Rumble at the Wrecking Site

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Yes, this is a performance car magazine, but we know you have a life outside of cars. As we were on location for this ’93 BMW 328i feature, we argued over which we’d rather own, the bike or the coupe. We weighed the advantages and disadvantages of riding versus driving, and here it is, for the first, last, and only time, the battle nobody’s been waiting for: the Rumble at the Wrecking Site!The BMW’s Specs box in this story reveals a Racing Dynamics body kit, a Dinan fuel ECU, Bilstein Sport shocks with H&R springs, and Lowenhart wheels with Pirelli P7000s among other mods designed to make this coupe a better fighter. Owner Mike Borja bought the car for $18,000 after years of owning Honda CRXs and Accords. Mike wanted to step up into a nicer ride and avoid any wild graphics or ridiculous suspension mods. What he wound up with was a stylish car that, instead of shouting “Hey, look at me,” whispers “I’m a baaaad man.” With the help of his dad, owner of Ben Borja’s Auto Body in Pasadena, California, Mike added little touches like the clear Euro-style sidemarkers and NR Automotive white dash gauges. Like any red-blooded car enthusiast, Mike had to include a kickin’ sound system. Mike made all mods mild, nothing overstated. Every angle of this car shows smooth styling and clean comfort. For all-around performance, style, and speed, even a Ducati 748 can’t match this BMW.The Ducati is stock, but the technology that goes into these bikes leaves the factory unit only a few parts shy of full-race. By far, the fastest of the competitors, and the Ducati 748 should hit 98 hp at 10,000 rpm. Yet, for all that, it couldn’t last in the rain, it couldn’t pick up a date in an evening gown, and you’re bound to crash it. Just ask any veteran rider and he’ll relay a crash story that will end with something like “and then the idiot made a left turn right in front of me.”The rest of the 328i includes a Dinan ECU chip; an Art of Roar carbon fiber intake, filter, and header with carbon fiber muffler and DTM tips; and a full Racing Dynamics body kit. The suspension features Bilstein Sport shocks and struts with H&R coilovers up front and Racing Dynamics antisway bars front and rear. Pound-for-pound, this ’93 BMW 328i is tough to beat.