1998 BMW 328i
Today, BMW has its 400hp M3 V8, Audi summons a 420hp RS4 and Mercedes boasts a 475hp C63 AMG. But do these cars have the power, looks and authority to be king of the street?
Compared to other stock cars in their class, perhaps. But paired against George Lioudis' '98 BMW 328i on the streets of New York City, it's game over.
To many people, the mature styling of the E36 produced between '91-99 gives George's Bimmer more charisma, something new cars frequently lack. In addition, George has applied a myriad of his own upgrades to reinforce the posture.
Although the project didn't start until '05, this BMW has remained in the Lioudis family since new. The 328i was original his wife's car, but he accepted ownership after he parted ways with a modified Audi S4.
Supercharged M3
From the factory, a '98 328i came equipped with a torquey 2.8 liter six-cylinder 24v. Rated at 190hp and 207 lb-ft, the M52 motor had enough muscle to overtake cars on the freeway. This was good enough for George's wife, but wasn't nearly enough for him.
During the four years of the build, the now 32 year-old developed a close relationship with Active Autowerke in Miami, FL. "I wasn't originally going to do anything to the motor, but I started reading about Active's twin-screw blower," George told us. "Off the line, you feel the power. A twin-screw gives more positive power than a turbo. It was also new on the market and different from what every other 3-Series owner had."
The twin-screw operates by pulling air through a pair of meshing screws. As the screws rotate, the airflow is pulled from the intake side to the exhaust side. In the process, it's pressurized and is forced into the combustion chambers. Active installed its Rotrex C38-71 trim-charger which gave the motor 8psi of boost. While fitting the blower, the automatic gearbox was tossed for an M3's five-speed manual.
Once all the hardware was installed, including M3 cams, headers, track pipe and exhaust, George's 328i made approximately 350hp on the dyno. It was enough power to slip past an E46 M3, but this still wasn't enough juice for George. "I really wanted more power! After driving the car in New York, I shipped it back to Active for an upgrade."
Active uses a Rotrex blower...
Active uses a Rotrex blower which enables power across the entire RPM range
The year was now '07, and the guys at Active dismantled the blown 2.8. George had mapped a plan to use a 3.2 liter S52 motor from the E36 M3 and re-apply the twin-screw technology to it. Already rated at 240hp, the M3 motor would give more power across the rev range.
After the motor swap, the same Rotrex supercharger went back into the engine bay, along with alcohol and water injection to allow a more aggressive tune. A Zionsville cooling kit and European oil cooler conversion also found their way into the bay to prevent future heating issues.
An intercooler behind the front bumper helped keep the intake temps lower, and a stronger clutch with lightened flywheel ensured power was delivered to the rear wheels.
For that extra push, Schrick 262/256? cams gave George more top-end power and a higher rev ceiling.
Active finally installed a metal head gasket and reprogrammed the ECU for the 11psi boost pressure.
When all was said and done, the revamped 3-Series measured 491hp and 460 lb-ft still with the stock internals. According to Karl Hugh at Active, "George's car feels like a V8! It's really fast and capable of 12sec quarters!"
 Four-point rollcage dipped...  Four-point rollcage dipped in black chrome surround the Vader seats which were fitted with carbon backings |  27" motorized LCD pops out...  27" motorized LCD pops out of the shock towers while three 10" monitors decorate the trunk lid | |
To optimize the new parts, George had a friend build a 3.23:1 differential with 40% locking. An Active bracket guaranteed the diff won't need an overhaul years down the line by keeping it rigidly in place.
Improving the chassis was equally important to the newfound power, so George replaced almost everything to M3 spec. The rear spindles were changed to M3 in order to accommodate the 13.6" Brembo rear brakes. The fronts were upgraded with M3 parts and a rare 15" six-piston brake kit that was briefly offered by Brembo.