SP Rides: A Need for Speed
BY MICHAEL KITCHENS
Name: Puna Choo
Age: Mid-Twenties
Occupation: Consultant
Hobbies: Cars, photography, family and friends
Year, Make, Model: 2011 BMW E90 M3
Color: Jerez Black
Engine/Trans: RPI intake & intake scoops, custom-widened X-Pipe section 2, Eisenmann race section 3, full Nitrous Express System, BMW DCT Transmission
Exterior: Wide-body design by G1 Auto Body featuring custom 2.5-inch sheet metal, wide mold side skirts, wide mold rear bumper, BMW edition glass black kidney grills, white LED side blinkers, LEDGlow Underbody LED, IND painted side reflectors, carbon fiber hood and trunk roundel, Arkym carbon fiber (Aerosport lip, rear diffuser, trunk & hood), OnEighty custom headlights
Interior: Sparco 2-inch blue 3-point double release racing harnesses, carbon fiber trim, LED accent lighting & interior conversion, European coded, Extreme Audio Systems custom enclosure with molded sound system and AirREX Integration, two 10-inch Stage 3 Rockford Foasgate Punch subwoofers, 2000-watt Performance Teknique Amplifier
Suspension: Full Digital AirREX Suspension
Wheels/Tires: Full Digital AirREX Suspension
Shout-outs: Mahalo to my parents, Mr. Kell Komatsubaru, Mr. Dennis Tolosa, Adam’s Polishes Hawaii, Platinum Detailing, Nexen Tires, Pacific Tire Group, Nitrous Express, OnEightyNYC, Tire Penz, AirREX, Arkym, Dynamic Performance Engineering Wheels, G1 Autobody, & Race Precision Inc.
Puna Choo has grown up in a household of car performance enthusiasts ever since he was born — which also was the very day he was introduced to speed. His parents, Steven and Charlene, are diehard automotive aficionados and have previously been featured in Street Pulse. At the age of 8, Choo already had his NHRA license and was racing junior drag races at the former Hawaii Raceway Park. Before this gorgeous 2011 BMW M3 came into his possession, his first ride was a supercharged 2004 Rage Mustang. Let’s just say he’s been surrounded by performance machines most of us only dream of.
After getting his fill of American Muscle, Choo opted for some European flavor with this M3. He felt it was the perfect balance of handling and speed. “With the speed limits here, it’s more fun to take apexes than straight-line-speed,” said Choo. This M3 — which already is a true driving enthusiast’s dream, just from the factory — has been modified in a big way for both show and go.
Visually, the car has been widened thanks to a custom design by G1 Auto Body. This isn’t a fiber glass or riveted add-on, the body has been given the sheet metal treatment and physically expanded 2.5 inches outward. This includes the front and rear fenders, as well as the side skirts and rear bumper. Carbon fiber treatment has been provided throughout the vehicle by Arkym while OnEighty NY custom headlights offer some eye-candy via LED angel eyes, strobes and clear corners. LEDGlow underbody LEDs also provide a kaleidoscope of colors.
The car rides on a full AirREX Digital Air Suspension setup that allows some serious up and down movement. This is super important because this M3 rolls on enormous 20-inch DPE S20 Wheels — with 10 inches in the front and a massive 13 inches for the rear width. Choo’s sweet sponsorship by Nexen affords some sweet rubber for the road.
The AirREX is installed along with the car’s tunes in an incredible custom enclosure that is so well done, it looks practically OEM (original equipment manufacturer). Created by Extreme Audio Systems, the molded system features two 10-inch Stage 3 Rockford Fosgate Punch subwoofers powered by a 2000-watt Performance Teknique amplifier. White LEDs give a little bit of shine to the components and the trunk still has plenty of usable space for trips here and there.
The already impressive OEM power has been greatly expanded thanks to the inclusion of a full Nitrous Express system that adds additional horsepower at the push of a button. RPI performance products include an intake and red scoops while a custom-widened X-Pipe and Eisenmann race sections are included.
There’s way more to this setup than what can fit on the page but one of the things that is rarely talked about is the dedication in keeping rides looking amazing. This is a black car and takes a huge amount of work to maintain. Choo attributes this to the excellent care he’s put into the ride along with help from his sponsor Adam’s Polishes.
This ride has come a long way thanks to Choo and of course, with help from others. “There’s nothing you can’t accomplish with strong family, friends and sponsors. (Plus) a lot of hard work and the belief that the worst anyone can tell you is, ‘no,’” he mentioned. Choo certainly expresses inspiring words to live by.
