That little sedan is one seriously fast machine, but what happens when the 80’s powerplant is replaced by a current electric motor?

Can you ruin it completely or what happens with such an interesting decision? What are the real positives of what is going on with such an alternative solution?

Croatia’s Rimac Automobili set out to find out by creating this mean green electric machine. Unlike most eco-friendly folks, they didn’t opt for a small engine that’s worthy of a cruise around town.

Instead, they fitted a VST DC Motor which develops 600 horsepower and 663 lb-ft of torque. The torque offers up an instant kick as it’s available at 0 rpm.

That engine draws it’s power from a 24 kWh battery pack and it can propel the E30 BMW M3 from 0 to 60 in just 3.3 seconds or up to a top speed of 174 mph.

Those stats are what’s going on when talking about the spec sheet, what really happened when Rimac took the car to a runway and tested it spoke of new records.

Lining up for a straight line run, the E30 M3 EV managed to snag up five new world records for electric cars. The list includes:

Quickest 1/8 mile time of 7.549
Quickest 1/4 mile time of 11.808
Quickest 1/2 mile time of 13.714
Quickest 1 km time of 23.260
Quickest 1 mile time of 35.347

The first two of these records have already been certified by the FIA officials with the latter three still pending approval.

Maybe electric isn’t all that bad after all?

The post Rimac E30 BMW M3 sets a new pace for EVs appeared first on BMW Car Tuning BLOG - BMW Car Modifications and Customization.

It’s a brand new suspension kit. That sounds pretty remarkable and though the suspension kit is developed for the BMW 1 Series, it’ isn’t really fitted to one.

The model that actually gets the tweaked suspension is the BMW Active E all-electric version. This changes a few things.

Apart from making it impossible to fit a sports exhaust system, the suspension should really make for best use of its power delivery.

Who says that a short blast around the suburbs can’t be more enjoyed by a suspension so stiff it can shake your kidneys off their mountings.

I suppose the 18 inch wheels with stickier rubber will also make the handling a tad more uncomfortable. Oh and there’s another thing.

Eco tires being replaced by grippy sports ones always decreases the fuel economy of a car and when it comes to an electric one like the BMW ActiveE that’s not good news.

An already limited range being further chopped down seems like a bit of an issue even if you’re a fan of the short drive and the long recharge.

Still, while Turner Motorsport’s idea seems like a shoddy one, the coilover and handling kit of the BMW ActiveE actually has a different kind of importance.

It shows us that in the future, electric cars can be tweaked and that there’s no need to put up with a little eco-box.

The post BMW ActiveE gets tuning from Turner Motorsport appeared first on BMW Car Tuning BLOG - BMW Car Modifications and Customization.