Hard to believe this BMW wagon is almost 20 years old. It’s also hard to believe how far we’ve come from a tech aspect… but how much we’ve LOST as a trade-off. More integration & drivers assistance; less unfiltered freedom & physicality. This new normal doesn’t feel quite normal. It feels more like betrayal. The cars we were excited to grow up for… aren’t here. And in their place is something phony. Often, new cars feel like simulations of what used to be REAL. Mimicking what used to happen naturally. Exhausts are blatantly & unapologetically fake… and steering feels more like a video game than a machine. New cars have funneled into sameness. With few exceptions, lost are the refined nuances that separated brands & made driving a love affair. And in its place – is a modern man that doesn’t seem to think/feel any deeper than the AI specs/stats/comparisons he regurgitates. As statistically impressive as new cars are… most miss a mark that’s harder to measure – authenticity. But hey, if they give us enough screens to tap & beeps to bop, I guess it’ll distract most people from the fact that they’re not really driving anymore.
This is Ramon Ramirez’s 2007 BMW 328i Touring…
Touring… wagon… same thing. And we get it. Ray’s BMW wagon ain’t the new hybrid/turbo M5 with 700hp. And it doesn’t go 0-60 in 3.whocares seconds. But it also doesn’t look like China designed it. And it doesn’t cost as much as a mortgage every month while making you look like an insta-prick. Ray’s BMW wagon is just a daily cruiser man. From a time when BMW owners still got their hands a little dirty. This car doesn’t have to break records… for Ray… it’s just gotta hold the vibes.
BMW Wagon // MODS
This BMW E91 runs the N52 engine: A normally aspirated 3-liter inline-6. It seems almost refreshing in today’s overcomplicated car market… just to bring it back to basics. Ray upgraded the brakes with F30 BMW 335i Brembo 4-pistons in front, and E90 BMW 335i brakes in the rear. And in front of those brakes, are a stunning set of Veilside Andrew D 3-piece wheels in 18×9.75 front & 18×10.75 rear. This 328i Touring rides on Airlift bags with 3P management & 2 Viair 444c compressors.
Not to be totally left out of date…
Ray did a custom digital gauge cluster & Xtrons 13” screen on the dash. It gives him all the modern amenities, without all the nagging & narcing of modern software & infotainment. Ray also swapped to a 2014 BMW X1 steering wheel & sport front seats. Baesic Performance (in Virginia Beach) did the suede headliner & pillars, and also recovered all the factory woodgrain pieces in suede with orange stitching.
BMW wagon exterior…
The BMW 328i Touring has an M3 front bumper & lip, M3 skirts, and a custom 1M rear bumper done by FRbodystyling in Portugal. It’s got blackline taillights & custom headlights… and that’s about it. Lol remember when BMWs didn’t overdo it? When great German/European design spoke for itself?
Look here’s the point man…
New cars, old cars, & in-between… do you… but do it with style & authenticity. The modern age masks its lack of style & authenticity with stats, gizmos, and arrogant price tags. But stats get bested quickly, and gizmos break fast. So at the end of the day, make sure that whatever you do… it’s bringing you joy. And that’ll reflect better than any set of shiny wheels.
Photos by Zach Hendershot
Related Feature…
