Some vehicles will grab the attention of the general public through an "in your face" design or an exuberant "melt your face" exhaust note. Some vehicles fly under the public radar but catch an enthusiast's eye with subtle deviations from factory or recognizing an option box was checked and in some cases un-checked. Then you have the special ones. The ones that raise Jane's eyebrow and John's drink. The one you walk back to for the umpteenth time at Cars and Coffee only to recognize something new. The art of genuine enthusiasm for a brand personified in a particular model. I had the pleasure of spending time with a one of the special ones...
This E92 M3 is a product from BMW Individual. While the sight of the iconic ///M will stir the emotions of many, seeing the BMW Individual typed out in its Helvetica font is also something that'll always pique my interest. It means it comes from an individual who looks at the overwhelming robust catalog of vehicles available and says, "I can do better". And, in this particular case, many enthusiasts and casual observers will agree. The color is Atlantis Blue. Not Long Beach, not Estoril, not LSB, but something different and equally stunning. It carries a dynamic quality that accents the E92 lines just right. The power bulge is well represented and the view most will see on the road is easily differentiated from the sea of normal 3 series -- In color, aggressive style and exhaust pipes....
Now on its second enthusiast minded owner it was time to add their own individual touch. Performing this service was EAG (Enthusiast Auto Group) and their Rejuvenation Pit Crew. Similar to Jenga, the moment you start adding a bunch of nonsense upgrades haphazardly the elegant final product will start to be overwhelmed by those specific moves and no matter how solid the foundation it'll topple over into a mess of pieces. Keeping this in mind strategic upgrades were performed to accentuate not only the high points of the platform but this specific example.
While the interior wasn't spared attention from the factory, adding more performance oriented items from BMW ///M Performance catalog made perfect sense. The blue centering stripe on their steering wheel was begging to join the factory custom stitching found throughout the vehicle. The shifter was both aesthetically and mechanically altered once again using BMW's catalog, but this time from their F10 M5 model and its illuminated ZHP shift knob. These two additions made a world of difference to the driving experience but also to the "Yeah, it's a manual." conversation that'll inevitably spark up at its next Cars and Coffee appearance.
Tasked to properly add some exterior flair it was once again back to BMW ///M Performance's catalog. It was decided that removing the chrome grills and gills while adding carbon fiber components front and rear to compliment the factory carbon fiber roof was the right path to take. A path paved with many, many proper E92 examples out of EAG's facility and this one is at the front of the pack. With so many options in their repertoire there's a sense of respect to be given for their restrain.
Last, but not least, was amplifying the induction note to work in stereo with the MPE and this came from the tried and true Dinan catalog along with its performance software. A bump in power, carbon fiber continuation in the engine bay and the visceral volume up only made sense.
An E92 M3 born through BMW Individiual to an enthusiast and detailed oriented owner. Then shipped to EAG for a Rejuvenation by a second and equally enthusiast minded second owner... This example truly is something special and stunning. Should a third owner ever step up to carry the Atlantis donned torch they have some awfully big shoes to fill.
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