The E46 M3 has remained an icon of BMW’s M division since they reached owners in late 2000. With a screaming straight-six upfront, a six-speed manual in the middle, and drive sent to the wheels at...
Sports cars and pickup trucks are at two ends of the automotive spectrum. One is the king of the everyday, utilitarian vehicle, designed to be used simply to move things around. The other is completely selfish, only benefiting whoever drives it as they use it for its intended purpose,...
All engine coolant is not created equal. In a similar fashion to engine oil, coolant is a complex mixture of chemicals and minerals designed to keep your engine running as cool as possible. Aluminum and cast iron, the most common engine block materials, require different properties from the...
The United States offers a near-unparalleled space to be an automotive enthusiast. With some of the lowest gas prices on the planet, an enormous amount of aftermarket companies, and an abundance of available models to choose from, it’s genuinely tough to beat what we offer. Unfortunately, our...
Cam bearing ledge wear is the most common VANOS-related performance issue on high-mileage N52 and N54 engines and the earliest series of N55s. Due to an overlook in design, there's a seal that will eventually wear and cause a myriad of issues. Although it may appear as a simple oil leak and some...
BMW introduced the pencil-style ignition coil to the US market in 2001 with the S54 engine. The one-piece (coil and spark plug connector are integral) design simplified the preceding two-piece, and within a few years, all of BMW’s engines were using the new style. The M54 engine received these...
The E36 and E46 M3s are some of the most accessible sports cars available on the second-hand market. BMW got it right around the new millennium, offering sport sedans with qualities that enthusiasts could get behind. Specially designed engines provided impressive power and an otherworldy noise...
Last year, FCP Euro Video Editor Stephen Coppola and I discussed power delivery problems with his SpecE46 (an E46 330i built to an agreed standard) and how he was down on power and speed relative to other cars that should be more or less identical. The engine from his race car is original to the...
Compression testing is one of the most common procedures for checking the relative health of an engine. After all, engines are air pumps, and without compression, they tend not to work well. If you ever want to know where you stand in terms of the overall health of your engine, a compression...
I’ve found that the most modern, highest-performance vehicle often isn’t the most fun to drive. Given a twisty road and the choice between a 650-horsepower, turbocharged, all-wheel drive supercar with 335-section tires or a 20-year-old M3, I would prefer the BMW. So how far does that train of...
Get help answering any questions you have
Contact Us