Esteban’s BMW Story
With BMWs or any car an enthusiast enjoys, the car itself is less important than everything that makes it appealing. The intrinsic value of the car is what draws owners to specific vehicles, like the connected experience of an E30 or the incredible performance of an F80, but extrinsic factors play a role in keeping those enthusiasts entertained. Without the relationships we develop because of our hobby, or the community that helps us to learn more about it, a car is simply an object that we are attracted to. Even then, without the support of other enthusiasts, events in which to compete, or groups to organize all of it, loving a car or a brand becomes extremely difficult. Esteban, a friend of Turner Motorsport and an avid BMW enthusiast, understands these sentiments quite well. Fortunately, we’re back with a story from the community this week as we share with you Esteban’s love for BMW and the culture around it that keeps him engaged with our common passion. | | | | | Esteban, who in recent years has had the pleasure of owning arguably some of the best BMW models ever produced, wasn’t always die-hard for the German marque. He was, however, interested in automotive culture from a young age. He grew up in Puerto Rico, where his father managed to always have one or two interesting cars around him to appreciate. With many of us, that’s where our passion begins. His father was the first inspiration that led Esteban to enjoy this hobby, but it wasn’t until he was able to begin purchasing vehicles of his own that the interest took a more definite shape in his life. | | | | | At fifteen, he bought his first car; a Mazda 323. Nothing fancy, but it was his and that’s where his love for wrenching and driving escalated. From there, Esteban moved into Hondas. Many of us can trace our roots to the more affordable, practical, and still fun Japanese manufacturer, especially when we discover the joy of building something we can call ours. Mostly interested in Accords and CR-Xs in those early days, the real beginning of what would transform into a love for more capable machines manifested in, oddly enough, a del sol. | | | Still in Puerto Rico, it was that Del sol that Esteban chose as his entry into the realm of motorsports. After some ride-alongs with his friends on local road courses, he knew he had to build a dedicated track car. The Del sol was light, available, and easy for a new at-home mechanic to self-educate. With the help of his friends, he stripped his Del sol down to the bare bones, refreshed the little four-cylinder, and began to learn car control on a track. Thanks to those friends, he was able to pick up the skills and knowledge he needed to make improvements to both his technique and the car. | | | | | After spending that time with it, and the relationships he formed through those events, he knew that motorsports would be a hobby that he continued to enjoy, even after he moved to Florida sometime later. Naturally, he brought his Del sol along with him. However, that move meant he had to leave his home courses, friends, and support network behind. Thankfully, as Esteban had developed a real interest in cars, he was able to rebuild a new network through that hobby once again. | | It can be tough starting over. For anyone who has relocated, especially at a younger age for school or work, you are left to rediscover how to meet people who will become your foundation in your new home. With a hobby like ours, we only have to find events. There, we can seek out the people who speak our unique language and share our appreciation for enthusiast vehicles. Esteban was able to quickly find his home, but this time, with local Auto X events. As he was used to traditional road courses, Auto X proved to be a new challenge that demanded a different set of skills than those he had accrued back home. | 
| | Through his first few Auto X events, Esteban found that he wanted more from his car. He had quickly found the limits of the del sol and knew it was time to graduate to a more advanced platform. Something capable out of the box. Something that wouldn’t require him to keep building and re-building tired old underpowered engines to continue competing. It was around this time that the BMW 1M was released, and Esteban set his sights on one for himself. Unfortunately, as is often the case, his budget-restricted him from realistically transitioning into that platform. Patience, and encouragement from his friends and girlfriend, were key. | | Patience it certainly took. Despite collecting once again a smattering of Hondas, Esteban had not lost his interest in a BMW. By this time, his new goal was the M2, which made its way into his sights and replaced the elusive 1M as his dream car. After he and his girlfriend had put their hands on one that was featured at Daytona International Raceway, he knew it was time. While his girlfriend was eager to help him make that impulsive decision, the availability of the car was a more daunting challenge. It took calling dealership after dealership to find any M2, let alone the right one. But, after some searching, he was eventually able to purchase the M2 he wanted and jumped into his first BMW. | 
| | From there, he applied his existing interest, that was until that point exclusively Hondas, to the M2. It became his new toy and replaced the Del sol as his next step in motorsports. Naturally, the two couldn’t be more different. From a front-wheel-drive, stripped-out, ‘momentum’ car to a rear-wheel-drive, heavy (by comparison,) powerful BMW, Esteban found that his new challenge was to adapt to a completely different experience of driving. | 
