Going Insane at the Nurburgring
Exchanging engines aren’t that out of the ordinary in the BMW circle. There have been an abundance of I6, V8, and even V10 modifications – and those who appreciate a clearly well-crafted automoble are sure to value a Bimmer with a Chevy LS small block motor. What we’re presenting for you here is completely BMW, further underscoring its uniqueness given the size of the engine versus the vehicle.
The E46 M3 is certainly not a sluggish vehicle. With its 3.2-liter inline-six motor – the final iteration of the S50 powertrain – it offers up 338 horse power and 269 pound-feet of torque. At the time of its release, it was available with either a six-speed manual or the widely known Getrag six-speed automated manual gearbox. Despite these days having plenty more powerful engines on offer, it remains as admired as ever – so, what better justification to add a couple extra horses (and cylinders) for some track day thrills?
This video highlights the conversion of the owner’s black M3. The original straight-six was swapped out for a 5.0 liter V10 taken from the E60 M5. Mindful that this is BMW’s only mass-produced V10, when it’s in this motor it packs an impressive 500 horsepower and 384 lb-ft of torque. Incredibly, it also comes with an E92 dual-clutch transmission – definitely one of the biggest draws.
With some slight alterations, such as a distinct engine mapping, this M3 now generates an astonishing 520 horsepower. Having just been presented, the sleek black sports car is taken for a spin around the Nürburgring race track. And it quickly becomes evident that the experience is downright thrilling; not only is the vehicle exceptionally speedy – capable of bypassing several even sharper models – but its noise level is noise levels are incomparable as well.
It isn’t the opening instance of a BMW V10 being used that we’ve noticed. Not overlooking the M5 station wagon with a handmade tranny coupled to the 10-cylinder motor. Moving on, coming November 2022, an amazing M3 (E30) showed up, equipped with an upgraded 625-horsepower iteration of the V10 employed in the M5.
Source: Misha Charoudin on YouTube
