///Mfatuation

My 2013 Santorini Blue Individual BMW M3 ZCP European Delivery Journal

2013-03-29T16:26:00.002-04:00

If you follow my blog you will probably already know that my 2011 Alpine White E92 M3 (along with my 1999 Estoril Blue M3) was destroyed by the storm surged caused by Superstorm Sandy in October of 2012. If not, you can read about it HERE.

For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. A hurricane destroys my cars? Well, I certainly wasn't about to take that lying down. Before my now totaled E92 M3 was towed from my driveway I was already planning my next automotive aquisition. I was embroiled in a fight with the insurance company that covered my E36 M3, so unfortunately that car had to wait. The E92 M3 was settled in days, and the search for my next car began...

Having recently spent some seat time in a modified 2009 Nissan R35 GTR, I short listed that. After experiencing the chest crushing torque that its twin turbo power plant produced, I didn't think I could go back to BMW in the foreseeable future. I mean, come on, who doesn't want their lungs collapsed upon applying full throttle at 60 MPH? So I began researching the Nissan and another twin turbo 6 cylinder car, the Porsche 997 Turbo. Back and forth I went, I loved my E92, but I was smitten with power. I finally came to the realization, that neither turbo car was right for me, and perhaps a forcefed S65B40 would be more appropriate.

Knowing that the E92 M3 was going out of production shortly, and its replacement was not immediately on the horizon, I rushed to place my order. Much to my relief, Flemington BMW was able to secure an allocation and my order was put in. BMW not only extended a loyalty credit, but also a Sandy credit as well. Those two alone added up to $1,500.00 off of the price of the car, along with the Holiday Rebate that was running, a nice $3,000.00 was knocked off of the sticker. Unfortunately for me, this meant that I had to take delivery ASAP or lose the incentives. Now my last European Delivery was in late December in 2010. The German winter kept me from actually driving my car, but the trip still ranked as one of the best experiences of my life. I had vowed that my next ED would be during the spring or summer months so I could experience Europe from behind the windscreen of one of the best cars on the planet. Sadly, due to my time constraints, I was forced to pick the car up in March. So before you expect to see pictures of my drive though Germany, nope, foul weather kept me from driving the car again. Perhaps next time...

As much as I loved my previous car, I didn't want to try to rebuild it verbatim. While I had previously relegated white paint as a color for refrigerators, I loved it on the E92. This car had to be different though, it was to have the last of the "true" M motors, and I had to go big. BMW Individual was going to have to be involved with this build. I had first considered Monte Carlo Blue, but that color could be had on quite a few models, and I wanted this car to stand out on its own. A while back I recalled seeing a special edition E92 M3 produced by BMW for the UK market, available with a color Santorini Blue. I had to have it. My dealership submitted Santorini as a first choice and MCB as a back up incase Santorini wasn't approved.

With the paint color set, it was time for options. I wound up optioning it almost identically to my Alpine White car. I think the only difference was the addition of the rear sunshade.

Santorini Blue Individual paint over Palladium Silver/Black/Black leather and Carbon Leather Trim
Carbon Fiber Roof
Competition Package

Dynamic Damper Control
19" Light alloy Y-spoke wheels style 359M-with performance tires

M Double-clutch Transmission with Drivelogic
Premium Package

Park Distance Control (rear only)
Rear Sunshade
BMW Apps
Interior mirror with compass
Comfort Access keyless entry
Power front seats with driver seat memory
Universal garage-door opener
Power folding auto dimming mirrors
Navigation, BMW Assist w/enhanced BT & USB

Heated Front Seats
Enhanced Premium Sound

Booked my flight and hotel stay and off to Germany I went...

I stayed at the Munich City Hilton due to its great location, Rosenheimer Platz station is located just under the hotel lobby. I took the S to the U3 and off to BMW Welt.

I got off at Marienplatz and hopped onto the U3.

Up the steps and right up to BMW Welt, the BMW Museum, Plant, and Headquarters.

I remember seeing this same 1 Series hatch parked here when I picked my last car up 2 years ago. Bring these to the US BMW, thanks.

BMW Welt!

I had checked in earlier in the week, so I headed straight into the elevator and up to the Premium Lounge.

Before proceeding any further I had to take a seat for a few minutes before filling out some paperwork. I thought it would be a good time to check out the site using BMW's iPad.

