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This 4th of July, you’re going to need the perfect playlist - not just for your BBQ, but for driving to wherever you’re going, for watching the fireworks if you’re doing it from the car (we recommend - very fun and relaxing) and more. Luckily, we have the playlist for any type of Independence Day celebration. Take a look and then take a listen! Born In The U.S.A. - Bruce Springsteen American Girl - Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers American Pie - Don McLean Take Me Home, Country Roads - John Denver Sweet Home Alabama - Lynyrd Skynyrd Jack & Diane - John Mellencamp Lookin’ Out My Back Door - Creedence Clearwater Revival Star Spangled Banner (Live At Woodstock) - Jimi Hendrix We Didn’t Start The Fire - Billy Joel Rosanna - Toto Summer Of ‘69 - Bryan Adams Bad, Bad Leroy Brown - Jim Croce Born To Run - Bruce Springsteen Africa - Toto Surfin’ U.S.A. - The Beach Boys Sweet Caroline - Neil Diamond You Can Call Me Al - Paul Simon Band On The Run - Paul McCartney and Wings The Boys Are Back In Town - Thin Lizzy Bang On The Drum All Day - Todd Rundgren Jump (For My Love) - The Pointer Sisters Old Time Rock & Roll - Bob Seger Any Way You Want It - Journey Bad Moon Rising - Creedence Clearwater Revival American Woman - Lenny Kravitz Fortunate Son - Creedence Clearwater Revival America - Neil Diamond Spirit In The Sky - Norman Greenbaum All Summer Long - Kid Rock Take It Easy - Eagles Midnight Rider - The Allman Brothers Band Ring In This Holiday In A 2019 BMW

The all-new BMW 8 Series Coupe is almost here and we’re so excited! Do you want to know more about it? Great! That’s what this week’s blog is all about! Take a look and get ready to be impressed! So, the 8 Series has been in the US before - about 20 years ago. It’s all new and redesigned for the future and coming back this fall to bring excitement back to the driving experience. It’ll initially be available as the BMW M850i xDrive variant, and then will be established as part of the 8 Series lineup. The launch model we just mentioned? 523 horsepower and 553 lb-ft of torque. That’s right, this vehicle is a beast! The exterior of the vehicle has been redesigned to look even more aggressively sporty while retaining a certain sinuous sensuality. LED lights feature on the front and rear, and the overall design brings to mind classic sport car styling. Inside, the entire experience is geared toward the driver. Comfort is key, and accessibility is prioritized. Everything is within reach and attractively presented to boot, and with premier options the BMW 8 Series Coupe is pretty much the most luxurious vehicle you can own. Performance-wise, this vehicle is POWERFUL. We mentioned the horsepower and torque earlier, which are delivered with a BMW TwinPower Turbo V8 engine that’s been upgraded and refined to bring you only the best. The xDrive all-wheel-drive system ensure an amazing drive, no matter where you’re going. Finally, we’ll tell you about the BMW Personal Co-Pilot system, which enhance comfort and safety in any driving situation. With all the preventive safety technologies available, you’ll never feel out of control and your car will help make sure that you don’t get into an accident. And thanks to the head-up display that comes standard (this is really the future, people!) in the 8 Series Coupe, you’ll never need to take your eyes off the road. Driving at night? The BMW Night Vision system is there for you! It’s optional but a great choice to enhance your safety after dark. Seriously, you need to check this car out. It’s coming to us this fall and it’s the best that BMW’s got - so far. Give us a call and ask us about the 8 Series Coupe! We’re excited to talk about it! Shop The Summer On Sales Event

Just because summer is here doesn’t mean that it’s not still allergy season. There are plenty of pollens and other allergens floating around in the air, which means they are floating into your vehicle and then into your nose, making you HATE EVERYTHING. That is, if you’re like me that’s how it goes. Anyway, your car should be a safe space for you where allergens never tread. Check out our tips for allergy-proofing your BMW - enjoy the drive sneeze-free! The first tip is to vacuum your vehicle frequently. This is the best way to get allergens out of the air! Get all the soft surfaces and air vents really good, and then just go over everything else thoroughly while you’re at it. Wipe down all the hard surfaces in your vehicle with a damp microfiber cloth or automotive dusting wipes to get any accumulated dust and pollen outta there. A good idea is to keep a bottle of allergen-reducing spray in the car. Not only will it keep any particles from floating around as much, but it’ll also make your vehicle smell nice and fresh! Finally, you should take a look at your cabin air filter. Your owner’s manual will have instructions on how to access this, and at any rate we can do it for you! This is important for filtering out dust and pollen that come into your vehicle, and if it hasn’t been changed in a while then it’s probably not doing its best work. Of course, some allergens will always slip through the cracks so keep some tissues handy and some Benadryl in the glove box! Start Fresh With A New Car

