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2000 BMW 328i
Claus Ettensberger Corporation
Customizes Your BMW 328i
By Yvonne Liu
Photography: Philip Royle
Rolling through the
drive-thru of McDonald's in a silver BMW 328i
sedan is nothing out of the ordinary for many
folks. However, if you're one of those lucky peeps,
watch out for the day when you're paying for your
Super-sized Quarter-Pounder value meal and out
of the blue, the cashier shakes his head and says,
"Damn, how can you leave this baby stock?" One
quick glance around the leather-upholstered interior,
another sweep across the wood-trimmed dash, and
a final look into the rearview mirror only confirms
your worst nightmares--this fine German automobile
is in fact sitting stock, leaving its vast aftermarket
tuning potential virtually untapped, unused, and
wasted. Luckily, Claus Ettensberger Corporation,
more affectionately known to industry insiders
as simply "CEC," has saved numerous BMWs from
their doomed fate of cruising the streets and
highways of North America in stock trim. Founded
in Southern California in 1990, CEC continues
to bring the finest European automobile accessories
straight from its European tuner counterparts
(The creme de la creme of their respective fields.--MAX)
for all of us to admire, appreciate, and enhance.
The renowned tuning house of AC Schnitzer has
been synonymous with motorsport and BMWs for decades.
Hence, it was only natural for CEC to pair up
with the Bavarian powerhaus when it came time
to provide stateside BMW owners superb aftermarket
applications.
If you want a CEC-tuned BMW with Schnitzer
parts, be prepared to shell out more than your
lunch money for this project. CEC is a turnkey
tuner that will deliver on all its promises
and make you the envy of your 90210 neighborhood.
We here at MAX wanted to know what we'd get
back if we dropped off the above-mentioned 328i
sedan (E46, naturally.--MAX) with the CEC gurus.
A few tweaks here, a few tweaks there, and voila!
First off, CEC performed an engine makeover
on the E46 by upgrading to a Schnitzer S3 3.2L
engine, putting out 265 horses and a projected
top speed of 165 mph (Even the coppers can't
catch up with you.--MAX). The sedan's suspension
was also sacrificed for a Schnitzer sport suspension
kit. The suspension mods feature Schnitzer anti-roll
bars and aluminum front strut brace, which stabilizes
the car during hard cornering. For more precise
gear changes that improve the car's acceleration,
a Schnitzer short shift kit, which includes
an aluminum gear knob, was also added. And the
car wouldn't be complete without a stainless
steel sport exhaust, also by Schnitzer.
Since we've already warned you about shelling
out more than your lunch money, what good is
a MRyde with all performance but no play? To
give the Bimmer in question the right looks
and attitude, CEC added the Schnitzer front
spoiler, side skirts, rear spoiler, rear wing,
and sports mirrors. But the fun doesn't stop
here. The interior was also given a makeover,
featuring custom leather Recaro seats and a
sport airbag steering wheel wrapped in silver.
For you metal freaks out there, aluminum can
also be spotted on the hand brake, sport pedals,
and foot rest. Oh, and the gauges are silver.
Is this all, you ask? Hell, no!For the E46 model
range, Schnitzer has developed new versions
of its Type III light alloy wheels in the signature
five-spoke design. CEC opted for the 19x8.5-inch
alloys fitted with Pirelli P7000 235/35-19s
for noticeable improvements in both handling
and aesthetics (Not bad, not bad at all.--MAX).
In a nutshell, top service, top-quality parts,
and just plain top-notch everything is what
you can expect with CEC. And for those of you
who own something other than a Bimmer, CEC also
represents many other world-renowned European
tuners in its company lineup, including A!AvantGarde
for Audi tuning, Lorinser for Mercedes-Benz
tuning, Oettinger for Volkswagen/Audi tuning,
TechArt for Porsche tuning, and Toyota Team
Europe for Toyota/Lexus tuning. If you happen
to be in the neighborhood and want to take a
respite from shopping on Rodeo Drive, stop by
the CEC showroom that is equipped with three
service bays and a showcase of performance accessories.
For those living in a more eastern, colder climate,
warm up your day by visiting CEC East in New
Jersey.
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