Categories: Cars

Chapter by Chapter: The Evolution of Ronnie Fieg’s Kith x BMW Journey

If you haven’t been paying attention, you might be under the impression that Ronnie Fieg entered the BMW space just recently, with the introduction of the G82 M4 Competition x Kith collab in 2020. If you’ve been out of the loop or exploring other interests, you might not yet be familiar with Fieg’s name as the visionary behind the New York-based fashion brand Kith.

In fact, the Fieg/BMW ties go way back. Famously, Fieg’s grandfather had a BMW and died when Ronnie was very young. Today, he connects the car brand to his grandfather, and he’s got around 18 BMWs in his collection to show for it. The sampling we saw – displayed publicly for the first time at the Miami Beach Art Basel – covered over five decades of BMW history. Each car features a unique twist, and of course, lots of special Kith-branded goodies that make them a one-of-one project.

Kith Cars Storyline and Chapters

Before we look at the cars, it’s important to know the history. The Kith/BMW relationship is broken into “Chapters,” according to Fieg. Chapter I starts off with the red E30 M3 and its sister car, the one-of-one G82 M4 in Cinnabar Red. This includes the M4 Competition x Kith cars that sold out in 2020. Chapter II is electric: an EV-converted 1602 and Vitality Green i4 M50, the latter which sold at auction for $327,600.

You probably heard about Chapter III. It comprises the Techno Violet M1, which was sourced with help from BMW themselves and cost around $1 million to purchase. Even more remarkable, sources indicate that it’s car number one. The special M1 is joined by the Frozen Techno Violet XM and its 47 production units.

The collection makes an even deeper impact – and more firmly solidifies Fieg’s reputation for authenticity and status as a true BMW fanatic – juxtaposed with the world famous 1111 Lincoln Road parking garage. The unique architecture served as the location for Kith’s Miami activation. Fieg thought it was integral that people explore unique cars and gain a better understanding of the brand. Here’s a look at what showed up – a sampling of a tailored collection we estimate to be worth comfortably around $3 million.

1990 E30 M3 Sport Evolution

The E30 M3 debuted with 195 horsepower, but didn’t take long to gain a bit of extra oomph. The Evolution model bumped power up to 215 horsepower, but BMW still had a little bit more left to give. Thus, the M3 Sport Evolution entered the ring. The inline-four under the hood got bumped up to 2.5-liters for 1990, granting the little coupe 238 horsepower and making it the most powerful E30 M3. Only 600 were made.

1989 E30 M3

The red 1989 E30 M3 is the same one that got shipped off to BMW for a complete refurbishment back when the red G82 M4 Design Study – more on that later – was introduced. Custom touches include Kith badges and roundels, embossed Kith Monogram leather upholstery, and more. Fieg’s grandfather owned a white E30 M3, which is largely where his love of the brand stems from.

1991 E30 M3 Convertible

The drop-top E30 M3 didn’t get share the Evolution engine until the 1989 production year, and the convertible never came to the US market officially. The Europe-only E30 M3 vert was, like the rest of the E30 M3 lineup, hand-assembled in Garching.

E36 M3

The E36 M3 appeared in Ronnie’s collection sometime after 2022, as he mentions in an interview with BMW M that both this car and the M1 are conspicuously absent from his collection. It looks to wear a similar shade of caramel upholstery as you see elsewhere in the Kith cars, and sports desirable Style 24 wheels that debuted on the ultrarare LTW and GT models. It appears to be a post-facelift (1997+) model based on the grille.

E31 850CSi

The 850CSi is one of the most desirable vintage BMWs on the planet. It comes with a powerful V12 engine and a manual gearbox – a delightful combination that makes for a motoring experience unlike anything else. This is likely the most expensive car in Ronnie’s collection, sans perhaps the Techno Violet M1. The “The E31 850 CSi…was so ahead of its time that even today I believe it’s the most beautiful modern sports car there is,” Fieg said in an interview with BMW M.

2021 G82 M4 Design Study – Cinnabar Red

It’s the only M4 finished in Cinnabar Red – no longer offered by BMW – and is the companion car to the Cinnabar E30 M3 mentioned above. It’s also an effective prototype for the roadgoing M4 Competition x Kith model, which we talk about next. Like that model, this one features Kith badging, upholstery, headrest badges, and other special details that are strictly not for sale elsewhere.

G82 M4 Kith Edition – Frozen Black

The Design Study in motion. This is one of the 150 G82 M4 Competition x Kith cars, sitting right next to the genesis of the project, Fieg’s Cinnabar Red M4. The Frozen Black paint was one of three choices – Frozen Dark Silver and Frozen Brilliant White were the other two – and hides a twin-turbo inline-six under the hood producing 510 horsepower. Atop the carbon fiber roof panel is a large Kith motorsport-inspired graphic.

1972 1600/02 Vitality Green

The “beginning of the story we have to tell for Chapter II,” according to Fieg, the 1600/02 is rebuilt and electrified with very unique BMW heritage in mind. The goal in the collaboration was to have the battery’s range carry the car as far as the Olympic marathon, an homage to BMW’s debut of an electrified 02 of their own in 1972 at the Olympic games. Like all of Ronnie’s cars, there’s plenty of unique Kith touches inside and out, including caramel and Kith-monogrammed leather upholstery.

2022 BMW i4 M50 Vitality Green

The final Vitality Green car, the all-electric i4 M50 ran in an exclusive production run of just seven. One went public, commanding over $300K at a Sotheby’s auction. The i4 features Vitality Green by Kith exterior paint, caramel upholstery, unique wood trim on the dash and center console, special floormats, and a whole lot more. Extra goodies that went home with the auction winner included a surfboard, Wilson/Kith/BMW tennis racquet, and snowboard. None of the extras were ever sold publicly – they’re a package deal with the exclusive i4 M50.

The Clothing Collections

Each one of these collaborations also came with a Kith/BMW-branded collection of apparel and accessories. The Chapters had their own theme, but they eventually came together in the latest chapter to cover the entire spectrum of the collaboration. In our opinion, this was the best one of all.