® Specialist in BMW The world’s largest supplier of BMW & MINI styling-, tuning- and spare parts at the best prices guaranteed! Wordwide shipping - Faster & cheaper than you expect! from £ 28.14 £ 110.58 Schmiedmann shortshift multi-adjustable Adjust the gearshift exactly like you want it! Gear lever is height adjustable! MORE THAN 20 YEARS OF BMW & MINI EXPERIENCE Get your summer wheels to fit perfectly with SCC wheel spacers made in Germany with TÜV approval for almost all models £ 11.09 £ 46.14 £ 3,365.39 The best braking kit for BMW G30: original BMW ///M-Performance sport brake kit, that includes brake discs, calipers, brake pads (+ wear sensors) and brake dust sensors £ 462.45 Schmiedmann sportsilencers for all BMW generations Price example BMW E36 ALL IN STYLING FOR BMW & MINI Schmiedmann have everything for BMW from the smallest clips, connectors, wishbone, brake discs / pads and body parts We offer the best price guaranteed on all our products ALL IN TUNING FOR BMW & MINI £ 1,065.89 E46 coupé original BMW CSL trunklid incl installation hardware from £ 46.10 Schmiedmann high quality floor and trunk mats for ALL BMW models Set inclusive locks and stylish Schmiedmann embroidery in both sides front Schmiedmann fully synthetic HIGH PERFORMANCE Longlife-04 engine oil - SAE 5W-30 £ 111.20 Frontspoilerlips for almost all models.Choose between paintable and our carbon version - I.e this set for E90/ E91 LCI £ 92.38 G30 and G31 black kidney set in high gloss with double grill spokes from £ 170.95 Original BMW rims with/ without tires Wide range of designs for all BMW models £ 119.34 £ 489.15 Original BMW ///M-Performance black-line LCI taillights for BMW F30 and F80 M3 ® Specialist in BMW USED & NEW PARTS FOR BMW & MINI Schmiedmann sport manifolds are the most effective on the market Sport manifold Schmiedmann S-Tech type II M50/M52 £ 48.28 E61 Harness repair set for the trunk lid Almost available for all models SCHMIEDMANN NORDBORG BMW & MINI RECYCLING ALWAYS 400 bmw & MINI CARS FOR RECYCLING www.schmiedmann.co.uk/en/show-recycled-cars NEW BMW & MINI PARTS Schmiedmann Odense Herluf Trolles Vej 15 5220 Odense SØ Phone: +45 65941545 E-mail: odense@schmiedmann.com USED & NEW BMW & MINI PARTS Schmiedmann Nordborg Lyngmosevej 6430 Nordborg Phone: +45 w74491180 E-mail: nordborg@schmiedmann.com World’s Largest Online BMW & MINI Catalogue WWW.SCHMIEDMANN.CO.UK Reservations are made for goods sold and price changes PERFORMANCE BMW www.performancebmwmag.com Kelsey Media, Cudham Tithe Barn, Berry’s Hill, Cudham, Kent, TN16 3AG EDITORIAL Editor: Elizabeth de Latour Email: pbmw.ed@kelsey.co.uk Tel: 07544 398632 Art Editor: Mark Field Contributors: Matt Richardson, Si Gray, Tony Saggu, Chris Nicholls, Patrik Karlsson, Chris Frosin, Tony Lopez, Daniel Bevis, GK Production, Mark Brown ADVERTISEMENT SALES David Lerpiniere: 01732 445325 david@talkmediasales.co.uk MANAGEMENT Managing Director: Phil Weeden Chief Executive: Steve Wright Chairman: Steve Annetts Finance Director: Joyce Parker-Sarioglu Retail Distribution Manager: Eleanor Brown Publishing Operations Manager: Charlotte Whittaker Print Production Manager: Nicola Pollard Print Production Controller: Georgina Harris Audience Development Manager: Andy Cotton Brand Marketing Managers: Debra Hagger and Nikolas Lovely Events Manager: Kat Chappell PRODUCTION Talk Media: 01732 445325 SUBSCRIPTIONS 13 issues of Performance BMW are published per annum UK annual subscription price: £62.40 Europe annual subscription price: £76 USA annual subscription price: £76 Rest of World annual subscription price: £82 Contact us UK subscription and back issue orderline: 01959 543747 Overseas subscription orderline: 0044 (0) 1959 543 747 Toll free USA subscription orderline: 1-888-777-0275 UK customer service team: 01959 543 747 Customer service email address: subs@kelsey.co.uk Customer service and subscription postal address: Performance BMW Customer Service Team, Kelsey Publishing Ltd, Cudham Tithe Barn, Berry’s Hill, Cudham, Kent, TN16 3AG, UK Website Find current subscription offers at shop.kelsey.co.uk/pbmw Buy back issues at shop.kelsey.co.uk/pbmwback Buy merchandise at shop.kelsey.co.uk/pbmwmerch Already a subscriber? Manage your subscription online at shop.kelsey.co.uk/myaccount CLASSIFIEDS Tel: 0906 802 0279 (premium rate line, operated by Kelsey Publishing Ltd Calls cost 65p per minute from a BT landline; other networks and mobiles may vary Lines open Monday-Friday, 10am-4pm) Email: cars@kelseyclassifieds.co.uk Performance BMW Classifieds, Kelsey Media, PO Box 13, Cudham, Westerham, Kent, TN16 3WT DISTRIBUTION Seymour Distribution Ltd, East Poultry Avenue, London, EC1A 9PT www.seymour.co.uk Tel: 020 7429 4000 PRINTING William Gibbons & Sons Ltd Kelsey Media 2019 © all rights reserved Kelsey Media is a trading name of Kelsey Publishing Ltd Reproduction in whole or in part is forbidden except with permission in writing from the publishers Note to contributors: articles submitted for consideration by the editor must be the