Audi BMW

IND Distribution returns once again with a new project. Dubbed “Moonstone”, the latest IND work focused on the BMW M3 Sedan. Just as with previous projects, IND gives us the back story.

IND’s client Jamie is a real example of hard work paying off. As a technician for Suncor Energy in Ft McMurray Canada, Jamie is no stranger to putting in extreme hours in extreme conditions, and works on some of the most amazing earth moving equipment in the world.

Jamie’s efforts maintaining the single largest fleet of the single largest trucks in the world have granted him the privilege of creating his perfect E90 M3, but just as in his work life, Jamie had to work very hard to get his beloved M3 to where it is today- his first Individual Moonstone M3 was taken from him in a car accident just last year! After losing his first Moonstone car, Jamie knew he had to get the second try just right.

Jamie approached IND looking for an Akrapovic exhaust system, but as we began to discuss his project, Jamie began to share his ideas with me. Jamie has a passion for detail and perfection, and knew that he wanted his modifications to be very subtle. His goal was to create a car that looked factory original to a layperson, but also sported modifications that could be appreciated by a true enthusiast.

To that goal, we selected Akrapovic’s prototype polished tips, a Brembo 380mm GT kit finished in the same beautiful Moonstone paint color, and BBS LM wheels as the major modifications on the car. IND painted all of the grille inserts on the car in a gloss black finish to accent the gloss black accents installed on the car from the factory, and added a European spec bumper to delete the reflectors in the cleanest way possible.

The centerpiece of the car, in my eyes, is the incredible engine bay. IND powdercoated the valve covers a high temp textured black, and painted the ignition coil covers moonstone for accent. Our best painter finished the plenum in it’s incredible Moonstone and gloss black paint scheme, and finished a Dinan carbon intake elbow in gloss black to match.

Unlike most of IND’s Portfolio Projects, this car was not assembled in house, but instead all of the components were installed by the owner himself! Jamie installed all of the modifications with ease, given his experience as a skilled technician.

To finish the car and take it on it’s maiden voyage, Jamie planned a road trip of international scale! Jamie drove the car from Ft McMurray in far northern Canada directly to IND, where we completed the car by installing the engine bay components. As a true enthusiast, Jamie has every intention of enjoying the car to it’s fullest, and is now on his way to Newfoundland before returning to Ft McMurray- a nearly 10,000 mile trip in total! Jamie will enjoy the car he has created for years to come.

Our friends over at IND are bringing their “Green Hell” M3 back into focus. Last week, they took their amazing M3 around the track and shared their impressions with the BMW community.

“This Tuesday a friend of mine asked me if we were interested in bringing Green Hell to the famous Autobahn Country Club for a private test day, I found I was unable to say no. The chance to shake down the car for the first time since it was supercharged in a private, closed environment was just too tempting to resist!

Many questions were going through my head as we got in the car to drive to Autobahn Country Club- how difficult will it be to put down the 600 some horsepower provided by the ESS Supercharger kit? Will the car stay cool with the newfound power? Even without these questions, the alignment was still brand new, the Hawk DTC-60 pads housed in Brembo’s GT kit completely untested in a track environment, and we knew that much of the car’s behavior would be completely different.

Arriving at Autobahn, we soon realized we were in for much more than we anticipated. The paddock was full of absolutely fearesome cars like Ryan Gates’ Nitto Tire and AMS sponsored Evo X, the Cobb Tuning R35 GTR, and many other creations from top name tuners across the US. Luckily, Friday was still considered a “members only” day, and we were one of only about 5 cars actually running on the track.

As we began to put the M3 through it’s paces on Autobah’s south course, we immediately developed an immense confidence in the ability of the hardware at our disposal. The limit of the M3 was so staggeringly high. The engine, even with the ESS Supercharger kit installed never wavered in it’s ability to stay cool, lap after lap after lap. 20 minute sessions were flying by with literally no increase in coolant temperature or loss of braking power. Even the NT05 tires felt absolutely fantastic throughout the day, as they fought the car’s 600 horsepower for control.

The car felt so fantastic on Friday that even though we had only intended to have a relaxing Friday afternoon track session at Autobahn, it was absolutely clear that with a car that worked this well, the Redline Time Attack event simply could not be missed! At about 6pm, we called back to the shop, ordered some fresh engine oil and brake fluid, and got ready to spend a couple of hours prepping the car. Thanks to our friend Greg at GT Motoring, we were even able to make the car look the part by adding some vinyl to represent the car’s sponsors!

