We’ve been accused of bringing you OTT M3s in the past, but surely this one won’t offend – Performance BMW
Allow us to introduce Magnus, a 33 year-old graphic artist. He’s from Manhattan and that means two things. Firstly, he can have just one name like a Brazilian footballer – with Swedish ancestry – and secondly, Now York streets are pretty tough on a car.
When he bought his 1989 M3 about three years ago it was absolutely perfect, with 38000 miles on the clock and Group N suspension. Unfortunately, the latter proved too stiff and low for the cratered streets of NYC, so it was replaced with standard.
Another inevitability of Manhattan is that, sooner or later, you’re going to be caught in a fender-bender, True to form, Magnus got shunted up the arse. Now we all know what happens to a car in a body shop. It goes in damaged and come out modified.
Magnus was aware that purists like to see the M3 standard but couldn’t resist a little experimentation. So while it was in United Collision, he instructed the company to color-code the spoilers. In this instance they comprised of an Evo 3 rear wing and Evo front spoiler. The latter usually sports an E30 3 splitter but it was damaged in a car park and removed for our photos.
Having access to some powerful computers at work Magnus likes to test out his ideas on screen beforehand. He did this with the painted spoilers and also had a go at removing the door handles.
Liking what he saw, he had somebody realize his dream but the job wasn’t good. So the car was returned to United Collision where they welded in a new panel, filled it and painted the doors. Entry is facilitated by remote-controlled solenoids in each door, although he can also roll down the window with the same remote in case there’s a problem with the mechanism.
To be honest, it’s easy to overlook the handles. After all, they don’t exactly stand out. But that’s the point. Magnus wanted to be different but didn’t want to shout about it. Therefore the remaining exterior mods are equally subtle, including a xenon upgrade kit for the lights and silver stripes. The owner used to cut vinyl signs for Macy’s department store, so he did the striping himself.
Mechanically, the M3 benefits from an Evo 2 intake cam and a Borla exhaust. “The car’s only done 48000 miles,” Magnus told us. “I plan to do more engine work when I’ve used it more. In fact, I’m thinking about a 3.2 conversion, but it’s like buying new trainers: you wait until the old ones are worn out.”
For now he’s very happy with the four-pot. “The best thing about this car is it really likes to rev. Most people are unimpressed up to 4000rpm but after that it’s totally exhilarating,” Magnus continued.
Since presentation is important to the owner, he’s sandblasted the trademark cam cover and plenum chamber. The M Power logo was then polished before the parts lacquered for protection.
As we know, the suspension is standard are so are the brakes. The wheels look strangely familiar, and that’s because they’re 8×18s from the BMW 7-series but highly polished.
The interior boasts an Evo 3 suede steering wheel, gear knob and handbrake. It’s due more work in the future. In fact, Magnus clearly wants to let rip on the car but is holding back out of respect. In addition to the 3.2 transplant, he also plans to install a glass fibre toolbox in the boot “because when you own an E30 you need to carry tools,” Magnus assured us.
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May 5, 2008
2000 - 2008, Articles