Cold Starts - No power

Hi guys,
I'm looking for help as to why when I start the car I'm getting next to no power when the engine is cold. I know it wont perform properly when its cold but this feels seriously lacking, the problem being I'm an on call firefighter so sometimes the car needs driven hard at 3 in the morning when the engine is totally cold and cant be given time to warm up.

Its a 2001 316i, its petrol too so I didnt expect this sort of problem, on my last one (exact same car) I didnt encounter this.

Any help would be much appreciated,
cheers
Calum

Driving this car hard at cold temps is a great way to grenade the motor. If you must drive in the manner you describe you need to find an old pushrod engine without overhead cams. You are going to starve the top end for oil and BOOM!

Cheers lol but its worth wrecking a motor to save lives haha any suggestions on how i could improve the cold performance without buying a different car?

Don`t be stupid, take the advice you`re getting here to heart ! What good will you be sitting broken down on the side of the road while Rome`s burning ???
You need a more appropriate vehicle for your job....this AIN`T it !

what would you advise? an old escort haha top notch motors

engine block heater? if possible?

You need 0w synthetic oil if you are going to go at it that hard, that fast. The engine is still going to get chewed up faster than normal if you abuse it like that, though. Overhead Valve engines are better for drivers who insist on abusing their engine at low temperatures. BMW doesn't do that, however.

Do you have an automatic? They work by pushing the car along with hydraulic pressure, which isn't available in abundance when the fluid is thick and cold. A stick shift with the right fluid will perform much better much quicker than an automatic will.

Block heaters will make a difference if you have a stick, but it most likely won't heat up your transmission fluid sufficiently if you have an automatic. They do cost ~$2 a night in power, FYI.

aye its a manual man, thinkn the 0w oil sounds like a good plan, cheers think the throttle body needed cleaned as well coz it was stickin a bit bt didnt make a huge difference. Block heaters a good idea haha thanks for the help!