To any novice, this was just another mid-1990s BMW M3 with some modest livery and a badly-fitting wing. The culprit in question? A real-deal factory E36 M3 LTW CSL. And of course, it was numbered by a plaque. The interior was immaculate, and shared all of the correct characteristics of the factory car, including the special weave carbon fiber accents. The checkered flags were correct in size and placed in the exact factory positioning.

With giggles and excitement, the first question we both almost simultaneously asked each other was: “Holy shit, is that real?!” Gazing in mesmerizing confusion, we inspected the car, searching for some sort of clue to justify our doubts in its authenticity, but for once, we were happy to be wrong in our skepticism.

My buddy, Andrew, was with me, and I can clearly remember us both stopping almost immediately in our tracks, staring at one another in utter confusion, then slowly proceeding to walk towards the car. About three or four years ago, I was strolling along the lines of cars parked outside of Canepa’s lot during one of their Cars & Coffee events when I stumbled across a particular car that everyone else seemed to be walking right passed.

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