Check Out My Ride: Carbon fiber close to this customizer’s heart
April 8, 2009
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| Navin Kumar’s 2000 BMW 323i features extensive use of carbon fiber to reflect his artificial heart valve, required due to his congenital heart condition. (Andrew Harnik/Examiner) |
People who say their cars are a part of who they are might want to rethink the terms of that relationship. Not many people can create a special link between man and machine the way Gaithersburg resident Navin Kumar has done with his 2000 twin screw supercharged BMW 323i.
Stats box
Engine » 2.5-liter inline 6-cylinder
Performance » ESS twin screw supercharger, 5-speed manual transmission, Eisenmann performance quad exhaust, retrofitted OEM clutch kit, clutch master and slave cylinders, retrofitted OEM flywheel
Exterior » Vorsteiner black carbon fiber GTR hood and side skirts, AC Schnitzer rear bumper add-on, carbon fiber sports mirrors, carbon fiber 3-piece spoiler, BMW black carbon fiber Mtech 2 corner splitters, headlight trim and kidney grilles
Interior » Retrofitted OEM leather interior w/heated power sports seats and seat button console, carbon fiber dash gauge panel w/VDO boost, oil temperature, and oil pressure gauges.
Audio/Video » Pioneer AVIC N4 multimedia navigation head unit with custom carbon fiber trim, TView 7-inch dual black leather headrest monitors, JL Audio Stealthbox subwoofers (Two 8-inch subwoofers custom mounted in rear decklid), JL Audio 250/1 Monoblock amplifier
At 34, Kumar suffers from a congenital heart condition that has cost him five open-heart surgeries during his lifetime. His most recent surgery required a complete replacement of his aortic valve. The artificial valve used in the transplant is constructed of carbon fiber — a lightweight, durable material that is also a popular choice in custom car builds.
The man with the mechanical heart is a fixture on the D.C. metropolitan car scene. When he’s not raising heart awareness with fellow enthusiasts, he’s raising the bar for European tuners by cleaning up at car shows with a handsomely modified car that has been nine years in the making.
Kumar purchased the car new and originally intended to keep it a daily driver. Opting for an automatic transmission for fear that a significant other might melt at the wheel, excitement could be the only response when he learned that his new wife understood the intricate clutch and pedal work required of a 5-speed manual. He would eventually reconfigure his setup to add a greater level of interactive performance to his BMW by securing a transmission swap. But when Kumar learned of the availability of carbon fiber parts for his BMW, the irony was too great to pass up. He decided to make a subtle statement by inserting the material wherever he found opportunity. Among his first carbon fiber modifications included A-pillars, a license plate frame, a shift knob, a dash panel and a rare AC Schnitzer steering wheel. The interior remains modest enough to look like a factory option, just the way his own flesh and blood heart was meant to incorporate his inorganic valve, although the sound coming from his ride is louder than thunder when the JL Audio monoblock amplifier pushes music through his JL Audio subwoofers.
Kumar continued his carbon fiber work under the hood, replacing factory pieces with a carbon fiber engine cover, intake, strut brace, fuel rails and an oil cap. He even found a Brembo brake kit with carbon fiber brake shoes, six-piston calipers and 14-inch rotors to ensure precision braking in sticky situations.
But breaking with the carbon fiber theme, no one modification compares to the TS1 twin-screw supercharger purchased from ESS. Kumar was looking for immediate acceleration advantages that didn’t waste precious horsepower. He selected the twin-screw setup because of better fuel efficiency than a Roots supercharger and for an internal compression factor quicker than the common centrifugal superchargers, which are more effective in the higher RPM ranges.
All totaled, Kumar concedes he’s easily doubled the $33,000 price tag on the stock BMW. But it’s no great sacrifice, especially when he’s been given a new warranty on life, enabling him to live with purpose while making the most of the time.
What do you drive? 2000 BMW 323i sedan.
Why do you drive it? It’s my daily driver and show car. My car tells my heart story and it’s a part of me.
What makes this car so special? To show my appreciation for being alive, I chose to modify my car extensively with carbon fiber on the exterior, interior, engine bay, etc. Through my car, I can tell my story and hopefully inspire others to lead heart-healthy lives at the car shows I compete at and also help to spread awareness for folks like me born with congenital heart conditions.
What is your most memorable driving experience? Driving my baby girl home from the hospital for the very first time in my car when she was born back in 2004.
What was the first vehicle you ever owned? My BMW is the very first vehicle I’ve ever owned.
What music are you currently listening to in your car? Soundtrack to “Cinderella.” My little girl is my top priority and she will always get first dibs on what music to listen to in my car.
And your first ticket? What was it for? I’ve never gotten a ticket when driving my BMW.
