Motorsports Driving Machine: Ryan Castro’s LSX-M3

Take one of the top handling cars and put in one of the best engines. The result? A Super Lap Battle contender.

You’d think the idea would be absolute blasphemy, and you might be right if you were talking to BMW purists. But Ryan Castro of Motorsport Hardware isn’t afraid of a challenge. With his desire for great handling and amazing engine reliability, he installed an LS into a 1995 BMW M3 l. With driver Amir Bentatou behind the wheel, the plan is to take Super Lap Battle 2017’s Street Rear Wheel Drive Class by storm. If you have your doubts, you may want to read on.

The E36 M3 is widely regarded as one of the best M3s BMW ever built, which is why it gets such wide aftermarket support. Currently, the car sits on a set of AST 5100 Coilovers. But for Super Lap Battle (SLB) they will switch it out to a set of Moton two-way adjustable coilovers, and expect to gain over a second just due to this swap. A set of Swift Springs with Turner front and rear sway bars control roll and pitch, while Ground Control camber plates allow for adjustment as needed at the track. Attached to each shock tower is a Sparco brace front and rear.

The street wheels are a set of Volk Racing TE37 SL in 18×9.5 front and 18×10.5 rear with Hankook Ventus RS3 in 255/35R18 front and 275/35R18 rear. For the track, they roll on BBS RE GT4s in 18×9.5 front and 18×10.5 rear with Maxxis tires slicks in 265/35R18 all around. Instead of stud bolts, like OE, Motorsport Hardware 12.9 race grade 78mm studs replace them on the hubs with MH spacers pushing the wheels out more aggressively. Titan lug nuts hold both sets of wheels on tight. Behind both sets of wheels are a set of Sparta Evolution brakes with six-pistons in the front and four-pistons in the rear.

Outside is all function, with a set of HARD Motorsport V2 flares on front and rear fenders for additional tire clearance. A set of custom made canards direct air over the tires and on to the body while the HARD Motorsport front splitter gives the front end some downforce to match the Voltex type V 1700mm dual plane wing. To gain some additional downforce on the back, a Mateo Motorsports rear diffuser accelerates air from out of the rear of the car.

Inside, the focus is on the driver, with a stripped out interior and Kirk four-point roll bar installed for further protection. To keep Bentatou secure as he drives this car as fast as it can, an OMP HTE-R seat is fitted in the cabin with a Sparco six-point harness. A Momo steering wheel acts as the control for the front wheels.

Now, we get to the part you guys have been waiting for: the engine. This is no standard LS block that was grabbed from Craigslist or local pick-your-part. Instead, this is an ERL Superdeck aluminum engine punched out to 434-ci (or 7.1-liters) with a set of AFR Heads. The fast 102mm intake is ported by Mamo Motorsports with a Nick Williams 102mm throttle Body. A Mishimoto Radiator keeps the water temperatures in check with a Spal race fan right behind it. An Improved Racing oil pan baffle keeps the oil from sloshing too much, their oil cooler further improves engine temperature control. The Turn One power steering pump is an upgrade from the stock unit as is the Mechman high RPM alternator, which is driven by an underdrive pulley. The fuel and spark control from the OE ECU is tuned by Cunningham Motorsports while those spent gasses are sent down to a custom dual three-inch exhaust system.

Putting down 660-horsepower and 600-lb/ft of torque means you need a drivetrain that can take that. A T56 transmission is used to shift gears with a MGW short shifter topped by a Condor shift knob. The RPS twin disk clutch has the duty to clamp down the torque from the engine by their flywheel, but should something happen, a Lakewood scatter shield will protect driver and car. All this power is sent down the driveshaft to a 3.64:1 rear gear with a LSD set up for a 40-percent lockup.

While there will be minor changes for this car for the Super Lap Battle on November 9th and 10th, the car will remain as seen here. However, once SLB is over and the new year begins, we’ll see a major revolution for this car. What will it entail? We’ll just have to wait and see.