Passing tech at the event was an exercise in creativity- the car’s undertray was 1” too low for Street class, and because we had signed up so late on Saturday morning, raising the car was not an option as we could not realign the car, and removing the undertray was also impossible, as that would seriously hinder the car’s cooling ability. We chose to place the car into the only class that would take it- the Drift class! This class has the same rules as the Street class, except there is no height requirement. We were finally on our way.

In all, the Time Attack weekend was a great time. Autobahn was a truly beautiful facility as always, the car ran flawlessly, and we spent quality time at the track with many of our close friends. The car also clocked a great time- a second off from the other car in Drift class- another supercharged M3!

Thanks to the staff at Autobahn, Brembo, ESS Tuning, KW, Sparco, Challenge and Eisenmann for all of their help in making this car an absolute blast to drive at the track!”

IND Distribution completed the construction of their Atlantis E92 M3 project car by bringing the car to BimmerFest. The car was well received and won a first place trophy in the “best modified BMW” class! The owner was so excited by the finished project that he created his own name for the car- “The Blue Max”, the highest medal given to German pilots in World War 1.

With our deadline approaching fast, IND’s staff found themselves spending more and more sleepless nights at the shop. I was driving back and forth between our Carbon Fiber manufacturer’s and our upholsterer’s more and more regularly, and I knew we were truly pushing the limit of what was possible in the time available.

One the roll bar is complete, Fall Line places their plaque on the roll bar as a signature of their amazing work.

IND laid a coat of beautiful Atlantis Metallic paint on the car’s roll bar to integrate the piece into the car’s interior. Because Nelson’s vision for this car was originally inspired by both the M3 GTS and IND’s original Atlantis project, we knew that the Atlantis roll bar would be a perfect unifying point between both of these sources of inspiration.

To compete with Nelson’s exotic collection, we knew that we had to achieve something truly special in the car’s interior, and knew of no better starting point than Ericsson’s amazing Carbon Fiber door panels. Time was of course the enemy once again, because after contacting Ericsson we learned that not only had the panels never actually been made for a car outside of Ericsson’s own facility, they were to take about 8 weeks to build and import. After several conversations that included a fair amount of begging and pleading, IND was able to successfully import the panels in a matter of two weeks! Because the panels had never been sent outside of Ericsson’s own facility, fitting these panels to the car would be a true challenge. Our expert technician worked for nearly a week to create the perfect piece!

IND knew that only one set of seats would be right enough to continue the GTS theme- the BMW Performance seats. We contacted one of our connections in Germany to import the seats for us, along with hide after hide of BMW’s original leather (something we were told repeatedly was impossible to get). To match the all leather headliner and dash, the seats were painstakingly disassembled and completely reupholstered in leather. The seats were completed in four days, a nearly impossible feat! IND refinished the plastic seat belt pass through pieces in gloss black for an absolutely original look.

By far the biggest challenge of the project was this, a completely one off carbon fiber rear interior section. IND once again worked with our amazing composites manufacturer, and gave him his most ambitious task yet- build a piece that will completely cover the rear area left bare by installing the roll bar, match everything to the Ericsson door panels, and do it all in just one week. The entire staff worked through each night and the weekend to complete our project, and the result was even more impressive than anyone at IND could have possibly envisioned! The full carbon fiber interior treatment gives the car a fighting chance against Nelson’s amazing supercars.

The completed view of our “IND GTS” interior treatment.

Smaller details like the reupholstered shift and ebrake boots with M tri color stitching surround the leather wrapped gauge holder that contains oil temp, water temp, and oil pressure gauges by Stack. Monitoring this engine’s vitals will be critical, as the car will see it’s fair share of track use.

No other wheel will have suited this project more perfectly than BBS’ FI. The wheels were completely unavailable during the planning of this project, and to my knowledge, this is still the only set of BBS FI wheels in the United States as of today. The volcanic eruption of April made importing these wheels an even greater adventure, forcing IND to have our shipping contact in Germany personally pick the wheels up at BBS’ facility, drive them to the airport, and personally ensure the set got loaded on an airline flight. Seeing the wheels safely in our hands was truly thrilling!

Finally, after the key components for the car had been installed, IND was able to fly the chief software engineer for ESS Tuning to Chicago to program the car’s already incredible double clutch transmission, and dyno test the car. The M3 spun the dyno rollers with a fearsome bellow from the Akrapovic exhaust, and produced 522 horsepower at the wheels with just 6.5psi of boost from ESS’ supercharger kit!

