No stroke/hate thread on Griot's E30 M3 3dr Touring SEMA demo?

[jhaurimn]

Weird that they used an ix chassis, but cool I guess.

Agreed...not sure what they were thinking with that.

[flyboyx]

It's a nice look aside from the C pillar, which is too wide. Now if they made that a flip open vent or something it would be cool.

i was just going to say exactly this. the c pilar looks kind of silly.

There were a handfull of 2 door e30 touring made in the early 80s, is that what you are thinking of?

i dig this for some reason. even i suppose the bbs kit is cool. that window behind the c pilar looks so much better here.

i don't think a 2 door touring came out of the factory did it?

[mr2peak]

It would be awesome being 4wd as a wagon. Wonder why they didn't keep it that way, super unique.

i don't think a 2 door touring came out of the factory did it?

Think they made 3 of them. Super ugly looking.

[stonea]

I didn't even notice the strut towers. Was there any reason for this, or was that maybe just what shell they had access to cheap to cut up into this?

The response I got was "It was easily available" I guess its easier to convert an ix to RWD than to source a RWD chassis

Anyways I don't like it because I don't get the point of it. Well I don't really get the point of SEMA. You decide to build a car for SEMA, then you spend an insane amount of money on stuff like race engines, tube frames, turbos or superchargers, roll cages, and suspension set ups (all for a car thats going to do nothing but sit). Then you have to start making compromises to make the deadline, then you don't even make the deadline and you ship out a car that can't start, brake, or steer (is it even a car anymore) and then after SEMA you use the car for a couple of public appearances until its becomes "old" news and becomes forgotten in the back of a warehouse. Don't get me wrong the cars at SEMA are bad ass, but imagine if a certain Sacramento based shop spent their money on a competent customer service and shipping department instead of a S54 e30 for SEMA. I just don't see how these guys get a return from their investment.

*Rant over*

[mr2peak]

...spent their money on a competent customer service and shipping department instead of a S54 e30 for SEMA. I just don't see how these guys get a return from their investment.

The S54 E30 becomes a tax write-off. Parts, labor, etc. Marketing yourself at SEMA is huge. While it's "industry only", every single car person with access to a computer will be looking at those pictures and seeing the name of the shop.

But you still make a very valid point.

[Chrisbike]

Bothers me that they used a iX chassis and didn't keep the awd system, looks very nice other than that. With that said, if they could of made it a 4 door I think it would make a lot more sense. What engine? S14? 24V? Maybe they ran into issue with a swap and dropped the idea..

[TheTacoMan]

Where are the detailed pictures?

[varg]

-not stanced/slammed
-no hideous rocket bunny widebody kit
-no polished lip wheels
I approve. It looks cool.

[stonea]

The S54 E30 becomes a tax write-off. Parts, labor, etc. Marketing yourself at SEMA is huge. While it's "industry only", every single car person with access to a computer will be looking at those pictures and seeing the name of the shop.

But you still make a very valid point.

I didn't know it was a tax write off. That makes it a little better then.

As for those asking about the AWD. They did a M60 swap so theres really no way they could have kept AWD. It is theoretically possible, but someone like Griot wouldn't benefit it. Maybe someone like Garagistic could do it and benefit from selling the parts the had to design and make to people like us, but thats not Griots market.

[Vincent Brick]

There were a handfull of 2 door e30 touring made in the early 80s, is that what you are thinking of?

Never seen that one before, it actually looks a lot better than I imagined, I always thought the rear side class would look exaggeratedly long without any pillar to break it up.

If you GIS there are a few pics from when the SEMA car was just painted. the additional pillar you see is left over from Touring roof as-is, with another window in between, which i wonder is a touring or sedan rear door window, perhaps modified (can you cut down safety glass?), seems the sizing would be close replacing the length of the little door quarter glass with the length of the front door.

I just love 2dr wagons and 3dr hatches, since I was a kid even, loved Nomads and early Chevelle 2dr wagons.





Beyond a tax write-off, when you do these builds you also get other aftermarket parts manufacturers and suppliers to donate/discount parts too, and the finished car draws in other business reps they network with, and its kinda all just free lube for the industry circle-jerk and prick waving competition. I'm kinda jaded on that industry and trying to get out, but I'd still like to go eventually, I'm sure i will I know enough people who do regularly.

Those TV shows doing theme choppers and custom cars for corporations, again, tax write off, that's advertising on that TV show. During American Chopper it was something like $10k extra to have your Orange County Choppers bike built on the show.

[Vincent Brick]

Reading now that this car started as a 325iX wagon, with the coupe doors added, not a touring roof and rear added to a coupe as I had imagined, like how that nice Jetta Coupe was made from a GTI years back. That makes more sense for the iX being what was available to them, but damn, yeah, they actually cut up a 325iX Touring to make this car.

http://www.inmygarage.com/introducing-griots-garage-worlds-fastest-detail-wagen/

[crash n' burn]

It may be my eyes playing tricks but did they move the B-pillar back to fit coupe doors? With all that work, I would of thought they'd remove the C-pillar completely and had a custom piece of glass go in there. Having the rear door glass kind of makes it look....meh.

[nando]

I wouldn't be too upset about them using an ix touring. They actually made quite a lot of them - IIRC more than the ix's they brought to the states.

[twiggletwaggle]

There were a handfull of 2 door e30 touring made in the early 80s, is that what you are thinking of?

Thiiiiiiiiiis I want. Looks better than the SEMA car, but I don't mind the end result of Griot's project either.

[5Toes]

the original BMW coupe touring that rear window is soooo long. it looks more like a coupe than a wagon. the SEMA car atleast you can tell its a wagon first, coupe second. the elongated c pillar reminds me of that of a real ///M3 which I think was the point.

perhaps we will get lucky and see this car at the picnic this year, since it is a griots car