SP Rides: The M Machine
By MICHAEL KITCHENS
Kimo Jarrett is what you would call a BMW aficionado. Aside from having always enjoyed BMWs, Kimo’s father still owns a 1985 325e. Kimo’s enthusiasm led him to work after school for four hours a day for three years in order to save up enough cash to purchase his first car — a 1992 325is. So why did he choose BMW? For one thing, the automobile has a long and storied pedigree of being peformance-driven with a marked level of luxury applied. For another, its remarkable construction pretty much saved his life when he sent his first car rolling off a 75-foot cliff after apexing a blind turn. The car rolled twice and would have kept going if a tree hadn’t stopped his descent. Since then, Kimo has stuck with BMWs.
“No matter what car you drive, if it saves your life, you become committed to it,” says Kimo. Distressed at the loss of the car, Kimo used the resulting insurance money to purchase a ’93 BMW 325i and began participating in high performance driving events as well as autocrossing in an effort to improve his car control. Eventually he swapped up to a 2001 BMW M3 and went mod crazy. While owning the car for nine years, he did everything imaginable to it while racing and entering shows.
Kimo was eventually blessed with a marriage and three kids and realized that a highly modified 2-door coupe doesn’t match, so he sold it. He tried out the 2013 BMW 335i, but it didn’t have the same feel as the M badge. With family as well as performance on his mind, he opted for this 2012 BMW X5 M. He also once owned two normal X5s, but there’s a night and day performance difference between the X5 and the M. His first modifications were a set of sponsored Morr Wheels — 22×10.5 in front, 22×12 in back — with 285/30/22 front and 335/25/22 Pirelli Zeroes for grip. To increase handling, a set of KW Version 3 coilovers drop the ride 2 and 1/2 inches and offers a menacing stance that’s perfect for daily driving. The car has been tuned with a Velos Stage 2 that added a whopping 100TQ and 50WHP. Combined with the stock 555HP V8, this thing hauls!
With performance well in hand, Kimo concentrated on enhancing its looks with minor modifications that really helped pull the car together. These include the Mperformance CF front lip, the Lux V3 Angel Eyes, and other details such as the Dimisa exhaust tips. Of special note is the 22PLE Glass Coating applied by Shea’s Luxury Detail. This coating lasts up to two years and makes the paint practically hydrophobic with no waxing needed for its continued care. When applied to the vibrant Monte Carlo Blue Metallic paint, it makes the car absolutely pop.
Kimo intends to continue modifying the ride with future upgrades to the exhaust and brake. He would also like to thank his wife and family for putting up with the BMW craziness as well as his sponsors and Team BMW Hawaii for their support.
