The M3 E46 is a track-friendly car straight from the factory, but some owners have taken it further at the expense of day-to-day usability. Such is the case with this modded car carrying the anniversary emblem released this year on the BMW M’s 50th anniversary. It retains the naturally aspirated S54 engine, but the 3.2-liter engine has been remapped and comes with a carbon airbox.
The inline-six engine has been pushed from the original 343 horsepower to an M3 CSL-matching 360 hp. Since we mentioned the Coupe Sport Lightweight, this heavily modified car follows a similar philosophy courtesy of carbon fiber fenders and a rear seat delete. As a matter of fact, it doesn’t even have air conditioning, which would’ve come in handy on a hot summer track day at the Nürburgring.
The M3 E46 has been subjected to additional changes, including 18-inch Apex wheels wrapped in 265/35 R18 Dunlop Direzza tires and paired with AP Racing brakes. To further shave off weight, the quarter and rear windows are made from plastic while the door cards have been simplified and come with a strap.
From the Recaro bucket seats to the full roll cage, the M3 E46’s cabin has been modified to be as track-focused as possible. With those wheels and quad exhaust installed, it can’t be legally driven on public roads in Germany since those aftermarket parts are not homologated. Of course, the whole idea behind the build is to make it fast and fun around a circuit.
Looking at the onboard footage, the car is an absolute blast and the skilled driver enjoys pushing it to the maximum while overtaking one car after another. Aside from seeing a lot of track action, the M3 E46 is also used for extended journeys as the owner once took it on a long trip during which he covered 3,500 kilometers (2,174 miles)
Source: Misha Charoudin / YouTube
