Image via Autotopia LA/YouTube
For many, the E46 BMW M3 Competition is the iconic Bavarian speedster. Lightweight, balanced, entertainingly quick, most wouldn’t mess with the factory setup. But one guy had a radical idea to do a V10 engine swap from an E60 M5 and kept going, transforming the vehicle into his perfect vision. It works surprisingly well.
Watch a filthy BMW M6 E24 get washed for the first time in a quarter century.
An S85 V10 is shoehorned into the front of the E46 and it fits rather well. But to get it in there and have everything sit just right took a lot of work, so hats off to the guys who worked on this. It’s bolted up to a transmission from an E92 M3, adding to the Frankenstein nature of this Bimmer.
Our biggest question, and we assume it’s everyone’s, is how the much larger engine affects handling and braking. The owner says because the V10 has an aluminum block and the factory inline-six for the E46 was cast iron, it’s under 100 lbs. difference in weight. That’s rather fortunate.
The hood is a carbon fiber example made by a tuner out of Japan. That explains all the venting, which adds to the aggressive look of the car. You’ll also note the vented fenders, with the fins showing of exposed carbon fiber weave.
There’s also a carbon fiber lip on the front bumper, which is flared out to meet the aftermarket fenders. The reflectors in the front bumper were also removed, the cutouts filled in for a cleaner look.
Around back is more carbon fiber in the form of a lip on the bumper and the trunk lid, which is done in the OEM style.
Plus, there’s a small hint on the exterior about what’s under that vented hood, thanks to a V10 badge custom created for the car.
As you might imagine, this thing is rowdy when the driver gets on the accelerator, making some lovely sounds. Make sure to watch the video so you get to experience that Bavarian symphony.
Images via Autotopia LA/YouTube