Shameless plug for the next user of the iPad...

Paperwork time...

These are the cards that can be used in the BMW Store in Welt (They put 10 Euros credit on them), and they are also used as your tickets to the BMW Museum, and Plant Tour.

Canon 60D and Canon 5D Mk II. I think I took most of the pictures with the 5D2 using both the 70-200 F4 L, and the 16-35 F2.8 L II. A few shots here were taken with an iPhone 4S as well.

So I had just come back from my customer tour of BMW Welt as seen HERE, and decided to put my gear down and hit up the buffet. I certainly wasn't expecting to catch this out of the corner of my eye. The color literally stopped me in my tracks. In fact, I took this pic while still transfixed, mid-step... Unfortunately the iPhone's camera cannot capture the true color of the car, especially when shooting through glass.

Ok, enough of of staring at the car, I still have a few hours before my delivery time. Sup food?

This was round 1, I probably went back up at least 4 times, trying just about everything they had to offer. That sparkling apple juice was seriously banging.

Still nowhere near my delivery time, more food is in order.

Apple Strudle with Vanilla Sauce? Obv!

And back to the window to stare at my car for a little more. This was seriously torture, barely tempered by stuffing myself with delicious German carbohydrates.

Today the delivery floor of BMW Welt was home to a few BMW Safety Cars. M550D, Touring (OMFG Want!), F10 M5, F12 M6, and a Frozen Black E92 M3.

The long staircase down to the delivery floor as shot from the Premium Lounge's balcony. Naturally, my car could not be seen from this vantage point...

BMW Welt's famous Double Cone.

A couple taking delivery of their new BMW. The BMW Welt employees use iPads to control the rotation of the platforms, as well as the lighting above them. This trio is clearly visually impaired, hello, Santorini Blue M3 to your left...

The newest BMW Safety Cars, with BMW Headquarters and the Museum seen in the background.

Needs gloss black hood vents from IND, good thing I have them waiting at home.

Palladium/Black/Black interior with carbon leather trim, just like my previous E92 M3.

I'll be replacing the steering wheel with the BMW Performance flat-bottomed Alcantara one upon the car's arrival at my dealership. Still undecided on the carbon fiber center console and mirrors.

My previous car had 0.1 miles on it at pick up, clearly this car saw some joyriding.

The reason why I had to have another one, the superlative S65B40.

BMW Individual Santorini Blue paint. I had dreamt of a BMW Individual car since I got into the marquee, it was finally a reality.

Yeah, I know, the reflectors will be replaced with IND colormatched pieces before it even leaves the dealership lot.

Obligatory ricer/myspace angle.

For those of you wondering, the front bumper isn't drilled for the europlate mounting, BMW instead uses double sided tape. While the chrome kidney grills don't bother me on this color, I'll still throw a set of IND gloss black kidneys in.

IND gloss black side gills will replace these.

I cannot wait to get my Vanguard Performance titanium cat back, AE Performance X-pipe with HJS HFCs and Vorsteiner Type II rear diffuser on this. I opted for the deletion of the factory spolier to make installation of the BMW Performance carbon fiber spoiler a little easier.

The M6 safety car looked amazing...

M6 Gran Coupe Safety Car.

F11 M550d Touring Safety Car.

Frozen Black E92 M3 Safety car looking absolutely menacing.

BMW Welt Behind the Scenes Customer Tour

2013-03-28T20:58:00.001-04:00

The day of my European Delivery I was offered a "Customer Tour" of BMW Welt in Munich, Germany. Having been to the Welt twice before, I wasn't expecting to see much. I was mistaken. I was taken through the ground floor level of the Welt where the building's design and purpose were thoroughly explained. We then ventured through a door, and behind the scenes of BMW Welt which gave me a whole new appreciation for what goes into the delivery process.

Our first stop was a small room to watch a short video detailing the processing of BMW Welt car deliveries from the drop off of cars from the plant, to their preparation and storage prior to their receipt by customers on the delivery floor. After being seriously impressed by the process, the projection screen retracted exposing a window with a view into the storage area as seen below.

Curtain up, hello BMWs!

This area is typically off limits to people, robotic machinery moves the cars into their storage bays until it is time for them to be moved again into the glass elevator up to the delivery floor. To reduce the fire hazard presented by the storage of over 200 fueled vehicles, BMW has lowered the oxygen content of the air to 13% in this area. At this lowered saturation, not even a lighter will ignite.

