This BMW E36 finished in Boston Green Metallic is only a 318i, but it’s special for other reasons. For starters, the 1994 3 Series Convertible has period-correct M3 bumpers and an M-Tech kit. It’s owned by professional detailer Chromatic Garage, so it’s easy to understand why the car is in mint condition. It has been thoroughly restored before getting new and quite rare wheels.
Produced by BBS, these 17-inch wheels with a two-piece construction have been styled by none other than Pininfarina. The Italian design house famous for drawing some of the most beautiful cars ever decided to broaden its horizons and work on wheels. That didn’t turn out as expected, so production numbers were low. Consequently, finding a complete set today is not easy. For this build, the wheels are wrapped around in 215/40/17 Yokohama Advan Fleva tires. As you can see, the rims proudly carry Pininfarina’s logo on the blue center cap.
We’d argue this E36 build is exceptionally clean and it’s about to get even better in the coming months. Why? Because the owner is planning quite the engine transplant. The standard M43 four-cylinder mill will make way for an S52 borrowed from a North American-spec E36 M3 from 1999. The new powertrain has done only 140,000 kilometers (87,000 miles) The bigger inline-six engine produced 240 horsepower back in the day, so it’ll have more than double the power of the 318i’s original engine.
Pininfarina And The E36 Are A Great Match
In the meantime, the E36 looks the part after being brought closer to the road courtesy of a coilover suspension. The wheel fitment is borderline perfect after using spacers, and we’re quite fond of the Pininfarina spoke design.
Speaking of which, Pininfarina designed a BMW 501 prototype in the late 1940s before the two joined forces again in 2013 for the stunning Gran Lusso Coupe concept. However, neither entered production.
Source: Chromatic Garage / YouTube