original work of the author and not previously published Where photographs are included, which are not the property of the contributor, permission to reproduce them must have been obtained from the owner of the copyright The editor cannot guarantee a personal response to all letters and emails received The views expressed in the magazine are not necessarily those of the Editor or the Publisher Kelsey Publishing Ltd accepts no liability for products and services offered by third parties Kelsey Media takes your personal data very seriously For more information of our privacy policy, please visit https://www.kelsey.co.uk/ privacy-policy/ If at any point you have any queries regarding Kelsey’s data policy you can email our Data Protection Officer at dpo@kelsey co.uk www.kelsey.co.uk Part of the Fast Car Entertainment Family www.fastcar.co.uk COVER PHOTOGRAPHY: SI GRAY ISSUE: March 2019 EDITOR: Elizabeth de Latour pbmw.ed@kelsey.co.uk ADVERTISING: Charlotte Steadman Charlotte.Steadman@talkmediasales.co.uk Switchboard: 01732 445325 FIRST WORDS T The March issue means two things: firstly, winter is almost over and spring is right around the corner, so we’re well on our way to warmer weather and maybe even a little bit of sun Secondly, it means that the Car of the Year results are in! As always, it was a hotly-contested battle for the top spot and you guys were certainly keen to show your support for your favourite cars There were a few surprises in terms of how you voted, but it’s all good and I love to see exactly what you guys like and just how varied your tastes are This year I also added an Editor’s Choice award because I wanted to show my love for my own personal favourite feature car of the year You can see what I chose and check out the full results starting on p50 I know it’s too early to start thinking about Car of the Year 2019 just yet, but I reckon we’ve already got some seriously strong contenders on our hands Take our cover car for example – this fully restored classic is one of the finest E28s anywhere in the world We love the way it looks, we love the way it sits and we love everything about it It’s a real beauty and just the perfect modded classic We’ve also got a couple of absolutely outrageous machines in this issue; first up there’s the 1014whp twincharged E36 – which might just be one of the most menacing machines we’ve ever featured – running a totally insane home brew combo of supercharger and turbo and we love it The second is an outrageous, 1400hp RB26-powered 4WD Z4 drag car with a custom carbon and fibreglass widebody, and it’s really quite unlike we’ve ever featured before Magnificent madness If that’s all a bit much for you then we’ve also got a super-clean E30 Cab running an M52 swap, a seriously tasty air-ride E46 M3 and that’s just scratching the surface of another jam-packed issue of PBMW Looking ahead to next month, we’ll be bringing you our 2019 events guide, making sure you know about the biggest and best shows in the UK, Europe and beyond, and among our selection of modded machinery we will be featuring an absolutely awesome M4 that will make you very happy indeed So, let this issue help you power through a drab and dreary February and I’ll see you next month! Elizabeth de Latour, Editor MARCH 2019 CONTENTS PerformanceBMWMagazine @pbmwmagazine @pbmwmag REGULARS 14 50 PRODUCTS Exciting new stuff to buy for your BM CAR OF THE YEAR 2018: THE RESULTS The votes have been counted and the results are in! 90 98 OUR CARS A new addition joins the PBMW fleet 06 SCENE-STEALER 2.8 M52-swapped E30 Cab NEXT MONTH An absolutely awesome M4 EVENTS SoCal Vintage (p28), TRAX (p60) and 100% Auto Live (p88) 32 THUNDER FROM DOWN UNDER Harrop supercharged E92 M3 40 DOUBLE DOWN 1014whp twincharged E36 62 WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE 1400hp RB26 4WD Z4 p96 SUBSCRIBE AND SAVE! Subscribe to PBMW magazine and save upto 45% Go to shop.kelsey.co.uk/pbm or call 0044 (0) 1959 543 747 PERFORMANCE BMW 72 DREAM MACHINE Air-ride E46 M3 BEYOND RETRO Restored and custom-modded E28 80 WWW.PERFORMANCEBMWMAG.COM 20 FEATURES ISSUE 236 MARCH 2019 FIBRE OPTICS Carbon wide-body turbo drift E36 M3 MARCH 2019 SCENE-ST With an M52 swap, stunning custom interior and plenty of unique touches, in a scene packed with modded E30s this head-turning cab really stands out Words: Elizabeth de Latour Photos: Matt Richardson PERFORMANCE BMW T he E30 will never go out of style, it’s a simple fact It’s now 2019, a brand new year, and here we are writing about a car that came out 30 years ago That’s kind of incredible but tells you all you need to know about the amazing staying power and limitless appeal of the EALER E30 When it was launched it set the bar so high for the mid-size exec sector that rivals have been playing catch-up ever since and it became arguably the symbol for success in the ’80s Best of all, now it’s arguably a car that appeals to everyone on the scene – the older generation of modders love it because it reminds them of when they were