CEC Builds a Better Bimmer BMW on the Speed Track

By: Ed Hellwig

Date Posted 04-28-2005

Like the king of the jungle, the Mercedes-Benz SL55 sits at the stoplight surveying its domain. There's a Maxim hopeful in the passenger seat and an archetypical USC graduate behind the wheel. He's on the phone.

They look over.

We're driving the latest creation from the Claus Ettenberger Corporation, a 2004 BMW 645Ci convertible wearing nearly $35,000 worth of AC Schnitzer upgrades. If there's anything that can make Fabio's $125,000 Benz look dull, this is it.

He rolls his eyes, but his insignificant other likes what she sees. "Nice wheels," she purrs through pouty red lips. Fabio has heard enough. He lights up the tires and storms off in a cloud of tire smoke and frustration. The light isn't even green.

The Candy Story
As Fabio will attest, writing a big check at the dealer only guarantees so much exclusivity, especially in L.A.'s swanky Westside. This is where a company like CEC comes in. The Los Angeles-based company is an importer of European automotive tuning and wheel brands, and the exclusive North American importer for AC Schnitzer, a German engineering firm, so it has a direct link to some of the highest-quality aftermarket BMW parts you can buy.

This 6 Series, dubbed the ACS6, features Schnitzer's complete package of upgrades for BMW's newest convertible. Schnitzer takes what is an already distinctive drop top and takes it up a notch or two. This car says you have money and you're not afraid to spend it.

So with only a few bucks in our pockets, we dropped the top and set off for some of L.A.'s most exclusive areas.

The Eye Candy
Aside from our little stoplight dustup, we discover CEC's 6 Series has enough flash to get noticed without looking like a P. Diddy special. Unlike some aftermarket makeovers that try too hard to look different, the Schnitzer bodywork is subtle. The reshaped front airdam digs a little deeper into the air with twin nostrils that mimic the grille above, while the revised rear fascia extends down just far enough to wrap around its chrome exhaust tips.

We wish there was an add-on that would make the rear end of the 6 Series look good, but even the designers at Schnitzer can't work miracles. The new rear deck and extended spoiler added to the 6's rump certainly help, but the BMW's butt is still too JLo for our taste.

Silver carbon-fiber accents brighten up what is an otherwise monotone interior. The tight-fitting trim covers everything from the dash to the door panels, and the three-spoke sport steering wheel feels like it was molded to your hands. More subtle upgrades like the aluminum pedals and custom iDrive knob make for a nice finish to an already lavish cabin.

Sweet Ride
Lavish isn't a word you would typically use to describe wheels, but the 21-inch Schnitzer Type IV wheels qualify for such a description. The elegant design and flawless finish of the alloy five-spokes make them truly special. They're $1,700 a piece and they look like it.

Michelin Pilot Sport tires provide the contact patch, and with 225/30s up front and 295/25s in back there's more than enough rubber to handle the BMW's 325-horsepower V8.

With so little rubber between the rim and the road we expected a teeth-chattering ride, but it rode like a 6 Series should — it's certainly comfortable enough to drive every day. Schnitzer's sport suspension package swaps out the springs and shocks for recalibrated units that lower the car nearly an inch and reduce body roll. We noticed a slightly quicker turn-in.

Additional mechanical enhancements include a monster set of four-piston Brembo brakes, with drilled rotors that measure 15 inches up front and 13.5 inches in back, and a sport exhaust system. The system doesn't add any perceptible power, but its deep rumble was enough to make more than a few bystanders wonder what was lurking under the hood.

Sugar Pills
Although it has the hardware to back up its style, this BMW isn't about being the fastest convertible on the block. If that's what you want, buy an SL55 — just don't expect any Maxim models to fancy your wheels. Your $1,700 wheels.

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