How To Do Sunroof Upgrade Repair On Bmw E46

How Powerful Is The E46 BMW M3 After 21 Years?

If it lost one horse per twelvemonth, it would still produce over 300 hp.

The E46 M3 is an iconic auto, withal coveted by many gearheads. Nosotros tin can still quote the original output of the famous 3.ii-liter direct-six engine: a rather nifty and easy-to-remember 333 horsepower.

But here's a fact that volition make yous feel old. The E46 M3 is 21 years old. Yes, folks. It's old plenty to purchase a beer.

Every bit we all know, historic period, like gravity, can be the nastier word for a kid built-in out of wedlock. It wreaks havoc on all of us, simply what does it do to an engine? We dear to quote the abovementioned figure when we fondly reminisce about the greatest M3 of them all. Does it still have as many horses, however? Have some of them escaped while the M3 was maturing to an age where it could order a bourbon?

That question tin now be answered thanks to Christian from Vehicle Virals. He purchased an E46 for only $iii,000. It had 173,000 miles on the clock, which is near likely why he got it for so cheap. That, and the fact that E46's have a reputation for existence costly to maintain. For the record, this particular M3 is not standard. It has an ECU melody, a performance intake, and an upgraded exhaust system. In theory, it should produce more than the claimed 333 hp.

Vehicle Virals guestimated that it would produce around 280 hp. The erstwhile daughter blew them all away and posted a figure of 290 hp at 7,250 rpm. Given the mileage, that'due south a stellar result. It seems German language horses are trained to stay put.

This makes a practiced case for the M3 in the old E46 M4 Vs. Ford Fiesta ST debate, though Fiesta ST prices have dropped significantly. If you're looking for fun for even less, might we suggest a glance at our listing of sub-$20,000 sports cars?

Vehicle Virals/YouTube

Unfortunately, the 2nd run proved futile, and the E46 delivered on the more negative side of its reputation. The M3 started smoking, which is a certain sign of imminent piston ring failure.

To brand the video more interesting, Christian also invited a friend with an E36 M6 and an E90 335i. The E36 M3 has 255k miles on the clock, while the 335i has a set of 17T turbos to help information technology produce more power. The E36 M3 however produces 204 hp. That's not bad considering Us models produced 240 hp when new.

The tuned 335i won the day, posting an impressive effigy of 568 hp. That's more than power than the electric current M3. Heck, that'south inside spitting altitude of BMW'southward twin-turbocharged V8 M5. The 335i engine is favored by tuners, every bit you tin can become a fairly reliable 450 hp out of it.