younger and just getting into cars, and the younger generation loves it because it’s just so cool and there’s almost no limit to what can be done with it And, for those on a little bit of a budget, BM’s older offerings are so good-looking that you need very few mods to just enhance them by the perfect amount and to make them instantly individual and yours It is therefore very easy to understand why Vas Ahmed was drawn to his E30, but this is a build that has a lot more going for it than mere good looks and there is in fact a lot more to this car than initially meets the eye “I’ve always been into cars,” he tells us as we start to chat “Since I was 11 or 12 my dad used to buy salvage cars and fix them up and my family has always been a BMW one,” and growing up around cars clearly rubbed off on him in very much the right way as evidenced by the machines he’s owned over the years MARCH 2019 DATA F IL E M52 2.8 E30 Cab ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION 2.8-litre straight-six M52B28, carbon intake, M50 intake manifold, E30 M3 Scorpion stainless steel exhaust M42 five-speed gearbox, Z4 2.5 shortshift, 3.91 LSD CHASSIS 8x17” (front) and 9x17” (rear) OZ Futura wheels with 205/40 (front and rear) Hankook Ventus Sport K104 tyres, five-stud conversion using E36 front struts, hubs and wishbones and E36 318ti rear arms, Air Lift Performance 3H air-ride, E36 M3 brakes (front) EXTERIOR Full respray in BMW Royal blue, M Tech kit, square headlights INTERIOR Full retrim in cream leather with blue piping, leather dash retrim, custom steering wheel, Pioneer head unit, Pioneer component speakers, Phoenix Gold five-channel amp, 12” Rockford Fosgate sub, air tank, Viair compressor THANKS My brother Naeem, my friends Reggie, Kawsa and Jay, all these people helped with the build along with many others “ I tried to get hold of an S50 first but they are hard to come by and then I saw other people running the M52B28 swap – it looked clean and I liked the idea of this swap so I went for it ” PERFORMANCE BMW Interior has been treated to a stunning custom retrim Carbon intake and M50 manifold “My first car was an Escort and as far as BMs go I’ve owned an E36 M3 Evo Cab, an E46 M3 Cab and six E30 Cabs, the first of which was a Zender-kitted Birds car…” so it’s fair to say that Vas is a bit of an E30 addict and knowing that it’s not all too surprising that he’s ended up with another one “I bought my first E30 when I first bought my garage – my brother-in-law had E30s, I saw them, liked them and wanted one for myself,” he says and while that was some time ago now, Vas’ passion for E30s has not waned one bit over the years and, if anything, getting involved in the scene with this project may have ramped it up even further “I bought this one in August 2016,” explains Vas; “I fancied one at the time and spent a long time looking for the right one,” and his efforts paid off when he picked up this tidy 320i “I spent about six months looking for the right car before WWW.PERFORMANCEBMWMAG.COM Tidy boot install for the air and audio components I came across this one It was about 90% rust-free and I wasn’t interested in a facelift, it was all about the chromies for me,” he grins Initially he had pretty much no plans for it, adding an M Tech kit and a set of BBS reps but then he discovered the show scene and things quickly spiralled out of control “I saw Faz’s Calypso E30 Cab and I loved it, it was one of the main inspirations for my whole build”, smiles Vas, “but I didn’t know what air-ride was, I was a real show scene virgin.” You’d never know that based on what he’s built, though, and rather than just running in head first, he took his time to his research and build his perfect E30 “The first thing I did was re-fitted the Tech kit – I couldn’t get rid of the chrome, there are not many chromies out there so I had to preserve it,” he smiles “The next step was to strip the car back to almost bare metal and give it a respray in its original colour, Royal blue,” and with the car looking perfect he could now crack on with the rest of the mods The next step for Vas was wheels, so he ditched the BBS reps and started hunting for something more becoming, but sticking to the stock four-stud configuration would have seriously limited his potential wheel selection He therefore carried out a five-stud conversion, with E36 M3 Evo components up front and an E36 318ti setup at the rear, and then he could start shopping for his perfect wheels “I added a set of refurbed BBS RCs [aka Style 5s] and then got the 17” OZ Futuras I’m running now I saw them on @friedporkchopE30’s car and really liked them so I got my hands on a set; I built them up myself, painted the centres, polished the lips and then sealed them,” and the Futuras are a great choice of wheel for the E30 It’s a car that can pull off just about any style of wheels MARCH 2019 Square headlights really make this E30 stand out Custom-finished 17” OZ Futuras Scorpion E30 M3 exhaust system and while the default choice for most