Can Eyilik loves sharing his passion for BMW M with friends and other petrolheads. His exclusive M collection includes gems such as the BMW Z3 M E36/8S, the BMW M3 E30, the BMW M3 E92, the BMW M3 CSL E46 and, last but not least, a BMW M3 GT E36 in British Racing Green – number 179 of only 356 ever delivered and the only one in Turkey. The successful interior designer has created a fitting home for this classic collection in his garage, “Driven34”, that be built himself. 34 stands for Istanbul’s number plate code. With his collection, Can Eyilik has fulfilled one of his biggest dreams. Time for an interview.
* The stunts performed in the videos presented were executed by professional drivers under controlled conditions and on closed roads. Do not attempt to replicate these maneuvers.
Can Eyilik , Istanbul’s great BMW M enthusiast, with his BMW M3 CSL E46.
As beautiful as M cars are to look at, I personally think they show their best side behind the wheel, as their engineers intended.
BMW M Enthusiast
Hey Can! Great to speak to you! What makes you the perfect ambassador for M and Me?
Likewise! I love talking about ///M. I believe my lifetime passion and obsession with M cars would qualify me as a true M addict.
If you could sum up BMW M in three adjectives, what would they be?
Breathtaking, fast and fun.
Your BMW M garage is one of the most individual and specific we have seen. Why this collection and what makes these models so special to you?
Thank you! I particularly love naturally aspirated, high revving M cars, and M3 models are the perfect size for me. So. I was lucky to collect all the natural aspirated M3 cars and display them at my garage called “Driven34” in Istanbul, Türkiye.
What was the first BMW M you owned and how did this affect you at the time?
My 1987 M3 E30 is my first M which I own since 2007. The M3 E30 was my only poster car during my entire childhood and when I was able to afford one, it was a very special moment in my life. Almost, “a dream come true”.
You have described your love of automobiles a “blessing and a curse”, why do you say that?
Haha! It is a joy to own these wonderful M cars, but like any parent, you constantly worry about their wellbeing, both physically and financially.
Can you share any insights into the lifestyle and culture around owning a BMW M in Turkey?
Turkish people truly love cars and particularly BMW for their dynamism and sporty design. Since Türkiye has a largely young population, there are so many entertaining car meets and events every month, including the one I put together each May, the “Cars on Sundays” meet.
We know you’ve driven a lot of different BMW M models in your time, which one has stuck in your memory as special?
On paper, naturally aspirated M cars may look slightly different for one over the other but in reality, every generation delivers something unique. For example, the M3 E30 may be the rawest and purest M car, but the intoxicating noise and sharpness of the M3 CSL, or the brutal highspeed acceleration of the M3 E92 are equally addictive.
You have driven your cars across Europe and the rest of the world, you’ve said: “We are blessed that something we love can also be portable and take us places”. Why do you think it’s important to drive them and let them loose?
As beautiful as M cars are to look at, I personally think they show their best side behind the wheel as their engineers intended. There is no better feeling than driving your M models on an open road and the unique usefulness of these wonderful cars allows their drivers to let them loose on a wide variety of conditions. One day, you can take your M3 to the Nürburgring for a few laps and the other day, you could take it to the Alps with their majestic views for that open road sensation. Not many sports cars are so versatile.
The E30 M3 may be the rawest and purest M car, but the intoxicating noise and sharpness of the M3 CSL, or the brutal highspeed acceleration of the E92 M3 are equally addictive.
BMW M Enthusiast
Do you find support and understanding in the car community and what else has made you feel so at home in the culture?
The wonderful thing about the car culture is that it removes any sort of boundaries such as financial status, nationality or even distance. All car people care about is to chat about their cars, and there are no prejudices.
No one cares what job you do, how much you make or what opinion you have on other worldly matters. A complete concentration and fixation on the love of cars. Nothing else.
How do you envision the future of high-performance cars, and where do you see BMW M fitting into an electric future?
I believe the genius engineers at BMW M will make sure that the thrill of driving an M car will exist in every future M car no matter what power plant it will use. My personal wish would be for more aural pleasure.
If you could give anyone keen on joining the BMW M community some advice, what would it be?
Every M car is a joy to drive. It is their DNA which means you can’t go wrong with any model or year. Having said that, I would only advise potential new owners to calculate their budget by reserving some funds for after purchase fun, such as road trips and adventures. Many times, I’ve seen ambitious owners spending every dime on their new M car purchase and then having nothing left to enjoy these beauties for a long time, which is heartbreaking.
You took an extraordinary road trip with a band of M E36 GT, a rare special edition. Can you tell us more about that?
Sure. I happen to be the lucky owner of the E36 M3 GT No 179 of 356 ever made, and I am a member of the M3 GT owners WhatsApp group which helps us discuss everything E36 M3 GT.
Since 2025 marks the 30th birthday of the M3 GT, we had decided to commemorate this special milestone with a nice M3 GT 30th birthday tour.
More than 15 GT’s from around Europe met at BMW Museum on May 22nd for a day’s festivities and the next day we drove down to Lake Como through scenic Alpine roads to display our GT’s at Amici & Automobili organized by BMW Classic at Villa Erba as a part of the famous Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este.
Can, thank you for talking to us.
* The stunts performed in the videos presented here were executed by professional drivers under controlled conditions. Do not attempt to replicate these maneuvers.