One of the robots used to transport cars in the storage area.

The cavernous unloading zone for cars from the factory.

Stunning Estoril Blue II 1 Series. M135i I believe? Was debadged from the factory, but the brakes and dual exhaust gave an indication of why lay under the hood.

Alpine white just suits the X5 perfectly. I love how clean these look debadged.

I would rock an F31 335i Touring in a heartbeat and especially in Estoril Blue II.

...and back up to ground level to await delivery of my car.

Santorini Blue Individual BMW E92 M3 Teaser Shots

2013-03-24T22:39:00.005-04:00

Well, I just finished up post-processing the first of my shots from my latest European Delivery. I figured I'd post a few now since I won't have time to do full write ups until later on in the week. Check back soon!

My Santorini Blue E92 M3!

Frozen Silver BMW E92 M3 ZCP at BMW Welt.

Inka Orange (?) BMW 2002tii at the BMW Museum in Munich, Germany.

BMW E46 M3 CLS at the BMW Museum in Munich, Germany.

I would do very illegal things to get my hands on these BBS race wheels...

BMW 2000ti

The double cone of BMW Welt and the Olympiaturm TV Tower in Munich, Germany.

Bavarian sunset as seen from the Munich TV Tower.

Neuschwanstein Castle as seen from a scary bridge that I didn't want to be standing on...

My Santorini Blue E92 M3 with Palladium Silver/Black/Black interior with Carbon Leather trim.

S65B40, the heart of the E92 M3, and possibly the last "true" M Engine.

I've wanted a BMW Individual painted car for as long as I have been into BMWs... Finally did it!

My new car at delivery in BMW Welt.

Spy Shots of a RHD BMW F31 3 Series Touring

2013-03-21T12:25:00.001-04:00

I was recently back in Munich, Germany for my E92 M3 European Delivery and came across a camouflaged F31 on the street. Seems to be an LCI RHD F31 test mule. Unfortunately all of these pics were taken with my iPhone 4S, since I had just dropped my Canon 5D2 off at my hotel. Figures...

Lime Rock Park Edition E92 M3

2013-01-03T16:04:00.002-05:00

I had already placed my order for a 2013 E92 M3 ZCP in BMW Individual Santorini Blue paint, but I got word that my dealership had a Lime Rock Park Edition car on the showroom floor and had to check it out in person. I made the 1.5 hour drive to Flemington BMW to get a closer look at the Fire Orange paint, having previously only seen it in pictures. I wasn't about to buy an $82k bright orange car over the phone... I have to say, upon arriving at the dealership and seeing this thing in the showroom, I was enthralled by it. It was optioned almost exactly the same as my '13 M3 on order, and it was right in front of me... To say I was tempted to cancel my order and buy this car on the spot is an understatement. However, the more I thought about it, the more I came up with the same realization, "The car is orange." Perhaps this is the prefect car for the CEO of Cheetos, Inc., but I wanted something a little less brazen. I felt that I was more enamored with owning a "limited edition" BMW than with the car itself. Now if BMW had opted to drop the S65B44 into this thing, yeah, I could look past driving a hunk of nacho cheese with a carbon fiber roof. I took some solace in the fact that the car I have on order will truly be one of a kind, and built to my exact spec.

Sadly, my DSLR was at home, so I had to make due with my iPhone 4S' camera. Truly a striking car in person, pictures fail to do it justice.

I'm a little surprised that BMW didn't break out the additional options/equipment that make up the $10,000.00 Lime Rock Park Edition Package. As far as I know it consists of the M Performance Exhaust, carbon fiber front splitters, Fire Orange paint, BMW Performance Alcantara steering wheel, and BMW Performance carbon fiber rear spoiler.

Additonal charge of $162.00 for dealer installed Gloss Black Kidney Grills. They really should have included gloss black hood vents, and side gilles to delete all of the chrome. Would have been a much cleaner looking package.

While I was slow to warm up to them, I eventually fell in love with the look of these splitters, eventually installing a set on my own E92 M3.

Lime Rock Park Edition plaque. I'm not sure why BMW chose not to number these cars individually, it would have been a nice touch.

Close up of the BMW Performance Alcantara steering wheel with tri-color M stitching.