Hey there, neighbor! Warm weather is here and that means it’s time to get out and show off your BMW to everyone on the street. Why wouldn’t you? It looks great! However, over time your paint job can start looking dull and a little worse for the wear. Sure, you wash it regularly and take good care of your car, but we’ve got some tips to make sure your paint both shines like a diamond AND is protected from future damage. Seriously, it can be done. Check it out! First, make sure that you’re washing your car properly. Whenever you wash your vehicle, make sure you’re using an automotive soap or shampoo in conjunction with a microfiber cloth or wash mitt. There are a lot of great YouTube videos out there about washing your car properly - take a look! Just make sure that you’re washing your vehicle regularly and not damaging the paint when you do it. Waxing your vehicle is the next important step. The wax (or protectant spray) not only makes sure that your paint looks great after you’ve washed it, but it can protect from dust and dirt and damage and preserve your paint for longer than it would normally last without any kind of protection. Try a clay bar! These can be bought at pretty much any auto parts store, or online, and are very effective in removing stuck-on or embedded contaminants from your paint and restoring the shine. Always lubricate the surface before using your clay bar, and follow the directions (or a video) to make sure you’re treating your paint well. If you find that your vehicle is susceptible to rust, or you’ve had problems with rust on your past vehicles, consider getting your vehicle undercoated to make sure that the undercarriage stays strong and free of rust, regardless of the weather. The final thing to do is to spot-check and spot-fix if needed. If you notice a scratch on your vehicle, take care of it with touch up paint and a polish to keep rust from developing. If the scratch is deep, bring it to us as soon as possible so that we can take care of it for you. Always keep a weather eye out! Remember that you can always give us a call and have our pros take care of the things you can’t manage at home - and even give you a great detail! Check Out The Services We Provide

This week’s blog is dedicated to the technology of BMW ConnectedDrive, which integrates your BMW’s intelligent interfaces, your smartphone, and other technologies to keep you aware and in control of everything going on in both your vehicle and your everyday life! From your phone, you can control your schedule, monitor and manage your vehicle, and even make travel plans with a few swipes of your finger! Need to remember to leave at a certain time to arrive on schedule? ConnectedDrive will send you a notification telling you that it’s about that time. You can also see how much gas you have (or how much charge you have in your electric BMW) from your phone so you can plan for a pit stop if your tank is low. Don’t have a spare hand? Alexa can ask all the questions for you and give you answers, hands-free. Inside the car, you’ve got a whole other world of connectivity to explore. With an easy to navigate interface, fully responsive voice command, and state-of-the-art gesture control, BMW makes your morning commute feel as exciting as a cross-country road trip. The iDrive interface uses voice command and navigation to guide you where you’re headed so you can navigate entirely hands-free. You can also control your music and schedule hands-free through the iDrive system. Neat! More technology? YES. BMW Assist eCall is a fantastic safety feature that allows you to connect with a response specialist that will help determine what help you need in case of an emergency. In terms of the fun stuff, there’s also wireless charging capability and a WiFi hotspot - right in the cabin. And after you get out of the car, your BMW will remember where you parked and even give you a remote view of your vehicle so you can make sure it’s safe. Don’t remember if you locked the doors? You can remotely lock (and unlock) the doors of your BMW through your smartphone. When you buy a new BMW from Flemington BMW, ask us about these features and how they work with your new vehicle. You’ll be surprised by the convenience and wowed by how luxurious technology can be! Shop New BMWs For Less

