M//arital Bliss

This husband and wife Maxin' team have taken their Beemers to the next level. A modifying match made in splitter-scraping heaven where there is no air (ride)...

Married couples can find much to bicker about these days. Who's the biggest orange twat on Love Island? Dirty pineapple or not on the delivery Domino's? How much time should little Timmy spend on Snapchat sending pictures of his little pecker? Plenty to row about, indeed.

But James and Dee Barrett are more concerned about who's modded car sits the lowest; both slammin' rides without the merest hint of compressed air assistance. A day spent with these two serial Maxers is a refreshing treat - cool cars, solid car chat, and an obvious passion for building it, driving it and showing it. The MAXERS force is strong in these two.

Our shoot day begins at the Wickford-based family business - Barrett Motorwerks - and one of Dee's top notch cuppas. James' E46 M3 is causing a bit of a digital stir - a stir in your pants when you see it in the metal! - having just returned from a fresh paint job in gnarly BMW Urban Green. From an already pretty gnarly Audi Nardo Grey.

"When I first saw the car in green, I thought I'd done a massive wrongun! But it came out alright in the end"

Having won the Players Show in 2016 in its previously trendsetting grey, James is hoping that the new paint will once again set him out from the crowd and further weigh down his trophy shelf. But this dynamic duo doesn't build them for the trophies.

How to own the car park, by James Barrett

James has always wanted a M-car after driving a stack of less iconic BMs, and thought, quite wisely, that the E46 M-Division-er was the one to have. I'd tend to agree with him, if Millsy didn't own one! Yes it is an SMG, and yes he does prefer the (remapped) SMG over the manual. You can add your own thoughts on this subject in the comments below.

This (way more than) two-car family is cooler than yours. Dee's tasty 1-Series

Dee's a Maxer in her own right with a so-chunky 1-Series, that, like James' M3, is extensively modified to her own taste; conforming not to Instagram fads and fully on first name terms with all the local speed bumps. Did your wife help you fit your roll cage? Dee is clearly a keeper.

"This car's had a least three sets of wheels!"

The self-confessed 'bad influence' - can anyone who encourages family modifying by doing it herself be a bad influence?! - took her standard, daily-driving silver 123d to a sweet new yellow-on-gold-plus-carbon stance that demands respect.

As the day rolls on, the who's-lower-banter continues and it's all smiles, until someone mentions Skylines. Dee used to love her Jap motors; James reckons Nissan's most famous bruisers are overrated. A chink in the armour of their Maxed relationship?

Not for long. Any household that buys each other car parts for birthdays and Christmas is about as solid as the decked coilovers on these beautiful BMs. Rock solid!

BMW E46 M3

TECH SPEC

ENGINE

3.2-litre straight-six S54B32 • Carbon engine cover • K&N induction kit with carbon intake • 100-cell sport cats • Mosselman remap • Sprint booster • Agency Power rear box with Euro-style exhaust tips

TRANSMISSION

Six-speed SMG gearbox • CSL software update

SUSPENSION

D2 Racing coilovers • Turner Motorsport subframe reinforcement kit • full Powerflex bush kit • Rogue Engineering top mounts • Eibach rear camber arms • 15mm (front) and 20mm (rear) TPI spacers

BRAKES

Standard

WHEELS & TYRES

9.5x19in (front) and 10.5x19in (rear) Quantum44 TS1 matte gunmetal wheels • 225/35 (front) and 255/30 (rear) Falken tyres

BODY

Full respray in BMW Urban Green with added pearl • Range Rover Santorini black roof and window trims • CSL front bumper with smoothed intake hole • full width carbon splitter • Lamin-x subtle tint front lights with smoked inner bowl • Umnitza angel eyes • 8000K xenon upgrade • smoothed bonnet • CSL bootlid with smoothed badge and lock • carbon CSL diffuser • carbon wing vents • carbon kidney grilles • red/smoked LED rear lights • light smoke window tints • AC Schnitzer roof spoiler

INTERIOR

Body coloured CSL doorcard inserts • body coloured dash trims and gear surround • flocked dash • flocked door cards • Weichers Type B half-cage painted body colour • Storm Motorwerks titanium SMG ring and gear knob • AC Schnitzer pedals and footrest • Rogue Engineering extended paddles • Cobra Monaco seats • Sparco three-point harnesses • rear seat delete

ICE

2x JL Audio 12in subs • JL Audio amp

PERFORMANCE

Max Power 353bhp • Max torque 273lb-ft

OWNER SPEC

NAME: James Barrett

AGE: 35

JOB: Owner Barrett Motorwerks

BMW E82 123d

TECH SPEC

ENGINE

2.0-litre four-cylinder twin-turbo N47D20 • K&N panel filter • centre and rear box delete with twin tips • Mosselman performance remap • Sprint booster

TRANSMISSION

Six-speed manual gearbox

SUSPENSION

Fully polybushed • Supersport height and damping adjustable coilovers

BRAKES

Standard

WHEELS & TYRES

8.5x18in (front) and 9.5x18in (rear) Ispiri CSR1D wheels in vintage gold • 12mm TPi spacers (front and rear) • 205/40 (front) and 225/35 (rear) Nankang NS20 tyre

BODY

Full respray in BMW Austin yellow with Subaru Java black roof and mirrors • BMW M Performance front bumper • Kerscher front splitter • Depo V2 headlamps • yellow inner bulbs • BMW M Performance black kidney grilles • carbon fibre rear diffuser • BMW M Performance carbon rear spoiler • smoothed bonnet roundel • smoothed boot roundel • dark smoke window tints • AGT Styling side skirt extensions

INTERIOR

Red leather • custom painted interior trim • Royal Grip kandy red wheel • We Are Likewise gold extended gear knob

ICE

Twin 12in JL Audio sub box • JL Audio amp

PERFORMANCE

Max Power 240bhp • Max torque 369lb-ft

OWNER SPEC

NAME: Dee Barrett

AGE: 37

JOB: Owner Ob-scene Signs and Graphics