bmw e46

When the OEM never made the car you wanted, you get it made yourself. That's what the owner of these amazing custom-built E46 M3 Sedan and Touring did. These Alpine White beauties are complete conversions with S54 engines and 6-speed transmissions. To top it all off, both of these cars are slicktops as well! Truly the stuff of dreams! Which one do you prefer?

Being one of the top BMW shops in one of the car culture centers of the world, we have the privilege of seeing all sorts of interesting builds. Every now and then, we receive a customer who drives a car that is so exceptional, the whole shop drops what they're doing to have a look. This Imola Red E46 330i is rightfully one of those builds. The first thing we noticed that it was a "slicktop", meaning it has no sunroof. Slicktop cars were relatively rare for the E46 stateside. We then noticed the interior. This red beauty featured the front seats and steering wheel of the legendary E46 M3 CSL! The real magic was witnessed under the hood however. An immaculate S54 swap was housed in the engine bay!

The E46 M3 never had a sedan variant but this car is definitely its owner's vision of one. One might decry its lack of fender flares, but we think it a cool, low-key sleeper look. It was quite the treat to be able to admire this tastefully done build!

Some things never go out of style. When a design is timeless, it'll stick around for decades to come. Split-spoke mesh wheels are the denim jeans of the wheel world; timeless and widely manufactured. Titan7's T-S7 is a recent wheel design to feature the aforementioned spoke style. When matched with an near-equal timeless design such as the E46 M3, it's a match made in heaven.

The durable, forged construction of these wheels will hold up for many track sessions. Being lightweight for their size, the T-S7s also play nicely with the high-performance AST 5100 Series Coilovers. The 5100 Series shock absorbers utilise inverted / upside down technology. The inverted design is race proven technology and produces an extremely strong damper, providing better suspension geometry under heavy lateral and braking loads as seen in a road and track environment.

The E46 M3 is a true modern classic. It's a car that still has a passionate following among enthusiasts so the aftermarket still caters to the venerable platform. This clean Interlagos Blue example with only 43,000 miles on the odometer lived a rather stock life. It's owner decided it was time for some changes when they contacted us. First order of business was installing a KW Variant 2 Coilover System. The KW V2 system is intended for the experienced driver who does not only wish to determine the individual lowering of his vehicle, but also wishes to carry out setup adjustments. The adjustable rebound damper allows adjusting the pitch and roll behavior of the vehicle and therefore the driving pleasure can be adapted to the own requirements.

Sometimes, when you've had a car for a few years, it's good to change things up. This 2004 M3 had been owned by its driver for a long while and has remained mostly stock for their ownership. Being a long-time EAS customer with multiple BMWs, this M3's owner decided that this classic beauty was in need of some upgrades. The factory seats at this point were looking tired and had worn-out bolsters. So in went a pair of Recaro Sportster CS Reclining Seats, breathing new life into the 15-year old interior. Despite being a more modern seat design, the Sportster CS didn't look out of place at all in the E46's cockpit.

Upgrading your car's seats and suspension system are some of the most worthwhile modifications you can make. While a upgrade such as coilovers can dramatically change the way the car handles and feels on the road, in many ways, swapping out the seat is an even bigger change. Along with the steering wheel, pedals, and shift knob, the seat is a major touch point; one of the main ways (if not the main way) the driver interacts with a car. Most factory seats are a one-size-fits-all sort of deal and do not do the best job in keeping the driver in place during sportier driving. A good aftermarket seat with more aggressive bolstering would do better in keeping the driver in place under high performance driving, comfortably. The Sparco SPX is a good example of said type of seat.

This old blue warrior was in need of some big performance upgrades! The old and tired factory suspension was replaced with AST 5100 Series Coilovers. The 5100 Series shock absorbers utilise inverted / upside down technology. The inverted design is race proven technology and produces an extremely strong damper, providing better suspension geometry under heavy lateral and braking loads as seen in a road and track environment.

Seats really do make the car. A high quality reclining seat from a company such as Recaro is oftentimes a major upgrade from your average factory seat with squishy bolsters and a lack of back support. A great example of said seat is Recaro's Sportster CS. The Sportster CS is inspired by motorsport seat design with an integral headrest that features harness pass-throughs and aggressive bolstering. The design is good blend of luxury and sport and would look right in almost all performance cars. Recaro seats not only hug you firmly during high performance driving but they can also keep you nice and comfortable during road trips. Recaro seats are designed to align the spinal cord in its most natural position. The driver's back muscles will actually become more relaxed the longer they sit in the seat.

This track-build M3 is certainly meant to be hoon'd!

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