LS3-Powered BMW E30 M3 is Sacrilegious and Stunning: 2011 SEMA Show
Is it a crime or just a really good idea? One thing is for sure, this SEMA Show car is an excellently executed project.
On display at the Heatshield Products booth and built by Kevin Byrd, this E30 BMW M3 has its hood off for a reason. Rather than the 2.3-liter 4-cylinder that it came with from the factory, filling up ever inch of the engine bay is a 6.2-liter LS3 V8 from General Motors. With custom headers and a Magnaflow exhaust it delivers a claimed dyno number of 480-hp.
As a complete project the car features a 2-inch widebody and plenty of added bracing. And let’s not forget a lowered suspension and some perfectly suitable 18-inch BBS CH wheels. The total curb weight is pegged at 2900 lbs.
GALLERY: LS3 Powered BMW E30 M3
With AutoGuide from its launch, Colum previously acted as Editor-in-Chief of Modified Luxury & Exotics magazine where he became a certifiable car snob driving supercars like the Koenigsegg CCX and racing down the autobahn in anything over 500 hp. He has won numerous automotive journalism awards including the Best Video Journalism Award in 2014 and 2015 from the Automotive Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC). Colum founded Geared Content Studios, VerticalScope's in-house branded content division and works to find ways to integrate brands organically into content.
More by Colum Wood
Comments
Join the conversation
Makes me wish that I had taken my LS3-powered e30 to SEMA as well: http://www.r3vlimited.com/board/showthread.php?t=211983 Always a shame to see an original M3 get modifed so much, that's why i started with a 318iS.
Great to see those Formula SAE skills at work. Keep up the great work Kevin! Go Gators!