Is this E36 M3 the best ever built?

The BMW E36 is a fantastic platform for creative inventors. The front is still old-fashioned spacious and that makes a lot swap engine possible. But the block that is in this E36 M3 is very remarkable.

There are several BMW E36 with a 2JZ or V8. But often this happens with the everyday variants of this generation 3 series. Doing an engine transplant on a real M3 is another matter. The originally delivered S50B32 engine was per se already a fantastic block under the hood. This 3.2-litre straight-six produced an entertaining 321 hp. The replacement for this engine must therefore be a very special block.

Engine from the F80 M3

The engine in question is the S55B30. Connoisseurs know that this is the famous engine block from the BMW F80 M3 and F82 M4, among others. In the 90sSo BMW is a very modern engine. A manual six-speed gearbox is connected to this new heart. That makes it a real driver’s car. But now with 431 hp and 550 Nm of torque. The German owner knows how to sprint to 100 km/h in 3.7 seconds with this Biturbo E36 M3.

It all has to be able to be stopped, of course, and so the brakes also got an upgrade in the form of a set of carbon-ceramic brakes from an F80 M3. In order to give the whole thing a sportier handling, the handy German installed a KW coilover kit. This makes this E36 M3 a real circuit weapon.

How much is this E36 BMW M3 with S55 engine?

The car is not for sale. If you also want to have an E36 M3 with S55 under the hood, you have to do it yourself. The project will not have been cheap. In addition, an E36 M3 used car in Germany will soon be around 20,000 euros lighter. Maybe the best man managed to find a cheaper example with a bad engine.

He has undoubtedly lost that difference with the S55B30 engine. For a solid block you have to pay at least 6,000 euros. If you add over 1,500 euros for the KW coilover suspension and a disgusting 14,000 euros for the brakes, the 40,000 euros are quickly exceeded. In order for everything to work, many (expensive) interior parts of the more modern M3 or M4 are also required. For all that money you can easily buy a used F80 BMW M3.

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