The 2001 BMW M3 (E46 style)

The following article was written during the summer of 2000... as such, it is extremely dated. Currently as of March 2001, the release date of the E46 M3 is set in about April; the company that I work for, Dinan Engineering, is going to receive the first three M3s that our local dealership (Stevens Creek BMW in Cupertino, CA) get. These are to arrive April 28th. The horsepower rating is indeed 333hp, as was predicted; the torque is set at 262 lb-ft at 7900 rpm. There is near-perfect 50/50 weight distribution, and the weight is at 3415 lbs unweighted. The 0-60 time is 4.8 seconds, which indeed shaves .2 seconds off of their initially stated time and puts it in line with the M5. The onboard GPS navigation system is not, as I had optimistically assumed, standard; it will cost an additional $1,800 to include it. I apologize for my error. The base price for this beast among cars is set at around $46,000... fully loaded (including such things as rain-sensing windshield wipers, an 8-speaker harmon-kardon sound system, the GPS Navigation system, Park-sensors, Xenon low-beam headlights, leather interior, and much more) is at about $54,000.

-JTroll, 03-14-01







Although it has not been released in America yet (its release date in somewhere in October/November 2000), my father has already purchased his own 2001 BMW M3 through his company, Dinan Engineering. His company, just to put this in perspective, makes its living suping up BMWs, adding everything from superchargers to aerodynamics to custom Dinan racing suspension, etc... and he chose this car. Biased? Perhaps. Was he wrong about this decision? I think not.

First off, the new 2001 E46 M3 (as opposed to the 1999 E36 M3, etc) has and 3.2 liter 330 hp (US) engine at 7900 rpm (252 kW for you Europeans); that's almost 100 hp more than the 1999 M3, which I believe had 240 hp stock. This means about 102 hp per liter. It also has a considerable amount of torque- 365 nm @ 4,900 rpm. Yes, it has a straight 6 engine; however, it's about as sweet an engine as you'll find. A cylinder head optimized for running, double VANOS, roller rocker arms and a new electronic throttle-valve control system, together with BMW's MSS 54 engine management system.

BMW states about the chassis that "Among the technical highlights of this chassis is a world first: the variable M differential. Unlike other systems, the viscous limited slip differential directly measures variations in the rear wheels' revolutions and brakes the supply of power as appropriate. The result: a significantly improved start on difficult surfaces, plus superb directional stability when tackling bends at speed." Sweet...

The top speed of this baby is an electronically-limited 250 km/h (I said KM/h, not mph). BMW claims a 0-60 mph in 5.2 seconds... about 0.4 seconds slower than the $79,000 M5. There is debate about this however; rumor has it that BMW has delibrately understated this 0-60 time because if it was any faster, what would be the point of buying the M5 when it's around $20,000 more? The word is that you can push this 0-60 time 0.2 seconds faster, to 5.0 seconds.

The M3 also comes with 18-inch wheels front and rear, with rear brakes 326 mm in diameter and 20 mm thick, and front brakes 325 mm in diameter and 28 mm thick. Now we're talkin'. BMWs are known mostly not for straight-line speed and acceleration, but for their renowned cornering and braking. You can bet that this beast will be as nimble as a grease-covered fox.

Design differences to previous M3s? Well, if you've seen the new E46-style 328i's and 323i's, you'll basically know what you're in for. The new scalloped headlights are there, as well as the L-shaped rear tail lights. There is also a very small rear lip spoiler to maximize downforce. The four stainless-steel tailpipes are also present; need I say more? There are also new small "M-grills" on the sides of the car, as a new and stylish characteristic.

Inside the cockpit is the now-standard BMW on-board navigation system; in other words, a GPS. The screen for the GPS will also handle the 8-speaker stereo system, radio, etc. BMW has also built in a digital or analog cellular phone system into the car. Buttons for the radio and other features are present on the new steering wheel, which has an increased diameter (there were complaints that the previous steering wheel was too small). Leather interior is standard. In fact, most thing are standard on this baby; when you shuck out around $50,000 for the E46 M3, you'll be paying for everything. There is no "sport" package- this car is the definition of sport. Everything is on there already.

One interesting thing to note is that the Euro version of the car is going to have 343 hp with a slightly increased torque as well. Originally they were not going to water down the US version, but recently changed their minds and now gave it 330 hp. Why? I wish we knew... my dad has gotten a bit peeved over that and vows to put in a Dinan supercharger and remove the top speed limiter to more than make up for it.

This is one refined vehicle, my friends; although it is around $50,000, and will undoubtedly go for much over list price when it is released, if you are looking for a Porsche-annihilating, refined, attractive, comfortable car, you've found your soul-mate.