Tuesday, February 7, 2012

Humble Pie

Words by Albert Benitez
Photos by Lawrence Yeh - Bavarian Exclusive 

It's almost as common as your mom naggin' ya on a Saturday Morning when people's alter egos show up at car meets, boasting about how sweet their oil-burning bucket is. Then there are those that have a disdain for any car that is slightly better looking (or performing) than their own. But then we run into this Le Mans Blue E92 M3 and immediately think whoever owns this car is sure full of himself. But you have to keep in mind the old adage "Never judge a book by its cover!". That same bears true when it comes to Brian Kim. We complimented him on his very uniquely and tastefully modded monster, only for him to reply "Thanks, but it's just a stock M3". You would think he's just playing off the compliments, but he really thinks his car is stock! You want to laugh because its ludicrous to imagine someone taking such immensely positive comments about his sweet whip so lightly.


You have to understand not only Brian's vision of what he considers his perfect car, but also how he utilizes his car as to why he feels the way he does about it. You would think that after exhibiting his ride at the 2011 SEMA Show in Las Vegas he'd be on a binge of extreme arrogance. You would expect to see his car at shows such as Autocon or HIN. But the fact is this isn't your typical show Bimmer. As a matter of fact, it's not a show car at all. 

Brian's vision of the perfect car is simple. It needs to be suitable for the track. Well Balanced. Functional. And yes of course Fast. It needs to be pure, raw race car. Nothing less will suffice. We believe his BMW M3 mirrors his exact vision of a track car, although he begs to differ. He mods for the track, not for shows. He jokes "I park so hard I broke my sprinklers at home. True story".



But jokes aside this ///Monster glows of pure race car. It's Downforce USA body kit & diffuser compliment the natural shape and curves of the M3s aerodynamics. She sits on 18'' Advan Racing Wheels. JRZ RS Pro Suspension not only gives her that nice stance, but also provides for superb handling and quick adjustment if needed on race day.  Once you hit the start button it's as if you've pressed the launch button and are ready for take off. But not to worry, this rocket is equipped with Brembo 365/345 Brakes for exceptional stopping power.



The interior should be a prime indicator of what to experience when crawling into the cockpit. Recaro Pole Position seats with 5-Point Harness keep Driver & Passenger securely in check. 4-Point Roll Cage provides for excellent reinforcement of the Safety Harness. Upgraded ///M Steering Wheel, Pedals, & Shifter for added comfort when pushing the car to its limits on the racetrack.





She breathes through a combination Gruppe M intake & Dinan Chargepipe and roars through an Akrapovic Evolution Exhaust System. His S65 4.0L V8 Powerplant is optimally tuned to his Intake/Exhaust setup, which provides exceptional efficiency throughout the powerband and ensures all is running in sync.



You have to hand it to a guy who's passionate about not only his car, but passionate about raising the bar and pushing the boundaries of proper performance modding. Sure, this M3 isn't for everyone. But if you're all about combining functional performance and style, we're sure this car will inspire anyone with a sense of real Motorsport passion. 







Wednesday, January 4, 2012

Critical Reactions...Can save your life! (And you car)

Amazing on board footage of this horrendous accident captured on the West Virginia Turnpike January 2nd. Miraculously the driver & his Evo 8, which the on-board camera was on and recording at the time, escaped without injury and with only minor damage to his car. You have to give the driver a huge amount of credit for his quick reaction to avoid the pile of wreckage in front of him. Check out the footage! (Disclaimer: Strong language not suitable for children. Viewer discretion is advised!)

 

Seeing that 18-wheel barrel down afterward is such a scary sight. You have to give that driver of the rig a lot of credit for not overreacting and for not jackknifing his trailer. It could of made the situation a whole lot worse. According to West Virginia Metro News, 30 cars were involved in this weather related mayhem of destruction. No injuries were reported, which is definitely good news! To everyone driving in extreme weather, please use extreme caution when driving in icy conditions! 

Sunday, January 1, 2012

Rolex 24 Coverage - Corvette Daytona Prototype

The countdown begins for the 50th running of the Rolex 24 in Daytona January 28th-29th. There's so much hype surrounding this year's race. With Audi's R8 LMS & Porsche's next generation 911 pacing the field, there's so much to look forward to at this year's Rolex 24. One entry hasn't even made the spotlight as much as it should. In case you haven't noticed (and we don't blame you if you haven't) this year's 2012 Corvette Daytona Prototype is definitely a contender for this year's running.

Photo credit: Autoguide.com




 
Corvette Daytona Prototype runs during open testing - November 15th 2011.


Corvette Racing last visited Victory Lane at the 2001 Rolex 24 with their GT Class Corvette C5-R, but they've had less than stellar finishes in GT Class & Overall Competition. It's refreshing to see the guys over at GM & Corvette Racing go back to the drawing board and create a competitive entry into the heavyweight Daytona Prototype class. They're working hard to revisit Victory Lane after a 10 year Winless drought. And with a world class arsenal of competitive drivers such as Alex Gurney, Max Papis, Christian Fittipaldi, and Ryan Briscoe, we definitely feel the Corvette Racing teams will be strong contenders for the Overall win. Fellow DP Class competitors BMW & Ford have a lot to worry about this year. Corvette Daytona Prototype looks & sounds mighty strong! 

Saturday, December 31, 2011

Happy New Year!

So long 2011 & hello 2012! All of us here at ModTAP wish everyone the very best in the new year. I hope you're all excited for the challenges that await us all in 2012! For everyone traveling on freeways & highways tonight, please do NOT drink and drive. If you plan on doing so, please have a designated driver on hand or a ride ready to pick you up. For those of us here in Southern California, AAA will be offering their tipsy tow service between 6pm-6am. Call 1-800-222-4357 for more information. Happy New Year everyone!

                                                                                                 

Thursday, December 29, 2011

50th Anniversary of Rolex 24 is exactly One Month away!


That's right folks! The drop of the Green Flag for the 50th Rolex 24 in Daytona is exactly one month away. Sadly, we wont have "On the Scene" coverage for this event (although we do hope to have it in the future!) but we will be blogging crucial updates throughout the entire 24 hour event. We will be at Auto Club Speedway covering SpeedDistrict's track event when the Green Flag drops in Daytona at 3pm (12pm Pacific Time) but you can sure bet we'll be keeping a close eye on the leaderboard while we're waiting in between sessions. 

This year we'll be giving our take on what to expect for this year's Rolex 24. For starters, we'll be keeping a watchful eye on the GT Class field as Audi makes it's return with their R8 LMS Race Car especially prepared for American Grand Am Racing. We're very excited and anxious to find out what this beast can do, and if it'll be a sure contender to take home the top spot in the hard fought GT Class. We'll be giving in-depth analysis throughout January leading all the way to the drop of the green flag. So don't forget to check back for updates!

Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Entertainment - A la Carrera....

Sometimes a regular entertainment center doesn't do us any justice. Especially when you're absolutely crazy about your Porsche Carrera. This guy just couldn't hold back and used GENUINE Porsche parts to create his awesome entertainment center. Thinking outside the box - literally.


 

Many thanks to Susana for bringing this to our attention!

Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Rewriting the meaning of style.

 Taking modding to a whole new level...

Write up & more exclusive pics coming soon!!!