BMWs with Friends

It’s almost becoming cliché for those that write in reference to the automotive scene to speak of friendships and such that are developed through this hobby.  However, it’s just that important, a huge aspect of this lifestyle that resonates in everything that we do.

Several years ago I, through a friend of a friend, met a young BMW enthusiast.  He was still finding his path in the great world of automotive tuning, a very enthusiastic individual with a loud V8 E39 5-series.  Jaime became one of my closest friends, and I even came to live with him for a brief period of time.  It was Jaime who introduced me to the brand, and me and our other friends who helped him modify his car. 

After quite some time, he became frustrated with the minimal aftermarket support of his 5-series.  He wanted to build something crazy.  He wanted the freedom to tear the car apart, swap things, and have a plethora of parts to choose from.

Which brings us to this particular E30; Jaime sold his 540i to our friend Josh and with the funds from that sale embarked on a journey to build a monster out of the diminutive sedan.  From his experiences, Jaime had learned that the suspension, chassis, and tires are intrinsic components to a vehicle’s overall performance – and he constantly reminded his friends of this, especially when playing Forza Motorsport.

Unfortunately, after he completed those modifications he was only able to attend one motorsports event before he unexpectedly had to move to Germany, and put family first.

So he sold the vehicle to our old friend Graham, who was a key player in the car’s original conception.

This is how the car sits now.  Still hunkered down over wide Dunlop Z1s, the car likens itself to a lightweight street fighter… with brass knuckles.  Graham has completed some originally planned modifications and maintenance with his usual finesse, the Speedhaus touch if you will, and the car looks as fantastic as it drives, blending classic lines with race-inspired aggression.

This old little car has the ability to hold friends together, even when the twists and turns of life push them apart. 
 Many cars have that quality, and that will never get old.

Words:: Sean Biggs

Photos:: Steven Darchiville