• The BMW Car Club of America (BMW CCA) is the largest single-marque car club in the world, giving members special access to local and nationwide events to celebrate all things BMW.
• BMW CCA has partnered with Turn 14 Distribution to create a no-holds-barred grand prize car for its annual Dream Car Giveaway that is tastefully modded with the best of the aftermarket.
• With the help of Thompson BMW in Doylestown, PA, Turn 14 Distribution ordered a stunning BMW Individual G80 M3 Competition in Voodoo Blue as the canvas for this build.
• Turn 14 Distribution’s strong industry relationships help it curate components that speak to the modern BMW enthusiast and drive BMW CCA’s mission forward.

BMW and Turn 14 Distribution have both recently celebrated milestones. The former memorialized 50 years as a manufacturer while the latter toasted to a proud 15 as an aftermarket distributor. While those two occasions sound markedly different, the through line is that both have been recognized as companies that regularly exceed expectations. They have broken the mold for what is considered “normal”, and that’s a good thing; following convention more often leads to mediocrity over excellence.

That alignment has prompted BMW’s Car Club of America (BMW CCA) to partner with Turn 14 Distribution to build a grand prize car for its annual Dream Car Giveaway contest — one that would capture the spirit of the modern enthusiast using one of BMW’s M models as its canvas. For the last three years, this campaign has proven incredibly fruitful, and this year’s car promises to continue that trend.

THE G80 M3 COMPETITION

It’s no big secret that the G8X lineup was met with a bit of controversy at launch. But as I mentioned before, if the marque listened to the public’s voice rather than its own, BMW would not be a car company — it would be a lackey to someone else’s beckoning — and nobody wants to work a job like that.

Now that the dust has settled, you’ll be hard-pressed to find someone that can argue with the G8X’s driving proficiencies. Despite being the newest M3 (or M4), the G8X promised to bring back some of BMW M’s original mission as the Ultimate Driving Machine and it delivered. The G80 M3 Competition that you see here packs a wild 503 horsepower from the factory and, thanks to a trick all-wheel-drive system (a first for BMW M car in the 3-series family), it’s able to put it all down on the pavement, too. I used to hem and haw about how sports cars should only come with manual transmissions until I drove one of these; the 8-speed ZF automatic is a gem and it takes nothing away from the entertainment that this car offers.

THE PERFECT PARTNER

After purposefully choosing standard hues for the last three BMW CCA builds, Turn 14 Distribution knew it was time to go bolder for this year’s effort. Luckily, Thompson BMW is within a stone’s throw of Turn 14 Distribution HQ and offered to help.

Thompson BMW is more than your ordinary dealer — it is an M Certified Center. Because of that, it has a specialized M showroom to teach us everything about the latest M cars, including upcoming models, performance upgrades, and service. On top of its mastery of all things M, they have an intimate knowledge of the BMW Individual program and helped spec the T14 G80 M3 Competition you see in front of you today.

“Limitless Expression” is the BMW Individual tagline and it certainly rings true. One of the most vibrant hues available — Voodoo Blue — was selected to make the exterior really pop and the color choice pairs perfectly with the Ivory carbon fiber bucket seats inside. As an old BMW head, the combo evokes memories of an Estoril Blue/Dove E36 M3, but the color is a fitting nod to both BMW’s and Turn 14 Distribution’s predominant tone.

DELIVERY DAY

I’ve bought a new car only twice in my life, and I’ve never had the opportunity to unwrap a car like this. Modern BMWs also require the car to get plugged into the dealership computer. Once connected, it goes through a whole series of checks, and the tires are emptied and filled with Nitrogen.

Once that was complete, our Thompson BMW tech, Mikey, removed the shipping blocks from the suspension and took some initial measurements of the ride height in anticipation of everything to come. As luck would have it, a Portimao Blue Metallic G80 was in service at the same time, so it was interesting to see how much more vibrant Voodoo Blue appeared in person.

A BIG PILE OF PARTS

Turn 14 Distribution’s strong industry relationships help it curate components that speak to the modern BMW enthusiast and drive BMW CCA’s magnetism forward. Because of that, so many of the names synonymous with top-tier quality in the BMW space — including familiar names like Akrapovič, AST Suspension, BBS, CSF, Future Classic, IND Distribution, and Michelin, were eager to be a part of the build. Over the next couple of months, we will be chipping away at showing you exactly how the Turn 14 Distribution G80 M3 Competition was built and how much it changed from stock, all the way up until the BMW CCA Dream Car Raffle drawing in October.

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