When the car pulled into IND’s facility for it’s final cleaning and inspection prior to departure for BimmerFest, all of us at IND could collectively feel the specter of time lift, and our tensions eased. The job was done, and we no longer had to fear time’s looming presence, at least until our next project began.

Photos and article by IND-Distribution, and Jason Tang

Our friends over at IND-Distribution have another project to share with us.
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Humanity has been obsessed with time since the dawn of history. The Egyptians, the Mayans, the Greeks, and thousands of other civilizations throughout human history have strived to measure and understand time. No mineral, artifact, or human creation, nothing is more precious than time. Time does not negotiate; it cannot be purchased, sold, or recovered once it’s lost.

Mankind has accomplished impressive feats, but as each man lives his life, he does so under the looming shadow of passing time. No force is more fearsome than the passing of time itself. IND’s latest portfolio project makes this fact abundantly clear. This project was not a battle against limited resources, limited creativity, or limited ability, but rather a fight against time.

Nelson, our client for this Portfolio Project is an unsung hero in the car world. His collection of supercars has given magazine editors across the world the opportunity to test drive some of the rarest, most exotic vehicles on the planet, and has allowed regular car enthusiasts like us to read about machines we can only dream of having. His garage looks like every teen aged boy’s fantasy, with everything from Aston to Zonda contained within.

Nelson has been a BMW owner since the 1970s, and has had a passion for the M division’s unique creations since the letter M began to quicken the heartbeats of performance enthusiasts worldwide, so was naturally felt inspired when he saw IND’s Atlantis E90 M3 portfolio project. The color was so striking to our client, that he knew he had to have it. The color itself comes with a price, however- a brand new M3, ordered through BMW’s Individual program can take nearly a year to obtain. As plans came together, our mission became very clear.

IND would create a car that would look at home next to Nelson’s two Bugatti Veyrons and Ferarri Enzo both because of its amazing performance and its exotic spec sheet. We also knew that Nelson wished to have the car in time for the summer’s track season, and could not think of a better venue to show the completed car to our client than BimmerFest in California- without question the biggest BMW gathering in the US. It is when we committed to these two simply-stated goals that the specter of time began to loom over IND.

We had to build a car that could fight against Enzo Ferarri’s personal legacy to capture Nelson’s attention, and we only had two months to envision and build such a machine.

The project started with the purchase of a brand new 2010 E92 M3. It had been a while since I had the chance to sit in an M3 this new, and the experience was no less intoxicating than the first time I’d gotten the opportunity. The car pulled into our shop with 29 miles brightly displayed on the odometer. The window stickers, floor mat protectors, and of course that wonderful smell of a new BMW were all there, and I could not conceal my excitement. Of course, after some moments of simply staring at the car, I began to regain focus. All of IND’s staff would have to talk and plan and debate for hours. Choices had to be made quickly, and correctly. Parts that many said were impossible to get would have to arrive within days of the car’s arrival at our facility. And of course, there was the matter of disassembling the entire car to prepare it for its complete refinish in BMW’s beautiful Atlantis Metallic.

To that end, while IND’s creative staff met to discuss our vision and create a build timeline for the car, IND’s BMW factory trained technicians immediately moved the car to our lift to begin disassembling the entire car. The complete front of the car was removed in this photo, to prepare the engine for removal.

The engine was stripped, and prepared for removal…

… and then removed to expose the muscular looking frame of the M3.

The M3’s complete drivetrain was then removed, along with any trim, underbody protection, and fuel, brake, and emergency brake lines under the car.

Each part was meticulously packaged and labeled immediately after removal. A dedicated section of industrial sized warehouse shelving was purchased specifically for Nelson’s M3, and installed in a separate section of our warehouse to store all of the parts. One of the biggest challenges of building this M3 is the reassembly process- our technicians are doing the job that BMW does on an assembly line with complex machinery, entirely by hand. Each piece must be absolutely perfectly re-installed to ensure that the car has no strange creaks, rattles, or groans and feels and drives just like a car with 20 miles on it, fresh from BMW’s assembly line.

We chose our most qualified paint professional to complete the paint work on this car. He has been with our shop for 28 years, and lit up with excitement when we began discussing the magnitude of this project together. The beautiful Atlantis Metallic paint was applied to the freshly prepared car only two days after the car’s arrival at our shop. Every member of IND’s staff was aware of just how little time was available, and with time looming over our shoulders, not a single staff member wasted even a precious second between tasks.

As soon as the paint cured, our technicians began reassembly of the critical components so that the car could be sent to our composites manufacturer, our upholsterer, and to BMW.

