Islam Gohar's E90 M3
Photography by Matt Petrie
“Don’t judge a book by its cover” is an expression we’ve all been warned of at some point in our lives, however it may have applied. While most of us were told this at a young age, it still holds true no matter how much time passes. Those of you familiar with the E9X platform know of its naturally aspirated, high revving V8 engine making over 400 horsepower. At first glance you can tell this thing is serious. It’s lowered on RD springs with Volk TE37-SL’s and an Akrapovic exhaust. With the addition of a few little aesthetic BMW Performance pieces it’s evident that this has been modified, but it’s not until you get in the car that you know this thing means business.
It didn’t take long for Izzy to become bored with the stock power. He decided it was time to reach out to AJ and Roman of ESS Tuning to install their supercharger kit in no other color than yellow to pop off of the Interlagos Blue. Undoubtedly this was making plenty of power, but still he was not pleased. Realizing that bolt-ons had their limitations he and his friend, one of the top technicians at BMW NA – Corry Prime, brainstormed where to go next. Their solution? – build the block.
From there he began to piece together the internals needed to accomplish what he was after. That laundry list went something like this: Custom 10:01 Mahle pistons that would accommodate 18psi, custom fuel rails, Carrillo rods, GT4 water pump, motorsport rod and main bearings, and head gasket as well as custom valve springs. The heads were stress tested for cracks, cleaned and new valve seals were installed. Izzy got the block tested and honed by Dinan and all of the rotating assembly was balanced and blue printed by Michael Rouser at L&M Machine shop in Pennsylvania. Once they began assembly, which by the way was done in one weekend, they realized they needed a more efficient way to feed more fuel to this monster. They corrected the issue with custom fuel delivery system and bigger injectors.
Being that this is his daily driver, he wanted it to remain civil both inside and out. The Challenge X-pipe was modified with 4 resonators to keep a distinct and aggressive sound when he wants to open it up. The flat bottomed BMW Performance steering wheel and matching black alcantara interior trim both tie the yellow from the manifold into the car tastefully. His P3 gauge is also seamlessly integrated in the air vent as to not cause any unnecessary attention. The oem+ interior is completed with an illuminated F10 M5 shift knob.
I’m sorry, did I say civil? Last time he checked he was making 648whp Edit: now 683whp, but will be going back in soon for another dyno run and is expecting more power with a few tweaks. He can keep up with the best super cars out there and fit 3 other people comfortably while doing it. If you do happen to catch Izzy on the road in Connecticut be mindful of this metaphor and don’t underestimate what his sedan can do.
Edit (3/24/15): now 785whp
