What Car Do You Want for Christmas?

I’ll be honest with you, I kind of feel like Christmas has already been and gone for me.

Last week, I finally got my M3 CSL back from the BMW dealer after a 3-month wait when the bearing shells had decided they’d had enough. So with a fresh motor in the CSL it’s a merry Christmas from myself, to myself. Well, kind of. It’s quite a long story, which I’ll get properly stuck into over the forthcoming Christmas break.

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During the time that my CSL was having its heart swap, I got an email from a very nice guy called Mitja who works at Akrapovič. “Would you like to come and drive our new F90 BMW M5 with the all singing titanium Evolution Line exhaust system?” the e-mail asked. The only answer to a question like this, is of course an absolute yes.

Time was short, so we looked at flights in and out of Slovenia’s capital Ljubljana and arrived late at night. Mitja took us for a whistle-stop tour around one of Akrapovič’s almost surgical-like manufacturing facilities and then we went straight over to their HQ where Mark photographed the M5 in the dead of night.

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The next day we got up early and Ryan was handed the keys to the F90 and we went for a drive around the beautiful Slovenian countryside. Right now, I seem to be in a phase of my life where I want to own every car that I sit in. It’s like some sort of automotive ADHD thing that has got well and truly out of hand. I didn’t even drive the M5 and I was in love.

The sound the Akrapovič makes is pure class. As an F80 M3 owner, I’d argue that it’s not easy to make modern BMWs sound fantastic, but the Akrapovič engineers have done an outstanding job.

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What was it like to drive, I asked Ryan. “Supercars can be a pretty lonely experience. I mean, you might enjoy them with your wife, or even someone else’s wife, but a super saloon with super car performance can be way more fun and way less stressful. Driving the F90 with this exhaust system was certainly a theatrical experience and I don’t think there’s a saloon I’d enjoy more on the autobahn four-up with my mates doing triple digit speeds.”

Being honest, we only spent a few hours with the F90 before it was time for lunch and our flight back. So here’s a video of the car at a test track with someone rather handy behind the wheel.

We’ll be bringing you another story on the Akrapovič factory in the new year and there will be a chance to ask the engineers your questions about exhaust tuning, too.

In the meantime, I’ll be dreaming about how bloody brilliant it would be to take this F90 M5, with it’s orchestral exhaust system, back to Wales to scare the living daylights out of my whole family over the next week. Bringing launch control, mad acceleration and the fear of god into the lives of my nearest and dearest over the holidays would be the perfect present for one and all.

So, what car would you like for Christmas?

Ben Chandler
Instagram: ben_scenemedia
ben@speedhunters.com

Photography by Mark Riccioni
Instagram: mark_scenemedia
Twitter: markriccioni
mark@scene-media.com

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39 comments

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1
thehellastockusdm3rdgenyaris@instagram

that depends , you buying?

Author2

Why not? After all, it is Christmas

3

Give me a noble m600 please

4

Dude, I totally forgot about that car! YES PLEASE!!

5

Quick really random question:
Top says by:

Paddy McGrath


Bottom says:

Ben Chandler


So who wrote it? Oh and yes that sounds great! =D

6

Yeah, that's my mistake. I lay out the stories sometimes and forgot to change the authors. Although sometimes I do feel like Ben has possessed me if that counts for anything.

Author7

Paddy hahaha!

8
Mark Joseph I. Argoso

Too many to count. And to think they're about 1:64-scale! Some Tomica, some Hot Wheels, some Matchbox, some Majorette (all the rally cars especially), some bloody rare 1:64 versions of LMP1 cars, DTM, the 2018 IndyCar and the DeltaWing, an idol car of mine.

9

Yellow Civic EG hatch 1.2 carburetor that can run 3 digit mph. HELL YEAHHH ^_^

10

Hmm, some kind of Eagle E-Type, or a well built '67 Mustang Fastback with period go-fast bits on it. Either or both of those would do me. Here's hoping! ;-)

11

'92 512 TR, black.