Because every nut and bolt was removed from the car, even small items like the horns, oil cooler brackets, and so on had to be reinstalled, along the with the natural centerpiece of the car’s wheel wells- the KW ClubSport adjustable suspension and Brembo 380mm brake kit, finished in IND’s custom machinery grey to resemble Brembo’s Motorsport calipers.

Akrapovic’s titanium exhaust system was a perfect match for this project, and was next to be reinstalled on the car. Rogue Engineering adjustable toe arms can also be seen in this photo, and at this point the car’s floor plates and other small hardware are reinstalled.

A car meant to compete for attention with Nelson’s supercars would not succeed in its task with only the M3’s standard power level on tap. ESS Tuning’s supercharger kit was perfectly suited to the task, offering bulletproof reliability and power levels usually reserved for exotics. IND could not leave the engine bay well enough alone, of course, so we chose to finish the valve covers in a high gloss black, with their plastic covers in Atlantis Metallic, and the supercharger’s intake manifold in a jewel-like high polished gloss black to match the theme of the car.

From here, the car made a trip to visit our friends at Fall Line Motorsports. To complete the car’s interior, we knew we had to borrow an element from the M3 GTS- the roll bar. IND worked with the expert fabricators at Fall Line Motorsports to create a custom roll bar for the car, using 1.75″ .095 wall thickness chromoly tubing. FallLine used their experience in racing E92 M3s in the Grand AM race series to weld in this beautiful piece of safety equipment.

A photo of the roll bar’s main hoop being test fitted reveals another custom detail of this project- the all leather headliner! The fabricators at Fall Line had to work very carefully to not damage the beautiful leather of the headliner- IND had to purchase this leather directly from BMW’s leather supplier in Germany, and import the hides into the US as they are a blocked item in the United States! This gives the headliner, along with some other interior pieces we will reveal later a nearly irreplaceable status.

Fall Line’s master fabricators placed beautiful welds on the base plates of the roll bar.

As the project nears completion, all of us at IND must make the final push to build easily one of our most pride-worthy creations. I can’t reveal many more details at this point, but the car will be available for viewing at BimmerFest for BMW enthusiasts from the west coast, and once again at the Pebble Beach show for enthusiasts from the east.

Here is a preview of some of the other components being installed on the car, to make the project truly special:

Ericsson was contacted to build a one-off set of Carbon Fiber door panels. These beautifully sculpted pieces will be part of a complete interior treatment.

IND imported BMW Performance seats from Germany, and are working with a true expert in the art of BMW programming to allow the M3 to communicate with the seats with no custom wiring or modification of the car’s safety equipment. We also have a special treat planned for the appearance of the seats.

No other wheel will have suited this project more perfectly than BBS’ FI. The wheels were completely unavailable during the planning of this project, and to my knowledge, this is still the only set of BBS FI wheels in the United States as of today. The volcanic eruption of April made importing these wheels an even greater adventure, forcing IND to have our shipping contact in Germany personally pick the wheels up at BBS’ facility, drive them to the airport, and personally ensure the set got loaded on an airline flight. Seeing the wheels safely in our hands was truly thrilling!

Challenge Engineering was contacted to produce a completely custom Carbon Kevlar trunk lid for the car. This is a truly unique piece, as it does not use any extra spoiler, and does not change BMW’s original lines. This piece was custom built for the project in literally a matter of weeks.

I have to end here, so readers will have to be patient until the car’s premier at BimmerFest. I assure all of you, the end result is well worth your time. See this car for yourself at BimmerFest in California, and at Pebble Beach in Florida!

Our friends over at IND Distribution have just completed their latest project: “Green Hell”. As always, Nate and his team took the time to give us a detailed description of their project, along with the usual great photos.

Ask any racing driver or sports car enthusiast what “Green Hell” means to them, and they will say nearly the same thing- Green Hell is the nickname of undoubtedly the most terrifying, the most challenging, and the most lethal race course on the planet- the Nurburgring. Most people who are not fans of motorsport simply do not understand. What is the purpose of a place like this? What a terrible waste of life and resources, to build a race track that takes more human life in one year than any other track in the world. The Green Hell has of course more than once been a subject of international controversy.

But to me, the Nurburgring is much more than just a track. The Nurburgring represents the human drive to push the envelope. The drive to be faster, better, smarter than those that came before you, even at the cost of your own life. This desire, this attraction to risk, this primal drive to push the limits of what’s possible is what makes the Green Hell so irresistible. So to me, the Green Hell is not just a 14-plus mile strip of concrete in the mountains of western Germany, it is a direct representation of the human condition, the human struggle- our daily fight to make each move, each inch count.