Do you know how to change your battery? This is one of the most essential tasks that you can master when it comes to vehicle maintenance. No matter what kind of vehicle you drive, or how often you get your vehicle serviced, there is always the chance that you’ll need to change your battery at least once in your life. Learn how to do it now so that you have it down when the time comes to do the ol’ switcheroo! First of all, the location of your battery is going to be in your owner’s manual. If you drive anything other than a regular old gasoline vehicle (i.e. a hybrid) you should 100% be checking your owner’s manual for instructions on how to change the battery. When you’ve located the battery, make sure you know which post is the positive one and which is the negative, and which color the cables are that are attached to them. The positive post will probably have a red plastic cover, a red cable, and a plus sign (+) stamped on the battery next to the positive post. If the cables are not color coded, put some tape on them and label the cables. With a wrench, loosen the nut or bolt that keeps the negative terminal and cable attached to the battery. Remove them from the battery, and then move on to the positive terminal. ALWAYS DO NEGATIVE FIRST! Check your battery to see if it is being held down by clamps or tiedowns or similar and remove them if they are there. Set all of your loose parts aside where they will not be misplaced while you switch out the battery. Now, lift out the battery without jostling it or tipping it. It is heavy, so be careful! Next, it’s time to install the new battery! Place it into the same spot the old battery was in and make sure it is oriented the same exact way the old one was. Take the plastic caps off of the battery posts, and if there are anti-corrosion washers included then slide those on. A good idea is to smear a thin layer of Vaseline onto the posts before attaching the terminals to the battery to prevent corrosion and make sure your vehicle is always getting as much power as it needs. Attach the terminals back on, positive first, and fasten it back down with the clamps/tiedowns that you removed before. Give the battery a little wiggle and make sure it doesn’t move. If it does, tighten the clamps holding it down. And… you’re done! Great job! Make sure you recycle your old battery - a quick Google search will let you know the best place to do that. Save On Service For Your BMW

One thing about driving that gives a lot of people trouble is driving after dark. Some of us just have bad night vision, and even though the sun goes down later this time of year, we know that some of you are inclined to drive late into the night to get to and from barbecues, fireworks, and while you’re on the road on a long-haul trip. Luckily, we’ve got some tips for you that might help make driving after dark a bit easier! The first thing is that if you’ve gotten yourself “night driving glasses” that are tinted in any way, well… those were a scam. I am sorry to tell you this. The pigment that forms the tint blocks light from your eyes, and while that’s useful on a sunny day you shouldn’t have anything that blocks light. Simply put, light is what lets you see things, so when that light is blocked you’re not going to see things as well. That being said, if oncoming headlights do tend to dazzle you a bit, focus your vision on the white line at the side of the road when passing a vehicle going the opposite direction. This lets you stay in your lane while not giving you the spots in your vision that come from looking right at bright lights. You can also flip your rearview mirror, or find an auto-dimming mirror (or a vehicle with one that comes standard!) to help with lights from behind. Finally, if you feel that it’s just too unsafe for you to drive at night, then don’t. Schedule yourself so that you won’t have to, and if you know you’re going to be out after dark, arrange for a ride or call a ridesharing service or taxi, or take the bus if it’s available! Or, just stay home and read that book that’s been sitting on your shelves for too long. You know the one. It misses you! Our Pre-Memorial Day Sales Event Is Here!

When was the last time you changed out your windshield wipers? If you did it last before the onset of winter, then you’d better believe it’s past time for you to replace those old wipers with brand-spankin' new ones! The ravages of winter can really damage your wipers, and with the spring rains that are a hallmark of the current season, you’ll need the best wiping ability possible… and those old wipers just won’t cut the mustard. Take a look at some indications that it’s time to change your wipers, and how to take care of the new ones once they’re installed! You should take a look at your wipers at least every time you get gas. When you’re inspecting your wiper blades, look for the following: Broken frame, which is the detachment of frame arms at joints or connection points. Metal corrosion, especially at joints and claws. Visible cracks, tears, and missing pieces in the rubber squeegee’s edge. Flex the rubber squeegee back and forth to see if it is still flexible. Aged squeegees will have difficulty conforming to the shape of your windshield and create streaks. Check the squeegee wiping edge for rounded edges which can prevent the wiper blade from making strong contact with the windshield and reduces wipe quality. Tug to ensure that the wiper blade has been securely installed on the wiper arm. Check to make sure that the squeegee is secure in the wiper frame. As we (should) know, the materials that your windshield wipers are made of are not ones that will last until the end of time. There are a lot of ways that the world around you can degrade your wipers: Sun: Ultraviolet light and ozone deterioration Oil: Car waxes and exhaust hold rubber-deteriorating oil Airborne debris: Sand, mud, and dust carried in the wind Moisture: Acid rain and salt water (in moist air both near the shore and inland) Now to the signs that your wipers need a change. There are a few to look out for, and if you experience multiple items on this list at once then it’s definitely time to head over to the auto store to buy new wipers. Streaking: occurs when the rubber squeegee dries, hardens and cracks. It can also be caused by tree sap, road tar and other foreign substances collected on either the glass or the blade. Skipping: occurs when the blade develops a curvature from lack of use (e.g. left in the ‘parked position’ for an extended length of time). Wearing: occurs with extensive use and is when the rubber edges are rounded instead of squared. Splitting: caused when the sun’s ultraviolet rays penetrate the rubber squeegee, causing it to break down and separate from the frame. Bent refill vertebra and bent frames: cause inconsistent contact with the glass surface, creating streaking or skipping. “How do I take care of my wipers,” you ask? Well, it’s easy! Clean your windshield every time you fill your gas tank. Gently wipe the rubber squeegee with a damp paper towel to remove any loose dirt or oil. Never use your windshield wipers to de-ice your windshield. Instead, either use an ice scraper or use your defroster to melt snow and ice. Pull your wiper blades away from the windshield during winter months to prevent ice build up on the rubber squeegee and to prevent them from sticking to the windshield. Find Yourself A New BMW!