people is a classic cross-spoke, bucking that trend with a simple five-spoke design is good to see We love the soft contours of the spokes on the Futuras, the subtle flaring at the end of each one, those classic centre caps and, as 17s – quite possibly the perfect size choice for the E30 – with those elegant silver centres and deep polished lips, they just look awesome, especially when combined with the air-ride Having taken inspiration from Faz’s car and keen to embrace the scene, air was always going to be on Vas’ shopping list and he has no regrets “I went for an Air Lift Performance 3H setup with a single tank and single Viair compressor and I am 100% happy with air It drove really badly before when I just had it on springs but it feels so much better now, plus I can go anywhere without having to worry about speed humps or anything like that,” he says In addition to that Vas has also had his suspension fully poly bushed in order to get the chassis feeling nice and tight 10 PERFORMANCE BMW He’s also taken full advantage of the fivestud setup his E30 is now running and has fitted a set of E36 M3 Evo brakes up front for a significant increase in stopping power, and he needs it as this E30 isn’t just about aesthetics, there’s something tasty tucked beneath that bonnet too While the 320i is absolutely fine, powered as it is by one of BM’s characterful M20 straight-sixes, Vas found it lacking in shove so something had to be done and that something was an engine swap “I tried to get hold of an S50 first but they are hard to come by, and then I saw other people running the M52B28 swap – it looked clean and I liked the idea of this swap so I went for it The engine was cheap but all the other parts were expensive,” winces Vas, but no pain, no gain and while his wallet may have taken a little bit of a bashing, the end result was well worth it The M52 has been equipped with a custom loom and exhaust manifolds from Dan at BM Conversions UK (DanThe on the E30 Zone forum), along with a full E30 M3 Scorpion exhaust, an M42 gearbox running a Z4 2.5 short-shift and, at the back, a 3.91 LSD It’s a mighty fine combination of engine and accompanying mods and, most impressive of all, is the fact that Vas fitted the engine, gearbox and everything himself – in fact he’s done every single mod you can see on the car, so this is most definitely one project that has been built, not bought All this adds up to a comprehensive build but there’s plenty more to enjoy here One of the most controversial aspects of the car is without doubt the square headlight setup, as the original round headlights have such universal appeal, but we have to say that we admire Vas’ willingness to walk his own path with this build “I saw these for sale on eBay and I wanted to be different so I bought them,” he says and we’re glad he did as they give this E30 a different look that makes it stand out even more What makes this car really stand out, though, is that stunning interior and it’s actually the reason why Vas bought this particular car, as it had just been done and it looks fantastic You’ve got acres of cream leather with gorgeous dark blue piping and it is the perfect colour combo to go with the rich, deep, dark blue bodywork, and then there are additional touches like the cream gear gaiter and the entire dash has also been covered in leather, making this interior particularly lush Vas has added a custom wood-rimmed Nardi steering wheel complete with Alcantara centre section along with some audio upgrades, with Pioneer components and head unit, a Phoenix Gold amp and a Rockford Fosgate sub, all housed in a tidy boot build For a first show build, this is an exceptional E30 that has been enhanced with a particularly fine selection of mods across the board Vas has put in a lot of effort and approached everything with a keen eye for attention to detail in his quest to build his perfect E30, and the results speak for themselves But Vas isn’t done with it just yet… “I have lots of plans for it,” he says with a grin “I’ve changed to a set of Schnitzer wheels since the shoot and have redone the boot build with twin 12” subs, and I’m thinking of maybe fitting a different engine I’ve started working on it for this season” he says so we’re going to have to wait and see where Vas takes his E30 next but one thing is for sure, it’s never going to be for sale “I built this for my son,” he smiles, “he loves it and he will get it after me so it’s going to stay in the family,” and so another BMW family is created, with this lovely E30 at its centre ● Wild custom carbon wide-body system, that’s my favourite modification on the car – it’s fully custom, it works beautifully, and this is the only E36 in the world that has it!” Weight-saving has clearly been a priority here; the obsessive pursuit of achieving the lowest possible kerb weight is one of the reasons why Christos and his drift team hand-crafted the carbon body, and if you crane your neck through the window you’ll spot that the dash is a custom carbon