Anyone own a e46 m3?

NickXX · 25 May 2012 at 15:22

Will Gill said:
that's completely correct

10 years on all bodywork, they replaced my mirrors for me too

oh and they supercharge beautifully/expensively

Slight clarification of this:

Corrosion warranty is 12 years on all cars registered on 01/01/2004 or after. It's 6 years on all cars registered before.

Subframe will generally be repaired for free on unmodified cars under 10 years old - although I don't think the 10yr old bit is a clear cut rule.

They supercharge very well. Very popular in the US.

NathWraith · 25 May 2012 at 15:26

What figures do supercharged M3s make?

Princey · 25 May 2012 at 15:30

Interesting....

NickXX · 25 May 2012 at 15:35

NathWraith said:
What figures do supercharged M3s make?

450-600bhp.

There are ESS kits, and a few kits by a company called HPF - which are utterly mental.

http://www.horsepowerfreaks.com/partdetails/HPF/Turbos/Turbo_Kits/E46_M3/11037

[TW]Fox · 25 May 2012 at 16:07

garymcq23 said:
O right so someone makes a spelling mistake they can't afford a m3 . Think I'll be the judge of that

An M3. Say 'a m3' out loud. Daft isn't it

Lashout_UK · 25 May 2012 at 16:13

NickXX said:
450-600bhp.

There are ESS kits, and a few kits by a company called HPF - which are utterly mental.

http://www.horsepowerfreaks.com/partdetails/HPF/Turbos/Turbo_Kits/E46_M3/11037

Do those only fit LHD cars? I glanced and it looked that way but haven't read into it in any depth...

NickXX · 25 May 2012 at 16:16

Lashout_UK said:
Do those only fit LHD cars? I glanced and it looked that way but haven't read into it in any depth...

Yeah, they were LHD only a few years back. There are RHD ESS kits now though.

NathWraith · 25 May 2012 at 16:17

Wow that is good power. I'm guessing anything over 450BHP-500BHP would require forged internals?

400BHP is the limit with the 350z on stock internals, some people have pushed 450BHP but than that clutches, fuelling etc needs to be uprated extensively.

NickXX · 25 May 2012 at 16:31

NathWraith said:
Wow that is good power. I'm guessing anything over 450BHP-500BHP would require forged internals?

400BHP is the limit with the 350z on stock internals, some people have pushed 450BHP but than that clutches, fuelling etc needs to be uprated extensively.

A lot of the internals are already forged (crank and connecting rods). Not sure when you have to start changing a lot, but the HPF site suggests the region of 550-600.

Matt82 · 25 May 2012 at 16:37

arnt the m3 internals all forged by default?

NathWraith · 25 May 2012 at 16:37

NickXX said:
A lot of the internals are already forged (crank and connecting rods). Not sure when you have to start changing a lot, but the HPF site suggests the region of 550-600.

That is mighty impressive.

It just seems wrong to modify a BMW though, they are too classy for this kind of thing!

Matt82 · 25 May 2012 at 16:50

they really dont seem classy at all to me. seriously mass produced, falling into the wrong hands left right and centre, look at who obviously aspires to them.

from my experience with an M3 SMG2, the reason id say it shouldnt be modified is because it felt so civilised to start with

snitcher · 25 May 2012 at 16:52

but be aware of the smg gearbox. heard people saying that those are unreliable.

NickXX · 25 May 2012 at 16:58

snitcher said:
but be aware of the smg gearbox. heard people saying that those are unreliable.

They are wrong. The SMG2 box is generally very reliable. It gets a bad rep from the SMG1 boxes in the e36 M3.

Mine is coming up to 9 years old, and I know that the box has has no issues in the last 5 years at least.

Clarkey · 25 May 2012 at 17:01

BMW classy, lol

Took the E46 to the garage for MOT today, as I arrived I saw a black E46 coupe in the doorway with the reg plate * 7HUG. It was lowered excessively on some fake BBS rims, shod with Fullrun tyres and one of them buckled. On closer inspection it was a 318, had the MIL light on and airbag light, and the paintwork had about the worst hologramming I've seen.
This is the dream for way too many people.

naefeart · 25 May 2012 at 17:09

Please don't supercharge M3s, BMW have spent a lot of effort and R&D time on these. If you want more power, buy a faster car.

garymcq23 said:
O right so someone makes a spelling mistake they can't afford a m3. Think I'll be the judge of that

Judge what you want, I wasn't talking about whether you could afford an M3, I said I didn't expect you could afford to run it properly.

This is what led me to think that:

garymcq23 said:
I work as a exhaust and tyre fitting so no a bit about cars

And then:

garymcq23 said:
Yeah I would get BMW to do inspection 1 and 2 but a oil change is simple job on most cars so would do that myself

Why would you buy an M3 and then scrimp on the cheapest part of the servicing, you realise it's also a coolant and brake fluid change every two years right?

NathWraith · 25 May 2012 at 17:18

Clarkey said:
BMW classy, lol

Took the E46 to the garage for MOT today, as I arrived I saw a black E46 coupe in the doorway with the reg plate * 7HUG. It was lowered excessively on some fake BBS rims, shod with Fullrun tyres and one of them buckled. On closer inspection it was a 318, had the MIL light on and airbag light, and the paintwork had about the worst hologramming I've seen.
This is the dream for way too many people.

Yeah that is because some people have no concept of taste.

They think buying a respectable car and applying the same modifications from a corsa B will then make such a vehicle a "total weapon m8"

SHEDDER1uk · 25 May 2012 at 17:22

I heard people walked on the sun this could also not be true.

NickXX · 25 May 2012 at 17:22

Clarkey said:
BMW classy, lol

Janesy B · 25 May 2012 at 17:24

I don't really see the logic in an M3 not being 'classy' because someone modified a 318 badly.