BMW Performance carbon fiber rear spoiler and Inconel exhaust.

The Loss of my M Cars.

2013-01-02T13:25:00.002-05:00

Those of you that know me personally, probably also know that I live near the water. More specifically, I'm quite literally surrounded by Barnegat Bay. So it comes as no surprise that Hurricane Sandy had a serious impact on my community. Having ridden Hurricane Irene out the year prior, I expected similar with this storm; high winds and little else. I didn't even lose power during Irene, so aside from securing the house and yard in anticipation of high winds and stocking up on batteries, I made no other preparations Which unfortunately means, the cars were not moved to higher ground...

I had been periodically checking on a friend’s house (a fellow E92 M3 owner) on the next street over while he was away. Hour after hour, I'd drive out with my Tahoe and report back that all was well, and there was zero flooding. That report changed after my last check. Upon opening the front door (not even an hour after my last check) I was confronted with rising flood waters that had already reached up to the 2nd step of my porch, 1 step to go before entering the house. At this point I knew that both my E92 M3 and E36 M3 were lost causes; if water was this deep on my street, it had to be at least 5-6' deep on the street along the bay (my only way out). I checked the tide chart, and of course, the tide was still coming in not going out. Water entering the first floor of the house was inevitable.

I quickly grabbed my cats and secured them in an upstairs bedroom, then went to work gathering files and any ground level valuables and electronics knowing that I only had minutes until the water started to come in. The remainder of the night was spent upstairs. I periodically checked on the rising flood waters from my vantage point on the second floor balcony. Two miles to the east, the sky glowed red. I could make out flames across the bay, Mantoloking was engulfed.

Once the flood waters got high enough, all that could be heard outside were the sirens and horns of cars that had been shorted out. The entire island was ensconced the cacophonous howling wind and the sounds of cars in their death throws. Quite easily the worst night I have ever lived through.

Upon daybreak I was able to bear witness to the horror of the storm. While the water had receded to some extent the roads were still flooded, the driveway was covered in literally tons of debris, and of course, the cars were filled with water.

Fast forward to present day. My house is still under reconstruction with an anticipated completion within the next month or so. I quickly settled on a value for my E92 M3 with Progressive, however my E36 M3 was insured under Liberty Mutual, and they have severely undervalued the car. That claim is still open and my attorney has taken the reigns. I'll be sure to update the blog with the results of that circus but will refrain, for now, until it has been completely settled.

I've ordered a 2013 E92 M3 optioned out identically to my 2011 M3...with one notable exception. While the '11 car was painted in the ubiquitous color of Alpine White (along with 99% of E92s, it seems), the new car has been ordered in Santorini Blue through BMW Individual. Anticipated production of the car will commence in mid February 2013, and I plan on being in Munich, Germany in early March 2013 for European Delivery. There will be no shortage of pictures documenting this.

Prior to being taken to auction, the E92 was stripped of all aftermarket parts and returned to bone stock. I won't be wasting any time before modding the '13 car, in fact I already have a KW Sleeve Kit, Apex Spacers, and Apex Stud Conversion Kit waiting for it that arrived for the '11 car 2 days before the storm. As for the E36, I will be buying it back from insurance, and restoring it fully. In fact the car has been stripped and dried, and I've began sourcing new parts where required. I'll be documenting both builds as they get underway this spring.

BMW E30 M3 SIGFest 2012 Concours d'Elegance

2012-10-21T08:45:00.000-04:00

I had planned for a semi-relaxing day of wrenching on my E36 M3, but wound up getting a text from the owner of www.s14.net that this year's E30 M3 SIG Fest was only going to somewhat close to my house. I dropped everything, grabbed my camera gear and the key to the E92 M3 and set out. Sorry E36, perhaps next weekend...

SIGFest, the largest gathering of BMW E30 M3s in the world, is held by the E30 M3 Special Interest Group. Now in it's 14th year, the Concours D'Elegance was held at the Spring Meadow Golf Club located in Farmingdale, New Jersey on Saturday, October 20th.

Upon pulling into the golf club, I was greeted by an overwhelming number of E30 M3s. I typically see 1 every couple of months or so on the street, so seeing a parking lot filled with them was unreal. In addition to the E30s, a few Ferraris, various BMWs and M Cars, and even an M1 showed up the the event.

The car that started it all, the BMW E26 M1.