creation too “The interior was designed solely around the requirements of a race car,” he says “That took around four to five months to complete; as well as the custom dash, there’s the full FIA-approved roll-cage, hydraulic handbrake, bias pedal box, fibreglass bucket seat, and the AiM Strada dash to keep an eye on the vital signs.” All-in-all, this build represents around two years of Christos’ life, along with countless man-hours of the drift team that surrounds him, and it was worth every last second When he’s out on track, the featherweight slider deploying its mighty horsepower, there’s nothing else in the world that can quite match the spectacle This car was built for a very specific purpose and it fulfils its role admirably Future plans include the fitment of a sequential transmission, although for the time being Christos is busy enough getting liberally sideways in his infinitely nutty creation, doing sterling work to eradicate Greece’s surplus rubber mountain and having a jolly good time in the process ‘No fear, no mercy,’ says the custom airbrushing on the cam cover, and that sums up the attitudes of both Christos and his E36 M3 perfectly ● 86 PERFORMANCE BMW Vibrant FIA multipoint roll-cage Fuel cell and radiator hang above the ground in the boot 100% AUTO LIVE Rotterdam’s long-running tuning show never disappoints, with its fine selection of Europe’s best modded machinery Words: Elizabeth de Latour Photos: Chris Presley Seriously stanced E36 Cab Lush E46 M3 E60 M5 running velocity stacks Mental turbo V8 E30 88 PERFORMANCE BMW Hardcore E30 Vibrant E93 Cab Full-on track E46 THE SHOW-DOWN WHERE? The Rotterdam Ahoy convention centre in The Netherlands WHEN? It varies, but over a weekend in either September or October NEED TO KNOW Wide-body M4 Now in its 15th year, 100% Auto Live is an absolutely massive show which attracts over 40,000 visitors from Belgium, The Netherlands and all across Europe It’s packed full of stunning modified cars from across Europe, selected by the show’s car hunters, ensuring standards are always sky high while also decidedly different to what we’re used to seeing here in the UK There’s a vast amount of variety and diversity among the show cars, with something for everyone, from full-on performance builds to wild styling and there’s lots more besides just cars at this design and performance event, including in-car entertainment, the latest tuning and styling products and plenty of action as well BMW COUNT Not vast, but there were plenty of sexy BMs to get excited about at this year’s 100% Auto Live show On the Nankang stand was one of the team’s drift Compacts, there was an awesome E60 M5 running velocity stacks, a non-M Z3 Coupé on BBS RSs with massive polished lips, a monster wide-body F82 M4, gorgeous green E46 M3, a mental turbo M60 V8 E30 and, sticking with the turbo theme, Ross Bradley’s twin-turbo V8 E30 was one of the cars representing the UK That’s just a small selection of highlights and there were plenty more exceptional BMs on show WE SAY Tidy E91 Touring While it might not be as packed full of BMWs as some of the shows we’re used to, 100% Auto Live nevertheless plays host to a huge selection of very highly-modified, hand-picked international machinery, with something to suit all tastes and is an excellent event MARCH 2019 89 OUR CARS PBMW’s FLEET Lou’s P90 E92 M3 Elizabeth’s E92 M3 Piers’ E46 330i Touring Paul’s P92 E36 328i Mark’s E46 M3 Darren’s E82 Series Drifter Ben’s S54 E36 Touring Elliott’s P94 E36 323i ELIZABETH’S E92 M3 If you own a V8 you have to have some sort of performance exhaust, that’s basically the law All three of my previous V8-powered cars have had an exhaust, so it was inevitable that the E92 M3 would follow suit There are countless exhausts out there for the M3 to choose from, countless configurations, and all result in a slightly different soundtrack It’s actually all a bit overwhelming, but select the right parts and you can fine-tune your M3’s V8 soundtrack to suit your exact tastes perfectly After a lot of research I decided that my first port of call was going to be Supersprint – the Italian exhaust expert has been around since 1955, so it knows a thing or two about exhausts, and has been big on the BMW scene for an awfully long time, so I knew I’d be in safe hands In addition to this I’d fitted a pair of Supersprint silencers to my old 630i and I loved the sound so I was confident that Supersprint was going to be the right choice for the M3 A quick glance at the Supersprint website will show you that the company has a huge array of different pipe options – varying from mild to wild – and so you can finetune your exhaust system for the perfect sound using nothing but the Supersprint catalogue There are three different exhausts available for the E92 M3 – a very quiet system designed specifically for Convertible models, the mid-range Race model and the full-on, maximum volume F1 Race silencers, which don’t actually much silencing I discounted the quietest system as I was