My ///M Cars from Istanbul ! E46 M3 CSL, E30 M3, Z3 M Coupe

CLUBBER · 08-13-2015, 04:03 PM

Featured on BIMMERPOST.com

Hello everyone,

I am a long time lurker and recently an active member on this wonderful site. It is certainly "The Place" for all news and scoops BMW.

Just wanted to say hi and share my cars, '87 E30 M3 (Henna), '00 M Coupé (Junior) and '04 E46 M3 CSL (Cesil). Of course they are nowhere as impressive as some of the builds and collection I saw here but, I have a feeling that this crowd would appreciate them more than any place else.

Here is a little back story about myself and my cars,

I am a die hard BMW fan from Istanbul, Turkey. I am sure we have many other members here from Turkey as well. I have been a huge BMW enthusiast all my life. Since the age of 6 when my father used to take me for spirited drives in his E21 315i, I was hooked for the Bavarian Love. Luckily, my family only owned BMW's so when the time came for me to own a car, I also went for a BMW. It started with my Mom's E36 318is and as years gone by, it moved to various other BMW's like E46's, Z4's and E90 etc.

Although I owned modern BMW's, I always lusted for an E30 M3 since a father's friend brought home a poster of a then new E30 M3 when I was only 7 years old.. It was love at first sight. I HAD TO have one. When I was old enough get a car, the E30 M3 was no longer available so I had to move to modern machinery as I just mentioned. But my love for the legendary E30 M3 didn't diminish one bit, so I started my hunt for one. It was really difficult to find one here in Istanbul because there were only 25 of them imported to the country and almost half of them were written off and most of the remaining ones were either molested or tastelessly modified.

After years of searching and harassing owners, I was finally able to find my E30 M3 in 2007. I chose that particular car because of two important things ; First, the car was in famous Henna Red color. Which was only produced in first half of the first production year, so it was really rare and stunning in person. Secondly, the car's owner was the service manager of an authorized BMW dealer which meant the car was well maintained and most importantly not molested and all stock. After a year long negotiating and persuasion, I bought my pride and joy in April 2007 with a smile from ear to ear.

After briefly owning the car, I went for a full restoration. The engine had been rebuild, all the rust have been cleaned out and all the worn and damaged parts were either restored or replaced with new ones. After the overhaul, then came the little required mods for the car. E30 M3 is a fine M car as it is but it can use little improvements in some areas. First, was installing Bilstein Shocks and H&R Race Springs for the much needed handling improvement. Then came the gloriously screaming Carbon Fiber Airbox and Alpha-N Tuning which was completed in Stuttgart by an M Specialist. On the exterior, I added EVO 2 front spoiler and Sport Evo Rear spoiler to improve aerodynamics. For the interior, I opted for Recaro SRD seats and Alcantara steering wheel,gear lever, handbrake lever to improve in-car ergonomics for spirited drives and track work.

I love driving my M3 in early mornings in empty historic streets of old Istanbul where I feel like the whole city is my playground. I love driving through our ancient palaces, mosques and monuments with a screaming S14 under my M3's bonnet. And after a little city track I usually take the action to my favorite twisty's in the outer skirts of the Istanbul forrest roads. But of course I never limited my self or my M3 for specific patch of roads;

As soon as I felt my car was in my desired condition, I set my sights on a road trip to Nurburgring. It was an unheard thing back in 2007 in Turkey for someone to have an out of the country road trip with a 25 year old car especially to a country 2000km away. Everybody called me crazy for even thinking of such an adventure. Well, I still did it and now I am a regular at the ring and take my M cars there every year. I combine those ring trips with some scenic drives on my way and most entertaining ones are the ones I take through German Autobahn and French riviera with magnificent twisty roads and glamorous party towns like Cannes, Monaco and Paris among many others. Not to mention the pleasure of earning wonderful friendships with real enthusiasts I acquired during all those wonderful trips especially in Nurburgring, the driver's "Mecca".

As for driving "Henna" ( My car's name ), It is a pure joy and isolation from real world. I also own an '00 M Coupé and '04 M3 CSL but none give me the real mechanic connection with the tarmac. Steering and chassis feedback is almost telepathic. Every response and input of the car is progressive and controllable. You always feel like the car is trying to help you master the next corner and everything works in harmony to achieve that. Immediate throttle response, very well balanced chassis, that screaming CF Airbox from the legendary S14 engine, super wide visibility and perfect throws of the dog leg gearbox makes each and every drive special and unforgettable.

