Roll Call

[KnightI2]

Hey y'all

I have been watching the Blackwing development and launch since early 2022 I guess and finally snagged one last Saturday (2/10/24).
It is a used 2022 Electric Blue with all the juicy bits that I could get. (CF1/2, Ceramic brakes, Tan/Black seats with CF, 6spd, PDR but no sunroof).
I have had a litany of cars in my 35+ years of driving and in the short window I have had this one it definitely ranks near if not the top. (Camaros, 944s, Corvettes, many mundanes)
I have been married for 24 years this August and have 3 kids and currently 1 dog (AmStaff). I own a hobby store for the past 20+ years and am looking forward to driving and enjoying this car for the foreseeable future.

 

[Tall Steve]

Hey y'all

I have been watching the Blackwing development and launch since early 2022 I guess and finally snagged one last Saturday (2/10/24).
It is a used 2022 Electric Blue with all the juicy bits that I could get. (CF1/2, Ceramic brakes, Tan/Black seats with CF, 6spd, PDR but no sunroof).
I have had a litany of cars in my 35+ years of driving and in the short window I have had this one it definitely ranks near if not the top. (Camaros, 944s, Corvettes, many mundanes)
I have been married for 24 years this August and have 3 kids and currently 1 dog (AmStaff). I own a hobby store for the past 20+ years and am looking forward to driving and enjoying this car for the foreseeable future.

Welcome to the forum and thanks for sharing!

 

[Jameson's Viggen]

Hey y'all

I have been watching the Blackwing development and launch since early 2022 I guess and finally snagged one last Saturday (2/10/24).
It is a used 2022 Electric Blue with all the juicy bits that I could get. (CF1/2, Ceramic brakes, Tan/Black seats with CF, 6spd, PDR but no sunroof).
I have had a litany of cars in my 35+ years of driving and in the short window I have had this one it definitely ranks near if not the top. (Camaros, 944s, Corvettes, many mundanes)
I have been married for 24 years this August and have 3 kids and currently 1 dog (AmStaff). I own a hobby store for the past 20+ years and am looking forward to driving and enjoying this car for the foreseeable future.

Own a hobby store. Now you're talking.

 

[BimmerFan]

OK, sorry, I must have missed this thread when I first joined the forum.

I (we) moved around a lot when I was growing up, and ended up in SC when I turned 10, and I stayed there through college, ending up with a degree in Business Administration with computer science. My dad was a gear head, and we had a Jaguar XK-120 when I was a wee tot, then they bought an XK-E to replace that, and I helped him work on that car often because, Jaguar. It wouldn't start if it was raining, had been raining, or would rain soon. It also wouldn't stop very well because I remember we were always rebuilding the calipers. I remember him once saying (I paraphrase) that the good thing about the car was that everything was rebuildable, so you didn't spend so much on parts as you did on time doing stuff. I learned to drive a manual on that car. When it was time for me to buy my own cars, it was American (because this was the 70s and there weren't many other affordable choices) until the 80s when I bought a Honda (didn't care for it) and then my first BMW. When I was 11 I got a minibike, and many motorcycles followed that. Between the deer that I hit, tendonitis and the distracted idiots in cages, I gave that up a few years ago, but I still miss it. Hondas and a Kawasaki but mostly BMWs.

I've had 50 or 60+ cars (I can't remember) including Corvettes, Porsches, many BMWs and some domestic stuff like Mustangs and an SS and of course, the BW. I autocrossed many years ago and then got into HPDE (track) with the Corvettes and BMWs and Porsches, and did some Solo 1 time trials with moderate success. I used to instruct with several clubs at HPDE, but a couple of crashes with students broke me of that, and now I just go a couple of times a year as a paying student/participant.

I work in I/T, currently a manager of a team of programmers for an insurance company here in North Carolina. I am also a writer, contributing to the BMW Car Club of America magazine, and have contributed in the past to the BMW MOA (Motorcycle Owners of America) and the Audi club quarterly magazine. And some fiction.

I am happily married to my beautiful wife with two excellent stepsons, 27 & 30. Neither of them are car guys, but I still love 'em anyway. The wife has two cats that I would prefer that we didn't have. In addition to the car thing and spending way too much time maintaining our home that I lovingly refer to as The Money Pit, I do woodworking and photography and music (although that has lapsed in the past few years). I was a professional musician during school, and actually started college as a music major before I came to my senses, giving up my passion for the luxury of eating every day and buying fancy cars.