worried it would be too quiet and, in the interest of science, actually ended up sampling two different exhausts offerings, the F1 Race and the Race, and, because I’ve never been one for half measures, decided to kick things off with the F1 Race This is the most expensive exhaust offering that Supersprint produces for the E92 M3 and about half of the silencer uses the Helmholtz gas flow principle to help partially eliminate drone at low revs, while the other half features perforated tubing surrounded by stainless steel wool and basalt Less sound-deadening material means more volume for a serious V8 soundtrack, with plenty of low-end rumble and a howling top end That sounded like an epic combo so, once the exhausts had arrived, I headed over to BMSport for the fitting The old exhaust came off relatively easily and then it was a case of assembling the Supersprint exhausts and all the fitting components they come with – you also need to order the connecting pipes (part no 980743), which allow the Supersprint rear boxes to connect up to the rest of the standard exhaust system The F1 Race boxes are made from stainless steel with 50mm piping and feature a pair of seriously meaty-looking 80mm tips on each one, which really fill out the M3’s rear valance perfectly Fitting the Supersprint exhausts didn’t take long at all but what did take time was getting them aligned – there’s so much adjustment in terms of height, the tilt of the boxes and how far they stick out that getting them both to sit perfectly does take some fine-tuning Once the fitting was done it was time to fire the M3 up and see how it sounded and the first impression was that it’s loud – standing behind the car on a cold start the F1 Race delivered a seriously aggressive idle But, once the engine had warmed up it quietened down nicely, settling into a bassy throb but obviously it’s all about how it sounds when you’re out on the road and the F1 Race does not disappoint It is not a quiet exhaust and over about 2500rpm Patrik’s E36 318ti Elizabeth’s E39 540i Supersprint F1 Race silencers All stainless steel exhaust components Rob’s E30 318i Elizabeth’s E63 630i Sport 90 PERFORMANCE BMW Connecting pipes being fitted Fitting the F1 Race silencers Supersprint’s 80mm tips look fantastic Big and bulky stock exhaust Both the F1 Race and Race are free-flow exhausts Race system also looks fantastic but is a fraction quieter than the F1 Race you get this really intoxicating, deep V8 growl which builds as the revs rise and transforms into a howling roar as you chase down the redline It sounds awesome, a properly ferocious V8 soundtrack and if you want an aggressivesounding exhaust for your E9x M3 that will really crank up the volume, the F1 Race will not disappoint There is, however a caveat and it is the reason why this exhaust is not the one I chose for the M3 and that is the drone Different people register and react to drone in different ways, which makes exhausts really subjective things and, for me, there was just too much low-end drone with the F1 Race Below about 2500rpm it’s always noticeable – you can drive around it and, if the M3 was my weekend toy, then I would have been fine with it but as it’s my daily, it was just a bit too much for me personally, so it was time to try the Race setup While on the outside they look identical and the silencers are the same size and fit the same way as those of the F1 Race, there’s one major difference, and that’s the internal design of the boxes The Race shares the same 50mm diameter piping as the F1 Race but here each of the pipes is perforated along its entire length and the whole of each silencer is packed with the stainless steel wool and basalt sounddeadening material Packing more soundabsorbing material into each silencer means you get a quieter exhaust as a result In order to ensure that the Race system doesn’t lose any visual impact compared with the F1 Race, it comes with exactly the WWW.PERFORMANCEBMWMAG.COM same size diameter tips, 80mm I reckon that Supersprint has absolutely nailed it with these tips and they look so good on the M3 – the angle of the slash cut is very gentle, so they look really full under the bumper and the diameter is perfect without being too big So the Race fits perfectly and the tips look great but what really matters is the sound First of all, on a cold start, it is still not quiet – this a loud exhaust that will not win you any friends among your neighbours if you have to leave early for work every day, just so you know Luckily, one of my neighbours loves cars and commented on how good the exhaust sounds (as did my postman), and it’s also been turning plenty of heads on the street too, so I reckon that’s a big thumbs-up for the Race It does sound really good, bassy at the bottom end, aggressive at the top end and it really delivers a seriously nice V8 soundtrack, the kind that the M3 deserves It never fails to put a smile on my face when I’m driving and it does get a lot of attention, though obviously whether or not that’s