I knew all of this well before I ever went to the ‘Ring, but nothing could prepare me for actually driving the track. Navigating the same hair raising corners as greats like Stefan Bellof, Jackie Stewart, and Hans Stuck really drove home to me just how impossible the track was to master- even with me driving at what I felt was a personal five tenths, well below even my own lowly limit. Feeling the elevation changes, seeing the blind corners, seeing how truly close the Armco barriers were to the track surface made it clear to me that the men and women who had challenged the Green Hell were truly heroes. Exiting the track, I knew my perspective was forever changed. I knew I would never be the same from that day forward.

IND’s Green Hell project was conceived almost immediately after our return from Germany. With the amazing Nurburgring still fresh in my memory, I felt truly inspired. When our long-time client Sam told us of his desire to push the limit of his E92 M3 at the track, I knew we’d found the perfect co-conspirator for our plan. Many people in the US have installed Supercharger or stroker kits on their new M3s, but few have any plans to push the car’s limits at the racetrack. This is what sets Sam apart from many people spending tens of thousands on their M3s, and this, I knew, would be the winning ingredient to our Green Hell project. As will all IND Portfolio projects, the most important factor to a successful and memorable project car is the owner.

So with this idea of exploring the limits of performance of the E92 M3, we had a starting point. Combining comfortable street driving with fearsome track performance and bulletproof reliability is an extremely delicate balancing act, so it was important to choose our plan for engine enhancement carefully. There are many extremely attractive options for the E9x M3 that will produce big power, but among the field of stroker motors and supercharger kits, one option truly stood out for it’s proven on track performance, “push-the-envelope” power, and bulletproof reliability. After weeks of long conversations, ESS’ VT2-600 supercharger kit proved to be the clear choice. The ESS kit offered power levels that were bordering terrifying, several years of on-track testing by the amazing GS Bilder race car, and the tuning pedigree earned by ESS’ 20 years of tuning BMW cars. This supercharger kit became the heart of the build, and the focal point of the project.

For IND, pushing the envelope does not mean addressing performance alone- the car also has to be visually striking. IND as a company has constructed many E92 M3s prior to Green Hell, so we knew we had to do some truly unique work on this car. To pay homage to the Nurburgring, and to keep with this car’s motorsports theme, we chose to use Porsche RS Green to highlight the key elements of the car. From the vibrant RS Green ESS intake manifold, to the RS Green Brembo brake calipers directly from Brembo, to smaller details like our own green sidemarker and pinstripe, we knew the color scheme of the car would challenge people’s perceptions of what’s possible on an E92 M3. Even the Rogue Engineering adjustable toe arms were finished in green to match the car’s overall theme.

The car received a total makeover in its performance as well, with every aspect addressed by some of the biggest names in the business. Rogue Engineering provided their fantastically precise short shifter and toe adjustment arms. Brembo’s track proven 365mm big brake kit and KW’s ClubSport coilovers ensure that the 600hp produced by the ESS Supercharger kit are precisely controlled. The new higher speeds the car will encounter on straights of famous Midwest racetracks like Autobahn and Road America will command a change in pad choice as well, to allow for a higher operating temperature. To evacuate exhaust gasses efficiently, and provide an intoxicating exhaust note, Eisenmann sent us their prized possession- the one and only Inconel exhaust system for the E92 M3. Not only is this Inconel muffler the only one in existence for the M3, it is the only single system of this kind Eisenmann plans to make, making it truly one of a kind. Together with the Challenge X pipe, this car creates a truly menacing sound as soon as it starts up. The low rumble at idle transforms into a true roar as the ESS Supercharger builds it’s full 6.5 psi of boost, and the engine soars to redline.

HRE Monobloc track wheels in 18×9.5 front and 18×10 rear in a custom gloss black finish are used, together with 275/285 Nitto NT05 tires for balanced handling. A full Vorsteiner exterior component line is also installed, with gloss black highlights on the GTS3 bumper’s front lip, and the type 2 diffuser. Together with the custom gloss black interior trim, the gloss black color tames the green highlights to create a finished appearance.

Although testing the car on the street is only a small indication of how visceral, how intense the on-track experience will be, I can see that ESS has truly created a monster with their supercharger kit. Achieving 100mph is just an instant that is quickly glossed over as the car claws for speeds deeper into the triple digits. It is nearly impossible to focus on such low speeds when the speedometer is climbing rapidly past 150, 160, 170mph. The scenery goes from speeding by to simply blurring around you. Your focus is on the road ahead of you only. Your eyes stop blinking. Life suddenly turns from a complex experience filled with paperwork, phone calls, emails, to a very simple thing indeed- focus. Clear, razor sharp focus.

