Steady as She Goes: Our E90 M3 is a Lesson in Patience

Our E90 M3 displaying one of our first club stickers on the windshield

It’s often said that patience is a virtue, but like all virtues, it isn’t always easy. As a bit of backstory, we bought this Melbourne Red E90 M3 off of the showroom floor in 2008—ten years before Future Classic even became a company. To say that we had the foresight of putting together the car exactly as it sits would be a blatant lie. But it was that aforementioned virtue that made sure its evolution was a timeless one. 

KW 2-way Clubsport with the full FC x Fall-Line suspension pack

Indeed, our E90 M3 has become synonymous with Future Classic’s identity—a representation of what we value in the aftermarket—and an overarching commitment to quality that echoes the one that we closely mirror within our own product line. I think that’s an important distinction to make: quality doesn’t always mean hanging on allegiances to the established order. No, doing so would immediately discredit the ingenuity of an upstart which is, by every definition, exactly who we are in the industry.

The rare RKP-spec 18" BBS FI with red 3D effect caps and our F8X hub conversion

It’s been an incredibly fast-paced and humbling four years for FC. Almost the exact opposite trajectory of our E90 M3 which has largely stayed unchanged, save for the applicable bits from our burgeoning catalog.

Perhaps fittingly enough, we chose to shoot the car at a cement factory—a substance that also needs time to set and bind several materials together. I believe our friend John says it best: “Slow Progress”. It's more about relishing every part of the journey: the good and bad, the progress and the missteps, the fast and the slow. It's a car that—over the course of fourteen years—matured through experience almost parallel with me as an individual.

LCI upgrade, RKP carbon trunk and diffuser, 315/30/18 tires, and our limited motor club 002 frame

One of the most unexpected consequences of Future Classic has been simply enjoying this car more than ever before. Since the E90 M3 has become the unofficial FC "demo car", we've logged plenty of street / track miles to test product or attend BMW gatherings across the country to meet fellow enthusiasts. This has been the ultimate standout—it has become a capsule of memories rather than a cumulative collection of parts.

ESS VT2-625 supercharger with our new PS reservoir set and oil filter cap

Not that this car has ever been "just a car", but FC's existence has given our E90 M3 that aforementioned new meaning. As much as our initial ownership was spent admiring the car's form, the recent one is more about appreciating the car's driving prowess and the like-minded enthusiasts and hobbyists who spend their free time doing the same. 

V8 Sounds: Eisenmann limited edition exhaust with RKP race x-pipeLightweight and subtle in 1x1 Weave: the RKP E90 M3 carbon roofOur full mod list on a custom FC monroney sticker

In the end, we're rather grateful that this build has progressed slowly. It was never assembled for internet fame (in fact this is probably the fifth time that I've ever taken photos of it with a real camera, honestly); instead it has been a very real exercise in relishing every small step. In turn, that patience has allowed us to assess each tangible improvement with scrutinizing detail. In a fast paced that is constantly obsessed with the "next thing", it's been a refreshing stance to take.