Grocery Getter: Our 328i X-Drive Touring
Performance Technic
Building exceptional street and race cars has been at the core of Performance Technic’s passion since we opened our doors in 2009. Throughout the years, the performance geared M cars have comprised the bulk of our customer base. The relationships that we’ve built through bringing drivers’ visions to life are extremely important to us.
The newest generation of M cars, specifically the M3/M4, has brought about numerous opportunities for us to explore versatile styles for the F8X. Our late shop project car, as many of you may remember, was a Mineral Gray M3. Full of Dinan upgrades and accented by HRE 300 Classic wheels, the M3 was truly an amazing machine. However, there typically comes a time when projects must be switched out for something new. We said goodbye to our M3 earlier this year, and welcomed a project that strayed from our usual style.
The idea for our Touring is simple: it’s a functional, mildly aggressive looking daily driver, but it’s also family friendly. The Touring styling perfectly suits family use. Spacious and practical, it can be taken on everything from weekend getaways to road trips out of state. X-Drive allows for ease of travel if weather conditions are less than ideal. This build ultimately demonstrates that your family car can still be fun, attractive, and anything but boring.
The upgrades we chose for the Touring are meant to accent what the car already is. It isn’t supposed to be a show winning build, but it can still put a smile on your face (as well as your kids in the back seat).
We selected an array of Dinan parts that we felt would work well with our theme: Dinan’s own 20” cast aluminum wheels, Free Flow Exhaust, Intercooler and DINANTRONICS Sport Tuner. The exhaust draws a nice, low tone from the N20, while the Tuner is an efficient tool for remapping boost to provide a more thrilling driving experience. Behind the Dinan wheels hides the BMW M Performance big brake kit thanks to MMI Vehicle Systems.
Aesthetically, we wanted to keep the Touring subtle, but still give it light accents of sporty aero. Outfitted with M Performance front splitter, and rear spoiler, the little three series takes on a slightly less humble form. H&R Springs provide a mild ride height drop, which complements the larger wheels nicely. The BMW roof rack allows for more storage space, whether it’s a bike or travel pod you’re taking with you.
This build ultimately demonstrates that your family car can still be fun, attractive, and anything but boring. Because this car is purposed to experience family wear and tear, it needs to be prepared to recover from whatever is thrown at it. That said, we teamed up with CarzWerk, an automotive detailing and protection business operating locally in Fremont. Jason, the owner, specializes in vehicle paint care, and truly takes his passion to heart. Having worked all over the United States and Japan, he has been in charge of everything from maintaining specialty shop Ferraris on the East coast, to detailing fleets of Liberty Walk builds at SEMA. He has not only the knowledge to protect your vehicle, but the genuine care as well.
One of Jason’s specialties is ceramic coating. This is a process that has seen increasing popularity throughout the automotive community in recent years. Ceramic Pro, the product itself, is described as a nano-ceramic coating, which is entirely different from wax and other sealants. It is not a clear bra, nor is it vinyl. The purpose of Ceramic Pro coating is to create an incredibly durable, clear, and protective surface coat over your vehicle’s paint. The product forms an adhesive bond with paint, meaning that it cannot simply be scrubbed off in a car wash. There are many benefits to ceramic coating your vehicle: protection from UV damage and corrosion, a shell-like coating to help save from scratching, prevention of dirt/road grime deposits, ease of vehicle cleaning… the list goes on. We are looking forward to seeing how the ceramic coating holds up to daily use.
At the end of the day, the Touring is a fun, affordable, and justifiable family vehicle, which also happens to look fantastic. We are happy to see that it has been received well, even from those who prefer M cars. It also serves as a reminder that while the M bloodline is a large part of our heritage, we are more than happy to see drivers enjoying these great options.