Yeah I don't think there is any voting at all for COTM. You can nominate to bring attention to a thread. The owners make the final decision.
Here is a checklist of
my observations of the owners' subjective tastes:
Member Check:
- Has this member won COTM previously?
- If so, same vehicle?
- If so, significant transformation?
- Do I dislike this member for any reason?
- Has this member rubbed me in the wrong way?
Wheel Check:
- Are the wheels authentic?
- If not authentic, has the particular wheel design been diluted or is it still fresh?
- Is it an "acceptable" replica?
- CSL reps are fine, most OEM inspired reps are fine
- LM reps are not fine
- HRE reps = HRE ; virtually no visible difference for the monoblock
- Are the wheels tasteful?
Overall Mod Check:
- Do the mods have a consistent flow?
- Consistent Theme? (all OEM?) (JDM inspired?)
- Unique mods?
- Overcooked?
- not to be confused with innovation
- Are the mods too familiar with a previous COTM?
- If too familiar, has a reasonable time elapsed?
- Is the mod still current?
Photography Check:
- Will this car look good on the front page?
- Is the car consistent with the e90post vision?
That aside, I noticed LMs and LM-Rs will never get old. Most of the COTM winners boil down to:
- Complete OEM mods, from the wheels to the splitters.
- High-end JDM wheels + complete modded package.
Some sections will be weighted differently. When the e92 M3 first came out, I'd imagine the photography and presentation probably held a higher factor since mods weren't as practical at such an early stage.
OP's car probably fell under the "
too familiar category." OP's car probably would have been COTM in 2009.