You could easily call the E30 M3 the founder of the ‘sports-friendly family car’ genre. Coming out in 1986 with a potent 2.3-liter I4 rated at 192 hp (142 kW) under the hood, it became an instant hit. But as time went by, even that engine started to feel a little bit dated.
The owner of this BMW E30 M3 dealt with the issue stated above in quite a radical way, swapping the mill for the S54B32-S54 inline-six of the E46. The latter mill sports dual overhead distribution shafts, a dual VANOS system, and 343 hp (256 kW) at the output end. As you can see, its larger overall dimensions still allowed it to fit nicely under the hood of the E30.
Further project highlights include BBS wheels, sports-grade suspension springs, a couple Dinan & Co. parts, and a tweaked version of the stock manual gearbox.