BMW 357Ci Sports 5.7-Liter LS1 V8 From Pontiac

There is one thing almost as cool as a Coupe Beamer and that is an American V8, mix the two together and what will come out will probably be the perfect compromise between style and power.The car that we are talking about is the BMW 357Ci, its got the ”57” from the Pontiac GTO that gave it a 5.7-liter LS1 V8.

This BMW E46 3-Series coupe, or as its UK owner has appropriately named it, the 357 Ci, started its life as a 2001 325Ci with an M Sport Package. The most interesting feature of this one of a kind “European Muscle” would be its exterior that was kept, for the moment, at the original level, hiding the brutal american V8.

The engine was sourced from a fourth-generation Pontiac GTO also known as the Holden Monaro,complete with a six-speed manual gear box. The tune also included the installation of the rear suspension, an LSD from an M3, as well as upgraded brakes on all four corners. Although if we are to do a quick search on Google, it does not appear to be the first E46-to-LS1 conversion that has been attempted either. There are at least three completed cars and two that are still in the shop having the conversion done.

From this “partnership” we can hope that others may follow in creating works of art, by taking what is considered to be the best, in our case the BMW and the American Muscle, and making it better.