There will always be newer M machinery from Munich but no matter the improvements and innovations, E30 M3 is the greatest M car ever in my opinion. I plan to hold on to my M3 as long as I live and hope to keep her company with my current M cars and more to come in the future.

This is my story and these are the cars that shaped it,

CLUBBER's M collection

Here is the link to my Petrolicous feature,

Petrolicious - Man from Istanbul Drove to Nurburgring

My daily is a '06 E86 Z4 Coupé and Missus drives a '14 X3 but they are not gallery worthy,
Thanks for looking,

Can.

TrevorM3 · 08-13-2015, 04:27 PM

that over the top shot with the beach is awesome. don't think ive seen that before.

PINHEAD · 08-13-2015, 04:41 PM

wow beautiful CSL

can we get hi-res wallpaper please?

Upgrade+ · 08-13-2015, 05:06 PM

Beautiful!! This should be on the main page for all the forums to appreciate

Law · 08-13-2015, 05:09 PM

Wow, beautiful cars and stunning photography.

Quite an introduction with some of the most desired/rare M-cars in one setting.

Welcome!

SheaButter · 08-13-2015, 05:20 PM

Gorgeous shots man! And officially, welcome!

K.M. Tim · 08-13-2015, 05:37 PM

Can,

My ///MFlight Brother!!!!!

cenix · 08-13-2015, 05:39 PM

that red e30 takes the cake. awesome photos man.

lorinzo · 08-13-2015, 06:46 PM

Wow!

CLUBBER · 08-13-2015, 07:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TrevorM3

that over the top shot with the beach is awesome. don't think ive seen that before.

Thanks Trevor, I love that shot too, still my iphone screensaver. That was taken last year at Eze, Cote d'Azur, France. It actually won photo of the month by CAR Magazine,

Quote:

Originally Posted by PINHEAD

wow beautiful CSL

can we get hi-res wallpaper please?

Sure, give me your email and I will send some CSL shots.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Upgrade+

Beautiful!! This should be on the main page for all the forums to appreciate

Thanks. That would be awesome and another milestone to my story.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Law

Wow, beautiful cars and stunning photography.

Quite an introduction with some of the most desired/rare M-cars in one setting.

Welcome!

Thanks Law. It is great to appreciated by true BMW enthusiasts.

Quote:

Originally Posted by SheaButter

Gorgeous shots man! And officially, welcome!

Thanks my friend.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ///MFlight EU

Can,

My ///MFlight Brother!!!!!

Hey brother ! Kevin, is that you ?

Quote:

Originally Posted by cenix

that red e30 takes the cake. awesome photos man.

digitalpersona · 08-13-2015, 09:41 PM

Thats is an absolutely grand stable sir. Much respect for the passion.

35 AoA · 08-13-2015, 10:46 PM

Fantastic collection, thanks for the pics!

8_is_enough · 08-13-2015, 11:25 PM

Impeccable taste and photos. WOW!!!

Richsocal12 · 08-14-2015, 12:07 AM

awesome collection!

webninja · 08-14-2015, 12:25 AM

Photography is amazing, and that is an envious collection for anyone's garage. Great background story on the e30.

CLUBBER · 08-14-2015, 05:39 AM

Thank you all for your kind words. It is great to be appreciated by true M enthusiasts.

Helmsman · 08-14-2015, 08:26 AM

Welcome aboard Clubber!

Man you know how to look after your cars, and certainly how to take photos - Stunning bro!!

aris21 · 08-14-2015, 08:50 AM

beautiful collection. welcome!

CLUBBER · 08-14-2015, 12:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Helmsman

Welcome aboard Clubber!

Man you know how to look after your cars, and certainly how to take photos - Stunning bro!!

Blood, sweat and tears my friend. Thanks.

Quote:

Originally Posted by aris21

beautiful collection. welcome!

Thanks

STooK · 08-14-2015, 12:59 PM

Definitely the best photos I've seen on this site, beautiful cars and photos!

Denk · 08-14-2015, 01:06 PM

You're a lucky man, awesome collection! I can only imagine. Thanks for sharing, stunning photo's!