Even the small amount of driving we were able to do during this Chicago winter, I can tell that the Brembo brakes have quite a task ahead of them this upcoming race season, and that this car will now accomplish the exact goal we set- pushing the limits of what’s possible, both for us and for our client.

The opportunity to challenge, to force an individual to break new boundaries- this is the ultimate privilege.

From the creators of Atlantis Blue BMW M3 and Dakar Yellow M3, here comes another interesting project: ESS supercharger kit on BMW M3 E92. IND-Distribution has already made a name for themselves in the BMW world of modding, but now they are taking the game a step further by installing one of the most powerful kits on the popular M3.

“E92 M3s have been done before. To present ESS’ supercharger kit on our client’s E92 M3, we knew we had to go different. This project car, in addition to seeing nearly as much time on the race track as on the street, will have an absolutely one-of-a-kind look that will surprise some, frustrate others, and reflect the sheer power the 600+ horsepower supercharged engine will provide.”

Excited yet?

Here is a list of the parts included in this new project and from what we see, it is certainly not on the cheap side. A full pricing list will be available upon completion.

Eisenmann Inconel exhaust ($17k)
ESS Stage II supercharger 6.5psi made in Norway
KW Clubsport suspension
RD Sport sways
Brembo 365mm kit with custom RS Green
Rogue SSK
Rogue rear arms RS Green
Vorsteiner GTS3 Carbon front bumper
Vorsteiner carbon trunk coming soon
Vorsteiner custom diffuser coming soon
IND RS Green side markers with Tint
IND Gloss black mirror caps
18″ HRE Fall-Line track wheels
Nitto NTO5 275/35/18 front and 285/35/18 rear

ESS Tuning Stage II E92 M3 SuperCharger kit, as installed by IND

Disclaimer: IND-Distribution is a sponsor of our website, but that doesn’t mean we wouldn’t write about their amazingly modded BMWs.

IND-Distribution unveils their latest project: Atlantis, the world’s first BMW E90 M3 Carbon Fiber roof.

“One of a kind”

Very rarely in life, one will have the opportunity to create something truly unique. Whether it be a work of art, a work of engineering, a work of literature, or anything else, the opportunity to build something that you know has never been done before, and will not be achieved since is an opportunity every person should have the privilege of seizing. For the staff at IND, and for the car’s owner, IND’s Atlantis portfolio car was just this opportunity to make a unique mark on the world.

From the first time I spoke with our client Myke, I knew that his BMW Individual Atlantis E90 M3 was not a car that could be allowed to be in his ownership in factory form. BMW’s Individual program allows the most committed BMW enthusiasts to create their own unique car, with a choice of one-off exterior and interior colors and other options. Myke has a passion for personalized BMW’s that is difficult to match by anybody’s standards, and I knew immediately that we could create an amazing car together.

Through hundreds of phone calls, emails, and private messages, one thing became very clear to me- Myke is not afraid to take risks in creating his own interpretation of the already classic E90 M3. Several moments of constructing the car were downright nerve racking- will the wheels fit the overall theme of the car? Was it a mistake to apply gloss black powdercoat to the already beautiful Akrapovic exhaust tips? Will our hand built Carbon Fiber roof panel fit? Commitments like these required absolutely no fear.

When talking about IND’s Atlantis, the first thing that needs to be mentioned is the color. Available only through BMW’s Individual program, and only with the express approval of the BMW Individual program’s director, BMW Atlantis Metallic is a slap in the face to the average gray, silver, and white cars in your office parking garage. Vibrant does not begin to describe it. Atlantis Metallic shifts from Estoril blue to Avus blue to shades of green and teal, and simply can’t be captured by a single description. All of the staff at IND knew that the wrong modifications would ruin a car of this caliber, and so had to tread carefully.

From the start of the project, the centerpiece of the car would be the completely one-off carbon fiber roof panel. Because E90 M3s never came with a Carbon roof from the factory, we knew that this one item alone would set the car apart from any other like it. Myke even changed the build specifications of his car from a sunroof equipped car to a non sunroof equipped car, just to acquire the non sunroof headliner panel required to install our Carbon Fiber roof! Constructing a Carbon Fiber roof panel is no easy task, but fortunately for IND, Atlantis was in it’s planning stages well before the car even existed on BMW’s assembly line!

