If you didn’t know, I took a trip to the Philippines for a month and put the blogs on hiatus – sorry to all the faithfuls! But now that I’m back, definitely expect some automotive sickness to fill the void we’ve managed to build up in my absence.
Anyway, I found it appropriate to feature a car from the motherland since I’m recently returned – an E92 M3.
Now I know what you’re thinking. The fitment is way off, the car is too high and it appears to be modded way too conservatively. And honestly, if the car was in the US, I’m not too sure I’d give it much notice. So why even bother featuring it then? Well first of all, cars like this are still very few and far between in the Philippines. Although there are apparently efforts to rid the PI of all automotive import taxes (for completely assembled cars), there is still a 100% tax today…making this M3 conservatively cost over $120,000. Yikes.
Second of all, the Philippines is a labyrinth of roads full of dips, bumps, crests and slopes. So much in fact that it would mean certain death to the Hellaflush metal sleds we worship stateside…no matter how crafty of a driver you are. So despite any desire to mod your car to perfection, there is an inevitable nod to practicality just so you can take it out further than your own driveway. And yet despite this acknowledgement, this M3 is dressed up with a Vorsteiner front lip, some H&R sport springs and 19″ BBS LMs. That’s some guts right there.
Thirdly, this car is STACKED with baller mods. Although most people wouldn’t really know it at first glance, the handful of people that know can’t help but pay homage to the owner’s investment here. For just the Amuse Titanium exhaust and carbon fiber trunk, you’re looking at a combined price of $18,000. Factor in the 19″ BBS LMs and the BMW Performance seats, and you’ll up the figure to $28,000 before you can blink. And despite this, he’s got no intention of stopping there. His future plans include:
- AP Racing BBK (Front kit already here, waiting for Rear set)
- Powerhouse Amuse Ericsson Front, Rear Bumpers and Side Skirts [click here for pricing]
- Reflash (still not sure on what tuner to get it from)
- RDsport Stroker (my dream mod, but it might be hard since I dont live in the US)
So even though it might not be as aggressive as the US crowd would prefer, the car deserves a major applaud from me considering where it is and how much has gone into it…both in thought and money. With cars like this around, 2010 is going to be a good year for The Car Park.
The Mod List:
Matte Black Kidney Grills
Matte Black Side Vents
CF Side Mirror Covers
BMW Performance Seats
BMW Performance Pedals
Active Autowerke SSK with AA Shift Knob
Active Autowerke Pulley Set
Gruppe-M Intake
Powerhouse Amuse Ericsson Full Ti Exhaust (TITAN)
Powerhouse Amuse Trunk
Vorsteiner Front Lip
BBS LM 19″
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