April showers bring May flowers… at least, that’s how the aphorism goes. Of course, here at Flemington BMW, we know that every month, including May, is a month where we feature new specials! Maybe the April showers brought savings? We’ll hazard a guess that that’s what happened. Anyway, you can save a bunch on your favorite BMW models, which means that you’ll have more left over for the fun stuff, like a trip to Disney with the kids this summer, or sending the best care packages to summer camp… stuff like that. Take a look! First up is the 2018 BMW 3 Series 330i xDrive, which says “luxury” from the minute you open the driver’s side door! With features like supple leather seating, a performance engine under the hood, tech that you need in this busy world, and the unparalleled feeling that comes from driving a BMW, this is the perfect vehicle for any driver who wants to enjoy their journey to the fullest. And for only $43,500 or $367 a month, you’ll also be saving your hard-earned money. Next is the 2018 BMW X1 xDrive 28i - a fantastic sports activity vehicle that has all the luxuries you’ve come to expect from a BMW with the added sense of adventure that you’ve always wanted. With the Convenience Package, Luxury Package, or any of the other additional options added on, you’ll be driving in the lap of luxury and looking great doing it. For $38,750 or $375 a month, you’ll also be saving money, and that’s truly fantastic. Looking for something still sporty but a little more compact? Hello, the 2018 BMW X2 xDrive28i is calling! For $39,050 or $380 a month, you’ll have the sleekness and excitement that come from driving a top-of-the-line BMW sports activity vehicle. From the city to the great outdoors, there’s nothing better than the feeling you get when you’re behind the wheel of a new BMW. Experience that feeling every day! Finally, the sedan that does it all. In the 2018 BMW 4 Series 430i xDrive, you’ll have superior control over the road from behind the wheel. With the amazing performance that BMW is known for, you won’t feel like you’re driving a sedan - it’s a high-performance machine that’s sensitive to your every touch. Tech, premium packages, and fantastic additional options mean that you can create your perfect BMW and enjoy the drive every day you’re in the driver’s seat. The best part? With the special pricing this month, it can be yours for $45,365 or only $442 a month. Can’t beat that with a stick. Stop in today for your test drive and to ask our pros about the BMW lineup. We can’t promise you won’t fall in love with all of them! *Specials expire 5/31/2018. See specials page for details. Take A Look At The Details

Are you in the market for a new vehicle? Number one, we hope it’s a BMW (we might be biased but we think they’re the best). Number two, we hope that you have all the tools and info to make a good decision about how you buy your new vehicle. It’s an important and difficult decision, no matter whether you’ve bought ten cars in your life or if this is your very first. As with every new vehicle purchase, you need to choose whether you want to buy or lease your vehicle. Both are fantastic choices, but different options are better for different folks. Thankfully these are only two options, so it’s easier to figure out which is better for you, but you should still think about what you need and what you’re looking for and figure out which is better for your individual situation. When you make the decision to lease a vehicle, the things you’re signing up for are: Lower monthly payments A brand new vehicle every few years Warranty for the length of your lease Service and maintenance free for duration of lease No worries about trading in or selling vehicle after lease ends If these sound like things you’d like, then you should talk to us about leasing a vehicle! On the other hand, buying or financing a vehicle is also a great option. It’s a big, important purchase, but this is what it entails: Complete ownership over your vehicle Ability to customize/modify your vehicle after purchase No mileage/time limit on ownership No lease-end charges Opportunity to improve credit And finally, you can always talk with our finance professionals and learn more about either option, and we’ll help you figure out which is the best option for you and your family. Give us a call today! Learn About Our Finance Department

