E46 M3 vs E36M3 lightly modded

CarbonBlkE36 · #1 (**permalink**) 11-20-2001, 08:16 PM

on balboa AVE in san diego, yesterday i see a Phoenix yellow E46 M3 extremely clean looks like it came off the showroom floor. Well we were bout to turn left. i was behind him, and i rev my motor. he smiles. he is talking to his friend in the car next to him in a prelude. the friend pointed to his fender then the E46s then mine. i figure he was pointing out my gills... hehehe, anyways. from a rolling start, i floored it bout next to him and i guess he did too. we were both pulling.... but he was going faster and faster... just faster away from me.... it was jammin soooo hard... i was like dayam! E46 M3 Extremly FAST rocKeT!!!!!

HB///MPOWER · #2 (**permalink**) 11-20-2001, 09:34 PM

those ///M3 are soo fast they run like 13.1 or something right???

Keda · #3 (**permalink**) 11-21-2001, 06:05 AM

Somebody made a post the other day about putting a 3.25 dif in a SC'd car. He was saying that it made a HUGE differance.

Well, the E46 M3 has a 3.64 diff. I think that accounts for the incredibly fast acceleration of these cars (the HP doesnt hurt either). The E46 only has about 25 more ft/lbs of torque than the E36 and they peak higher. I wonder what an E36 would be like w/a tall diff like this.

unvmym3 · #4 (**permalink**) 11-21-2001, 08:04 AM

i have a e46m3 ,and its very quick!its no 911 turbo or anything but enough to spank a regular c5.and yea it runs 13.1 s.its very fast like on a float from 3rd at 6000,it s like a nsx i fan the otherday ,it was cool cause we had the same power band .

Hellred · #5 (**permalink**) 11-21-2001, 08:14 AM

I posted about the diff, and it's not quite a huge difference, but it is significant(3:15 to 3:23).
I feel this is the best mod you can do to NA car.
Next car I buy, screw the chip, near gears will wake the car big time!

If you drop a 3:38 into your M3, you will access the power so much faster, it will give the illusion that you have 40 or so more HP than you actually have.

In my 325is, I dropped in a crazy 3:91 ratio, and I was beating M3 in acceleration. I must have had maybe 220HP to the crank with all the other mods... Of course you suffer on the top end, and cruising speeds, but who spends that much time doing 130+ on the highway anyway...

The new M3 is so well geared with the 3:64 plus the six speed, that there is no way you can hang with them unless you have forced induction, or serious internals done...

The technology inside the E46 M3 diff is tremendous, especially for getting optimal power to the ground when launching...

It's a big car, but it IS brilliant!!!

Keda · #6 (**permalink**) 11-21-2001, 10:05 AM

I just got srewed over on a Euro swap, but as soon as I get all my $$ back, Ill try again. Im going to do a Euro, 6-spd, and 3.64 diff.

I think my E36 should hang w/the E46. With the other mods I want to do, I should beat it, NA. The tech is bad ass, but it still weighs alot. No disrespect meant toward the E46 BTW, it is a breathtaking car.

ledlum · #7 (**permalink**) 11-21-2001, 10:39 AM

Was it you that raced a e46 M3 and beat it? I think I read a post sometime ago.

nicom3 · #8 (**permalink**) 11-26-2001, 11:16 AM

i was pullin into 95 south goin towards my house, and then from the other exit came a red e46 M3, we pull up doin maybe 50 next to eachother and we look at eachother, and before i knew it i kick it into high gear, and that dude in the e46 just keeps goin and goin and goin, the car is like a freakin energizer battery or something, but one hell of a fast bitchin car, wish i had one, but im happy wit my e36 m3, id rather get beat by my newer brother of a car then something else, i hate defeats, but you gotta respect the defeat.