Late last year, there was talk in Indonesia’s modified and custom car community about a crazy build that would break new ground for our region. When I heard it was based on a BMW M2, I admit to being a little confused.
Why? Well, to me the M2 is perfect, so I wasn’t too sure what could be done to make it even better. When the opportunity arose, its owner Chandra Kurniawan, AKA Charock, was keen to show me.
I’ve been in lockdown for so long I can’t even remember the last time I saw something unique on the road. But it’s impossible to miss this one, thanks to a crazy-wide bodykit accentuated by deep-dish wheels and an ultra-low ride height. This build is a true one-of-a-kind in Indonesia.
Many people can’t get onboard with the idea of cutting perfectly good metal to wide-body a car – especially when it’s a new or rare model. There are lots of reasons why, but to be honest, I don’t really care. To me, cars can be art and a way for anyone to express themselves through creativity. Also, we need people doing stuff like this to keep car culture interesting and evolving.
Before meeting Charock and his M2, I’d never heard of DarwinPRO Aerodynamics – the company responsible for the kit it wears – but a little research tells me they have an extensive catalog of crazy aero for a wide range of high-end and performance vehicles. This particular kit is insane, but at the same it goes so well with the car, thanks in part to TeckWrap’s ECH03 Matte Metallic Charcoal Grey vinyl.
Helping the aesthetic is air suspension and the set of SV2 Forged Radix CRK Edition wheels – 19×10-inch -26 up front and a crazy 19×11-inch -52 in the rear – fitted with Yokohama Advan Neova AD08Rs, 275/30R19 and 305/30R19 front and rear respectively.
Unless you’re the owner of a body shop with nothing to do, without air-ride it would be impossible to own this car and drive regularly it on the road in Indonesia. Charock uses his M2 a lot, and in the short time since the car was completed he’s already taken it on a 1,156km road trip across the archipelago, Jakarta to Bali.
Like the factory bodywork, the factory 405hp was never going to cut it though, and two straightforward upgrades – an ECU remap and an Eisenmann exhaust – free up some ponies. It’s also ridiculously loud, to the point that I felt bad for the neighbours as we went about our late-night shoot.
The interior, meanwhile, retains all of its M goodness.
A lot of local enthusiasts call Charock’s M2 The Batmobile, but he prefers The Beast. At night, the way the light wraps around the BMW coupe is just mesmerizing.
During the shoot, Charock shared with me some of his ideas and I got a real sense of how much he cares about Indonesia’s automotive scene. This car has really ignited a flame in our rapidly-growing car community, so one can only wonder what Charock and his trusted build partners will come up with next…
Rick Muda
Instagram: ardskellig