330Ci, M3 beater can it be done?
Discussion
jasongtr said:
just buy an M3
I agree - the money spent doing all the upgrades will make it comparable to just going and buying an M3 anyhow.Aside from this, you still 'only' have a 330Ci, and you'll never get the full experience of an M car.
Also, insurance would be an interesting one too - probably comparable again to an M3.
If you want the comfort and 'style' of a 330Ci, but without the 'racer' look of a M3 - just go buy an Alpina.
I've never understood this idea of making your 'not quite' version of a car into one: If you can't afford it, no probs - you've still a nice car. Just wait a bit and save?
car.chic said:
Can you make a 330Ci an M3 beater?
So how much would it cost to
Supercharge it?
Remap it?
Upgrade the brakes?
Upgrade the suspension?
and most importantely would it beat an M3?
On a track of course.........get some driving tuition and a 330 will be as quick as an M3 driven by a crap driver.....So how much would it cost to
Supercharge it?
Remap it?
Upgrade the brakes?
Upgrade the suspension?
and most importantely would it beat an M3?
neil_bolton said:
jasongtr said:
just buy an M3
I agree - the money spent doing all the upgrades will make it comparable to just going and buying an M3 anyhow.Aside from this, you still 'only' have a 330Ci, and you'll never get the full experience of an M car.
Also, insurance would be an interesting one too - probably comparable again to an M3.
If you want the comfort and 'style' of a 330Ci, but without the 'racer' look of a M3 - just go buy an Alpina.
I've never understood this idea of making your 'not quite' version of a car into one: If you can't afford it, no probs - you've still a nice car. Just wait a bit and save?
Had a drive in an M3 infact very nearly brought one!! Main reason I didn't bother was my 330 is such a fantastic spec. the right colour combination IMHO and there were just a few more things I prefer on my 330, insurance was a stupid amount too for an M3 but had the car been exactely what i wanted i would have been willing to pay, the only major thing I loved in the M3 over my 330 was the sound and the difference in performance.
I don't particually like the image the M3 has got either and I do like an auto 'box on a modern car with a decent sized engine, so maybe Alpina is the route to go? Another idea at the moment (won't be able to afford until next year) is keeping my 330 and buying a Chim as well!
car.chic said:
neil_bolton said:
jasongtr said:
just buy an M3
I agree - the money spent doing all the upgrades will make it comparable to just going and buying an M3 anyhow.Aside from this, you still 'only' have a 330Ci, and you'll never get the full experience of an M car.
Also, insurance would be an interesting one too - probably comparable again to an M3.
If you want the comfort and 'style' of a 330Ci, but without the 'racer' look of a M3 - just go buy an Alpina.
I've never understood this idea of making your 'not quite' version of a car into one: If you can't afford it, no probs - you've still a nice car. Just wait a bit and save?
Had a drive in an M3 infact very nearly brought one!! Main reason I didn't bother was my 330 is such a fantastic spec. the right colour combination IMHO and there were just a few more things I prefer on my 330, insurance was a stupid amount too for an M3 but had the car been exactely what i wanted i would have been willing to pay, the only major thing I loved in the M3 over my 330 was the sound and the difference in performance.
I don't particually like the image the M3 has got either and I do like an auto 'box on a modern car with a decent sized engine, so maybe Alpina is the route to go? Another idea at the moment (won't be able to afford until next year) is keeping my 330 and buying a Chim as well!
As much as the M3 is cheap, fast and easily accessible, I already have a very fast, comfortable and cheap to run car that is in my desired exterior and interior colour combo
For your OP, its doable, but pointless
car.chic said:
so maybe Alpina is the route to go?
Completely different kettle of sea-dwelling creatures... In practice they'll hold their own in a drag race with an M3.However, the softer Alpina isn't capable of keeping with an M3 on an A-Road. Similarly, an M3 won't return 35mpg and happily spend all day stuck in central London traffic.
Birds/Hartge do a supercharger kit for the 330 - saw their development mule make 295bhp corrected at the weekend. That'll easily keep with an M3 - given that my B3 made 270 corrected about ten minutes later (down due to shagged Torque convertor) and that keeps with M3s.
To consider - £12,000 spent on an E46 Alpina B3 is a better investment than tuning the proverbial out of a 330 to bring it up to M3/B3 performance.
Oh, and the 5HP19 torque convertor fitted to the 328/330 autobox isn't up to the job of circa 300bhp outputs. The B3 has an Alpina-spec item, and even they don't last that long (as I've discovered)
Edited by Dunk76 on Sunday 9th September 22:01
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