In addition to the BW I currently have a C6 Corvette former garage queen that I bought so that I don't track the BW. It too is properly equipped with three pedals, as all sports cars should be.

 

[OldGoat]

I own a hobby store for the past 20+ years

So if/when a quality diecast becomes available for either Blackwing,......

 

[Tall Steve]

OK, sorry, I must have missed this thread when I first joined the forum.

I (we) moved around a lot when I was growing up, and ended up in SC when I turned 10, and I stayed there through college, ending up with a degree in Business Administration with computer science. My dad was a gear head, and we had a Jaguar XK-120 when I was a wee tot, then they bought an XK-E to replace that, and I helped him work on that car often because, Jaguar. It wouldn't start if it was raining, had been raining, or would rain soon. It also wouldn't stop very well because I remember we were always rebuilding the calipers. I remember him once saying (I paraphrase) that the good thing about the car was that everything was rebuildable, so you didn't spend so much on parts as you did on time doing stuff. I learned to drive a manual on that car. When it was time for me to buy my own cars, it was American (because this was the 70s and there weren't many other affordable choices) until the 80s when I bought a Honda (didn't care for it) and then my first BMW. When I was 11 I got a minibike, and many motorcycles followed that. Between the deer that I hit, tendonitis and the distracted idiots in cages, I gave that up a few years ago, but I still miss it. Hondas and a Kawasaki but mostly BMWs.

I've had 50 or 60+ cars (I can't remember) including Corvettes, Porsches, many BMWs and some domestic stuff like Mustangs and an SS and of course, the BW. I autocrossed many years ago and then got into HPDE (track) with the Corvettes and BMWs and Porsches, and did some Solo 1 time trials with moderate success. I used to instruct with several clubs at HPDE, but a couple of crashes with students broke me of that, and now I just go a couple of times a year as a paying student/participant.

I work in I/T, currently a manager of a team of programmers for an insurance company here in North Carolina. I am also a writer, contributing to the BMW Car Club of America magazine, and have contributed in the past to the BMW MOA (Motorcycle Owners of America) and the Audi club quarterly magazine. And some fiction.

I am happily married to my beautiful wife with two excellent stepsons, 27 & 30. Neither of them are car guys, but I still love 'em anyway. The wife has two cats that I would prefer that we didn't have. In addition to the car thing and spending way too much time maintaining our home that I lovingly refer to as The Money Pit, I do woodworking and photography and music (although that has lapsed in the past few years). I was a professional musician during school, and actually started college as a music major before I came to my senses, giving up my passion for the luxury of eating every day and buying fancy cars.

In addition to the BW I currently have a C6 Corvette former garage queen that I bought so that I don't track the BW. It too is properly equipped with three pedals, as all sports cars should be.

Thanks for sharing!!!

 

[Z51L9889]

I've been a forum member for several months but just bought my '24 4BW last Saturday (2/10/24).

I am a recently retired Engineer. I spent the majority of my career (35+ years) as an automotive suspension/chassis product development Engineer specializing in shock absorber development, including nearly 20 years at GM/Delphi.
The last 16 years of my career were split between a major shock absorber manufacturer (rhymes with Beer Stein) and an Aftermarket manufacturer of direct OE replacement Air Suspension systems. Highlights of my career include several years working on various Advanced Development concepts for the Gen 1/2/3 hardware and system evolutions of MagneRide (aka Magnetic Ride Control). Also, I was the Chief Development Engineer for new US-market products for Beer Stein, including the Adjustable Shock system application for the 2013-14 Shelby GT500. I hold a total of 9 US Patents for various damper and spring products, including MagneRide.

I grew up and spent most of my adult life in Southwestern (Dayton/Cincinnati) Ohio, and have lived in Central Florida for the last 6 years. I was an avid Autocrosser in my younger years (in an '85 Mustang GT first, then an '89 Corvette) and also did several NASA/BMW club driving schools in my Corvette. I stopped participating about 20 years ago when my kids hit their teen years so I could focus my time (and money, lol) on their activities.

