DUAL CLUTCH

Cars

A closer look at what's in the garage.

Blue 1955 Oldsmobile Super Rocket 88 parked on a street

1955 Oldsmobile Super Rocket 88

Chrome, cruise, repeat

Just arrived — the full story is coming soon.

Silver 2014 Mazda Miata Grand Touring parked on a driveway

2014 Mazda Miata Grand Touring PRHT

Father-daughter wrench time, one bolt at a time

Picked up as something my daughter and I could actually learn to wrench on without the risk of turning a simple job into a five-figure lesson in German engineering. Most of what ends up on the blog happens on this car.

Maroon 2026 BMW M3 Competition parked in front of a brick building

2026 BMW M3 Competition

The best souvenir I brought home from Oktoberfest

This is my sixth BMW and my third M car. It started with a white 1998 Z3 1.9L back in 2008 — such a fun car to drive, but impractical once we had a small child, so I let it go. I missed having a convertible ever since, until the Miata came along in May 2026.

Next came a red 328 coupe with tan interior — nothing fancy, it just did its job. Wanting something sportier, I moved into a 2015 M235 in white with red interior, a color combination I loved. Quick, agile, go-kart-like — all the adjectives — but I wanted more.

That led to an M2. In 2018 it only came in four colors, and I wanted the elusive Mineral Grey — every one I found sold before I could get to it. I'd ruled out black, worried I couldn't keep it clean, when an out-of-town dealer called one afternoon with a new black one available. I bought it sight unseen — a wildly out-of-character move for me — and it turned out to be one of the best decisions I've made. I loved every minute in that car.

Then the pandemic hit. Working from home, I looked into the redesigned M3 out of curiosity one lunch break and fell for the aggressive new look. I'd never wanted a four-door performance car, but I filled out an inquiry anyway and got connected with a great client advisor. With used car offers at a high, I traded in the M2 and ordered a new 2022 M3 in Brooklyn Grey with Fiona Red interior — my first time speccing a car from scratch. Following the build and shipping process was its own kind of fun, and I did Performance Center Delivery in October 2021. Fast, versatile, and something I loved completely.

Fast forward to 2025: my father-in-law and I went to Oktoberfest in Munich, and somewhere between the beer tents and a visit to BMW Welt, I got bit by the bug again. I emailed my client advisor from the hotel that night. Back home, I sold the 2022 M3 — under 24k miles — and placed an order for a 2026 LCI M3 in Aventurine Red Metallic with full Silverstone interior, adding the M Performance height-adjustable suspension this time around. Ordered October 4, 2025, picked up from the Performance Center January 7, 2026. Since then, it's picked up a few upgrades:

  • Full PPF, ceramic and tint
  • Meyer Fabrication oil cooler guard (this is a must)
  • Paint matched engine and ECU cover
  • Milltek 4" resonated mid-pipe with MAD valve controller
  • Eventuri carbon fiber strut brace
  • MHC+ CS style rear spoiler
  • Carbon mirror caps, air ducts, and V style from spoiler
This one's my baby. I love it more every time I get behind the wheel, and I plan on keeping it a long time.