Unfortunately for BMW E46 aficionados, BMW decided that it won’t be making an M3 sedan for that iteration, for various reasons. Therefore, even though the model that came before it (the E36) and the model that came afterwards (the E90) had 4-door M3 versions, the E46 was deprived of such a version.
The closest thing you could get was the 330i Performance Package version that was seriously improved over the standard version. The 3-liter inline 6-cylinder engine under the bonnet used to make 238 HP and 301 Nm (222 lb-ft) of torque from 3,500 RPM, to a redline of 6,800 RPM.
That wasn’t the only change though. ZHP models also had a revised suspension with firmer dampers and springs, larger anti-roll bars, stronger front control arm ball joints, a lower ride height, and slightly more negative camber. Taken on a test track, the sedan impressed everyone when it pulled a 0-60 mph sprint of 5.6 seconds, 0.7 seconds behind the M3.
However, you could transform your ride into a proper M car if you wanted to. In that regard the guys from ESS Tuning can help. They created a special supercharger kit for the M54B30 engine to take it close to the numbers of the M3.
That’s what this car got at the European Auto Source garage. Before the kit was installed, the numbers showed 196 WHP and 195 WTQ, decent numbers for a car that is 10 years old. Afterwards, though, it pulled 262 WHP and 236 WTQ, a drastic improvement that could put a lot of modern cars in trouble in a race.
The best thing about it, though, is that it doesn’t give away the amount of power it hides under the bonnet in any way. If you ever wanted a definition for what a ‘sleeper’ is, this car is as close as it gets.
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