Cleanest LS-swapped BMW E46 Ever?
When you put time and effort (plus some cash) into a build, you would hope it come out as nice as this LS1 E46.
You might have heard of the BMW E46. Since its release, enthusiasts have been raving about its precise handling, great driving dynamics and responsive feedback. It is known to be one of the best sports cars of its generation if not of all time. The motorsport-focused M3 came with a smooth straight-six three liter engine from the factory known as the S54. While this engine made decent power and had okay reliability, it was expensive to maintain and rod bearings are a wear and tear item. Thankfully, we over here at LS1tech have a solution: A LSx V8.
Professional level drifting has seen more than one E46 in its running and Michael Essa actually managed to win the US Formula Drift championship back in 2013 in a BMW E46 M3. Today, Hoonigan’s YouTube channel won’t be bringing you a pro car per say, but is it beautiful and of course, its only made better by the inclusion of a LS1.
The owner of this wonderful car is named Andrew and it is a 2001 BMW E46 330i. The car features a viciously wide GTR-S body kit from DTMFiberWerks which is 25mm wider in the front and 40mm in the rear. The car has been wrapped in a brilliantly vibrant 3M Sunflower Yellow.
The engine itself is an LS1 with an ISKY cam and built top end and stock bottom end. For cooling Andrew is running a CSF radiator and oil cooler along with a Canton Accusump to ensure proper oiling. According to Andrew, this LS1 makes around 450 WHP all-motor. To keep that power to the ground the car also features an OSGiken clutch and LSD through a T56 transmission. Although the car is straight piped, the E46 features a Remus exhaust (or maybe just the tips) to stay true to its original colors.
To finish off the build, Andrew is running an Aeromotive fuel cell with Advanced Fuel Dynamics flex fuel system to run E85 or 91 octane. While the car might look good, it sure as hell performs too. The E46 was banging off the limited for a couple minutes straight and had no issues. Did we mention it sounds amazing too? If you ever wondered how to make a good thing even better, watch the tire shredding at the end of the video. Thank us later.
