BMW 5 Series Touring E34 Wide Body

With the arrival of the new BMW M5 Touring, BMW is poised to break sales records once again. But did you know that BMW introduced an M5 Touring as early as 1992? Based on the E34 platform, BMW launched it with the tagline, “A superlative sports car, packed in sporty but never showy bodywork.” This was certainly true, as there was little on the exterior to indicate it was a true M car, aside from the logos.

While the car spotted at the Royal Fitment event wasn’t an M5, it certainly flaunted showy bodywork. Royal Fitment is all about stance, and for many stance builds, it’s more about style points than what’s under the hood. This BMW earned its style points in spades.

Based on a 518i, this showstopper was transformed by its owner, Niels Popma, in his own garage. The overfenders, supplied by Cliq Tuning, fit perfectly over the 18″ AC Schnitzer wheels (11j in the front and 12.25j in rear) thanks to a custom Mapet Tuning air ride system.

Hawkeye Subaru on Gram Lights

At a recent small get together organized by Epic Car Events in Holland I noticed I kept coming back to this car. There is someting about that just clicks for me. The fitment, choice of wheels and overal vibe just really work well. I’m no fan of black wheels as a photographer but in this case it is a good match with the silver.

What are your thoughts on this “Hawkeye” Subaru?

ALFA ROMEO 156 GTA SQUADRA CORSE CEA

Spotted at the Classics & Coffee event. The Alfa Romeo 156 GTA is already a unique sight on its own, but this one was even more special than the rest. The first thing that caught my eye were the flashing lights, followed by the stickers. But what truly stood out was something I spotted in the back – a full-blown fire extinguishing system. I had to know more!

It turns out that this is a Squadra Corse CEA Rapid Response vehicle. The CEA was founded in 1970 by Ermete Amades. Over time, the CEA Squadra Corse has become a renowned fire safety service at circuits like Imola and Monza. They earned the nickname ‘Leoni’ (Lions) after their heroic actions during the horrific accident at the 1978 Formula 1 Italian Grand Prix in Monza. During this crash, Ronnie Peterson’s car slammed into the guardrail after contact with James Hunt’s car. Peterson’s car caught fire, but he was rescued from his car by Hunt and others. Unfortunately, Peterson later succumbed to complications in the hospital.

But back to this Alfa Romeo 156 GTA – how remarkable is it that something like this ends up in the Netherlands? It’s a beautiful piece of history being kept alive by the new owner.

Dutch Koenigsegg Jesko Attack with 1600bhp

At many shows featuring supercars, I don’t pay them much attention. They don’t evoke the same emotions in me as a beautifully modified car or a youngtimer. But for this Koenigsegg Jesko Attack, the first on Dutch plates, I’m more than happy to make an exception. Because right now, this is the epitome and definition of a hypercar, or should we call it a megacar?

This car churns out a staggering one point one nine megawatts (1.19 MW) from its twin-turbo V8, which translates to 1600 horsepower, provided you fill it up with E85. This fact is clearly highlighted when you peek through the massive spoiler – there’s a plaque detailing what this car is capable of. Mind-boggling figures, especially when you consider that the Chiron Super Sport boasts the same horsepower. It just needs twice the number of cylinders (W16) to achieve it.

Home Built Mercedes-Benz SL320 on Air Lift

The Mercedes-Benz SL made its debut back in 1952, and the most iconic and now unaffordable 300SL remains one of the most beautiful cars ever designed. Anything that came after had some pretty big boots to fill. Now, the fourth-generation SL (R129) isn’t exactly the model that sets my heart racing. But after laying eyes on this version, built by Harry Pippard, I’ve had to reconsider.

The foundation here is an SL320, a rare 40th-anniversary Designo edition from 1998. The color is a stunning blend of green and blue, much to my surprise, it’s standard on the Designo edition cars. While the SL’s lines remain intact, Harry has made some subtle tweaks to the bumpers and sideskirts. Everything’s been done by Harry himself, including the paintwork, right from his own garage at home.

Working in collaboration with 6ad Forged, Harry designed the wheels himself. These three-piece wheels come in 18”x9.5j up front and 18”x10.5j at the rear. The inspiration here is pretty clear, taking cues from the Mercedes-Benz 190E 2.5-16 Evo II wheels, giving the car that sought-after OEM+ vibe.

BMW E28 5 series on 17 inch Gotti j55a wheels

During my last round at the Heaven on Wheels event before going home, I decided to take a peek on the upper deck. Not a bad choice, if I say so myself. There, I stumbled upon this BMW E28 5 Series. A stunning specimen from 1981 in Malachite Green Metallic, a color from BMW’s individual program.

The Gotti j55a wheels are true classics and fit perfectly on this E28. The centers are 16 inches, but with the help of a step lip, they now measure 17 inches. The wheels are 8.5 inches wide up front and a beefy 9.5 inches wide at the rear.

What catches my eye are the Alpina stripes on the sides, which seem slightly thicker than the original striping of a genuine Alpina. But it adds a touch of class, and since the Alpina logo isn’t present, it’s not pretending to be a real Alpina. So kudos to the owner for not doing that.

Nissan Skyline R34 Carbon Z-Tune or is it?

In today’s market, there are few brave souls willing to slam a Nissan Skyline R34 GTR on air suspension. But did you know this is not a real GTR? Could you spot the difference? Because what we have here is a converted R34 GTT. The transformation is so seamless that I was completely fooled. No expense has been spared to create this Z-Tune lookalike.

Even the interior has undergone a complete makeover, often one of the first signs that you’re not staring at a genuine GTR. Unfortunately, I couldn’t pop the hood to peek underneath, so whether the conversion includes an RB26 engine remains a mystery. What I do know is that the car has since been exported, so perhaps we’ll catch a glimpse of it again at a foreign car show.

Audi Ur-Quattro test car from PON Automotive

When it comes to many classic cars, it’s all about the history and provenance. Often, you’ll come across a fairly ordinary car, but it’s the story behind it that makes it truly remarkable. That’s certainly the case with this Audi Ur-Quattro bearing license plate GL-79-XB. You see, this happens to be the first one registered in the Netherlands by Pon, the Volkswagen and Audi importer for the country. Naturally, that makes it particularly enticing for collectors.

Back in those early days, this car served as a test car for the press, so you’d often spot it in the magazines of that era. All the journalists back then were absolutely gushing over its performance and the pioneering 4WD system, better known as Quattro, which Audi has since become synonymous with.

It’s precisely these tales behind the cars that make it enjoyable for me to delve deeper than just the exterior appearance of the car. I spotted the car in the cellar at the Gallery Aaldering in Brummen, a place in which you never know what you might find.