Howdy folks! Terry from Vorshlag here. Just wanted to make a quick post about some big changes to our shop’s race car lineup that are in store for 2026, and the reasons for all of this.
We had a great year testing new products and Amy had fun competing in SCCA Time Attack in our 1995 M3 Project #Hellrotten, where we transformed this ratty barn find into a pretty solid track weapon. It started out not-running in 2024, and we repaired rat eaten wires, got the S50 fired up, added this Fitment Labs widebody, 18×11″ wheels, 315mm Yokohama A052 tires, Nine Lives Racing wing, and a custom Vorshlag splitter and other aero treatments. The MCS remote reservoir doubles (RR2) plus the entire catalog of Vorshlag suspension bits – along with the original S50 3.0L inline 6 controlled by Link ECU, and a custom exhaust / header – allowed Amy to take the Texas region championship in Max5 class for the 2025 season with 6 wins and 2 second places.
We didn’t make it to the 2025 Time Attack National Championships at PITT Race this year, for a variety of reasons. My S550 Mustang was still having teething pains, but also : this M3 was 500 pounds overweight for Max5 class, which is a real determent to any entry’s competitiveness. It does have what is considered a solid 3.0L engine for this class (the largest displacement allowed), but even cranking out 246 whp, it was not enough to make up for a 500 pound penalty. As we considered how to rectify this for the 2026 season, two things happened that changed the course of this car’s future – as well as my bank account.
First up – Amy decided to go back to her 2013 FRS for the 2026 season, which we were already swapping to Honda J37 V6 power. This lighter car also sports 315mm tires, MCS RR2 coilovers, and with 300-350 whp it should be a bit spicy in Max4 class with full aero and Link ECU power. That leaves the M3 without a driver…
And then SCCA dropped a nuclear b0mb on us – after it was announced that PITT Race was being sold to for AI garbage uses, the 2026 SCCA Time Attack Nationals (and Grassroots Motorsports’ Ultimate Track Car Challenge) was moved to Eagles Canyon Raceway, which is right in our back yard. We have driven at ECR since it opened in 2008, I have made 1000+ laps and set dozens of class track records here, and that “home court advantage” was a HUGE motivator to do something radical with the M3 to make it more competitive for 2026. I started hitting eBay looking at a really bad idea…
Within 2 days I went out half cocked and bought the cheapest 4.0L 32 valve BMW “S65” V8 on eBay, then looked into what it would take to swap this plus the 7 speed DCT (dual clutch sequential) into an E36. Yes, it is foolish “to buy first and research later”, but if any shop is capable of V8 swapping a BMW with something new, maybe it is Vorshlag? We have swapped and sold kits to swap hundreds of GM LS V8s into the E36 chassis, plus 8 other chassis, going back 25 years, How hard could it be?
Luckily the folks at EPIC Motorsports heard about this idea and they DO have the knowledge to make the E92 M3’s V8 engine and DCT transmission to work as a stand-alone for a swap, but for the mechanical integration to the E36 chassis, we’re on our own. But I’ve got a great crew here, and we’re up for the challenge. Make headers, engine mounts, crossmember, driveshaft and more? That’s all in our wheelhouse.
So many folks were SHOCKED when they heard we were actually swapping a BMW V8 into a BMW, and a few shops have already reached out to help make it happen. BimmerWorld gave us their S65 dip stick kit (this engine only has a sensor to detect oil level), then the folks at Emporium are working with us to get proper S65 valve covers + VANOS bits, then AAF got us their wet sump baffle kit. We still have a lot of spending ahead, but I’m not afraid to fire the Money Gun to get this solved!
We have been learning quickly about the S65’s known issues, and this oil pan baffle was a pretty sizable chore to install. We’re already getting this used engine cleaned up and reliable, and even swapped in aftermarket rod bearings – a known issue on this 8400 rpm engine. We’ll get it sealed up next week and start the actual swap by pulling the 3.0L S50 engine, header, exhaust, Link ECU, cold air, 5-speed transmission and RTD shifter – all to be sold as a package, to help pay for (a small part) of this crazy S65 swap.
Of course we signed up for the GRM “UTCC” event – which has been held on the same weekend / track as SCCA Time Attack Nationals for years. In fact we were the 6th car to enter and be accepted. To make the car more competitive for Nationals and UTCC, we’ve been firing the money gun and have lightweight Konig Hypergram 18×12″ wheels coming (to replace the heavy 18×11’s), new MOMO Daytona EVO (halo style) composite seats, and many more items to make the car lighter, faster, easier to drive – or some combination of those three things.
As if an SCCA Time Attack Nationals and UTCC at ECR weren’t enough of a incentive, I got roped into a mini-challenge with 3 other driver’s who write for car magazines and blogs. The list so far includes a couple of two ton BMW F87s with lots of boost, as well as an LS swapped 350Z race car – the gauntlet was thrown, and I accepted the challenge! We all agreed upon a limit of only using 200 TW tires, but that’s it. Will a 414 hp E36 M3 with some aero and 315mm tires be enough to keep up with 3 other hot shoes?
Yes – I plan to beat these 3 guys so badly they are going to QUIT the sport! 😉 I don’t care what we have to do, we’re going to get this car down to the Max4 class minimum weight (and then some, so we can add ballast back for Max4 and take it OUT for this UTCC challenge!) It might be foolish, but this writer’s challenge fired me up – something my dreadful 2025 season had almost extinguished. This fire is LIT boys and girls, and I’m going to run as many events and laps at ECR that I can possibly shove into the next 10 months. Chase every pound, wring out every horsepower, and squeeze out every ounce of grip.
If you are keeping up, yes – the E36 M3 with the 4.0L V8 now moves up to Max4 class, with a 3000 pound minimum weight with driver (which will be easy to hit). Amy’s 2013 FRS with the 3.7L V6 has a 2700 pound min weight with driver, using a different formula also in Max4. So now we’re building two cars for the same class, husband vs wife, racing heads up all season?! This will be a fair fight, as the J37 could crack 330-350 whp with the right intake, exhaust and tuning. Same tires, same dampers, same aero, different weights – it could be a solid battle all season. She’s got a ton of wins and track records in her own right, plus several SCCA Solo National Championships, so this could be a very tricky season for me in the E36 M3.
Stay tuned to see how it all goes! – Terry Fair @ Vorshlag