Piola tries to explain the...
Piola tries to explain the embarrassing wet patch on the driver's seat
The KW coilover suspension felt solid, and with so much grip, the steering feels razor sharp. At part-throttle, the engine felt almost stock. But give it some boost at around 3000rpm and the revs start to ramp up. After a couple of smooth, low RPM pulls in third gear, I finally got the nerve to keep my foot down. Come 5000rpm, hell breaks loose with a VBOX-registered 0.7G acceleration thrusting me into the seat (for reference, the same force as our 236whp Project M3 in first gear). Everybody in the car stops breathing, and not a moment later I'm hitting the 8000rpm rev limiter at 100mph.
Shifting into fourth gear, the pull is still phenomenal. I momentarily notice a flickering yellow light in front of me and think it's the check-engine light. Unbelievably, it's the traction control fighting to keep the 345mm-wide rubber from breaking loose! Exactly three seconds later we pass 130mph. In fourth gear, we still experienced more than 0.5G of acceleration (the same as Project M3 peaks in second). Yet today it's with three guys in the car, a full tank of fuel and at 4000ft of elevation. Truly amazing.
At the top of fourth gear, I nail the massive Brembo GT braking system. From 130mph we slow at -1.1G and come to a stop in just 7sec. I slowly regain my senses. This car is unreal.
After 20 or so pulls, the car continues to perform effortlessly. The only thing maybe not happy with the abuse is the cooling system, with the needle passing the center mark momentarily. But it comes back down within seconds of cruising.
While stage 4 power is breathtaking, the delivery is actually controllable thanks to the adjustable traction control and HPF's boost tuning, which is trimmed for vehicle speed. This ensures you don't have too much in the lower gears, causing a dangerous situation. That said, stage 4 is definitely streetable with the right clutch because you don't see the full 900whp until well into triple digits.
Stage 1 Experience
Oscar Trevizo of kautospa.com is the main distributor for the Azuka widebody kits seen here. While aesthetically similar, his '03 M3 painted Lamborghini grey is a different animal from Bergemann's. With a stage 1 turbo system, it sports a T67 turbo and stock compression. So at start-up, the engine sounds stock. And while the exterior looks similar to the stage 4 car, the interior gets a six-point rollcage and Status seats.
Driving this car is much easier, thanks to HPF's stage 1 Feramic clutch. While cruising, you can't tell the engine's modified. But when the throttle is pressed it took me by surprise how quick and hard the T67 hit. Second goes by fast but it's traction-controlled, otherwise I'd fry the tires. Pop it into third. Wow! It feels like an extra 100 lb-ft of torque just kicked in. I've got full use of Trevizo's 620whp, and this turboed S54 feels divine.
Azuka widebody allows generous...
Azuka widebody allows generous 345/30-19 rear tires to help control up to 900whp, although HPF programming ensures you don't get all the power in lower gears
Although it gets significantly louder on boost, the 3" exhaust in this car is much quieter than the 4" system.
After driving the two cars I pondered which of HPF's kits I'd choose if I had an E46 M3. And I while love the endless rush of stage 4, and the way we put football fields between us and other challengers, I'd need a widebody to make use of more than 600 lb-ft of torque.
The response and factory feel of stage 1 made a quite favorable impression on me. It's got awesome power and great response. And the stock compression means decent fuel economy as well. I'd want plentiful power on pump, a mild clutch, and a quiet exhaust system for a totally streetable package. In fact, HPF's 595whp stage 2 setup sounds perfect to me. And when I get it, I'll buy a big red cape to go with it!