I've been happily married for almost 38 years and have two kids, ages 31 and 29, and two dogs. I've owned about 20 cars in my lifetime, including several fun cars (Mustang GT, Corvette, IS300, G8 GT, Chevy SS, and now the Blackwing). I bought the Blackwing as a retirement gift to myself, with the specific intention of doing several driving schools a year with a couple of close friends. I will also be signing up for the V Academy course very soon. I figure that will be a good way to start knocking 20 years of rust off my driving skills.

 

[Tall Steve]

I've been a forum member for several months but just bought my '24 4BW last Saturday (2/10/24).

I am a recently retired Engineer. I spent the majority of my career (35+ years) as an automotive suspension/chassis product development Engineer specializing in shock absorber development, including nearly 20 years at GM/Delphi.
The last 16 years of my career were split between a major shock absorber manufacturer (rhymes with Beer Stein) and an Aftermarket manufacturer of direct OE replacement Air Suspension systems. Highlights of my career include several years working on various Advanced Development concepts for the Gen 1/2/3 hardware and system evolutions of MagneRide (aka Magnetic Ride Control). Also, I was the Chief Development Engineer for new US-market products for Beer Stein, including the Adjustable Shock system application for the 2013-14 Shelby GT500. I hold a total of 9 US Patents for various damper and spring products, including MagneRide.

I grew up and spent most of my adult life in Southwestern (Dayton/Cincinnati) Ohio, and have lived in Central Florida for the last 6 years. I was an avid Autocrosser in my younger years (in an '85 Mustang GT first, then an '89 Corvette) and also did several NASA/BMW club driving schools in my Corvette. I stopped participating about 20 years ago when my kids hit their teen years so I could focus my time (and money, lol) on their activities.

I've been happily married for almost 38 years and have two kids, ages 31 and 29, and two dogs. I've owned about 20 cars in my lifetime, including several fun cars (Mustang GT, Corvette, IS300, G8 GT, Chevy SS, and now the Blackwing). I bought the Blackwing as a retirement gift to myself, with the specific intention of doing several driving schools a year with a couple of close friends. I will also be signing up for the V Academy course very soon. I figure that will be a good way to start knocking 20 years of rust off my driving skills.

Thanks for a great introduction! Now we know who to direct all the suspension question to, lol.

 

[Throat Yogurt]

I've been a forum member for several months but just bought my '24 4BW last Saturday (2/10/24).

I am a recently retired Engineer. I spent the majority of my career (35+ years) as an automotive suspension/chassis product development Engineer specializing in shock absorber development, including nearly 20 years at GM/Delphi.
The last 16 years of my career were split between a major shock absorber manufacturer (rhymes with Beer Stein) and an Aftermarket manufacturer of direct OE replacement Air Suspension systems. Highlights of my career include several years working on various Advanced Development concepts for the Gen 1/2/3 hardware and system evolutions of MagneRide (aka Magnetic Ride Control). Also, I was the Chief Development Engineer for new US-market products for Beer Stein, including the Adjustable Shock system application for the 2013-14 Shelby GT500. I hold a total of 9 US Patents for various damper and spring products, including MagneRide.

I grew up and spent most of my adult life in Southwestern (Dayton/Cincinnati) Ohio, and have lived in Central Florida for the last 6 years. I was an avid Autocrosser in my younger years (in an '85 Mustang GT first, then an '89 Corvette) and also did several NASA/BMW club driving schools in my Corvette. I stopped participating about 20 years ago when my kids hit their teen years so I could focus my time (and money, lol) on their activities.

I've been happily married for almost 38 years and have two kids, ages 31 and 29, and two dogs. I've owned about 20 cars in my lifetime, including several fun cars (Mustang GT, Corvette, IS300, G8 GT, Chevy SS, and now the Blackwing). I bought the Blackwing as a retirement gift to myself, with the specific intention of doing several driving schools a year with a couple of close friends. I will also be signing up for the V Academy course very soon. I figure that will be a good way to start knocking 20 years of rust off my driving skills.

Nice story! So we have to ask, as someone with your bona fides on the forum... in your retired professional opinion, what car on the market today has the best suspension system and why is it the Blackwing?

 

[RDATLTE]

Nice story! So we have to ask, as someone with your bona fides on the forum... in your retired professional opinion, what car on the market today has the best suspension system and why is it the Blackwing?

Define best says the owner of a ZL1 1LE.