We have been working on our BMW S65 V8 swapped BMW E46 M3 GTR, using a $100 E46 coupe chassis we caged and left in storage back in 2019. Loads of carbon fiber and composite bodywork have come together to make a lightweight Time Attack car we are building around SCCA Max4 class – or maybe Max2! That is one of the many discussions in the latest build thread update.
In this update we cover all of the bodywork being fitted, including Flossmann front fenders, skirts, nose, and rear bumper cover; rear Fitment Lab over fenders; a carbon roof; and some changes to the carbon hood. This is all being built around an 18×12″ wheel and 315mm tire for 200TW competition.
The Forum Update covers loads of tasks tackled under the hood including a unique front fed cold air intake, radiator fans and dual oil coolers, lots of ducting, plumbing and much more. Interested in tube bumpers and tie-down hooks? We cover that. Want to know more about crankcase venting and catch cans? That is in here. Too many details to list – but you might see something in this update that inspires your race car build? That’s our goal!
After rounding up some parts for an AP Brake front system we put that on pause to instead purchase and install this 355 x 32mm Brembo brake system instead. This move enlarged the brakes and saved a lot of time making custom mounts and hoses. And time is not on our side, as the Oct 22nd SCCA Time Attack Nationals is fast upon us!
The fuel system is fully finished on our car now, with a stock E46 tank modified to have two lift pumps feeding a Radium remote surge tank. In the Forum Update we show the “what, where and how”. Above you might notices some shiny red upper control arms, which we got from France and solve some clearance issues. Up front a poly LCA bushing is replace with spherical, too. The Mk60e5 ABS from an E92 M3 is also added and the braking system replumbed. We create a low cost carbon filter for fuel tank venting, too! The E46 M3’s 2-piece driveshaft was also fitted to the E92 M3’s factory Getrag DCT 7 speed transmission with a custom guibo adapter we machined.
There is a lot of tasks completed inside the cabin including a fire suppression system + hand held bottle, NOCO 5 pound battery is mounted, and a lightweight cool suit cooler bracket is built in place of a passenger seat. Speaking of seat mounting, we build a new E46 Vorshlag “seat bracket base” which is going into production soon. We also cover the 12 wire cable that is wired to the steering wheel – which controls the flappy paddle shifters and several buttons.
The rear Lexan window is modified for our “flying C-pillar” swan necked wing mounts to pass thru, which works out well for our high mounted AJ Hartman carbon wing. As you will see at the bottom of the 5-part Forum Thread Update the Vorshlag team is very close to “fire fire”, where we load up systems with fluids, load up a modified tune to the E92 M3’s DME, and fire up the 4.0L V8 for the first time. Stay tuned for more, and thanks for reading!