We began work on selecting the parts and preparing the various components of the car about 8 months prior to delivery, which gave IND and our partners enough time to ensure absolute perfection. IND partnered with a local composites shop that constructs body work for winning ALMS, Grand Am, and Formula cars in order to create the carbon roof panel. Although IND had completed over ten carbon roof projects on E46 M3 cars, no amount of experience will steel you from the uneasy feeling of cutting the roof panel from a BMW Individual M3 with only 1,000 miles on the clock! All of the employees at IND breathed a sigh of relief when, after weeks of preparation, the Carbon Roof panel safely fell into place as if it had been there all along.

IND’s Atlantis Portfolio Project is the only E90 M3 in this color in the world, and the only E90 M3 in the world with a full replacement Carbon Fiber roof, so naturally the wheels could not be something that had been seen before either. I still clearly remember the phone call when Myke called me and said “This car can only have the Neez Model 15 wheels”. Through the three months that Atlantis has been at IND’s facility, many local clients have seen the wheels in person and expressed doubt about the choice. Seeing these wheels on the car, I would install nothing else. The beautiful and complex appearance of the wheels is augmented again by their rarity- this set of Model 15 wheels is the only set in the United States!

Small details throughout the car, like IND’s Gloss Black sidemarkers, Gloss Black kidney grilles and of course the beautiful Gloss Black powdercoated tips of the full Akrapovic Titanium exhaust system accent both the wheels and carbon roof perfectly. Nitto Tires and KW coilovers complete the footwork of the car.

With the Carbon Fiber roof being the centerpiece of the car, a critical point to consider was how to not take the eye away from the hand built masterpiece on top of the car. Brembo 380mm brakes were a must have for the car, and were color matched in beautiful Atlantis Metallic at Brembo’s facility to provide a cohesive look. RD Sport’s front bumper and Challenge’s rear diffuser were both installed as smoothly as possible, with no exposed Carbon Fiber to be seen. This ensured a smooth, together look for the whole car. IND’s custom paint work in the engine compartment carried the Atlantis Metallic and Gloss Black theme throughout the car, and worked to ensure that all modifications look as at home as possible. Dinan’s Carbon Fiber air intake, Rogue Engineering Power Pulleys, and an Active Autowerke software flash round out the power modifications.

Two moments in this car’s build will forever remain in my memory- Myke’s reaction to the car upon seeing it for the first time, and driving the car at the Midwest’s premier AutoBahn Country Club race course. Preparing for delivery of the car was an all week long marathon of cleaning, testing, and perfecting. Every component had to fit perfectly. Every inch of paint on the car had to gleam as if brand new. Each body piece was buffed and professionally detailed for the best possible result. After a full week of late nights, the big moment for Atlantis finally arrived- meeting its owner after a complete transformation.

Myke slowly walked into IND’s delivery room, and looked at each aspect of the car. I was finally able to show him all of the details we’d included into the car- the gloss black honeycomb side vent that most people leave matte, the gloss black OEM rear bumper mesh, along with the painted and finished matte RD Sport air ducts in their front bumper. The pinstriped details on the M car’s beautiful intake plenum, along with the molded Challenge diffuser. Small touches like this can only truly be appreciated in person. Myke smiled, looked at me, and said “It’s just perfect. It’s exactly right. I wouldn’t change a thing”.

Nothing in this business is more rewarding than hearing those exact words from a client. Once the car was thoroughly inspected and formally delivered, it was time to take some photos and video. Any location accessible to the regular public was simply not enough for a Portfolio Project of this caliber- only the best would do. The staff at IND could think of no better location than the AutoBahn Country Club. AutoBahn Country Club is located in Chicago’s southernmost suburbs, and is a secluded, wooded paradise for anyone who truly loves motorsport. As AutoBahn is a private country club, the chance to drive a car at their North Track in complete private, for the entire day, is not only basically impossible, it is a once in a lifetime opportunity.

The exhaust note of the Akrapovic titanium system gave me chills as we loaded Atlantis on our enclosed trailer. The gleaming Neez wheels and jewel-like Brembo brakes made me absolutely beam. I had a very difficult time concentrating on the task at hand- making sure that the low RD Sport bumper cleared our trailer ramp- staring at the car was all I could do. My mind was occupied with only one thing- AutoBahn’s gorgeous race track.

