Last week we had our customer James B bring his E92 M3 in for a quick alignment, but while he was here we were able to snap a few pictures to share with you. Here at ModBargains we absolutely adore a cleanly modified car, and James’s M3 fits the bill both inside and out. All of his modifications are relatively subtle, but they all come together to create a very tasteful and understated look.
When you first lay eyes on the car the most apparent aftermarket parts are of course the wheels. James has gone for some beautiful HRE RC103s in gloss black. The RC1 line is part of HRE’s lineup of monoblock forged aluminum wheels built to be strong and lightweight. They are made to withstand the abuse of the track without negatively affecting performance. HRE is so confident in their strength that they come with a lifetime limited structural warranty so unless you run into a wall these wheels should take whatever beating you can dish out. On top of being super light and strong they have a nice simple design with widely spaced spokes which shows off the M3’s huge brakes and calipers nicely.
Starting at the front we see the first of the exterior body mods, James changed out the OEM chrome kidney grilles for Carbon Fiber Kidney Grilles. Moving around to the side we see that he also installed Carbon Fiber Mirror Covers to replace the OEM pieces. Carbon fiber is a bit of a theme on this car and it works pretty well given that the roof of the E92 M3 comes standard with unpainted 1×1 carbon fiber weave. It’s a bit hard to tell in these photos but he even has Carbon Fiber Fender Grilles, obviously not wanting to leave any of the trim pieces out of the fun.
If we move towards the back of the car you’ll notice two things. Starting from the bottom we see some exhaust tips that are a bit more prominent than usual. This particular exhaust is from RPi and while it might not stand out all that much in pictures it draws a lot of attention in person for one simple reason: it is really loud. We get a lot of modified cars in the shop but this thing is proper loud, it shook the building every time it was moved. To be fair, loud doesn’t necessarily correlate with good all the time but in this case it was the kind of loud that makes you smile rather than cover your ears.
The second thing you’ll probably notice at the back of the car is the painted Carbon Fiber CSF style trunk lid. No doubt many of you noticed it before anything else if you’re familiar with M3s. However, the CSF style trunks are a relatively common mod and this one has been installed and color matched so well it hardly looks out of place to those unfamiliar with the car. The carbon fiber left unpainted around the license plate and on the peak of the trunk are a nice touch and definitely give a unique look to the back of the car.
If we take a quick peak inside we see a few interior pieces that serve to tie the whole carbon fiber look together and add a bit of character. The largest piece inside is definitely the carbon fiber center console trim which livens up an otherwise bland area. However, the centerpiece on the interior has to be the BMW Performance Steering Wheel with the added Carbon Fiber Trim. This steering wheel has gorgeous M color stitching and is wrapped in soft Alcantara for comfort. The flat bottom and center strip also give it a racecar aesthetic fitting of an M vehicle.
To top it all off the car rides on an Air Lift Performance Kit with the Air Lift 3P Air Management Package. In the past air suspension could hardly be associated with performance, but with recent advancements in the technology a lot of people are forgoing normal coils and opting for air suspension for more versatility. The Air Lift Performance Kit has adjustable dampening so you can even set it up for track use. For normal street use you get a soft comfortable ride at around OEM height and then you can drop it to the ground when you get to the show. The only downside is you usually lose a bit of trunk space to the air tank but it’s worth the benefits if you want the versatility.
Without a doubt this is one of the cleanest E92 M3s we’ve had in here and we’re glad we had the opportunity to share James’s build with you. If you’ve got questions about modifying your own vehicle our Mod Experts are always happy to answer questions and help you pick out the best mods for your car. You can reach us at (714)-582-3330 or by email at Sales@ModBargains.com.