And if being a grown-up means driving a Camry, who wouldn't dream of a life of eternally battling Captain Hook? But what if we told you that you could still ft an enthusiast car into your adult life? What if you didn't have to wait to buy a Porsche in middle age for your daily-driven new car to be fun? And no, we don't mean fun like "Hey, this handles pretty well." We mean fun like "Oh my God, this is the fastest car I've ever driven!" Welcome the New Kid to the Class This brings us to our car. Everyone, we'd like to introduce our new project–a 2014 BMW M235i. And yes, we know what you're thinking: What the heck is a BMW 2 Series? Basically, it's the slightly larger successor to the 1 Series. And after driving an M235i at a press introduction, we knew it belonged in our driveway. PROJECT CAR: BMW M235i Grassroots Motorsports 67 1. No, that isn't the Apple Store. Welcome to the BMW Perfor- mance Center. 2. No question is too simple for - cialists–including ours asking how to lock the car. 3. We didn't spend much time in class, so BMW's basics were taught: look ahead and s computers. 4. The instruc- tion continued to trackside. 5. Few people order a manual transmission school car had an automatic. 6. Racer or com- muter, people from all walks of at the Perfor- mance Center.