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V12-Powered BMW 3 Series E36 Races Ford Mustang, It Sadly Isn’t Fast Enough

Filmed last June during the Loerok Ejszakaja 2022 at the Tokol Airport near Budapest, the 3 Series in the featured clip isn’t your typical E36. Rather than a four-pot mill or a straight-six lump, the engine powering this car is a naturally-aspirated V12 with a displacement of 5.0 liters.
E36 BMW 3 Series V12 drag races S550 Ford Mustang GT 6 photos
Photo: Drag Car 4K on YouTube
E36 BMW 3 Series V12 drag races S550 Ford Mustang GTE36 BMW 3 Series V12E36 BMW 3 Series V12E36 BMW 3 Series V12 drag races S550 Ford Mustang GTE36 BMW 3 Series V12 drag races S550 Ford Mustang GT
There’s no underhood footage, and the OP doesn’t mention any kind of upgrades on top of the 12-cylinder leviathan that BMW refers to as the M70. Introduced in 1987, this free-breathing engine features a single-overhead-camshaft valvetrain, aluminum for the block, aluminum for the heads, and two control units – one for each bank of cylinders. Two fuel pumps, distributors, throttle bodies, and mass airflow sensors also need to be mentioned, and some versions of the M70 are fitted with two alternators.

In the E32-generation 750iL Highline, the second alternator is tasked with charging an auxiliary battery that powers rear-seat equipment such as the fax machine, telephone, wine cooler, and so forth. The S70B56 is a development of the M70 with a dual-overhead-camshaft setup. The S70/2 in the McLaren F1 is a different animal from the S70B56 and M70 by means of variable valve timing, four valves per cylinder, dry-sump lubrication, as well as 12 (yes, 12!) individual throttle bodies that make it sound like V12 heaven.

Based on the smooth upshifts of the Bimmer, it’s likely that it features a torque-converter automatic that fits the M70, most likely the ZF 4HP24 four-speed unit found in the E32 7 Series and E31 8 Series. Unfortunately for the V12-powered 3 Series, it crosses the finish line in 13.724 seconds at 167.053 kilometers per hour (103.8 miles per hour) compared to 13.280 seconds and 173.494 kph (107.8 kph) for the fastback-bodied Mustang.

A pre-2018 model, the pony car produces 421 ps and 530 Nm (415 horsepower and 391 pound-foot) in European specification. The pre-facelift S550 features a six-speed automatic rather than the ten-speed unit of the 2018 and newer models, including the S650 for the 2024 model year.

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About the author: Mircea Panait
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After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well.
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