The only difference between men and boys is the price of their toys... :-) And some of these toys are cars. Yes, call me crazy, but cars combine power, elegance, beauty, and a spirit of independence and freedom. The choice of a car is a statement of style.

I've been fascinated by cars since my early childhood. It's even being told that the first word I was able speak was "auto" :-). The one company that has continuously attracted my attention ever since, both by breathtaking designs and superior technology, has been BMW. I know it's somewhat difficult to name objective reasons -- there are definitively others out there who build good cars: I do like Audi, the latest Volvos aren't too bad either, I do respect Mercedes, Porsche has nice sports cars, and so on... but in the end, BMW is something special. It is indeed the "ultimate driving machine", as the English slogan says. Or: the pure fun of driving, as we say in German, "Freude am Fahren".

My choice is the 3 Series. I started in 1996 with a second-hand silver 320i from the E36 model, then upgraded to a new silver 323i from the E46 model, and recently switched to a Diesel: a new 330d from the E90 model :-). Well, the Diesel sound needs some getting used to, but performance-wise, it's just no comparison to the lame petrol engines! I even test drove the 330i petrol engine with twenty-something more h.p. (on paper) against the 330d, but it's just way behind - no competition! And as a nice side-effect: this enormous power in the 330d needs less than 6.3 litres per 100km (about 37 mi/gal), and diesel is cheaper than petrol, too :-)

Some more facts about the BMW 3 Series:

• The 3 Series: a clear winner! See tests and comparisons...
• A real beauty: a few picture galleries