Meet a BMW named “Rusty Slammington” at SEMA
It’s not surprising that there is a BMW vehicle generating buzz on the floor of the SEMA Show this year. What is surprising is that this particular vehicle isn’t here with the brand, but with collector Mike Burroughs. When Burroughs bought the 1985 BMW 535i in 2007, he stated intentionally rusting some of the panels. In 2010, the whole car was rusted, and he lowered the roof by five inches. He also replaced the original Bavarian engine for a 1JZ Toyota Supra one and added gold wheels.
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That’s all well and good, but it doesn’t explain why it’s catching eyes at SEMA in 2015. Most of that attention is coming from what the car survived. In 2011, Burroughs’ garage caught fire. Not only did Burroughs and his friends barely escape with their lives, but Rusty Slammington was completely consumed.
It has taken four years, but Rusty Slammington is back. The car’s new chassis is custom, and includes a roll cage. According to CNET, the car’s look is derived from FIA Group 5 race cars. The BMW 535i is a sedan, but in this new form it has become a beastly coupe. The Toyota engine was lost in the fire, but that just means that Rusty Slammington now has a BMW six-cylinder engine under the hood.
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The body of the car is still covered by purposeful rust, which is a divisive body treatment. When you hear its story and realize how much work went into bringing Rusty Slammington back from the dead, though, any auto enthusiast can appreciate it.
News and Image Source: CNET
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