The.white.m3 · 08-14-2015, 01:44 PM

Amazing!!!!!! I think everyone here has a dream to have a similar collection!

08-13-2015, 04:03 PM	#1
CLUBBER Driven34 1041 Rep 153 Posts Drives: '87 M3,'95 M3GT,'00 MC,04 CSL Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Istanbul / Turkey iTrader: (0) Garage List 2011 BMW M3 [0.00] 1987 E30 M3 [10.00] 1995 BMW M3 GT [0.00] 2004 BMW M3 CSL [10.00]	My ///M Cars from Istanbul ! E46 M3 CSL, E30 M3, Z3 M Coupe Featured on BIMMERPOST.com Hello everyone, I am a long time lurker and recently an active member on this wonderful site. It is certainly "The Place" for all news and scoops BMW. Just wanted to say hi and share my cars, '87 E30 M3 (Henna), '00 M Coupé (Junior) and '04 E46 M3 CSL (Cesil). Of course they are nowhere as impressive as some of the builds and collection I saw here but, I have a feeling that this crowd would appreciate them more than any place else. Here is a little back story about myself and my cars, I am a die hard BMW fan from Istanbul, Turkey. I am sure we have many other members here from Turkey as well. I have been a huge BMW enthusiast all my life. Since the age of 6 when my father used to take me for spirited drives in his E21 315i, I was hooked for the Bavarian Love. Luckily, my family only owned BMW's so when the time came for me to own a car, I also went for a BMW. It started with my Mom's E36 318is and as years gone by, it moved to various other BMW's like E46's, Z4's and E90 etc. Although I owned modern BMW's, I always lusted for an E30 M3 since a father's friend brought home a poster of a then new E30 M3 when I was only 7 years old.. It was love at first sight. I HAD TO have one. When I was old enough get a car, the E30 M3 was no longer available so I had to move to modern machinery as I just mentioned. But my love for the legendary E30 M3 didn't diminish one bit, so I started my hunt for one. It was really difficult to find one here in Istanbul because there were only 25 of them imported to the country and almost half of them were written off and most of the remaining ones were either molested or tastelessly modified. After years of searching and harassing owners, I was finally able to find my E30 M3 in 2007. I chose that particular car because of two important things ; First, the car was in famous Henna Red color. Which was only produced in first half of the first production year, so it was really rare and stunning in person. Secondly, the car's owner was the service manager of an authorized BMW dealer which meant the car was well maintained and most importantly not molested and all stock. After a year long negotiating and persuasion, I bought my pride and joy in April 2007 with a smile from ear to ear. After briefly owning the car, I went for a full restoration. The engine had been rebuild, all the rust have been cleaned out and all the worn and damaged parts were either restored or replaced with new ones. After the overhaul, then came the little required mods for the car. E30 M3 is a fine M car as it is but it can use little improvements in some areas. First, was installing Bilstein Shocks and H&R Race Springs for the much needed handling improvement. Then came the gloriously screaming Carbon Fiber Airbox and Alpha-N Tuning which was completed in Stuttgart by an M Specialist. On the exterior, I added EVO 2 front spoiler and Sport Evo Rear spoiler to improve aerodynamics. For the interior, I opted for Recaro SRD seats and Alcantara steering wheel,gear lever, handbrake lever to improve in-car ergonomics for spirited drives and track work. I love driving my M3 in early mornings in empty historic streets of old Istanbul where I feel like the whole city is my playground. I love driving through our ancient palaces, mosques and monuments with a screaming S14 under my M3's bonnet. And after a little city track I usually take the action to my favorite twisty's in the outer skirts of the Istanbul forrest roads. But of course I never limited my self or my M3 for specific patch of roads; As soon as I felt my car was in my desired condition, I set my sights on a road trip to Nurburgring. It was an unheard thing back in 2007 in Turkey for someone to have an out of the country road trip with a 25 year old car especially to a country 2000km away. Everybody called me crazy for even thinking of such an adventure. Well, I still did it and now I am a regular at the ring and