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Robert Downey Jr. Loves SpeedKore and They Treat Iron Man With German Passion

No one is wondering anymore about the alternative looks of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) if it weren’t for the genius move to give Robert Downey Jr. (RDJ) a chance at Hollywood redemption as the face of Tony Stark, aka Iron Man. Just take a look at the skedaddle from the DC Extended Universe (DCEU) where everyone is aging or getting younger with each passing movie (Justice League Batfleck and The Batman’s Battinson, we are looking at you). Well, in case you haven’t noticed already, the actor’s good taste and fortune also extends into the automotive realm.
SpeedKore 1974 BMW 3.0 CS RDJ 22 photos
Photo: Speedkore Performance Group
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And it has a specific inflexion point when it comes to the world of customized rides. That particular bullseye for the Mark LXXXV (Mk. 85) lasers (sorry, we just had to make an Iron Man joke) would be American outlet SpeedKore Performance Group.

This is not your ordinary backyard garage, with the U.S. performance company describing itself as a place “where engineers and artisans combine traditional craftsmanship with cutting edge technology.” That's basically a longer description for lovingly restomoding older cars back to a modern way of (performance) living. 

And with their knack for bespoke, carbon fiber composite performance manufacturing and engine integration, they sure attracted a lot of attention from influent people – both in and outside the automotive industry.

SpeedKore has been a regular at SEMA shows and sometimes even caters to the aftermarket side of the new car market, but people are way more fascinated by their handiwork with older muscle cars than anything else.

Our personal favorite among them is the Evolution build, a 400k+ 1970 Dodge Charger featuring a completely remastered carbon fiber body and a devilishly powerful Dodge Demon engine good for 966 (get it, the first 6 was turned upside down!) horsepower, matched to a Tremec TR-6060 six-speed transmission. You might even say déjà vu because its predecessor, Tantrum, appeared in the Fate of the Furious.

SpeedKore 1974 BMW 3\.0 CS Robert Downey, Jr\.
Photo: SpeedKore Performance Group
Anyways, we are not actually here to discuss SpeedKore’s achievements' in general, but rather its interestingly special connection to Robert Downey Jr. and the quirky decision to go down the vintage German performance road for a change.

For a bit of historical background, RDJ and SpeedKore previously met on other, American-infused occasions. Downey’s own personal request had to do with a 1970 Ford Mustang Boss 302 that had its body changed to a full carbon fiber armor and delivered some Ford Performance greatness via a 5.0-liter V8 Aluminator.

Because RDJ is well known among MCU fans for his godfather-like presence on set (just look up The Village and his name on the Internet), his bona fide persona also included personal gifts for cast mates. While Iron Man and Captain America don’t see eye to eye on every occasion during the Avengers franchise, RDJ and Chris Evans are actually great friends off-screen.

So much so that a 1967 Chevrolet Camaro customized with an Avengers theme came into the possession of the latter as a present from the former. And you already know who did the modifications – SpeedKore, of course.

But their latest ensemble has taken a different turn. Instead of going full carbon fiber on an American muscle car, RDJ and SpeedKore opted on fooling around with a piece of European memorabilia, the 1974 BMW 3.0 CS. And just imagine the scenery change – they did not change the body to a custom carbon fiber rebuild, nor did they at least swap it out for a V8.

SpeedKore 1974 BMW 3\.0 CS Robert Downey, Jr\.
Photo: SpeedKore Performance Group
They did, however, opt for a different powertrain – one borrowed from the E34 M5, aka the renowned BMW S38 inline-six.

It seems that SpeedKore took its time on this build because the first time we got wind of this custom project they were trying to wrap it up in time for the 2018 edition of the SEMA Show in Las Vegas. Well, we can imagine how it all panned out. Now the work is finally done, with the steel body completely remastered in-house by the builder’s experts, and the pristine #Eurosport appearance has only been enhanced with a few carbon fiber parts, such as the rear bumper.

The styling is as subtle as possible from an American customizer, but we do love the gray inserts – especially the light ones that also feature a woodgrain texture. These are matched by numerous inserts from the cockpit, giving the car a generous retro vibe.

Modern touches are not missing but have been cleverly camouflaged – the gunmetal HRE three-piece forged hide away the 21st century Brembo brakes and Bilstein suspension setup. SpeedKore also reworked the entire dashboard to include a Classic Instruments set and there’s also a hidden touchscreen infotainment system.

Equally important, under the hood of Downey’s ride now resides an M5 engine of the S38B36 variety instead of the original carburetor M30 3.0-liter inline-six. The fuel-injected 3.6-liter packs 335 hp and should provide significant performance improvements over the CS’ original 180 hp – though we have no idea why they opted for a rather dated ZF four-speed automated transmission instead of a newer one or, better yet, M5’s six-speed stick shifter.



 
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About the author: Aurel Niculescu
Aurel Niculescu profile photo

Aurel has aimed high all his life (literally, at 16 he was flying gliders all by himself) so in 2006 he switched careers and got hired as a writer at his favorite magazine. Since then, his work has been published both by print and online outlets, most recently right here, on autoevolution.
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