James Camarador's E46 M3
Photography by Gabriel Milori
I was first acquainted with James (also known as FLOSS around the internet), when his previous car was making its way around the forums. It was an Alpine White E90 335i sitting on a rather unique wheel setup—a set of CCW Classics with gold centers on one side & silver centers on the other. Some hated it and some loved it, one thing for sure was that it was different. And he wouldn’t have it any other way.
James had left his first E46 M3 to get the 335i sedan for his family. He also thought that he was done with the manual transmission. That’s a fairly common decision that most regret and that’s exactly what happened. The E90 was so different from the E46, James said… “It just wasn’t an ///M.” And since he only had the first E46 for four months, he felt like he had unfinished business to take care of.
He picked up this 2005 Interlago Blue E46 M3 equipped with Competition Package and of course, a 6-speed manual gearbox. It was first revealed online sporting a set of CCW Classics again. It was breathtaking with nothing more than an aggressive fitment. It retained the stock appearance yet showed some serious character. The stance was dialed in thanks to BC Racing Coilovers with custom spring sizes and rates which are now known as their Extreme drop kit.
The amber lights were added to go a different route than the typical clear or smoked option usually found on this platform. The chrome and ambers really compliment the IB in a classy way. The E46 has aged perfectly and with the HRE Vintage Series that recently came out, it was just what James needed. He went with the 501 Series because he liked that design best. Admiring HRE wheels since he was a kid, he told himself that he had to own at least one set in his lifetime. The specs are 18×10″ with 245/35 Hankook V12 (Front) & 18×12″ 285/30 Hankook V12 (Rear), filling up every last inch of those large wheel wells.
He decided to throw a different set of wheels on the other side just for our shoot (like the E90′s two face look). These are OEM BMW Style 5s custom rebarreled to 18×10/12″ with polished lips, chrome hardware and painted centers built by James himself. He has always been into wheels, but it wasn’t until his sponsorship with CCW that he started getting into refinishing wheels. Over time getting closer and chatting with the guys at CCW, he picked up a couple of things along the way from basic wheel sizing and measurements all the way to safety. He said that he’s always wanted something on the side besides a regular day job, and this let’s him get creative while doing something that he loves.
Like many ///M-owners, James bought his car because of its great performance. While the stock power may be plenty for some, he eventually got an urge for more. That’s when the decision to install a VF Engineering VF480 supercharger was made. He hasn’t dynoed the car yet, but it should be good for around 420hp to the wheels. So with unique looks and power to back it up, James's M3 has earned a spot here on our site.
