Feature: M3 In 335i Clothing

Peter Bun was in the market for a lean and mean, 4.0-liter, V8, 414 horsepower, BMW M3 rocket launcher. A car that has been praised by enthusiasts for decades for its smooth engine burble, stiff suspension, and wonderfully precise shifting. Sounds like a decent way to spend about half your mortgage every single month.

It was at this point that Peter was introduced to a model designation that didn't particularly register any shivers down his spine, a BMW 335i. We've heard that name thrown around board rooms on Wall Street, in an accountant's office at Conoco, and occasionally among a circle of moms at soccer practice. It's certainly a classy ride, but probably not worthy of a cover feature on Open Clutch. That's about the time that Peter started doing a little more research.

“I didn't even know BMW made a car with a twin turbo motor,” says Peter. For 2011, the twin turbo is indeed a rare species, considering the lingering government emission enforcement and threats of $5/gallon gas soon. In 2007, BMW gave executives a new reason to endure the daily 9AM to 8PM grind, besides braces, tennis lessons, and the occasional happy ending at the massage parlor.

The twin turbo 335i is a knight in prince clothing, a lion at a gazelle retirement party, and a Tiger Wood's invitation to chaperone an all night, teenage pajama party. It's smooth, unexpected, and outperforms its already impressive claims by the manufacturer. And even better, when the performance gurus at AMS got hold of one of these specimens, smooth was thrown out in favor of fanatical horsepower... and thus the AMS prototype 335i was born, and destined to become a part of Peter's garage.

Peter picked up the AMS prototype the day after Christmas (2010), after having made an offer they couldn't refuse. “I had a lot of mixed feelings about a car that I didn't do the work on,” says Peter, who is also known for his previous creations, a 7400-watt 1990 Civic and 2004 twin turbo 350Z. “I don't even have the real plates on it yet—I am still waiting on them from the DMV.”

“What I liked about the BMW, is if you look at it and my 350Z side by side, they both have carbon fiber, 20-inch wheels, similar suspension upgrades, twin turbo—that's why I bought it,” says Peter. “If I were to build a BMW, I would have built it exactly the way AMS did.”

“For people who know about cars, they know a 350Z with a twin turbo—they can hear the boost, spool up, and wastegate,” explains Peter. “When you're driving a BMW, your driving a BMW, so it doesn't matter—it's fast, it rides comfortable, and is an all around great car.”

Peter is getting a little ahead of himself, as this AMS BMW prototype is not quite perfect. At this point, Peter can't find traction in practically four out of its six gears, which is a bit of a problem for a car that is destined for the track one day.

“I can't get traction through the first four gears,” says Peter. “It really isn't a bad thing to have too much power (436 whp on pump gas), but if you don't have the right shoes on a car with this much torque (434 lb-ft), you're losing it.” Peter is running Advan Neova Tires, which claim to be like fly paper on rubber, but Peter is still having troubles keeping his hind end to the black top. “I'm in fourth gear, I hit the gas, and my rear end breaks out from under me, even when I've got three people in the car—This just happened the other night.”

At last, considering all the white, cold stuff on the streets of the Midwest, it is still too early to say what this BMW is going to be able to do, and Peter is not about to leave it as is. The mod bug has already started festering its way to his subconscious and wallet imprint.

Open Clutch: What do you have in store for the 335i?
Peter Bun: The first thing I need to do is get some stickier tires, so that I can feel the launch. I just hope that I don't break my rear diff. I had a friend of mine drive it. He has a 550 horsepower M3, and he says it pulls harder than his car, so we're just waiting for the weather to get warmer, so I can test it out. I want to do a different cat-back system. I want to do a custom, carbon fiber enclosure in the trunk, with probably an Alpine touch screen. I want to leave the coral red interior, but maybe add seat inserts in black suede. After that I don't know.

OC: Why replace the AMS catback?
PB: I don't think it's giving me the performance I'm looking for. It's not a true dual system. The current one is a three inch exhaust pipe, but it goes into one muffler, and then has two tips on it. I want a true dual catback.

OC: How is it compared to your 2004 twin turbo 350Z?
PB: My 350Z ran a 11.7 quarter mile at the track last year, so if I can get the BMW to hook, I am sure it will be stellar compared to it.

OC: What are your favorite upgrades on the AMS 335i so far?
PB: I like the boost gauge which is on the left of the steering wheel where the heat and AC vent are. It's got an AEM water injection system which is freaking awesome. They put an OS Giken Limited Slip Rear Differential in order to make it hook better. The Seibon carbon fiber is stellar on the trunk and hood. It's got 500 horsepower with 105 octane gas. Overall, it's pretty sweet.

OC: You have your own website going on. Tell us a little about that?
PB: It's called Show, Sound, and performance (www.showsoundandperformanceforum.com). There are not a lot of guys like us out there, especially in the mid-west. What we are trying to do is educate people on what to do to their cars. Our motto is “The New Revolution of Online Media”. We have made some contacts, such as www.indyrpm.com and Open Clutch. We try to do a lot of things for non-profit. In June, we are going to have a car show, and all the proceeds will be going to go to the Leukemia Society in Minneapolis. That is what my brother died from. We'll meet on Friday and Saturday nights when the weather gets warmer in Greenwood, Indiana and on North side of Indianapolis, Indiana.

OC: Your brother's passing had something to do with your decision to buy the 335i, correct?
PB: The reason I got it is because I knew he would like it. My brother, Justin, passed away last June, he was only 19, and that is what he wanted. I was looking for a BMW because it helped with my coping. I feel like when I'm driving it, he is there with me. He passed away from Leukemia. He was diagnosed on a Friday, and passed three days later. It wasn't something we were ready for.”

Good luck at the track, Peter!