When you have a BMW 3-Series cabrio, or any droptop for that matter, all eyes are on you, so if you’re going to roll top down, your style game had better be on point. Such is the case for Jeff K’s gorgeous black pearl of a 09 335i. When it comes to appearance, wheels alone aren’t always enough to really give a car the look it needs, which is why Jeff trusts the Mod Experts – specifically BMW Specialist and Senior Mod Expert Alan Wei – with helping him mod his Cabrio. Up front, a set of OEM BMW Gloss Black Kidney Grilles for E92/E93, paired with a set of Painted Reflectors for E92/E93 both blacks out the front end and creates a smooth, clean aesthetic, offering the same sort of classy, refined style you’d liken to a tailored suit.
As we said, wheels alone aren’t enough, but they’re certainly a great foundation to “set the tone”, so to speak. These BMW wheels look this good on the car because they’re paired with a drop in ride height to give it that “spice” that makes the car stand out. See, doing just wheels, or just a drop looks a little off. When you put the two together, you’ve really got something. Mod Expert Alan recommended the setup you see here for Jeff’s 335i. Sitting low on a set of ST Suspension Coilovers for BMW E93 Cabrio models, the stance is just right – not overly conservative but not obnoxiously aggressive. The adjustable ride height of the ST Suspension coilovers give the E93 suspension a significant enhancement in handling performance, and the pre-set damping means there’s no settings or knobs to fuss with. Just set the ride height and enjoy the ride.
Jeff’s certainly got the wheels right, too – Alan hooked Jeff up with a set of Forgestar F14 Wheels for BMW finished in Textured Gunmetal. Looking to retain a 19in wheel fitment, Alan spec’d Jeff’s Forgestar F14s out at 19×9.5 Deep Concave up front and 19×10 Super Deep Concave in the rear to give the car a subtle Concave look that fits nicely. One aspect of performance that’s often overlooked is tires. The tires are what gets your power to the ground, so it’s important that you look for a tire that’s up to the task. You wouldn’t ask the 90lb nerdy kid to help you move furniture, right? You’d ask the big strong athlete guy that’s got the strength to help you move that furniture. Likewise, you can’t fit a lower-rated Tire to perform anywhere near as well as a proper Performance Tire. To help get that N54 power to the ground, we fitted the Forgestar Wheels with a set of Hankook Tires Ventus V12 Evo2, spec’d in 235/35-19 and 265/30-19 respectively – an excellent choice for California roads.
FITMENT
Wheels: Forgestar F14
F: 19×9.5 Deep Concave R: 19×10 Super Deep Concave
Tires:
Hankook Ventus V12 Evo2
F: 235/35-19 R: 265/30-19
As you can imagine, these mods didn’t all happen overnight, what you see here is the result of some time and effort and careful thought. When modding your car, it’s important to have a “theme” or general idea of where you want the build to go, otherwise you can end up with a weird looking end result and a busy or “bloated” build. The Mod Experts are here to share their years of car-building experience to help you achieve the look you’re dreaming of, and let you know what it will honestly take to achieve that goal.
The Carbon Fiber Mirror Caps for BMW E92/E93 are a subtle detail the untrained eye might miss at a glance, but lends to a more bespoke look and helps break up the black space without taking anything away from the clean look.
Rounding out the tail of the car and tying into the Carbon Fiber Mirror Covers is a Performance Style Carbon Fiber Trunk Spoiler for BMW E93 Cabrio. The ducktail turn-up of the spoiler helps lend a little bit of extra visual edge to the car and extends the bodyline a bit further out and flairs the edge of the hip-line with the top down.
Jeff’s been bringing his E93 to us for a while now, and after getting to know our staff and service, here’s what he has to say about his experience at ModBargains:
“I’ve been coming to ModBargains for a couple years, and every time I place an order or come into the shop, Alan and the rest of the staff always take care of me.
Great prices and service together is hard to find, but ModBargains certainly does it. They are definitely the experts when it comes to modding BMW‘s. I trust them with my car and wouldn’t go anywhere else.”
If you’re interested in modifying your own 3-Series, you can trust the Experience, Expertise and Enthusiasm of the Mod Experts at ModBargains and the Master Techs at ModAuto.
We invite you to call us at 714-582-3330 – dial x8006 to speak to Alan directly– or chat live with us at ModBargains.com – or just email us at sales@modbargains.com ; whether your question is about how to get the most power out of whatever engine’s under your hood to how wide of a tire you can fit if you have rolled fenders, you can depend on our staff for enthusiastic Expert advice.
Story & Photos Nicholas Gregson in Collaboration with Sr Mod Expert Alan Wei (x8006)
Interested in modifying your E9X 335i? Check out our list of the best Bolt Ons for N54 335i Engines here.