SEMA 2019: Slammed BMW M550i Shakes Up Vegas

Long, low, and matte red, this would be the ideal daily driver for those who like attention.

We’re not all about fast, two-seat sports cars here at Team Speed. We understand as well as anyone the need for a high-performance cruise missile that can seat four and haul groceries. Of course, if that daily errand-runner can garner the same amount of attention as our more exotic rides, then that’s even better.

That understanding is what drew us to this BMW M550i when we saw it at SEMA last week. Nestled between the Toyo Tires booth and the Continental Tire display, this matte red-wrapped Bimmer sported neither.

Instead, the black and red forged Lexani wheels were wrapped by Lexani-branded rubber. That’s right, Lexani makes tires, too. Now you know.

This isn’t just a SEMA show car, though — the owner drives it on the street. The license plate is actually our favorite part of the build. While the car itself might not be to everyone’s taste, we’re sure that everyone can agree on the owner’s sense of humor.

In what we imagine is a tongue-in-cheek dig at the California DMV, the owner of this machine proudly drives around with “NOO PL8” stamped on their black and yellow tag. Clever.

That tag is also the owner’s Instagram handle, @noopl8_m550i. There, you can watch the car’s transformation from a stock, mild-mannered luxury sedan into the SEMA-bound attention-grabber you see here.

Starting out at a deep metallic blue, the car first received a matte gunmetal grey wrap with orange wheels before ending up in its current state. From what we can tell, SEMA was the debut for the car’s current red and black theme.

Performance modifications include a Frequency Intelligent exhaust and custom engine software from DME Tuning. The M550i’s slammed stance comes courtesy of suspension goodies from H&R.

The car may be too low, too loud, or too ostentatious for some, but we’d imagine that the owner doesn’t care. They got their daily driver put on display at SEMA — and best of all, we’re here talking about it. Isn’t that all that really matters?

Photos by Derin Richardson for Team Speed

Cameron Vanderhorst

Cam VanDerHorst has been a contributor to Internet Brands' Auto Group sites for over three years, with his byline appearing on Ford Truck Enthusiasts, Corvette Forum, JK Forum, and Harley-Davidson Forums, among others. In that time, he's also contributed to Autoweek, The Drive, and Scale Auto Magazine.

He bought his first car at age 14 -- a 1978 Ford Mustang II -- and since then he’s amassed an impressive and diverse collection of cars, trucks, and motorcycles, including a 1996 Ford Mustang SVT Mystic Cobra (#683) and a classic air-cooled Porsche 911.

In addition to writing about cars and wrenching on them in his spare time, he enjoys playing music (drums and ukulele), building model cars, and tending to his chickens.

You can follow Cam, his cars, his bikes, and his chickens at @camvanderhorst on Instagram.

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