BMW M1 interior.

BMW M1.

BMW E26 M1's M88 3.5 liter inline 6.

When the owner of this M1 was kind enough to offer me a seat, I wasn't about to decline.

S50B32 swapped E30 M3.

Not quite a replica since a touring variant of the E30 M3 never existed, but still pretty cool.

Replica E30 M3 Cabrio.

S54 swapped E30 M3.

Alpine White E30 M3 on BBS LM wheels.

S14 Carbon Fiber airbox.

The heart of the E30 M3, the S14.

E30 M3 Cabrio.

My favorite BMW Motorsport interior pattern. The E36's is just weird, and the E46... Plaid? Really BMW?

I had a set of Recaro SRDs in one of my previous E36 M3s. Easily one of my favorite mods of all time. They offered amazing support during hard cornering while being surprisingly comfortable and dropping a significant amount of weight off of the car.

Daytona Violet E34 M5 on M-Parallel wheels.

E30 M3 on BBS RCs.

E30 M3 on MK Motorsport wheels.

Dem brakes.

BBS RC wheels.

Alpine White E30 M3. My car's great granddad.

E30 M3 on E39 Style 5s. These wheels are visual evolutions to the stock basketweaves and fit the car's character perfectly without detracting from the originality.

Nice little E34 525i Touring on Alpinas.

E30 M3 on BBS CH wheels.

S52B32US swapped and supercharged E30 M3.

I found the first E30 M3 that I ever drove. A friend of mine built this car about 12 years ago, swapping the S14 for an OBD I converted S52B32 with an ERT Supercharger from Chuck Stickley. I was surprised to see it after 10 years or so and happy that it's moved on to a good home.

E30 M3 on E39 Sport Package Style 42 wheels.

Ferrari F430 Scuderia and F360.

The Ferrari F430 Scuderia's powerplant.

F430 Scuderia.

BBS LMs and the BMW Performance big brake kit. Also, a self portrait just above the sidemarker.

If you're going to have car trouble with your E30 M3, SIGFest isn't the worst place you could be at. Plenty of help on hand, including Mr. M Car, Don Fields.

James' E30 M3 Cabrio, one of only 786 made.

S50B32 swapped E30 M3

This car was perfectly executed. Amazing attention to detail. Those BBS LMs and BMW Performance big brake kit dominate the exterior.

The E30 M3s of SIGFest 2012.

E30 M3 on AC Schnitzer Type I wheels.

E30 M3 on BBS LMs.

S54 swapped E30 M3.

Ferrari F430 Scuderia Brembo Carbon Ceramic Brakes.

Mark of Rogue Engineering stealing someone's M3.

I wouldn't mind having the F360 in the garage next to my E92 M3...

BMW E30 M3 on BMW E39 540i Style 32 Wheels.

Ferrari F360 Spider.

Tony's E30 M3 on Style 32 E39 540i wheels.

My E92 M3 ZCP looking slightly bigger than Tony's E30 M3.

Canibeat First Class Fitment 2012

2012-10-13T20:48:00.001-04:00

"Now in it's 3rd year First Class Fitment has become a Fall tradition known for it's unique venue, laid back environment, and variety of quality cars. With so many different events on the calendar each year catered to specific makes and models, First Class Fitment is one of the few events which brings together people from all walks of the automotive community. With more space, new vendors, and the same high quality of cars you have become accustomed to the Canibeat team has worked hard to organize another great event for everyone at the Princeton Airport on October 13th, 2012. Although we have secured more space at the airport for this years event, our focus has not changed and we have still planned an event focused more on the quality of cars in attendance rather than the quantity." -Canibeat

Both Greg and Matt applied to, and were accepted into Canibeat's First Class Fitment 2012 show. After working well into the night on detailing their cars, we slept for a few short hours, and headed off to Princeton...

Gary's ultra clean Mercedes Benz W221 S550

My "stock" E92 M3 was relegated to the spectator parking lot. Sorry for having a functional suspension... j/k j/k, but not really.

Replaced the Arkym Carbon Fiber front lip with the ZCP Splitters. Coupled with the Gloss Black Hood Vents, Kidney Grills, side Gilles, and Painted reflectors from IND Distribution, the car is significantly both cleaner and more agressive looking.

Before making the death march down the Princeton Airport driveway into the show.

