Magazine article draft

 Here is my first draft for my 700 word double page spread magazine article

Reflection: This text required a little too many words, I needed to make lots of failed drafts didn't work out because they either didn't reach my expectation or didn't reach the word limit, the topics were similar to the final draft but they were in different orders, I think that effected my writing because I realized midway through the second last attempt that if I used the points in a good order, they can have natural flow while making sense and using up a decent amount of words. To conclude, I should think of a plan after I write my notes about the car and then make a little draft with only the main points and then I can assess whether I could use up more words to better explain the details or whether it wouldn't feel natural.

They Don't Make Them Like They Used To

 The 3 Series, it is the epitome of BMW's pure driving pleasure, it blends the BMW's iconic performance with its equally important luxury seamlessly. This line of cars have undergone many facelifts, transformations and iterations over the years, with each year leaving a mark on the industry. Despite that, in recent times the 3 series have been dulled down in order to please its more luxurious side rather than the fun, more performance based side. Ever since the introduction of the e36, the first facelift of the 3 series arrived, it was less bold and seemed more reserved, unfortunately the had the side effect of heavily inspiring later generations of the 3 series, the repetition did make the 3 series more iconic and noticeable however it also helped make the style overused and bland after many years, even with the well needed facelift with the e90 generation, that facelift then proceeded to stay a heavy inspiration for the next 2 generations of the 3 series, maybe BMW need not to reinvent themselves but they might need to revisit the earlier generation 3 series cars to take inspiration from. 

A timeless icon was born, 1982. A car that represented the pinnacle of BMW’s commitment to the iconic BMW  “Ultimate Driving Machine” philosophy. The BMW E30 a series of cars which symbolized the perfect blend that came from classic, aerodynamic & aesthetic. The car had the iconic BMW grille with its sharp boxy shape and compact size. Despite the visual awe the car cultivated, it was not purely the looks as the notorious German engineering was at play under all the glamor. Handling was one of the car’s strong suits as the chassis, which provided a well balanced weight distribution was also an exceptional foundation which balanced the rigidity and the weight in a way that makes the car a joy to drive. Enhanced with the responsive, well tuned and calibrated suspension, set up in the infamous Nürburgring race track, the car relished navigating through twists and turns. This was not to mention the plethora of engine options, from the M10, M40, M4  inline 4 engines, known for their efficiency to the 2-2.5 liter M20 inline 6 options which offered an increased balance between engine performance and fuel efficiency, down to the M3 specific S14 Inline 4, an engine directly derived from BMW’s motorsports program which boasted 200 horsepower in 1982! Even so, all that power won’t be enjoyable if they couldn’t be transferred to the wheels, luckily the E30’s manual transmission did not disappoint, further connecting the driver to the road, the transmission helped cement the E30 as the 3 series where there was the best equilibrium between man and machine where the driver still had to have control over the car and it can't just drive itself everywhere or  keep its own traction if the driver is too arrogant with the throttle.

The E30 wasn’t the cheapest of cars even then, nor were they the most expensive, true to the E30 way, it was a blend of both. The E30 could be an expensive economy car, or it could be an affordable BMW. The people then who bought E30s did so due to clenching their thirst of a sporty, luxurious driving experience at a cheaper rate, not to mention the versatility of the models, buyers could choose from a convertible, wagon, sedan or sports coupe as they saw fit for their situation. Another way to attain the Ultimate Driving Experience.

Even now, the E30 is still a testament to the golden era of the automotive industry where the best design and the most rigid & smart engineering were the core values to the industry, and a time before electronic aids made the cars do more work than the driver, the E30 is and will continue to be a timeless mark on automotive history on how to innovate and redefine the boundaries between performance & luxury, the best blend to create the magic of the “Ultimate Driving Machine”

In conclusion maybe BMW should get back on the gas and incentivize their workers to have a higher focus on the performance part of the Ultimate Driving Machine rather than the suit and tie wearing businessmen who don’t drive the 3 series to be one with the car and the road but just as a social status symbol of their wealth. As the E30 has shown, there can be versatility in who buys the 3 series and for their own reasons, it shouldn’t be fair that the current 3 series cars cater primarily to the executive luxury sedan market.