With my mouth agape in utter amazement, I turned to Bell Chan and murmured something to the effect of, "Holy...." Bell Chan is the owner of BC Auto, the shop whose latest project left me completely and utterly speechless. The car I was looking at was BC Auto's Rennsport-tuned BMW 3-Series, with a body so wild it could be mistaken for some kind of top secret military weapon.
At the time, the BMW was resting under a hydraulic lift, leaving all of half an inch to spare on either side. As I squeezed around the widest fenders I'd ever seen on a street-going vehicle, I began to notice little details about the car. For one, the rear tires were tiny. Actually, they were quite wide, measuring in at a meaty 265mm wide-it was the fenders that made them appear miniscule. Bell was quick to comment on the wheels before I could even ask. It turns out, not everyone makes wheels with the correct offset to fit an E-36 with the 315mm meats the Rennsport fenders can house-not even Rennsport. I was assured wider wheels were in the works and, in fact, were probably being manufactured while we spoke.
Bell almost seemed too at ease blindly reversing the project car from the tightly packed work bay and pulling onto the streets. Driving behind the car, I was once again left speechless when I saw how much of the road the Rennsport kit occupied. The BMW suddenly became a presence on the road, much more forceful then any other BMW. I thought I'd seen wide, aggressive kits before, but this one blew them all away.
When we finally found a deserted photo location, I began to investigate more deeply into the car. Inside the cockpit, are two Corbeau Carrera adjustable seats with MOMO 5-point harnesses fastening the BMW's occupants firmly behind the Italovanti steering wheel. While taking the car for a spin, it became blatantly apparent the full Bilstein coilover system played well with the prototype Rennsport sway bars and strut tower bar. Had Bell managed to get the wider rear wheels and tires in time for my trip to Canada, I'm scared how much lateral force the car could have handled.
Following the photo shoot, and the quick race to the shop where Bell proved that with the addition of a Rennsport after-cat exhaust, a Supersprint header, and a Dinan ECU, the BMW could indeed pull on most street cars, we headed to a nearby hangout to check out the local tuning scene. That night, I witnessed something I'd never seen in the States: Hundreds of people with modified vehicles ranging from Civics and Golfs to Vipers came just to show off. Oddly, almost everyone there knew Bell and BC Auto. Walking the parking lot with Bell was like walking with a celebrity. Everyone wanted to talk to Bell and see what was new at BC Auto-little did they know that not even five miles away was a BMW that would leave everyone there speechless.
'94 BMW 325isDriver SpecsBell ChanMarkham, Ontario, Canada
Occupation:Owner of BC Auto
Is Wider Better?The up side is the car can corner better
What's The Down Side?Finding the right offset wheels
Performance SpecsHP: 205 @ 7,000 rpmTQ: 200 @ 4,500 rpm0-60: 6.5 sec1/4-Mile: 14.5 secTop Speed: 145 mph
[Tech Specs]Engine:Prototype Rennsport after-cat exhaust, Supersprint header, Dinan ECU upgrade
Transmission:Five-speed manual, Prototype Rennsport short shifter
Suspension:Front prototype Rennsport tower bar, Bilstein coilovers front and rear, prototype Rennsport front and rear sway bars
Wheels & Tires:Rennsport Type-I alloy 18x8 wheels on the front, 18x9.5 wheels on rear, Pirelli 235/40-18 front tires, Pirelli 265/35-18 rear tires
Brakes:Factory four-wheel disc
Bodywork/Lighting:Rennsport wide body kit, widened front and rear bumpers, flared side skirts, adjustable three-leg spoiler, M3 side mirrors
Interior:Italovanti steering wheel, Corbeau Carrera reclining race seats, MOMO 5-point safety harnesses
Mobiletronics:Pioneer CD player head unit