derBayerische November December 2022 - 24

N C C V O L U N T E E R S P O T L I G H T - J A M E S C H E W
vehicle. The Roundel and der
Bayerische readers are seeking
much more than the typical " me like
car, me drive fast " buff book reviews.
These readers are enthusiasts,
and some are BMW stockholders.
Therefore, they would like to know
more about the product strategy, the
design thesis, and the engineering.
Once a vehicle is assigned,
the research begins. To provide the
background for the evaluation, I read
other reviews as well as the OEM
technical and press material. I also
inspect that model at the respective
brand dealership. Researching the
chief designer and the chief engineer
for that product provides insight into
the mindset of how this product was
conceived and developed.
Then I use the tried-and-true
Niki Lauda way to evaluate the
driving characteristics of the vehicle.
Quoting Simon Pagenaud, " He
(Lauda) said he had a great ass and
could feel everything the car was
doing " .
Readers need to know about
the " livability " of a vehicle - something
they don't get from either buff
books or the now syndicated newspaper
reviews. Seldom do these
reviews discuss front passenger
comfort, and the rear passenger area
and cargo areas are virtually
ignored. The family friendliness and
utility (ease of folding down the rear
seats) of evaluated vehicles is, at
best, mentioned in passing.
Ergonomics (ease of reading the
gauges, ease of operating the
infotainment system) is ignored.
And no one to tries to open the
hood.
But that's what makes writing
for a BMW CCA publication
different. We care.
dB: What do you like best about
your involvement with writing car
reviews?
Chew: It keeps me active and relevant
in an ecosystem that I very
much enjoy. It's nice to participate
in the major auto show media events
24
dB: Tell us a little about your current
(or previous) cars.
■ One of my favorite BMWs that we've evaluated.
Chew: In order of ownership, my
BMWs have included a 1990 750iL;
2000 528i; 1994 323i convertible;
2005 X3 3.0i; 2000 325i convertible;
2007 X5 3.0i; 2008 135i convertible;
2012 135i convertible; 2001 530i;
2017 X3 2.8i; 2020 M240i
convertible; and a 2021 X3 3.0i.
derBayerische
and be greeted by auto executives
who have read my pieces, have
comments, and discuss their
business strategies.
It's a fascinating, evolving
ecosystem, but at the end of the day,
it's a business. The OEMs sell to the
dealers, who in turn sell to the
public. The OEMs, through SEMA,
also support a strong aftermarket,
which develops products to support
the OEM supplier base. OEMsponsored
racing teams also
support the brand.
dB: What was your favorite car for
which you've written a review?
■ Our 2007 X5, purchased from Raine when he was at Passport BMW.
Chew: After 37 years, I can't have
just one favorite. I really enjoyed the
E34 M5, the E39 M5, the E31 8
Series, the E46 3 Series (manual
shifter), the i8, the i4, the first-generation
MINI convertible, and the F32
4 Series with manual transmission.
dB: What changes would you like to
see with regards to this specialty (or
the automotive business) or in the
chapter as a whole?
■ Always surprising what you will find in the middle of nowhere.
Chew: Four Civil War battles were
fought in and around Fredericksburg
because it's halfway between
Washington, DC, and Richmond.
There is a strong BMW presence in
Fredericksburg, Stafford, and
Spotsylvania. However, I live too far
South to easily participate in the NCC
events and too far North for the Blue
Ridge Chapter events. It would be
nice to have a combined NCC/Blue
Ridge Chapter event at the Museum
of the United States Marine Corps.
https://www.passportbmw.com/
derBayerische November December 2022

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