Greg's 2003 Alpine White E39 M5 sitting on Fikses.

Fifty shades of white, and an E46 with Benz wheels.

This C63 AMG Coupe was perfectly executed.

AP2 Honda S2000 on Work Meister S1s.

Porsche GT2

Dem seats...

GT2 translated from German, means "move over".

Hartge wheels on this E36.

Slammed daily driven Audi All Road

Subaru WRX STI

Alpine White E46 M3

RC Drift Cars

Acura Integra with a carbon/kevlar front lip.

FD Mazda RX-7

Slammed AP1 S2000 on copper centered CCWs.

BMW X6

Matt's 2001 Laguna Seca Blue E46 M3 on Work Meister S1 wheels.

BMW E24 6 Series found in the spectator lot.

Mercedes Benz G55 AMG with slight lift...

Alpine White BMW E90 M3 on BBS LMs with massive Brembos.

Turbo Lexus SC

Mint BMW E30 M3.

Sup, Hello Kitty exhaust.

BMW E46 M3 on BBS LMs and huge Brembos.

Clean car right there...

E30 Turbo Burnout

2012-10-12T23:57:00.003-04:00

Mfatuation is on Instagram!

2012-09-26T12:50:00.001-04:00

While I haven't had much time recently to update the site as often as I would like, I do post to Instagram fairly often. Please follow me @mfatuation for pictures, show coverage, and update announcements for www.mfatuation.com content. I just invested in some pretty trick new camera gear, so I'll have some very cool stuff up on mfatuation.com and my Instagram account shortly. I'm also working on getting some forums started up in the near future.

Flossing filthy.

2012-08-18T16:04:00.002-04:00

There is something to be said for people that refuse to settle for mediocrity. Sure, being average can be comfortable, but in reality, you are just as close to the bottom as you are to the top. Luckily, my friends share my sentiment, and when it was time for suspension and wheel modifications on their cars, they did anything but settle...

Greg, the owner of the pristine 2003 Alpine White M5, first lowered his car on Bilstein PSS9 coilovers. He then ran his stock M5 wheels while waiting over two months for his custom ordered Fikse Profil 10s. He's running 19x10 et20 up front with a 12mm spacer, and massive 19x11s out back with 10mm spacers.

Matt, the owner of the neck snapping 2001 Laguna Seca M3, lowered his car on K Sport coilovers. He just switched it up from running E9X M3 ZCP wheels, and made the 6 hour drive to New Hampshire to pick up a set of immaculate Work Meister S1 wheels in 19x9.5 et36 with a 5mm spacer and 19x11 et17 in the rear with a 7.5mm spacer. I had some reservations when he told me he was going with black faced wheels, but quickly changed my mind when I saw them in person. They were made for the car....

E9X M3 Owners Check Your Tips...

2012-08-16T16:19:00.001-04:00

My Vanguard Performance Titanium exhaust tip worked its way loose from the system and was run over by a truck... Thus far I have been unable to get in touch with the manufacture to secure a replacement. So it looks like I'm in the market for a new system. Active Autowerkes perhaps.

My 1999 E36 M3 on Rogue Engineering's Dyno

2012-08-11T16:51:00.002-04:00

I had forgotten about these two videos that I took back in late 2010. Just two quick dyno runs at Rogue Engineering. I put down 220.7 WHP on Rogue's DynoDynamics dyno, with a pretty bad miss up top due to a faulty ignition coil. I ain't even mad..

At the time of the runs the car had the following performance modifications:

(After noticing a high RPM miss, I replaced the stock ignition coils with Bavarian Autosport High Performance Ignition Coils. The miss is gone, but I have yet to run it on the dyno post installation.)

Run 1

Run 2

2003 E39 M5 Burnout

2012-08-05T11:40:00.000-04:00

Greg's E39 M5 laying waste to its tires.

Quick E92 M3 & E39 M5 Parking Lot Shoot

2012-07-29T11:03:00.003-04:00

We decided to do a quick, impromptu photoshoot between thunderstorms and after breakfast... All pictures were taken with a Canon 60D and Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8 L II USM lens.

Cleaned up my E92 M3 a bit with some help from IND Distribution. Picked up some gloss black kidneys, side grilles, and hood vents. Also, finally replaced the orange reflectors with the IND Alpine White blanks.

