With 2 Mercedes projects already completed in 2001 and 2002, we decided to expand our project car lineup to include a BMW for 2003. The choice was an easy one, since the hottest car in the market right now is the BMW E46 M3. We wanted to be a little different and stand out from the crowd, so we opted for a cabrio version instead of the standard coupe. After 2 months of searching, we finally had our match: a 2002 BMW M3 cab, Alpine White with light grey interior and a black top, and 1400 miles on the clock. This was a good basis for our project (since black is hard to see in pictures sometimes, not to mention a pain to keep clean).

The first thing to be addressed was the suspension. As with any project car, this is the best place to get started. We contacted Darren Pritchard at KW Suspensions North America, who provided us with the first Variant 2 INOX coil over suspension for the E46 M3 in the country. The INOX version improves over the standard V2 with a new adjuster system, as well as a full stainless steel body and improved end links. At the time, the kit was so new; it had to be flown in from Germany overnight to meet the deadline.

Next up on the agenda was the rolling stock. Federico Pavoncelli from RD Sport USA provided us with a set of trademark RD Sport RS2 3 piece wheels, measuring 19x8.5 up front and 19x10.0 out back. They were mated to Bridgestone S03 Pole Position tires, 245/35/19 and 275/30/19, respectively. This gave us a very strong, sporty look we were going for, while being extremely lightweight (22 lbs. fore and 24 lbs. aft).

Since the wheels were so open-spoke, they exposed a lot of the stock brakes, which were rather unsightly. Even though the stock rotors were a decent size (12.8" front and 12.9" rear), something had to be done about the look. At this point, we contacted Simon Atik and the crew over at EvoSport for a set of their European OEM 2pc floating rotors. These rotors were considerably lighter than stock (due to an all-aluminum hat), while providing a much more aggressive look and greatly improving stopping power. A short-shift kit was also needed, so we contacted Ben Liaw at Rogue Engineering for their excellent "Octane" short-shift kit with weighted selector rod (to eliminate notchiness). We also installed the company's transmission mounts since they were easily accessible at the time of installation. Finally, a set of the racing rear shock mounts from Ground Control with the urethane bushings was installed to firm up the rear and prevent any future mishaps with the stock rear shock towers.

With the underpinnings completed, it was now time to turn our attention to the exterior. We opted to go with a full Hamann theme on this car, so a call was made to our long-time affiliate Joey Gonzaga at Wheel Power Inc. (the only official importer of Hamann Motorsport products here in the US), where we obtained a Hamann competition 1pc front spoiler and rear diffuser panel, as well as the newest GT-R style side skirts and brake cooling intakes for OE fog lamps. To keep the theme going, we opted to replace the OEM BMW roundel logo on the hood with a Hamann roundel, while adding the Hamann rear trunk badge to the rear deck lid and a pair of Hamann logos to the OEM side gills, replacing the OEM "M3" decal. While the car was at the shop being prepped for the new aero parts, we also decided to install an OEM European front bumper cover to eliminate the unsightly US-spec side reflector. Finally, a Hamann dual round stainless steel exhaust with 76mm tips rounds out the exterior package. All of the aerodynamic components were expertly prepped, painted, and installed by our friends at Sunrise Paint & Body.

The Hamann theme was also carried into the interior, where we installed a Hamann aluminum shift knob and e-brake handle, as well as a set of their black floor mats and carbon-fiber door sill plates (not shown). An OEM aluminum pedal set was also installed, while keeping the OEM M3 footrest. The original dash and console trim was also replaced with a black carbon fiber set from Alan Ou at Carbonworks. Under the hood, we also installed a Hamann adjustable aluminum front strut tower brace to ensure chassis rigidity, replacing the OEM part.

Finally, we wanted to change the wheels again to something unique and different that had never been seen before. Since we have a special relationship with HRE, we were given the opportunity to have the very first set of the new 840R series 3-piece wheels in 19", with the newest hidden-hardware design. Of course, we jumped on this special opportunity right away, choosing the 843R style with a full polish finish in 19x8.5 front and 19x10.0 rear. We had already been working closely with HRE to produce a 3.5" outer rim for the 19" reverse application, which finally came to light here on this very special set. This very first pair of the 3.5" reverse outers for the rear was combined with 2" outers up front for maximum visual effect. Once again, the wheels were mated to Bridgestone S03 Pole Position tires, 245/35 for the front and 275/30 for the rear. The results of this combination speak for themselves.

The staff at Wheel Experts Automotive Group would like to thank Mike, John. Evan, Bob, Guy, and Renee at HRE Performance Wheels, Darren at KW North America, Federico and BreAnn at RD Sport, Luke from the Tire Rack, Joey, Tim, and Fred at Wheel Power, Ben from Rogue Engineering, Simon from EvoSport, Wilson at Momentum BMW, and Alan from Carbonworks for supplying the parts to make this project possible. On the installation side, we would like to thank Tom, Mike, Vicente, and the crew over at Sunrise Paint and Body, Tom at Car Klinic, and Aaron Diaz from Discount Tire. We would also like to thank our friends and family, and finally our crew at tUNINGwERKS Competition for their continual support throughout the buildup of the project. Stay tuned for more updates to come!