A Wednesday Afternoon Mini-Meet

06 Oct A Wednesday Afternoon Mini-Meet

This morning and afternoon, anybody who has driven into Fluid’s lot would have been confused — were we having a mini car meet?

It just so happens that we have a lot of vehicles representing BMW’s Motorsport division today. In total, the front of the lot was comprised of four M3s (three E46 M3s and our own E90 M3 sedan) and four M5s (all of the E39 variety, one of which belongs to our own Mike Marzano), with yet another E46 M3 being worked on in the shop. It was quite the collection of vehicles, and it really goes to show you the wide-reaching tastes and preferences of their respective owners.

The M3s are decked out in much brighter colors than their larger, 5-series brethren. Each manages to work carbon fiber into the exterior, as well, be it the emblems, the kidney grilles, the Dymag carbon-kevlar wheels or the entire hood. One is supercharged, one is turbocharged, but all of them look aggressively put together and ready to get into a fight at a moment’s notice.

The M5s, on the other hand, tend to take a more subdued approach. For the most part, their exteriors are relatively pristine, untouched by carbon fiber or hood vents. Their choice of colors are a bit more practical as well, with two dark blue hues, black and silver representing the more executive stance of the M5’s longer-wheelbase sedan setup. If it weren’t for the wheels and the badging (and the large amount of autocross-and-racing-related stickers on one of the blue ones), you’d think they were all relatively tame. One of the blue M5s, though, has a set of exhaust pipes that scream, “Look at me, then watch me disappear!”

Yep, that is yet another wonderful exhaust fabrication from Fluid’s own hands. It sounds even meaner than it looks, trust us on that.

Either way, it’s a very interesting juxtaposition to consider. Are E39 fanatics just a bit more flashy in terms of presentation, or does it all boil down to a chance situation on a sunny Wednesday afternoon?