The E46 MPower sport car
A decade after the Golf GTI had turned the sports car concept on its head and shown that a hot hatch could be as chuckable as a roadster, BMW brought out the M3 in 1986. This homologation special was only meant to help the company win Touring Car races, but it started a whole new genre and added excitement to the BMW range that it couldn’t do without. The E36 M3 of ’93 was accused of being more of a marketing tool — a tad unwieldy and overweight — but the E46 was designed to address that. Priced on a par with the Porsche Boxster S, the E46 M3 was streets ahead in performance, challenging the much pricier 911 and Audi RS4. Stiffened, wider-tracked with big wheel arches and a massive front spoiler, it packed a 3.2-liter straight-six substantially re-engineered by the M division to generate 343bhp at 7900rpm and 269lb (0.12 t) ft at 4900rpm. A six-speed Getrag gearbox took power to the rear wheels via a variable-lock limited-slip diff, developed with GKN. Modern technology meant that ABS, switchable Dynamic Stability Control, Cornering Brake Control, and Traction Control systems were standard. It sounded brilliant, too. ‘The grunty rumble from the quad exhausts at idle gives way to a serrated wail as the straight-six climbs to its red line,’ enthused Auto car. The engine is highly stressed and can suffer from a number of issues, especially ifs not scrupulously maintained. Rattling from the VANOS variable cam timing needs an urgent overhaul. Conrod bearing weakness should have been cured on an early recall.2002 Feb M3 GTR on sale: 380bhp dry-sump alloy V8, carbon fiber roof, spoilers, rear wing; 10 made, three ‘sold’ for €250,000 but later returned to BMW. SMG II: 11 modes and ‘launch control’.
A decade after the Golf GTI had turned the sports car concept on its head and shown that a hot hatch could be as chuckable as a roadster, BMW brought out the M3 in 1986. This homologation special was only meant to help the company win Touring Car races, but it started a whole new genre and added excitement to the BMW range that it couldn’t do without. The E36 M3 of ’93 was accused of being more of a marketing tool — a tad unwieldy and overweight — but the E46 was designed to address that. Priced on a par with the Porsche Boxster S, the E46 M3 was streets ahead in performance, challenging the much pricier 911 and Audi RS4. Stiffened, wider-tracked with big wheel arches and a massive front spoiler, it packed a 3.2-liter straight-six substantially re-engineered by the M division to generate 343bhp at 7900rpm and 269lb (0.12 t) ft at 4900rpm. A six-speed Getrag gearbox took power to the rear wheels via a variable-lock limited-slip diff, developed with GKN. Modern technology meant that ABS, switchable Dynamic Stability Control, Cornering Brake Control, and Traction Control systems were standard. It sounded brilliant, too. ‘The grunty rumble from the quad exhausts at idle gives way to a serrated wail as the straight-six climbs to its red line,’ enthused Auto car. The engine is highly stressed and can suffer from a number of issues, especially ifs not scrupulously maintained. Rattling from the VANOS variable cam timing needs an urgent overhaul. Conrod bearing weakness should have been cured on an early recall.2002 Feb M3 GTR on sale: 380bhp dry-sump alloy V8, carbon fiber roof, spoilers, rear wing; 10 made, three ‘sold’ for €250,000 but later returned to BMW. SMG II: 11 modes and ‘launch control’.
Comments