Before the BMW F83 M4 Convertible came out, amateurs of drop top cruising had the BMW E93 M3 Convertible at their disposal, to get their doses of kicks and adrenaline and V8 symphonies on a regular basis. With the E93 however, the naturally aspirated era ended, the Convertible M3 being the last car BMW had in production using an atmospheric engine under the hood.
Times changed and we’re living in the forced induction era now, one that bring a lot more performance to the table but maybe not the same amount of excitement. And while the S65 engine is revered by many for both its razor sharp pedal response and its magnificent sound, others may prefer different V8 mills even for their BMWs.
Some may consider what we’re about to show you a sacrilege but in the end, it was the owner’s decision whether to stick with the original engine or swap it for something a little more… American. Furthermore, if there’s something the American car industry knows how to do, that may very well be a V8, as LS units from GM have written history over the years.
Benjamin Boubles is a French drift pilot and he decided that his E93 M3 Convertible would perform better with an LSX engine under the hood instead of the S65 V8 from the M division. And as if the standard power and torque of the 6.2-liter powerplant weren’t enough, he also installed a Whipple supercharger that is so big, it doesn’t even fit under the hood.
Other than the engine swap, you’ll probably also notice the fact that the Convertible totally lost its top, instead a roll-cage being installed to keep the driver safe. Everything was modified so that this beast turns into a proper drift car and we have to say, LSX or not, we’re impressed with how it turned out. As far as drift cars go, you don’t see too many looking so… flashy!
[Source: Elitewrap.fr]
