• Team Schirmer is a specialty manufacturer that develops and distributes aftermarket BMW motorsport components.
• After building a notable E92 M3, Dominic W. set his sights on a newer chassis: a 6-speed manual F87 M2 Competition.
• A firm believer in doing all the work himself, his Team Schirmer M2 Competition was built in his home garage during COVID.
• Dom’s M2C is the first true Team Schirmer GT car in North America, putting his car amongst very rare company.

Car builds today are often born, live, and die on Instagram. They become a race to appease the content-guzzling masses rather than a reflection of the owner’s hobbyist passion. Yet, on the equal and opposite end, the popular social media platform has afforded us access to learn about what other people are up to, sometimes halfway around the world, with a swipe of a finger. It’s a strange, double-edged sword then. The ideal balance is someone inspired by the online universe but has little interest in blue-check notoriety. Meet Dominic W.

I met Dominic (Dom) on the millennial version of Instagram, the forums. Back then, his project was a 2012 Alpine White E92 M3. He quickly modified his M3 coupe with the best that the OEM Euro catalog and aftermarket industry — think BBS, Bilstein, SPL, Akrapovic, do88, and AP Racing — had to offer. After nearly seven years of putting his signature on the E92, it was time for a new project.

THE REPLACEMENT

As you might have guessed, the replacement for Dom’s E92 M3 was an F87 M2 Competition. While he was initially aiming to go further back in BMW M’s catalog with an E46 M3, the appeal of modern technology, plenty of power, and an altogether attractive form right out of the box made the M2 hard to ignore. Soon after finding the perfect example — Alpine White with a 6-speed manual transmission — a brand new M2 Competition was parked in Dom’s garage.

TEAM SCHIRMER TRANSFORMATION

Team Schirmer is a renowned, specialty car manufacturer based in Germany that is dedicated to the development and distribution of BMW motorsport components.

But not too long before Dom procured his M2, the Team Schirmer catalog was something of a myth. We all knew the parts existed, but before it had a website, access to the parts was nearly impossible. But amongst other qualities, the one thing that stands out with Dom is his lack of compromise when he sets out to achieve his goals. With the M2, that goal was very clear: become the first Team Schirmer GT build in the United States.

The COVID lockdown was fortuitous in some ways. Although it barred Dom from visiting Tom, the owner of Team Schirmer, and the team in person, it provided plenty of wrench time in Dom’s personal garage. Dom is a firm believer in doing all the work himself and his car transformed into the Team Schirmer GT car you see here with his two hands alone, save for one very crucial piece of calibration that Tom set himself: all of the kinematics.

Once the travel restrictions were lifted, he decided that the best way to celebrate the build was to visit Tom and the Team Schirmer crew himself. “Tom has a unique ability to make cars better/faster and his reputation speaks for itself,” said Dom. “It’s something I didn’t think I could ever have but always wanted. Visiting Tom and the team was an incredible experience…I learned a lot more than I could have ever hoped during that trip.” Indeed, the meeting affirmed that Dom chose the right path for his car. To this day, he is still the most complete Team Schirmer car in the US — there are only one or two others throughout all 50 states.

DETAILS MATTER

Of course, Dom didn’t just throw money at Team Schirmer’s catalog — there were several other important details that make his M2C stand out from the crowd. A set of Perlon Recaro Pole Position seats, roll cage, rear seat delete, CAE shifter, and custom KMP steering wheel were just the start of Dom’s attention to detail.

The Team Schirmer carbon fiber hood hides all of the do88 upgrades, including its charge cooler, charge pipes, heat exchanger, turbo inlet pipes, intake system, oil cooler, and j-pipe. The build wouldn’t be complete without an Akrapovic exhaust.

To call Dom’s propensity toward BBS would be an understatement. At this point, it very well may crossover into a full-blown obsession. In just three years, his M2 has worn five different sets of BBS wheels — the two variants of #slicerspec E88s that you see here are certainly a standout — but he’s even gone so far as to run a custom RE GT4 monoblock set from the company as well. That’s real dedication. It’s rather fitting that he decided to stage this entire photoshoot inside of BBS USA’s headquarters.

GUIDING PRINCIPLES

Dom’s commitment to quality and doing all the work himself is much less about gaining followers than it is about inspiring others to do the same. “I really tried to build something that could inspire others or see what could be possible,” Dom confesses. “I know I had a handful of people that said that about my old M3, that they wanted to get one and build it just like mine. That to me was so cool.”

That mindset seemed to stem from Dom’s own childhood journey. His dad had a few cars, but none stood out more than his father’s green 2002. Dom can still recant all of the impressions it made on him — the styling, aura, and driving characteristics of BMW — and how much it drove him toward the brand. It proves that the automotive world is an artistically expressive and emotionally evocative one all the same and there’s no doubt that Dom has already paid it forward for young enthusiasts today.

THE NEXT STEP

Dom admits that despite everything he’s achieved with this car, he goes back and forth as to whether he’s sentimental about the M2C. Since he’s performed every modification himself, there’s a lot of time involved, which binds him to the effort. But despite the totality of his labor, he qualifies that there is always an itch for something else. “If I get another BMW it will most likely be older, E30/E36/E46,” Dom admits. “The F87 is the last new BMW for me unless something else comes out that strikes my fancy. The real goal and next car for me is a 997.2 GT3. With the market as it is today, the RS is definitely out of reach but this GT3 is definitely my goal. I just would need to find a home for my M2 if that’s going to happen.”

Indeed, the progression from BMW to Porsche is a common marching song, but as Dom laments, it has admittedly become a more difficult transition to make. Nevertheless, we are confident that whatever car Dom decides to build next, it’ll be a memorable build to follow. For now, I’m content enough to admire this very special Team Schirmer GT with deep respect.

Gallery