I grew up together with the 3 Series and the generation that impressed me the most was E36. Therefore, when I look at this modified item, I get shivers on my spine. Bu not because the way it looks.

No, it’s not about looks, it’s not about style. It’s about performance. Pure performance. No front bumper, because the intercooler needs maximum airflow. No fancy rims, just light and resistant. No rear wing, because it would make the car slow.

The couple which owns the car, bought it three years ago. Back then, it was a stock 328i. After a while, they wanted more power. The 190 hp@5500 rpm and the 280 Nm@3950 rpm simply became insufficient for the speed-addicted couple. Same story with the 7 seconds acceleration and the 150 mph (240 km/h) top speed.

The first improvement was to replace the whole engine. So, they took it off and mounted a bigger engine, from the mighty M3 model. It develops 316 hp @7400 rpm and 350 Nm@3250 rpm. Equipped like this, the car accelerates to 100 km/h in only 5.4 seconds, reaching a top speed of 160 mph (250 km/h).

But, this still wasn’t enough. So, they added a 66 mm BorgWarner turbocharger. They loved it, but the old transmission wasn’t solid enough to resist the amount of torque. Replacing it soon after, with a stronger Power Glide one, solved the problem. The result is sensational, as you can see in this film.

The post This is a damn fast E36 BMW 328i appeared first on BMW Car Tuning BLOG - BMW Car Modifications and Customization.

Their older E36 BMW M3 got stripped down and then rebuilt from the ground up as an all electric vehicle.

Before Tesla proved everyone wrong, it was believed that a high performance electric vehicle was close to impossible to build. But then again, before the Veyron, everyone thought a 1000 Hp car was also impossible. So, as far as the electric vehicles go, it was believed the weight of the batteries would throw the whole car out of balance, messing with braking and stability.

Another issue with electric motor is the amount of torque they develop. While the power output on the BMW M2 is normal, 342 Hp, the torque outmatches most other engines, reaching 1.150 Nm. This is the reason why the E36 BMW M3 was fitted with a heavy duty roll cage to hold the old platform together.

This project showed once and for all that a competitive electric vehicle can be built, and the Pikes Peak challenge was the proving ground.

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