With the advent of warmer weather, we’re exiting winter (aka pothole season) and entering spring (aka construction season). When workers are on the road, you need to be extra careful when you’re driving along. Not only is it important because you need to keep those workers safe, but also because in most places it’s illegal to speed in work zones and you can get fined much more for doing so. Lanes are also tighter and traffic patterns are much harder to follow. Here are our tips for staying safe in construction zones this spring! Stay Alert - don’t get distracted by your radio, your passengers, your coffee, your phone, or anything else, especially when you’re driving in a construction zone. Give the road your full, undivided attention. Keep your headlights on - even during the day, it’s a good idea to switch on your headlights if you don’t have DRL’s. Did we say pay attention? - Watch for road signs, brake lights, and other vehicles to see if people are slowing down, what the speed limit should be, and other important information about the traffic pattern. Merge in time - don’t wait until the very last second to merge into the correct lane. If you see a sign that says “Lane Closed Ahead,” then get into the lane that’s going to be open and just stay there. You can zoom past that old lady in a Buick after you pass the construction area. Patience is a virtue! Don’t tailgate - that being said, don’t be right up that old lady’s tailpipe the entire time you’re stuck behind her. That’s not only rude, it’s illegal. Obey the speed limit - Sure, you can go fast in some places, but if the work zone speed limit is 45 then slow the heck down and obey the speed limit! There are probably workers on the road working mere feet from where cars are, and you don’t want to get into a really serious accident. Also, ticket fines are doubled for speeding in work zones. So, there’s that as well. Change lanes safely - don’t drive like a maniac! When you’re still in a construction area, change lanes like you are that old lady in the Buick and be safe about it. Watch for flaggers and follow their instructions - don’t ignore those people with flags. They have a job to do and you can get ticketed for ignoring flaggers. Expect the unexpected - work zones are one of the places on this earth where chaos has a tendency to reign, and you should not expect driving in one to be smooth sailing. Trucks, other vehicles, and machinery can enter your lane at any time and you need to be prepared. PATIENCE IS KEY. This is in caps because it’s important. Be patient. It’ll be good. Stay Safer Than Ever In A New BMW

We have all encountered a horrible pothole in our lives. It’s just a fact of driving - one minute it’s smooth going, and then BOOM, you are driving over what feels like a crater the size of whatever killed the dinosaurs. Potholes are not only inconvenient, though - they’re also dangerous, if they’re big enough and deep enough. Keep reading to find out more about how potholes are formed, what they can do to your vehicle, how to avoid them, and how to fix the situation! First of all, the way potholes are formed is through water seeping into cracks in the pavement, freezing in the winter (i.e. why potholes are worse in the winter and spring) and expanding due to the power of chemistry or physics or whatever science it is that says that water expands when it freezes, and then that expansion weakening the pavement and causing holes to form under the repeated stress of thousand-pound vehicles driving over the weak spots daily. But how do you avoid a pothole? Simple, don’t drive over one! Just kidding. I mean, if that was your strategy then I’d be all for it, but of course, there are sometimes we have to use our judgment and sometimes where we can’t just drive past the potholes. In order to avoid a bad scrape, avoid puddles on the road. Unless you can see with your eyes from a moving vehicle that the water is just resting in a thin layer on the surface of the road (most likely when it’s just begun to rain), try to drive around the puddle. Water is very effective at hiding the true breadth and depth of a pothole and you could be in for a very nasty surprise. If hitting the pothole is unavoidable, well, we’re all praying for you. Other than our thoughts and prayers, the thing that can actually help you in this dangerous situation is slowing down (not a sudden slam-on-the-brakes stop, a rapid yet somewhat gradual stop) and going over the pothole slower than you would have otherwise. If you really feel that it was a deep and disastrous encounter, then you might be well served by pulling over immediately afterward and making sure that your tires are all good and your vehicle is not broken or cracked anywhere. If after this encounter your steering wheel wants to go one direction or another and you have to actively counteract that as you drive, then your alignment probably got messed up. We can fix that! The final step is to be proactive - if you come across a terrible pothole, call your local Department of Transportation or Department of Public Works and report the pothole. Never assume someone else has already done it. The more calls, the more likely it is that the problem will be fixed. Don’t succumb to the bystander effect! Conquer Anything In A New BMW