Over the past few seasons, BMW Modification Expert Alan Wei helped turn this white 2011 BMW E92 335i X-Drive from something that’d slip under your radar to a stunner that’ll catch your eye every time. Here in California, we’re blessed with good weather 360 days or so out of the year and thus our car culture doesn’t go through the same “Winter Build” phase that car guys back East have, since they’ve got old man Winter to cope with. This visually bold vehicle belongs to Conneticut resident Jim R, back in the Northeastern US. This is how Jim gave his E92 a treatment all his own.
The project got going some time around last summer. But we’ll let Jim tell you for himself how it all happened. “I want to thank Alan for all of his help in my 335’s Transformation. He helped me through the whole process and helped me transform my average 335 into a one of a kind ride.”
Jim likes his cars to be unique and have their own unique visual style – and the popularity and easy moddability of the N54/N55 engines has made standing out with an E9X something of a challenge.
“With the N54 and N55 being such a huge hit, I knew I wasn’t going to be able to do anything that hadn’t been done before. So after a few weeks of browsing the web and forums, I decided to pull the trigger and ordered my first set of mods; AE Performance Catback with quad tips, BMW Performance spoiler and an Arkym Quad Diffuser (from Alan)” Jim tells us.
As we said, then winter set in. As most car enthusiasts back East do, Jim’s 335ix went away into the garage. “(The first few mods) held me over until the typical New England winter came around.“
Having lived in snowy climates in the past myself, this author can definitely understand why Jim would be chomping at the bit to get going again when the ground thawed. “At the first signs of spring, I was back working with Alan to get my next set of mods ordered. This time around, I knew I wanted to go lower, add an Arkym front lip and add some new rims and summer rubber. Having run VMR rims on my prior car, I knew they were a quality rim and decided to go with a set of VMR Wheels V710s.“
Of course, in the E9X scene it can be hard to stand out. “Having seen pages upon pages on people running this setup I knew I wanted to get a completely unique color and settled on Electric Blue. Tasteful, yet bold at the same time and a perfect compliment to KW V1’s and Arkym front lip I ordered.”
Up front, giving the car a more aggressive look is an Arkym Aerosport M-Sport Carbon Fiber Front Lip Spoiler for E92. Manufactured in real 2×2 Carbon Fiber weave, this lip mounts to the front bumper without the need to drill or modify the car. The carbon adds a race inspired edge and the lip styling harkens to the styling of touring cars.
Rounding out the rear end is an Arkym Aerosport E92 Diffuser for Quad Exhaust Tips. Paired with a Carbon Fiber BMW Performance style Trunk Spoiler, it gives the rear end a little more visual edge that makes the details stand out that much more against the LCI tail lights. Completing the package is what many hail as the best exhaust system for the 335i – the AE Performance Exhaust system for E92 335i.
But the front and rear of the car are only part of the story. To get the stance and ride height of the car dialed in, Alan recommended Jim fit a set of KW Suspension V1 Coilovers for E92 Xi 4WD. The KW V1 Coilover‘s galvanized finish makes them a great choice, as they’re able to better stand up to the harsher conditions of a snowy winter than competing coilovers.
The biggest accent piece of all though, are the VMR V710 wheels. Given the popularity of the VMR V710, it can be hard to stand out – but thanks to the custom Electric Blue powder coat, the V710s give Jim’s E92 a bold visual style as well as improve the car’s handling performance and style. The V710s are wrapped in a set of Hankook Ventus V12 tires, running a staggered 225/40ZR18 up front and 255/35ZR18 out back to get that turbo six power to the ground.
We can’t wait to see what Jim does next with his E92 and really like the distinct look he’s given his 335ix. “I cannot thank ModBargains and Alan enough and I look forward to adding more in the near future.” What that next step could be is anyone’s guess. A big thank you to Jim R. for sharing his photos with us and letting us be a part of his build.
If you’d like to take advantage of BMW Modification Expert Alan Wei‘s expertise for your own BMW build, just give him a call at 714-582-3330 x8006 or email alan@modbargains.com – or you can chat live with any of our Modification Experts at ModBargains.com
Thanks for reading!
Story by Nicholas Gregson in Collaboration With Senior Modification Expert Alan Wei
Photos Courtesy Jim R.