| | During that transition, he also discovered the beauty of the BMW community. His purchase brought him into the world of BMW enthusiasts and the extreme learning curve that only reveals itself once you step into that sphere. While many of us had the luxury of spending years and years following BMW, living in that culture, and buying anything we could find to satisfy our addiction, Esteban knew what he wanted, but didn’t make that exploration into BMW until he had exactly what his mind was set to have. That meant once again he had to develop new relationships and find the experts who would help him grow. | 
| | With his personable attitude and natural friendliness, it was fairly easy for him to establish those connections once he found a home in his local BMW CCA chapter and began participating in events with his new M2. These relationships, both in person and through the forums, helped him expand and cement his new interest to the point that he knew the Hondas he still owned were ready to leave his garage. | 
| | Until then, even after he purchased his M2, Esteban continued to daily drive an aging CR-X. When the A/C finally decided to die, after thousands of dollars in repairs to make the car something respectable, he knew he needed to move on. He started to daily drive the M2, found buyers for his Hondas, and began the search for a new daily driver, this time, for a BMW. He settled on an E82 135i, and he reached that ‘final form’ of BMW enthusiast. | | Nothing is ‘good enough’ beyond what we know to be perfect. The community, the capability of these cars, and the distinctive German quality are enough to prevent us from enjoying anything else. With the dedicated and supportive community around them, BMW enthusiasts aren’t lukewarm about their passion. It becomes all-consuming, between learning everything we can about our cars to exclusively spending our time with other like-minded enthusiasts, our lives revolve around the gravity of BMW. For Esteban, he had completely made an irreversible change. | 
| | With the 135i and his M2, it wasn’t long before his new BMW addiction dictated more investments. The CCA chapter he found had become a major source of both information and pressure to let those impulse, emotional, decisions take over, and he found himself once again in the market to expand. Esteban, who did not grow up around classic BMWs, wanted to experience them himself. However, it was an interesting turn of events that led him to finally purchase two iconic vintage BMWs. | 
| | Esteban traded his M2 up to the M2 Competition, opted for the (unfortunately no-longer-available) European Delivery, and eventually had it delivered to South Carolina. Through his connections, he had befriended a detailer there who he trusted to treat his new M2C to a compliment of future-proofing efforts for his investment. When he went to pick up the car, he and his girlfriend decided to spend a week there in South Carolina driving the M2C. On that trip, he spotted a Dakar yellow E46 M3 parked in front of some warehouses and had to swing by to see it. What must have been an individual color, Esteban’s new appreciation for BMWs and the curiosity that took hold upon spotting something like that ended up being the catalyst for classic BMW ownership. | 
| | Together, he and his girlfriend walked around the car and were quickly greeted by the owner, who kindly invited them in to see his collection of BMWs. Inside, Esteban was treated to a sea of desirable BMWs but was particularly fascinated with the 1974 2002 featured in the gentleman’s collection. It was only a few months later in the following spring that he phoned up the owner and struck a deal to purchase it. Fortunately, Esteban’s detailer friend happened to know the owner, vouched for the car, and was able to pick it up for him. Some months later, his 2002 was home in Florida, along with a new relationship that would prove useful down the road. | 
| | It was the same collector that eventually sold Esteban his E30, which has allowed him to enjoy a piece of three distinct eras in BMW experiences. Through his M2C, his E30, and his 2002, Esteban can feel the evolution of BMW at his leisure. Through relationships with other enthusiasts, he was able to make that dive into true BMW addiction that has consumed so many of us. | 
| | The enthusiast community has played a massive part in his choice to dive into our world, as have the connections to companies like Turner Motorsport, CATuned, DINAN, and organizations like the BMW CCA. Thanks to his easy-going and agreeable personality, he has developed relationships that have allowed him to truly enjoy this hobby. Without the people that share this passion, it is simply a good car company with some fun platforms. In itself, that’s only a part of what makes us continue to live what can only be described as a lifestyle. | 
| | Since then, Esteban has made friends across the country simply by being an example of what a BMW enthusiast should be. Someone who appreciates those who helped him along the way and wants to share anything and everything with someone who demonstrates those interests. He’s found friends and connections that will last a lifetime from something many see as ‘just a car.’ Fortunately, for those of us like Esteban, we know that the car is, literally and metaphorically, the vehicle. It literally is a vehicle that takes us to new places, engages with us, provides a relationship of ups and downs through ownership, and is what we rely upon for transportation. More so, it metaphorically represents the vehicle that takes us to new communities, allows us to forge new friendships, and establish connections across the world through the shared passion and common language we speak. Thanks to BMWs, Esteban has developed a connection with several of us here at Turner. Thanks to Esteban, many new enthusiasts have a source of information and example to follow as they take the same path so many of us have found leads to unforgettable experiences and a true passion for BMW. | | | | |
