Alex’s 135i | Down the Rabbit Hole

We’re taught that passion is good, and we need it to push forward into never-ending improvement and growth. At times you battle between head and heart, passions can be all-consuming and you end up going much further than you intend to. Whether that derives a positive outcome however, is all dependent on perspective and opportunity.

Alex’s biggest challenge has been dealing with the short wheel base and lively nature of the E82 chassis, the wider track helps a lot.

For BMW Drivers Club NSW President Alex, the entrance to the rabbit hole automotive side came in the form of an accident, and the subsequent change began the development of what is probably the least street-legal road-driven car we’ve featured this year.

Late last year Alex finally took the plunge and widened the rear with bolted-then-moulded fenders.

Alex remembers of his 2016 hit, “it was a little damp, but I took the roundabout really slowly”. If you know, you know. RWD through a wet roundabout has been caught enough times on Dash Cam Owners Australia, and the damage to his second 1-Series was substantial. “We actually had to straighten the rails after the hit,” Alex said as he broke down the reason for going wide, “so I just decided to go hard and build the car I always wanted”.

After Alex’s accident in 2016, he opted for the full 1M front-end conversion, more width and more staunch.

The accident was a blessing in disguise for Alex, because no matter how much power you can push out of an N54, it’s all about being able to put the power to the ground, and for a circuit car, being able to manoeuvre it around corners.

The car was purchased with minor engine modifications, and since then Alex has continued to tinker and add power.

A genuine 1M front end (sans bonnet) was sourced, and late last year Alex “sucked it up and went wide on the rear”, bolting then moulding a set of aftermarket rear fenders to fulfil his wish of stuffing 295s at the back. The car, albeit far from complete in Alex’s eyes, is nothing like the lightly modified example he purchased in 2013.

In many ways, his journey down the rabbit hole with the 135i mirrors his incredible journey to becoming the President of Australia’s largest BMW enthusiast group. Alex admits, “I didn’t know anything about BMWs aside from the 135i when I first joined the club”. By happenstance, he was then offered a role as the Club Secretary during a track day, and much like his build the progress went from 0 to 100 very quickly.

Serious track car interior must-haves: Bucket seat, modified gear selectors and at least a half-cage.

“The following year, the President resigned and with nobody putting their hand up, I decided to take it on board and have been doing it ever since”, he mentions matter-of-factly. He began track life with a convertible 135i, purchased the coupe on this feature for motorsport, and since that buy seven years ago has added to his BMW collection with an E60 M5 and more recently with the arrival of his first newborn, an F85 X5M.

I’ll hopefully be doing BMW Supersprints next year in the E46, Alex’s car giving me big wang inspo.

“When it comes to my hobbies, I never do things in half measures,” Alex continues on to drive home his point, “when I gamed it was with a competitive clan, and a few years ago when I developed an interest in music I ended up purchasing an entire band’s worth of equipment”.

Alex isn’t the type that has all the gear but no idea, instead it stems from a place of curiosity and intrigue into the subject matter, “my personality means that it always ends up this way”. I asked if he was happy with how the car sat after all the years of evolution, but after highlighting reliability fixes that he needs to attend to, Alex ratted off three key potential upgrades in quick succession that will contribute to faster times for him. It’s an all-in attitude, if it places him into a situation that provides quicker times, he’s all ears.

Alex’s car another example of why TE37s make the car.

The original goal was “a dual purpose track and daily driver”. Ending our discussions we were laughing about how he’s always hoping whoever pulls him over on the way to the track is lenient with the fines and defects.

Alex’s 135i is full of track car details, not quite sure how he manages to keep it on the road…

“Nah, no regrets at all yet”, was how he simply responded when I prodded about the amount of investment into the car. In many ways I feel that the heart and soul he’s put into the car, has been rewarded in more ways that its direct conclusion. It’s like that with most things, the more knowledge and involvement you gain, the progress and results aren’t linear, but exponential.

We shot Alex’s car on the morning of BMW vs. Porsche. The Bavarians came out on top, we have a recap on it!

It’s the same when it comes to my own pursuits. I want to learn, explore and get involved. There’s so much more than what meets the eye, the snowball effect leads to profound returns that in many instances aren’t correlated to why we began the chase in the first place.