Making my M3 FASTER?

I have a 2005 M3 SMG and love it!
Money is low to spend on it (aprox. $2000.00). But wish to make it faster and keep my warranty happy.

1) What mods are there for an 05 M3 SMG?

2) Whats the best Cold Air intake?

3) Is a new exhaust an Option?

BEST mod for that car, is get some GOOD driver training.

Jim Russell, Derek Daly, Bondurant, Skip Barber, Roos Racing, etc. Or BMW Performance Center 1 or 2 day Car Control, or M School.

You will get more out of the car by tuning the driver than you can get by hardware mods.

Unfortunately, a CAI will only give you a ridiculous ricer sound, and most probably you will not feel the difference at all...I agree that the car is some what slow.. and you get easily comfortable with the power in no time..But the car is fun to drive..hense "The Ultimate Driving Machine". I say BMW got real close to that with the E46 M..
Regardless, you can only waste so much money on bolt-ons before you blow the motor up.. And really, the best, easiest, and cheaper way to go about making it faster, would be to rip out everything you just spent a pretty $ on...I.E. nice leather seats, crappy flat tire kit in the trunk, radio, hood and trunk(replaced with CF), carpet, console, armrest..etc...

I agree with Pinecone..get it out on the track...You'll like it even more..

Originally Posted by dawgbone

I agree that the car is some what slow..

Spend more time in a sub 200HP car!

Originally Posted by dawgbone

.. and you get easily comfortable with the power in no time.

I think that's the reason we see so many M3s (the e36 and e46 variety) wadded up. You can't get 'comfortable' with high HP cars.

Anyone who thinks that the e46 M3 is a little slow is down right crazy. Think back to when 200 hp was a high as it came, the good old days, wish I'd seen 'em. Drivers school would be the best bet, that and a manual.


Paul

Well, I can see the 'slow' point of view if all one is doing is driving in a straight line... whoohoo!

Add the element of turns, and yeah, the M3 becomes quite a capable car and yes, excelling at driving schools is the only way to learn to make that car come alive. Everyone else who looks at 0-60 times for that car is simply kidding themselves.

Originally Posted by TeenerPaul

Anyone who thinks that the e46 M3 is a little slow is down right crazy. Think back to when 200 hp was a high as it came, the good old days, wish I'd seen 'em. Drivers school would be the best bet, that and a manual.


Paul

It is slow. Getting wasted at the track by 'vettes, Turbos, and Ferraris is frustrating. I get held up in the corners and then wasted in the passing zones. No good.

Originally Posted by SergioK

Spend more time in a sub 200HP car!

Rather not..

Originally Posted by SergioK

I think that's the reason we see so many M3s (the e36 and e46 variety) wadded up. You can't get 'comfortable' with high HP cars.

We're only talking about 333 at the crank..And then add the weight..Come rear wheel...there really isn't that much to work with..Fact is, is that the car lacks the TQ to haul it's heavy ass around...And why you're seeing people "wadding up" these cars, is because of the lack of knowledge and respect of high speed driving, not because of the HP..Not to mention that they're doing it on streets and not on a more practicle place..I.E. the nearest track..

As for the "comfortable" statement...It's the car that does that..It makes handling the whole 333 very predictable, and very easy to recover when things get a little out of shape through corners...

Originally Posted by dawgbone

We're only talking about 333 at the crank..

Um... yeah... only 333.

If 'only' is to an M3 with it's 333hp, then 'ok' is to what... a 400hp car? That would make, 'better than ok'... a 500hp car? Get real. People who 'need' such high HP cars should, like I said, spend more time in a sub 200hp car. Who's sig said, "If you can't go fast with 90hp, 900 isn't going to do you any good"?

Originally Posted by dawgbone

Unfortunately, a CAI will only give you a ridiculous ricer sound,

wrong.

Originally Posted by dawgbone

and most probably you will not feel the difference at all...I agree that the car is some what slow.. and you get easily comfortable with the power in no time..

right. wrong. wrong.

Originally Posted by dawgbone

Regardless, you can only waste so much money on bolt-ons before you blow the motor up..

wrong.

Originally Posted by dawgbone

I agree with Pinecone..get it out on the track...You'll like it even more..

right.

2 outa 6 aint bad if your a baseball player

Originally Posted by JBM3

wrong.



right. wrong. wrong.



wrong.


right.

2 outa 6 aint bad if your a baseball player

let's see some REPEATABLE numbers, like time slips, multi pull dyno runs before and after on th SAME dyno.

Speaking of making an M3 faster (lighter), can anyone comment on the feasibility of removing the rollover bar from an M3 convertible? This is assuming, of course, that I'll never need it.

Originally Posted by Pinecone

BEST mod for that car, is get some GOOD driver training.

Jim Russell, Derek Daly, Bondurant, Skip Barber, Roos Racing, etc. Or BMW Performance Center 1 or 2 day Car Control, or M School.

You will get more out of the car by tuning the driver than you can get by hardware mods.

Heartily agree!

Originally Posted by Bavarian46

I have a 2005 M3 SMG and love it!
Money is low to spend on it (aprox. $2000.00). But wish to make it faster and keep my warranty happy.

add as much lightness as you can