Greg's 2003 Alpine White M5 will soon be rolling on Fikse FM10s. We'll be doing a proper shoot once they arrive.

BMW E92 M3 Vanguard Cat Back & AE Performance HFC X-Pipe

2012-05-10T10:12:00.001-04:00

While filming the in-car launch control videos, I also took some external video. I mounted my GoPro HD Hero2 to the rear bumper with the suction cup mount. I haven't heard of anyone else with my exhaust setup, so I doubt you will hear another M3 quite like this. As it sits now, the car has a custom AE Performance non-resonated x-pipe with HJS high flow cats followed with a Vanguard Performance Titanium cat-back exhaust.

The Vanguard cat-back by itself sounded amazing, no drone at all and really brought out the sound of the S65. I'd say the exhaust note was borderline exotic. Now, with the addition of the AE Performance X-Pipe, the car screams. The pitch is a bit higher, and while somewhat loud, the exhaust setup is completely livable. I've never received more compliments from other drivers on any of my previous cars.

As for the performance, yeah, it pulls quite a bit harder. I still need to get it on a dyno, but unfortunately I have no baseline to compare it to. With the HJS high flow cats, no check engine light is thrown. My car does not have an aftermarket tune, and I have no intention of getting one so as to preserve my warranty. So being able to run an HFC X-pipe without worry of a check engine light is a huge plus for me.

AE Performance previously catless/non-resonated x-pipe with a pair of HJS high flow cats welded in.

Huge weight savings with the beautifully made Vanguard Performance Titanium exhaust. The factory unit weighs in at ~58lbs, while the Vanguard is a mere 19lbs...

E92 M3 DCT Launch Control Tutorial

2012-05-09T15:22:00.002-04:00

I know a lot of E9X DCT M3 owners are a bit confused as far as how to activate launch control. It's actually pretty easy...

1. The car has to be warmed up.

2. The car has to be driven a few miles.

3. You must be at a complete stop on a level surface.

4. Turn traction control completely off.

5. Set transmission to S6 mode.

6. Push the console mounted shift lever forward and hold it in that position.

6. Floor the gas pedal past the detent switch under the pedal.

7. The RPMs will rise to 5500*.

8. When ready, release the center console lever and you'll launch...

*The launch RPM can be adjusted in 500 RPM increments by using the cruise control lever.

Please keep in mind that as long as you have the throttle to the floor, the computer will upshift at the rev limit. If you get out of the throttle you will have to manually upshift or the rev limiter will be hit.

This video was filmed on a closed, private road. Please do not attempt this in public.

Car has the following performance modifications:

AA Green Drop-in Filter
Vanguard Performance Titanium Cat Back Exhaust
AE Performance X-Pipe modded w/HJS High Flow Cats

This video is the in-car launch control tutorial. The video below is footage taken at the same time externally.

External footage taken with iPhone 4S of above in-car launch.

"Poor Man's" Launch Control, just floored it from a stop in 1st gear, S6.

Alpine White E92 M3 ZCP and Laguna Seca Blue E46 M3 Photo Shoot

2012-05-07T17:28:00.002-04:00

Haven't really taken many pictures of my car since installing the Arkym Aero Carbon Fiber 1x1 Weave front lip and the Vorsteiner Type II Carbon Fiber 1x1 Weave Rear Diffuser. I think the E9X M3 just doesn't look quite complete without a lip and diffuser to clean up the bumpers. The front looks unfinished and the rear just looks boring. All fixed...

Road's closed pizza boy.

Pretty nice lens flare in this pic...

E92 M3 Launch Control Attempt

2012-05-07T11:39:00.001-04:00

Launch control attempt in my 2011 M3. While the launch control flag came up, the launch resulted in pure tire spinning, no traction. I'll be trying it again at a lower RPM. Car has an AA Green Drop-in Filter, Vanguard Performance Titanium Cat Back Exhaust, and a custom AE Performance X-pipe with HJS HFCs. (Video recorded with iPhone 4S)

Laguna Seca Blue E46 M3 burnout.

2012-05-07T11:18:00.001-04:00

Senseless tire destruction courtesy of an E46 M3.

Quick test fit of my E92 M3 ZCP wheels on a friend's E46 M3

2012-05-06T11:43:00.001-04:00

Just a quick test fitting of my 2011.5 E92 M3 Competition Package wheels on my friend's 2001 Laguna Seca Blue E46 M3. The E46 M3 is lowered on K Sport coilovers. Please excuse the quality of the pics, they were taken with my iPhone 4S and not the Canon 60D...

