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Tag: S54

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Two Turbos or None? BMW 335i v. M3

Published January 17, 2015 by Carter

A few months ago at a gathering of friends, two BMWs were present – my friend’s E46 M3 and his acquaintance’s E82 135i. A bit under my breath, I mentioned to him that I still couldn’t get over how unattractive the 135i was compared to the M3. I may have said that the E82 looked a bit like a really poor quality bodyshop repaired a E46 that had been both in full frontal and rear crashes – poorly. But my friend countered that if anything, that 135i was faster and more fun to drive than his M3. Looking back, I paused, and thought “Could I?” The answer remains no in my book, but it does raise an interesting question – with E92 335i prices dropping within reach of the higher E46 M3s, which is the better choice?

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Christmas Wish: 2007 BMW M Coupe

Published December 25, 2014 by Carter

I’ve featured a few collectable coupes this week – the 2013 Audi TT RS and the modified M Coupe. But as much as I love the soundtrack of the Audi and the statistics on paper, and as hot as the E36 M Coupe market is, were it my money I was plunking down for a personal coupe it would be the second generation Z4-based M Coupe that would get my attention. And for my Christmas wish, this one would do quite nicely! Interlagos Blue is certainly one of my favorite colors, and the lower miles and pristine shape of this particular example would have me overlooking the all-black leather:

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Tuner Tuesday: 2001 BMW M Coupe with 13,400 Miles

Published December 23, 2014 by Carter

The S54-equipped M Coupe seemed destined to be a collector car right out of the box. With a limited number produced, almost immediately enthusiasts began numbering their cars – there are, in fact, websites that are specifically dedicated to determining just how rare your M Coupe was. In the case of today’s example, it’s a claimed one of nine, and that’s easy to believe – because boil down the multitudes of combinations that were made with the E36/8 M Coupe, and you’ll soon discover that they’re all one of a small number. But this particular M Coupe is even more rare than most, with a host of Dinan and AC Schnitzer upgrades and some of the lowest miles on one today, with only around 1,000 miles a year accrued:

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Motorsport Monday: 2007 BMW M Coupe

Published November 17, 2014 by Carter

The E86 Z4 was a fairly radical departure from the E36/8 that it replaced. In many ways, the Z3 was born out of a series of spare parts and in some ways almost seemed an afterthought. It wasn’t as innovated as the Z1 and while the original M Coupe has become a fan favorite, the Z3 just overall seemed the odd-man out in the BMW lineup. On top of that, the design just overall hasn’t aged particularly well in my mind. But in 2002, the redesigned Anders Warming penned E85 Z4 roadster launched. It was bigger in every dimension, with cutting edge new styling that managed to incorporate both round and angular designs into one fluid package that somehow worked well. Over a decade on, it still looks quite new to me – one of the best tests of the staying power of a design. Also one of the best tests is that it was somewhat controversial at the time, but by 2006 and the launch of the M models most critics were convinced that it was a nice package. The addition of the stellar S54 powertrain certainly didn’t hurt, and with just 1,800 examples of the new Coupe design in the U.S., it was guaranteed classic status. But that hasn’t stopped some from converting the coveted Coupes into race cars, such as this Fall-Line Motorsports built wide body:

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Odd36s – 1996 328is S54 and 1997 M3 Euro 3.2 SMG Convertible

Published November 3, 2014 by Carter

The E30 before it, the E36 chassis BMW quickly became a fan-favorite for affordable, practical, and sporting German motoring. From nearly its inception I can recall tuned and tweaked models showing up at the track. Relatively easy engine swaps, a plethora of aftermarket tuner and support and with a ton of them produced, it’s easy to see why the E36 is a popular choice for enthusiasts. That said, we’ve seen just about every conceivable swap completed and nearly every permutation of E36 cross these pages; but once in a while, one really stands out. Or, in this case, two:

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