The E46 M3 is one of the cars that put BMW M on the map. However, it's never been ideal for drifting. The manual is hard to work and the auto is a little weird. It would stand no chance against a modern Toyota Supra, with its turbocharged unit, launch control, and modern 8-speed. However, this particular E46 learned to speak "samurai."
Everybody who's into cars knows the new Toyota Supra is powered by BMW engines. It used to be a source of constant outrage, but the performance it gets from the 3.0 is surprisingly good. But what if we told you there's a complete opposite, a BMW that's powered by Toyota's superior engine?
That's right, we're talking about the legendary 2JZ turbocharged inline powertrain, the source of so many amazing MkIV Supra drag race machines, as well as an iconic movie car or two.
The premise is that a shop called Speed Academy wanted to build a surprisingly fast racer out of a 2003 M3, so they fitted it with a 2JZ-GTE in the hope of taking on supercars. However, another YouTuber took down a Gallardo with a stock 2020 Supra, so both cars were now punching above their weight.
Numbers? We've seen the 2JZ dyno at 500 horsepower and 430 lb-ft of torque, but only because it's being held back by pump gas; it's got all the boost it needs. As for the Supra, it's mentioned as "stock" in the video at one point, but that can't be true. The Volk wheels and track tires are probably making it faster, and there's obviously got near-straight exhaust and 4-inch cold air intake.
Even so, isn't a close competition or a boring one where driver skill doesn't play a part. We'd like to see more of this style instead of evenly matched modern cars where you just have to hold the wheel straight.
Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida. Full profile
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