Eurowerkz Presents [EUROFEST] 4/29/2012 at Metlife Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ

2012-05-01T08:17:00.001-04:00

Just some pics from Eurofest 2012...

E30 M3

Matt and Louie (Louie is the cute one)

Valencia Orange BMW 1M

Mark's Monte Carlo Blue X5M (I will be the future owner of this truck...)

The baddest G55 AMG that I've ever seen.

Jack's Nissan GTR

Greg's E39 M5 on the Dyno. It put down 339whp. Not bad for a stock car running crazy rich...

E30 M3 w/S54 Swap. Stupid clean...

Matt + NJSP

Alpine White E30 M3

My beater E92 M3 ZCP w/Arkym 1x1 CF lip.

Louie!

Best license plate ever.

Greg's 2003 E39 M5 on the Dyno at Eurofest 4.29.12

2012-04-30T17:27:00.001-04:00

They were offering 3 dyno runs for $50 at Eurofest. Kinda hard to pass up... Here's my friend Greg's E39 M5 putting down some health numbers on a Dyno Dynamics:

2012 New York International Autoshow

2012-04-07T23:38:00.002-04:00

Through the BMW CCA and BMW NA, I was granted slightly earlier access to the NYIAS. What a great excuse to buy some new camera gear! All of these pictures were taken using a Canon 16-35mm f/2.8 L II on a 60D body. This was actually my first time using this lens and being able to go that wide (even on the crop body 60D) was crucial to get decent shots once the crowds arrived.

Prior to seeing the BMW i8 at the NYIAS, I had very little interest in the car. It was simply stunning in person.

BMW i8 with i3 in background.

2012 BMW M6 Coupe and Convertible.

2012 BMW M6 Convertible.

2012 BMW M6 Convertible Interior

2012 BMW M6 Coupe. Massive carbon brakes behind the 5-spoke wheels. I'm really liking the aerodynamics package that BMW put together for this car. It looks like they have put their rolling road windtunnel in Munich to good use.

The i8's wheel as seen through the charging station.

BMW i3 Concept.

Oh Audi came out with LED headlights? That's cute, we have lasers...

Range Rover Sport Supercharged.

2012 Frozen Blue BMW M3 ZCP

Mercedes-Benz CLS 63 AMG.

Looks like this ML has a lot of Acura MDX DNA in the design, not a compliment...

Mercedes-Benz SLS

SL 65 AMG

Lamborghini Aventador

Spyker Bling Coupe with optional chrome front splitter. Sporty....

Bugatti Veyron

Lotus Evora

Lexus LF-A

Porsche Panamera GTS

Porsche Cayman R

Fisker Karma

Mazda Miata Spyder Concept

New Dodge Viper

Nissan GT-R with Dry Carbon Wing

Fiat 500 Abarth

Honda Accord Concept

Acura NSX Concept

Audi R8 GT Spyder

I'm not sure what's louder. The Audi's grille, or the guy's backpack on the right

Audi TTRS

VW Golf R

Selection of Porsche's Paint Color Options

Acura RLX Concept

Sweet camera sir.

Range Rover Evoque Convertible

Land Rover Defender Concept

Yo Dawg, we heard you like speakers so we...

Red Bank, NJ Cars & Coffee 3.10.12

2012-03-10T15:58:00.000-05:00

Red Bank, New Jersey Cars & Coffee Meet on March 10th, 2012. Today was our first meet of the year. A decent number of cars turned out ins spite of the freezing weather. We typically meet up on the first Saturday of the month at 8:30am to 11:00am in the parking lot of The Grove.

Installed an ARKYM 1x1 carbon fiber front lip on my E92 M3 ZCP. Really cleaned up the front of the car without lowering it any further.

Contemporary Motor Cars, Inc. in Little Silver, NJ brought out their absolutely stunning Mercedes SLS AMG. The matte grey paint coupled with the light leather exuded opulence.

Installed the ARKYM Aerosport front lip just in time for Cars & Coffee! I was very happy with the fit and finish, now I just have to avoid parking bumpers like the plague...

Feed me a stray cat.

Turbo Porsche Cayman.

Daily driven Lamborghini Murciélago! #winning

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