for you comes down to personal preference, but then again an M3 will always get noticed and one with an aftermarket exhaust even more so There are two things that I need to mention: first of all, you can always hear the exhaust What I mean by that is that even when you’re on a motorway cruise at 70mph or thereabouts, the exhaust is always audible in the background and especially when you’re accelerating It’s not drone and it’s not unpleasant but this is not an exhaust that disappears into silence when you’re cruising, so be aware of that The second thing is that there is still some low-end drone, but there’s a lot less of it than there was with the F1 Race and it is much easier to drive around it If you’re sensitive to drone, like me, it’s worth bearing in mind but even then it’s certainly not a dealbreaker It’s all located below 2000rpm, but get the revs above that (very easy in an M3) and it disappears and then there’s nothing but pure exhaust noise to enjoy all the way to the redline, and what a noise it is Overall I am very pleased with the Supersprint Race – it looks great and it sounds fantastic and, while it is quite a loud system, it delivers what I think is exactly the right volume level for the M3 for most people If you’re hunting for an exhaust for your M3, the Supersprint Race is an excellent choice, as is the F1 Race, especially if you’re after something a bit more extreme You won’t be disappointed with either one THANKS AND CONTACT Supersprint www.supersprint.com Schmiedmann www.schmiedmann.com BMSport www.bmsport.com 020 8304 9797 MARCH 2019 91 OUR CARS CSL boot lid, carbon diffuser and Supersprint exhaust M3 looks stunning in Laguna Seca blue MARK B’S E46 M3 If I’m honest, I am kind of glad 2018 is over as it brought its fair share of challenges, which included ill health, hospital stays and ended with me having to sell my much-loved E30 M3 I had owned it for about four years and put a great deal of time, effort and cash into it, while also driving and enjoying it as much as possible It was the E30 M3 I had always wanted and being forced to sell wasn’t an easy thing to That said, it is only a car and there are times when health has to take priority and I simply couldn’t afford to have so much cash tied up in a car On the plus side though, the E30 has gone to someone I know will cherish it just as much as I did and use it just as much too I was also left with enough cash to treat myself to something that would lessen the sting from losing the E30, so it wasn’t all bad news Once there was an empty space in the garage, I worked out my budget and drew up a shortlist of cars that appealed to me All, bar one, were BMWs and top of that list was a 2002 with a wide-arch conversion It was a greatlooking thing and certainly a great base from which to start, but it soon became clear that it would need significant investment to make it how I wanted and I had already promised myself I would buy something I could actually use from the off Next I considered various lesser E30s but they were simply never going to compare to my old M3 It was then that I remembered an E46 M3 I had seen for sale some weeks earlier It had been on a well-known auction site and it was the colour that first caught my eye There’s just something so right about Laguna Seca blue and this particular example looked hard as nails, sat on anthracite Apex alloys It also had some other nice touches, like the slightly lowered ride height and CSL boot lid, not to mention the super-rare M cloth and carbon fibre interior and lack of sunroof The icing on the 92 PERFORMANCE BMW cake though, was the sprinkling of carbon fibre spoilers, rear diffuser and CSL air box Oh and a full Supersprint exhaust system! In fact, this E46 M3 was pretty much my perfect specification so I mailed the owner to see if it was still available now that the listing had ended? I also began researching E46 M3s so that I would have a better idea of what possible pitfalls I may have to contend with A couple of days passed and eventually the seller confirmed the M3 was still available, although he was now unsure if he really wanted to sell It turned out he had taken it on a track day a week or so earlier and was smitten once again He agreed to let me view, though, and as he was only an hour or so train ride away, I figured it had to be worth checking out Meanwhile, the seller had a new MOT done (as it had expired since being advertised) and booked it in with Redish Motorsport for an Inspection service Redish also sent me the Super-rare M cloth interior video they’d made of the boot floor and rear chassis subframe mount inspection that they’d carried out Everything was looking pretty positive when I finally saw the E46 M3 for the first time and seeing it swing into view, it didn’t disappoint In fact, the only thing better than how it looked, was how it sounded! I think most of us form impressions about cars pretty quickly and this M3 certainly ticked all my boxes That said, it was still a 16-year-old car and there