take my M cars there every year. I combine those ring trips with some scenic drives on my way and most entertaining ones are the ones I take through German Autobahn and French riviera with magnificent twisty roads and glamorous party towns like Cannes, Monaco and Paris among many others. Not to mention the pleasure of earning wonderful friendships with real enthusiasts I acquired during all those wonderful trips especially in Nurburgring, the driver's "Mecca". As for driving "Henna" ( My car's name ), It is a pure joy and isolation from real world. I also own an '00 M Coupé and '04 M3 CSL but none give me the real mechanic connection with the tarmac. Steering and chassis feedback is almost telepathic. Every response and input of the car is progressive and controllable. You always feel like the car is trying to help you master the next corner and everything works in harmony to achieve that. Immediate throttle response, very well balanced chassis, that screaming CF Airbox from the legendary S14 engine, super wide visibility and perfect throws of the dog leg gearbox makes each and every drive special and unforgettable. There will always be newer M machinery from Munich but no matter the improvements and innovations, E30 M3 is the greatest M car ever in my opinion. I plan to hold on to my M3 as long as I live and hope to keep her company with my current M cars and more to come in the future. This is my story and these are the cars that shaped it, CLUBBER's M collection Here is the link to my Petrolicous feature, Petrolicious - Man from Istanbul Drove to Nurburgring My daily is a '06 E86 Z4 Coupé and Missus drives a '14 X3 but they are not gallery worthy, Thanks for looking, Can. __________________ Can, ///My Cars Last edited by CLUBBER; 08-13-2015 at 06:30 PM..
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08-13-2015, 04:27 PM	#2
TrevorM3 Banned 3325 Rep 8,083 Posts Drives: 6.3 AMG Join Date: Apr 2013 Location: Florida iTrader: (0)	that over the top shot with the beach is awesome. don't think ive seen that before.
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08-13-2015, 04:41 PM	#3
PINHEAD Motorsport Passion!!! 104 Rep 1,111 Posts Drives: 991 GT3RS/911R Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Los Angeles iTrader: (12)	wow beautiful CSL can we get hi-res wallpaper please? __________________
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08-13-2015, 05:06 PM	#4
Upgrade+ Good life 135 Rep 1,954 Posts Drives: 2008 E90 M3 AW Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: NY iTrader: (8)	Beautiful!! This should be on the main page for all the forums to appreciate __________________ Current: 08 E90 M3 Alpine White Former: 11 135i Msport Space Gray -Former: 07 335i Titanium Silver E92- Former: 08 135i Alpine White E82- Past: 06 Subaru STI WRB- Past: 04 Audi S4 Imola yellow- Past:97 Honda prelude Ice blue
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08-13-2015, 05:09 PM	#5
Law Global Moderator 6426 Rep 2,309 Posts Drives: E90 M3 6MT Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: USA iTrader: (1) Garage List 2011.5 BMW M3 [10.00] 2004 BMW M3 [10.00]	Wow, beautiful cars and stunning photography. Quite an introduction with some of the most desired/rare M-cars in one setting. Welcome! __________________ 2011.5 E90 ///M3 \| 6-Speed Manual \| Slicktop \| Jerez Black \| Fox Red E9x M3 Press/Media Archives Thread \| S65-based Racing Engines Thread
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08-13-2015, 05:20 PM	#6
SheaButter Lieutenant 278 Rep 529 Posts Drives: F80 M3CP F86 X6M Join Date: May 2015 Location: Irvine, CA iTrader: (2)	Gorgeous shots man! And officially, welcome! __________________ Instagram: That_M_Power E93 M3 AC Schnitzer Carbon Fiber - Fully Gutted Exhaust and muffler delete \| 2007 DB9 Bone Stock \| 2016 428i
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08-13-2015, 05:37 PM	#7
K.M. Tim First Lieutenant 218 Rep 392 Posts Drives: 2011 M3 ZCP 6MT Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Lanaken, Belgium iTrader: (0) Garage List 2011 M3 [2.00] 2012 BMW F30 w/ M S ... [0.00]	Can, My ///MFlight Brother!!!!! __________________ ///MFlight Admin
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08-13-2015, 05:39 PM	#8
cenix Captain 383 Rep 875 Posts Drives: E90 M3 ZCP Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: SoCal iTrader: (5)	that red e30 takes the cake. awesome photos man.
