SP Rides: A Showstopper
BY MICHAEL KITCHENS
Name: Eric Dayton
Age: 29
Occupation: U.S. Army Vet
Hobbies: Cars, football, friends
Year, Make, Model: 2008 BMW E90 M3
Color: Alpine White
Engine: ESS VT1-550 supercharger kit including Vortec V3 Si-trim supercharger unit, EES intake manifold with integrated velocity stacks, Vortech Maxflow Race bypass assembly, K&N high flow air filter & intake system, Bosch Motorsports fuel injectors, Muffler delete
Exterior: Carbon fiber splitters, carbon fiber trunk spoiler, blacked out grill inserts
Suspension: Airlift 3P suspension including adjustable air struts with double bellow bags, rear air springs
Wheels & Tires: BMW Competition Package 19-inch wheels, Federal tires 235/35ZR19 front, 265/30ZR19 rear, painted brake calipers
Eric Dayton has owned an eclectic assortment of vehicles. Primarily geared to performance, he’s owned a few Dodge Neon SRT4s, a ‘85 Celica Supra, a Dodge Caliber SRT4, a Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8, a Hyundai Genesis, and finally two VW Mark IV GTis — not exactly your usual import enthusiast line-up, that’s for sure. Early in his fascination Dayton was all about speed, but fast forward to now and it’s all about the combination of luxury and performance.
When it comes to performance, the E90 BMW M3 is no slouch. Combine that performance with the 2008 model’s typically refined luxury experience, and Dayton now has the best of both worlds. Already used to the level of refinement the European GTIs represented, when it came to upgrading, he couldn’t do better than the pedigree BMW’s flagship sportscar represents.
As soon as Dayton’s mind was set on the M3, he already had the direction he wanted to take with it in mind. Being a fan of the “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” mindset, he only went with upgrading components that needed it. The suspension was unfortunately woefully inadequate for his purposes, so he upgraded to an Airlift 3P air suspension system. This suspension provides a wide avenue of approach depending on Dayton’s chosen setup. Whether it’s at the strip, the road course, or the mean streets of Hawaii, he can configure it at the touch of a button on the included controller mounted comfortably on the dash. Thanks to the air suspension, Dayton isn’t limited to creeping up driveways at odd angles just to keep from ripping the front end off.
The installation includes all of the airbag suspension components on each corner as well as the installed air cylinder and pumps located in the rear trunk. Simple and clean, the installation is reserved and purely functional at this point, although Dayton has big plans for the future. This is his first time with air suspension, so you can bet he’ll be experimenting in the future.
After some minor tweaks to the exterior facade including blacked out grills, side markers, carbon fiber splitters for the front as well as a svelte carbon fiber trunk spoiler, Dayton was now looking for more power. He didn’t necessarily need it, but he most definitely wanted it. Supercharged M3s are slightly rare on the island, so he was excited to be one of the only adopters.
He chose the ESS VT1-550 supercharger, which is a beastly mechanical apparition that absolutely sings with every ignition start and engine rev. The muffler delete helps to open the ride up a bit more while the tips look fantastic. The difference in power is obvious and immediate with traction hard to come by. In fact, he’s yet to fully enjoy it because the power is so substantial, stickier tires are a necessary upgrade in his near future even though he already upgraded to a set of 19-inch BMW Competition Package styled wheels on the ride.
The end result is a vehicle that is sleek, stylish, clean and jammed packed with explosive potential. Dayton is happy to represent as a focal point for others who are into the scene. He’s just a guy who loves his cars and is more than willing to help others follow their own passions.