Pulling into AutoBahn truly makes you feel like one of the privileged few. You park your trailer outside of the massive fenced facility, and have a quick chat with the friendly track marshal inside the small gate building. The look on my face must have given away that I had brought something truly special, and we were admitted with only a few simple questions about the gorgeous Atlantis M3. As the gates opened, we were able to see the private garages of the Midwest’s biggest shops- EuroSport, FallLine, and many others were all there permanently, year round to provide trackside support to their clients. The treelined behemoth that is AutoBahn’s North and South tracks loomed ahead of us. Together, the North and South tracks make a formidable course that is nearly four miles long, with many complex corners, elevation changes, and the years of study and improvement that a track like this
commands.

The North Track was our concern for the day. North Track was completely closed and available to us only for the entire day. This would allow ample time to shoot the car. I started Atlantis for the next time that morning, and we began the delicate procedure of unloading the car from the trailer. The beautiful note of the Akrapovic exhaust promised amazing sounds later that day, as the car went around AutoBahn’s North Track at full song. Of course, our goal here was not to set record laps, or to abuse the car, but simply to preview the car’s capabilities. Together, the amazing stopping power of the Brembo brakes, the beautiful sound of the Akrapovic exhaust, and the sharp response of the KW coilover suspension made the car a joy to drive on the track, even at our leisurely pace.

It is a rare opportunity indeed to create a truly unique work- something that has never happened before, and will not occur since. Working to create IND’s Atlantis Portfolio Project car has been an honor and a pleasure, and I know the car will put smiles on the owner’s face for years to come. I’ll take one last stare at our work before it rolls onto the enclosed trailer for it’s long ride home, to Texas.

Illinois based modding shop, WheelSTO, reveals their latest work: a restyling of the popular BMW 335i Sedan. With some help from our friends over at IND-Distribution, they gave the stock 335i an advanced makeover.

For those of you interested in this type of modding, let’s take a look at some of the parts used on the 3er:

- set of Volk Progressive ME wheels, sized 19×8.5 and 19×9.5

- Hankook Ventus V12 tires

- KW coilovers to lower the car

- Helix Intercooler and AFE DCI

- Eurocharged for a Stage 2 tunning

To add more styling, 35% window tint, headlight covers, and Carbon front and rear Roundels have been added as well.

The result? A tasteful 335i that stands out without overdoing it.

[Photos by Johan Lee and WheelSTO ]

IND Distribution is back with another exciting project. After the head turning Dakar Yellow BMW M3, Silverstone II M3 Convertible and Red Death Project, they are back to day with the first BMW M3 Sedan featuring an all Carbon Fiber roof.

IND Distribution has completed the first ever Carbon Fiber roof install on their client’s BMW individual Atlantis Blue E90 M3.

This roof will be one of hundreds of large and small modifications performed during this car’s stay at IND as one of the company’s Portfolio Projects.The project certainly looks promising and the Atlantis Blue color is just simply stunning.

Stay tuned for more details and new photos!

Our friends and longtime sponsors of your bimmer focused blog, IND-Distribution, are back again with a new project. Despite being friends with them, we’ve always objectively analyzed their work, but they managed to impress each and every time.

Their previous Dakar Yellow M3 project made waves within the BMW community and showed everyone that “classy and stylish” modding can still be done.

Today, they are back with their latest Silverstone II BMW E93 convertible project and as usual, we will let them explain the vision behind this new project. As you can see in from their words, passion is needed to create a successful project.

“Working at IND gives all of us here a unique opportunity- we get to build the car we love over and over again. How many people are fortunate enough to modify beautiful cars for a living? Because offering styling consultation on our Portfolio projects is one of the key components of our Portfolio service, it is critically important for all of us at IND to keep an open mind.

We have to do a fresh, new look for each car, and ensure that the finished project isn’t just a mass produced modified car, but rather a car that is uniquely our client’s.
This Silverstone II E93 convertible was built for a client that loves the E93 M3 for it’s versatility, and it’s tasteful looks. He wanted a beautiful M3 that retained it’s high class appeal. To accomodate our client’s desire for a clean and subtle E93, we chose to mold a Vorsteiner Polyurethane front lip to our bumper, removing any sign of the old OEM reflectors along the way.

Complimenting the classic front lip is the new Challenge rear diffuser, which was also molded to the rear bumper. Nitto Invo tires in 255/30/20 Front and 285/30/20 Rear sit on BBS LM wheels in 20×9.5 Front and 20×10 Rear accent the OEM chrome trim perfectly.
Instead of choosing to black out everything in sight, IND left the chrome trim well enough alone on this E93, prefferring the bright, clean look it and the BBS LMs offer. Coming soon is an Eisenmann Sport exhaust system, Rogue short shift kit, and BMW Performance shift boot and knob.”