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08-13-2015, 06:46 PM	#9
lorinzo Captain 85 Rep 953 Posts Drives: e90 M3; i3 rex; e46 M3 vert Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Los Angeles, CA iTrader: (0)	Wow! __________________ \| 2011 M3 Sedan \| Le Mans Blue \| M-DCT \| ZC2 \| ZCP \| ZP3 \| Moonroof \| Enhanced Premium Sound \| Dinan exhaust \| Dinan software \| Dinan pulley \| Dinan intake \| Dinan pedals \| Bimmian LED interior \| Lux H8 V3 \| WeissLicht PY24W LED \| 20% tint \| IND reflectors \| IND front grills \| IND key hole cover \| IND hood vents \| IND M5 mirror covers \| Reus Systems audio \| Verstraβe shifter paddles \| BBS LM 20x9 et 15 and 20x10.5 et 15 \| Hankook Ventus V12 255/30/20 and 295/25/20 \| Red BBS Racing lug nut kit \| H&R Sport springs \|
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08-13-2015, 09:41 PM	#11
digitalpersona First Lieutenant 89 Rep 364 Posts Drives: 2012 E93 M3 Blk/Blk Join Date: May 2015 Location: Long Island, NY iTrader: (0)	Thats is an absolutely grand stable sir. Much respect for the passion.
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08-13-2015, 10:46 PM	#12
35 AoA Registered 6 Rep 4 Posts Drives: e92 M3, e30 M3, c240 wagon Join Date: Oct 2014 Location: Fallon, NV iTrader: (0)	Fantastic collection, thanks for the pics!
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08-13-2015, 11:25 PM	#13
8_is_enough Captain 200 Rep 984 Posts Drives: 07 GT3, 18 Macan GTS, 22 X540i Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Danville, CA iTrader: (10)	Impeccable taste and photos. WOW!!!
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08-14-2015, 12:07 AM	#14
Richsocal12 Major 435 Rep 1,024 Posts Drives: E90 M3 Alpine Weiss - Slicktop Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Los Angeles iTrader: (5)	awesome collection! __________________ https://www.instagram.com/motorsport.grg/?hl=en Personal IG: rrichmondd
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08-14-2015, 12:25 AM	#15
webninja First Lieutenant 23 Rep 339 Posts Drives: 2011.75 E90 M3 Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: LA iTrader: (5)	Photography is amazing, and that is an envious collection for anyone's garage. Great background story on the e30.
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08-14-2015, 05:39 AM	#16
CLUBBER Driven34 1041 Rep 153 Posts Drives: '87 M3,'95 M3GT,'00 MC,04 CSL Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Istanbul / Turkey iTrader: (0) Garage List 2011 BMW M3 [0.00] 1987 E30 M3 [10.00] 1995 BMW M3 GT [0.00] 2004 BMW M3 CSL [10.00]	Thank you all for your kind words. It is great to be appreciated by true M enthusiasts. __________________ Can, ///My Cars
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08-14-2015, 08:26 AM	#17
Helmsman Major General 4669 Rep 7,265 Posts Drives: 2011 AW E90 M3 ZCP Join Date: Mar 2014 Location: Stockholm, Sweden iTrader: (0)	Welcome aboard Clubber! Man you know how to look after your cars, and certainly how to take photos - Stunning bro!!
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08-14-2015, 08:50 AM	#18
aris21 Private First Class 36 Rep 175 Posts Drives: 2011 M3 E92 Join Date: May 2015 Location: San Francisco, CA iTrader: (1)	beautiful collection. welcome!
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08-14-2015, 12:59 PM	#20
STooK Lieutenant Colonel 735 Rep 1,973 Posts Drives: 2013 E92 M3 ZCP Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: NY iTrader: (6)	Definitely the best photos I've seen on this site, beautiful cars and photos! __________________ 2013 BMW E92 ///M3 AW/BLK ZCP CF Roof 6 Speed - Perfection 2011 BMW E90 328i xDrive Space Grey/Black - Daily 2011 BMW E93 ///M3 MW/FR/BLK 6 Speed - Gone but not forgotten
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08-14-2015, 01:06 PM	#21
Denk Brigadier General 1008 Rep 3,341 Posts Drives: 2021 X5M Join Date: May 2011 Location: PNW iTrader: (2)	You're a lucky man, awesome collection! I can only imagine. Thanks for sharing, stunning photo's!
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08-14-2015, 01:44 PM	#22
The.white.m3 Second Lieutenant 74 Rep 292 Posts Drives: Bmw Join Date: Jul 2015 Location: Montreal iTrader: (3)	Amazing!!!!!! I think everyone here has a dream to have a similar collection!
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