We typically see old BMW M cars being subjected to a dyno test, but this is a refreshingly basic 318Ci. This 3 Series Coupe from what I consider to be the golden era of design – the E46 – was produced in 2002 and is still going strong despite its venerable age. The Dutch journalists at Auto Week were curious to find out how much power the engine still has after 22 years since the car left the assembly line.
This young man’s 318Ci was strapped onto the dyno to assess the power of its naturally aspirated four-cylinder engine. Back in the day, BMW quoted the 2.0-liter unit at 143 horsepower and 200 Newton-meters (148 pound-feet) of torque. This “N42” inline-four is still pumping out better-than-advertised output figures in 2024: 151 hp and 208 Nm (153 lb-ft).
Granted, the E46 has had some work done as the owner mentions it installed a new air filter along with a modified exhaust. However, these aren’t the sort of changes that yield significant power gains. Although it’s getting up there in years, this 3 Series Coupe has been reliable and a car the owner could always depend on. It also looks great inside and out for a 3 Series with 166,776 kilometers (103,629 miles) on the clock.
This pristine BMW 318Ci on Dutch plates has had its fair share of owners over the years. However, Lars Gillis – who bought it about a year ago – says his E46 came bundled with a full-service history showing a comprehensive maintenance record.
The M3 CSL was the most potent E46 of them all by packing about two and a half times the power of this 318Ci. It had a healthy 355 hp from a larger inline-six 3.2-liter “S54” engine. However, BMW also made 10 units of the M3 GTR Strassenversion, a homologation special with a V8 codenamed “P60B40” rated at 350 hp routed to the rear wheels via a six-speed manual gearbox instead of the controversial SMG.
Source: AutoWeek / YouTube
