BMW is a brand that I wish I had the opportunity to spend more time with. Growing up, I paid little to no attention to the German automaker, and instead focused my attention on the Japanese or Italian brands. In recent years, though, I have had the opportunity to work with a handful of BMW owners. In my limited experience, I’ve found that most BMW owners are true ‘car guys’ Michael Bachman is no exception.
Much like myself, Bachman is a student at Liberty University. Bachman is working on his masters program, and plans to become a licensed professional counselor who specializes in trauma focused individual psychotherapy. Bachman also happens to drive a 2010 e92 M3, which is even cooler than the fact that he’s earning his masters degree. So who is Michael Bachman, and how did he get in to cars?
“My dad likes cars, he’s more of an American muscle guy. He has a 2006 Mustang GT convertible that he bought in 2006 brand new and spec’d himself. I have always been around cars and helped him work on cars from as young as I can remember.”
“My first car was a 2007 BMW 328i. I was going to start out with a Honda or something similar until we saw I could get a BMW for cheaper with less miles. It looked really clean, and that started the BMW addiction. I had a 2008 335xi after that, and now my M3. So I’ve owned 3 total cars.”
“I had no idea what I wanted to do after high school, all I knew and cared about was hockey. I played hockey for 3 years after high school. I played my first year at liberty but got hurt and put on a lower team and decided to stop playing after that. When I came to Liberty I had decided I wanted to follow after my mom. She is an LPC and I have learned a lot from her. I have an innate interest in psych, and I have a desire to understand people with trauma and also to learn how to help them navigate life in spite of their trauma. So you could say I get my love for cars from my dad and my interest in counseling as a career path from my mom.
“The e92 M3 has been my ‘attainable’ dream car since I was 16 years old. The e9x generation is my favorite generation of BMWs, and the M3 is the peak of that for me. The Naturally Aspirated V8 that revs to 8400rpm paired with individual throttle bodies is amazing for throttle response. I am biased when I say it is a car that will go down in automotive history for sure. I think it is perfectly balanced between the connected and raw experience of older cars, with enough tech and modern performance from newer cars. I do not plan on ever selling it unless I have to.”
Bachman’s M3 is another great example of an OEM+ car that I’ve had the privilege of working with. Bachman’s M3 is equipped with Apex wheels, a single piece carbon fiber driveshaft, and a GT4 carbon fiber front lip. For comfort, Bachman’s M3 also sports a Mashimarho leather steering with, as well as Apple CarPlay. For power, Bachman’s M3 has an AA power pulley and an engine tune.
“In everything you do, do the best that you can. Doing just enough leads to regrets, you can never regret doing your best. Whether it is fear of failure, laziness, or you just think what you’re doing is not that important, that is leading to a lack of effort, it adds up and transfers to your future. It is always better to go through current discomfort rather than taking the easy way and suffering long-term consequences.”
“Finish what you start, fastest way to nowhere is to keep switching paths for whatever reason.”
“When it comes to being a car enthusiast, or in life and career, I would say just be genuine. Get the car you actually like because it speaks to you, not because it’ll make you look a certain way to others. Seek congruence in life. That means what you value and believe can be seen across all areas of your life and you’re not switching up or acting different to be perceived differently in different situations. Achieving things that don’t really matter to you, or losing who you are along the way, it isn’t worth that.”
Bachman’s advice of being true to yourself is one that many young adults will relate to. Many of us, myself included, have done things in our lives or acted a certain way for someone else’s approval. Seeking congruence in life is something that all of us should strive for.