were a few marks here and there, as you’d expect and as the seller had described Overall though, it was a really lovely example that had clearly been well looked after E46 M3 values have bottomed-out in recent years but, while they might be more affordable to buy, the maintenance costs of any M car are high A good guide to how well a car is maintained, though, is tyres A full set of budget tyres can be had for the cost of a single quality tyre so CSL air box makes an awesome noise it was reassuring to see a full, matching set of Michelin Cup 2s on those Apex alloys This was a properly maintained M car and I was pretty much sold on it there and then Yes, there were a couple of minor blemishes on the front wings and the rear brake pads were getting low, but I was about to what everyone says you shouldn’t and buy the very first example of the E46 M3 I’d viewed! That said, I just knew I’d never find another in this specification so it was a risk I felt was worth taking So, we did the deed and before I knew it I was heading home to Cornwall in my new M3! The 100 or so miles home passed without incident As you can imagine, my first stop was for half a tank of V-Power and to check the tyre pressures The E46 has a pressure warning system, but it seems it doesn’t like the Apex alloys and Michelins as much as I As a result I will be coding that function out The first job on the list was a post-purchase inspection on the ramp so as to confirm I hadn’t missed anything I also figured it was as good a time as any to replace the rear pads and fit a big brake kit on the front, so now there are AP six-pots on CSL discs, with braided hoses all-round The main job that I want done as a preventative measure, though, is the notorious boot floor and subframe mounts E46s can literally tear their diffs out due to BMW not making the mountings substantial enough In fact, were we in the USA, BMW would be obliged to take the car back and effect a full repair at their expense and rightly so in my opinion! Here in the UK BMW did offer to check and remedy any cracking up to a car age of 10 years Even then we were only looking at cavity foam and nothing anywhere as strong or effective as you’d really want in such a high performance vehicle If you’re looking at buying an E46 for yourself, it’s important that WWW.PERFORMANCEBMWMAG.COM Rear suspension components will be powder coated you know both the condition of the boot floor and whether it has been strengthened, as the floor will fail While preventative strengthening is around £1000, repair of the worst examples can exceed £4000! You also need to be sure that this is a job being done by people who know what they’re doing Redish used to offer a repair service but because it’s so labourintensive they have declined to continue with it There are BMW specialists out there and a quick look on M3 Cutters should point you in the right direction Better still, if you’re in the South West, pick up the phone and call ARM BMW, who are doing mine Whilst they’re at it, the trailing arm bushes are also being uprated and the subframe etc powder coated After 16+ years it can start looking a bit crusty under there and the brake lines can suffer as a result It’s such an important job though and needs doing right as it can determine a car’s structural integrity and will most certainly impact on future value As a kind of ‘’belt and braces’’ approach, I also opted to fit a substantial rear strut brace from Safety Devices Now there are various braces available on internet auction sites but you really want something that will the job properly A quick search for those offered by the likes of PSDesigns, Gosling and Safety Devices should help you make the right choice They may not be cheap but quality seldom is and the benefits make the expense worthwhile There are a few cosmetic modifications coming, along with some performance aids and maybe a suspension upgrade Right now though, I’m just looking forward to hopefully enjoying some good health and the new car Happy 2019! HUGE THANKS TO PSDesigns, ARM BMW, Apex, Nankang UK, MS Motorsport MARCH 2019 93 SEARCHING BECOMES FINDING The new online parts search engine of the bilstein group –with the complete passenger car and commercial vehicle ranges from febi, SWAG, and Blue Print partsfinder.bilsteingroup.com ® WATERLESS ENGINE COOLANTS M MAXIMISE S ENGINE G E PERFORMANCE Waterless Engine Coolant for Performance Cars As used and recommended by TM www.evanscoolants.co.uk/powercool180 HOW TO BUY YOUR SUBSCRIPTION OFFER DIGITAL EDITION Visit pktmags.com/perfbmw OFFER UK PRINT EDITION Complete the order form below YES! 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Elizabeth de Latour, Editor MARCH 2019 CONTENTS PerformanceBMWMagazine @pbmwmagazine @pbmwmag REGULARS 14 50 PRODUCTS Exciting new stuff to buy for your... and price changes PERFORMANCE BMW www.performancebmwmag.com Kelsey Media, Cudham Tithe Barn, Berry’s Hill, Cudham, Kent, TN16 3AG EDITORIAL Editor: Elizabeth de Latour Email: pbmw.ed@kelsey.co.uk