The E46 BMW 3-Series was a great car, which is why we've dedicated an issue to it. It combined poise and sophistication; yet deep down it was a thug - a gorilla in a tuxedo, perhaps?
I remember my first experience in an E46 M3. I'd borrowed it from my boss and opened it up at the first opportunity. Good lord, it was fast. And that noise; it was riotous, mechanical. It almost sounded tortured, and the 8000-plus rpm rev limit added to the feeling you were going to blow it apart. And while some early M3s did suffer engine problems, these were put behind it as the M3, and the legendary M3 CSL, rose to notoriety.
However, my best E46 experiences weren't at the wheel of the M3. Instead, I had a blast driving the European 330d. This 200hp turbo-diesel had almost 300 lb-ft and sounded like a V6 when you revved it. The 330d could hit 0-60mph in 7.4sec and returned 25mpg if you drove it hard, surprising just about everybody who drove one. In fact, passengers never realized it was a diesel unless you told them. It paved the way for the new E90 335d that's about to hit these shores.
Even more memorable was our 330i project car we built with Turner Motorsport (et 6/05). I'd always loved the stock 330i's grown-up exterior that disguised its hard-pulling 3.0 motor. But when we let TMS loose on the sedan, they created a monster.
We decided to leave the exterior bone-stock apart from a set of 19" BBS LMs. However, Turner wouldn't let us run a staggered offset. They claimed it was a bandaid for poor suspension set up, but by using the right components they'd negate the need for it.
Armed with H&R coilovers, uprated bushings, camber plates, adjustable rear trailing arms, reinforced suspension mounts and Michelin PS2 tires, they set about recreating one of their championship-winning Grand Am race cars. They even pulled a limited-slip diff out of their racer and bolted it to our road car.
Admittedly the ride was bone-jarring on freeways, but aim it at a series of turns and there was nothing that could live with us. We'd often see other road users understeering off the road in front or behind us as they tried to keep pace on freeway ramps or twisty turns.
The car didn't look like it should be fast, and with only minor engine mods (Schrick cams, TMS software, Conforti intake, Supersprint headers and exhaust plus TMS pulleys) it made 256hp and 249 lb-ft. This wasn't enough to leave an M3 in a straight line, but nothing lived with us in the bends.
While living in the UK, I also had a 318ci for several years. With a 140hp 2.0 motor, it couldn't get itself into trouble. We fitted 19x10s on the rear with fat 265/30 tires and they never once let go. We had far more grip than speed but, as with the project 330i, we could maintain incredible momentum through turns, keeping our average speed high and embarrassing far more powerful cars. At the end of the day, it looked good, drove well and was tax-friendly - an important consideration when choosing a car in the UK.
Enough of my reminiscing. The E46 was and remains a great car in all its guises. If you didn't have the most powerful version, the chassis would more than make up for it. It remains a great choice today as a tuner car with versatile appeal. So if you're thinking about a new project, don't overlook the E46 models, especially now they're coming down in price.
For regular readers, this issue represents our tenth birthday. We have a brief trip down memory lane for those who can remember. Anybody who's new to the mag will get a better idea of how we got to this moment in time. And here's to another ten, hopefully!
Finally, we want to bid farewell to Kristen Natividad. Our Copy Editor wasn't with us for long and we're already missing her editing skills. Good luck wherever she finds herself. I was looking forward to seeing whether she was shorter than our new designer, Taylor Le. I don't think there would have been much in it. So welcome Taylor, you're now the shortstop!
As always, if you have any comments, want to share stories, ask us questions, make requests or send us some inappropriate photos, use the email address below.