With a reputation for sporty elegance, BMW models equipped with the N54 engine aren’t exactly known for delivering “raw and untamed” performance from the twin-turbocharged straight-six setup. But a little love and knowledge will go a long way towards delivering massive thrills, even if the following custom setup apparently down-tunes the assembly to a single forced induction unit.
Just taking a look at the menacing all-black looks of this BMW 335i will suffice to understand this isn’t your average E92 3 Series Coupe. After all, there’s lots of carbon fiber for a lightweight appearance, along with a meaty wheel setup that includes sticky Mickey Thompson tires at the back.
Better yet, Charles from TRC does a great job at showing the 335i from all angles as he keeps returning to the looks (from the 1:25, 5:25, and 10:55 marks) in between the action pieces. Before we get to the latter, we have to give the rundown on details so everyone understands why this stealthy ride is capable of gapping tuned rides all day long.
First and foremost, the secret recipe starts with the 8.8-inch rear end complete with all the custom ingredients (axles, differential). It continues with a different clutch for the six-speed manual transmission (equipped in the cabin with a short-throw RTD Motorsports shifter), as well as a huge single turbo arrangement sitting right next to the stock N54 engine block.
Apparently, the young owner is “ready for it to blow because we’re going to be rebuilding the engine.” That would be the second time, it seems, as he later mentions that already happened while the 335i was sporting the custom setup (which included a low-down turbo) from the previous owner.
Charles, our host for this TRC video, seems rightly impressed with the current evolution of the car, even though it hasn’t been tracked so far. Instead, the driver appears to be a fan of casual street races in between tune-ups, as he spent most of the past year building this ride.
The ride along kicks off at the 3:40 mark (more pulls in the 335i can be enjoyed from the 17:40 mark), but the real action comes from the 6:15 mark when the 335i shows what it’s made of after mixing the Bavarian heritage with some good American tuning.
Naturally, we’re presented with some of its best attempts. These include a couple of 1,000-hp Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawks, a Camaro ZL1, as well as the mighty Ford Mustang GT500 in a 900-hp state of tune. Well, we can easily call these stick shift performance lessons that were probably well learned by the gapped contenders.
Aurel has aimed high all his life (literally, at 16 he was flying gliders all by himself) so in 2006 he switched careers and got hired as a writer at his favorite magazine. Since then, his work has been published both by print and online outlets, most recently right here, on autoevolution. Full profile
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