12

Maybe a dc tarzen completely restored and a little moded by me like rollcage ,exhaust ,etc

13

wait. says by paddy mcgrath at the very top, but by the finish of the article, it says ben chandler. is someone at speedhunters living a double life here??

14

I mean, I don't think anyone would want to combine us into one person.

Author15

That would be a terrible idea.

17

Alfa Romeo 6c 3000cm superflow IV, yes, I have an acquired taste.

18

It’s quite confusing when the writer is not mentioned at the start. Especially when you write from your own perspective it would be nice to know who is this “I”

Author19

The stories always have the writer mentioned. In this case it was incorrectly listed by Paddy. Maybe he had one Guinness too many!

20
Not_A_Racing_Driver

i would like a e36 winter beater.....

21

Could I just have a rebuilt 20B engine with a life time rebuild warranty.

22

That's a good question

23

I would love to have A80 Supra, A90 Supra, Civic Type R, S2000, Skyline GT-R R34, Chiron, NSX, GT-R R35, R8, M3 E46, GT2 996, Carrera T, M5 E60, Vantage, F1, 720S, Shelby GT500, Challenger Hellcat, Trackhawk, E63S Wagon, RS4 B7, RS6 Avant, S60R, Ariel Atom, RX-7 FD, Raptor, Urus, Murcielago, Cullinan, Abarth 500, Yaris GRMN, GT86, Miata, Alpine A110, Golf R, RS3, Veloster N, Stinger GT2, 205 GTI, 6R4, Quattro, Demon, Model 3, E-Tron, S1000R, CBR600RR, GSXR1000R, NM4, Hayabusa, Ninja, FTR1200, Roadster, S660, Jimny, Emgrand GL Race Car, Swift Sport, Satria R3 Lotus Racing, AZ-1, Skyline GT-R R32, Skyline GTS-T R33, Pulsar GTI-R, G550 4x4^2, Focus RS, Viper, LFA, Gladiator, GSF, ISF, IS300, M3 GTR, Cayman GT4, CTR, RGT-8, V60 Polestar, 911 GT3, etc.

Author24

Haha. This is brilliant.

25

I don't want any car for Christmas....I just want my family back...Just mom, dad, buzz, and if you have time, my uncle Frank.

26

my old 240z back, rust patched, chassis upgraded, carbs tuned, and the faded orange paint buffed and waxed. and a set of wattenabes.

27

A Black Ruff CTR please Santa Claus..........as you have an M3 which is far more dynamic than an M5 what ever year you pick........you need an M5 as well to scratch another itch.... Merry Xmas Speed Hunters.....thanks for 2018 looking forward to 2019...

28

Just let me have a 22B, or drive for a day, or just to sit in one for a moment, ok just let see one in real life and I'd be the happiest man on earth. /fellow subieownerandlover

29

Dear Santa, I just want a new Alpine A110 Abyss Blu please

30

Mine done.

31

I want my s13 from fr legends!

32

A CTR that isn't marked up $10k... and since that won't happen in Hawaii, how about the Veloster N to launch (and also not be marked up $10K) or a manual Chevy SS.

33

i want a honda nsx na1

Author34

Great choice!

35

I would like my 67 Jag E type, totally restored. Thanks Santa

36
JBfromSiliconValley

I guess one advertorial to keep the bills paid is okay with me.

Author37

It’s been a dream of mine to visit Akrapovič since I saw their launch of the E92 and GT3 systems at Essen Motor Show over ten years ago, so not an advertorial at all. We were lucky enough to go and visit their sites and the M5 was available to shoot at the same time. We will be brining you more features from our visit in the next few weeks. The site does need to be paid for via advertising, but we only share content that we believe is relevant to our audience. In this case, the M5 ticks that box.

38

I would like a Mitsubishi 3000gt vr4 for Christmas.

39

BMW 507

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