[ilikebmxbikes]

Originally Posted by Patrón

s65 doesn't weigh much more than the iron block s54.

S65 is actually lighter.

[ilikebmxbikes]

Originally Posted by SmittyM3

Couldn't you supercharge the iron block six and get just as much power for almost nothing? Even if you went bananas fortifying all the components you're still at a fraction of the cost.

Originally Posted by Lorde

Exactly. And with the swap they did, they now have all of the S65's flaws that E9x owners complain about.

The point of the swap isn't max power. The s65 is a glorious NA motor trapped in a large heavy e9x. It only gets better in a smaller lighter car. E9x is actually quite robust. Rod bearings are not an issue once swapped - same as s54.

The fact that the steering is compromised is really the turn off. You do an s65 swap for character, feel and emotion - the steering should be an extension of that.

[GuidoK]

Z4 coupe might be the best chassis. Lighter and much stronger than the e46, especially the rear end. And lower center of gravity.
But that has space under the bonnet for the mighty s85 (which has been done numerous times as a swap)

[wdeerfield]

built for a shop so more than likely its a writeoff so the 50k price didnt matter much to them.

sounds good and the e46 chassis is a timeless design. if it brings the shop more business then it was worth every penny.

[PrimeBMW]

Fun build and nice little package. V-8 in a smaller and lighter car is ideal! The only reservations would be the cost and sacrifices made with the steering. The steering column should be okay (depending on design) for street use. I would be concerned if a car started using sticky tires and lots of track use (which I would).

[GuidoK]

Somehow if the steering got worse, there would be no point in putting a bmw badge on it.
To me steering is more a bmw trait than power. If you want power, you just as well buy an audi or so.

Maybe they'll improve on that.

[Patrón]

Originally Posted by ilikebmxbikes

S65 is actually lighter.

and as someone mentioned probably positioned in a more favorable way as well (v8 vs straight 6).


everyone wished that the gtr would have been produced, well, here it is. you can swap an ls or turbo the s54 but it's not the same.

[IS3andME]

Originally Posted by Paul-Bracq-BMW

Probably the closest thing from the mythical and elusive E46 M3 GTR!

Enjoy the video and sound!!

I am patiently waiting for the first S55 transplant into an E46 M3, or even the M2's engine.

[desertfox73]

Originally Posted by SupremePower1

I'm gonna go ahead and give an A for effort but an F on sound financial decision making.

I think that basically sums up virtually every mod.

[Flying Ace]

Originally Posted by Lorde

Exactly. And with the swap they did, they now have all of the S65's flaws that E9x owners complain about.

What are you talking about? The official BMW spokesman has said that he's not aware of any rod bearing issues:

[mirob]

Originally Posted by wdeerfield

built for a shop so more than likely its a writeoff so the 50k price didnt matter much to them.

sounds good and the e46 chassis is a timeless design. if it brings the shop more business then it was worth every penny.

The vehicle in the video is not a $50K build. He said that at $50K, it would be lower than what the first car cost because all the R&D and trial and error were performed on the first build. It would run one $50K, an S65 powertrain, an E46 M3 donor car, and 6-8 months now. There is no telling how much it cost, and how long it took, for the first car to be built. He did mention that they were incredibly patient during the process...

[MachinesWithSouls]

Originally Posted by Patrón

s65 doesn't weigh much more than the iron block s54.

Actually it weights less.

[Bimmerchop]

Originally Posted by SoManyBlueCars

Actually it weights less.

It's actually just the aluminum block from the S65 that weighs less when compared to the S54 cast iron block. Once everything else gets bolted on, it ends up weighing slightly more.

Cool build for sure... Shame about the steering though

[Scrippy]

Lame that I have to see a sunglasses or watch commercial to see his takes! I get that you have to pay the bills but keep it to 20 seconds bro.

[Mingwan]

Swap is redundant. Especially if the goal was to put the S65 into a lighter chassis. The E9x M3 is only about 200-300lbs heavier than the E46 M3. That amount of weight is removable on the E9x M3 without stripping it down to a bare bones. What makes the swap even more redundant is that swapping the motors apparently messed with the steering on the E46.

So basically, they have an E46 M3 that no longer has the original steering feel. The car gained about 100hp, but the motor is now in a car that has an even more outdated interior. All for the price of an: E46 M3, S65 engine, and an additional 50k for the next buyer. And the wait time would only be about 6-8 months.

Damn, that's a good deal.

[Brake_Late]

Originally Posted by Paul-Bracq-BMW

Probably the closest thing from the mythical and elusive E46 M3 GTR!

Enjoy the video and sound!!

#Beastmode

[Lorde]

Originally Posted by Flying Ace

What are you talking about? The official BMW spokesman has said that he's not aware of any rod bearing issues:

My man!

[Obioban]

Originally Posted by TheBingoBalls

Doesn't this completely mess up the chassis in terms weight distribution?

Originally Posted by ilikebmxbikes

S65 is actually lighter.

Originally Posted by 03BeastCharmer

I actually thought it weighted slightly less than the S54. But no, it wouldn't mess up the handling characterics with that engine swap.

The S54 short block (no heads/cams/vanos/etc-- just the bottom end) is heavier than the s65 short block. The s54 long block (fully assembled engine) is 30 lbs lighter than the s65 long block.

BMW was very misleading in their advertising, claiming the s65 engine was lighter. Technically correct, if by engine they meant just the block, but doesn't really paint an accurate picture (full engine weight).

But, 30 lbs isn't a ton and the s65 is shorter by two cylinders, so my guess is that weight distro wasn't significantly changed.

Originally Posted by 03BeastCharmer

Always thought this would be a great swap for the E46. Easier swap than the S62 from the E39 M5.

S62 is far easier-- the electronics, including the stock ecu, are plug and play with the e46 chassis. Electronics are what make BMW engine swaps tricky.

[Eagle1oh7]

M3Dragon on here is working on a GTR as well. Not sure if he finished it.

[Cbozz]

honestly this is a great build, but with bugs here and there and costing total within $75K area I think buying a used e92 and e90 m3s would be a much better choice for a daily driving purposes!

[3M TAPE]

I would choose E46's handling characteristic over S65. S54 is already a great setup for this chassis, why mess up the steering rack?
I hoesntly don't see the point in this build, waste of money and time (6 months? No thx).
Not to mention, MPG really sucks on S65s.

[greekcs]

I give him credit but the 6 month build time and so many unknowns in terms of reliability would put me off to something like this. The S54 is already an amazing engine when properly maintained.