The Beginning
The E46 M3. The third generation of M3 created by the BMW Motorsports Division, was first identified on the cover of issue 024 of Evo magazine. This magazine expressed this car as BMW’s soon to be most celebrated model. Written on the cover, “Why this will be the best driver’s car BMW has ever built.” Contrary to speculations at the time, the E46 lived up to all of the build up. Known for its well sized figure, good sized engine- with the right amount of power-, and the agressive, yet suble looks.
Despite that, there was a handful of attributes on the E46 that were not satisfactory. For example, the cockpit was known for its out of the ordinary raised driving positon, an oversized and squishy steering wheel, and an uncoordinated throttle programming in sport mode. Nonetheless, the E46 was still classified as a top tier sports car. In 2001, the E46 was placed second place to the Pagani Zonda C12‑S, which to many was still considered a huge win for BMW.
Under the Hood
Under the hood of the E46 M3, sits a naturally aspirated inline-six cylinder S54, outputting 333 horsepower and 262 ft-lbs of torque. The S54 revs up to 8000 RPM’s, releasing a sharp and metalic exhaust note. This engine also comes standard with BMW’s variable valve timing system (VANOS), present on both the intake and exhaust camshafts, improving power delivery and efficiency. These unique characterstics, classify the S54 as one of the finest naturally aspirated BMW engines in BMW’s M division.
What is Dinan?
Dinan is a well-known American aftermarket preformance company, specializing in preformance parts for BMW and Mini. Dinan was founded in 1979 by Steve Dinan, headquartered in Opelika, AL. Their services range to all spectrums of preformance in automobiles, Dinan manufactures aftermarket engine tuning software, intake systems, exhaust systems, suspension upgrades, refined brakes, as well as enhanced cooling systems.
With such, Dinan is also known for their signature vehicles. This Dinan S2-M3 is a prominant example. Essentially, Dinan will heavily modify a stock BMW with all of their preformance enhancing parts. In this instance, three years following the release of the E46 M3, Dinan began producing their signature S2-M3’s. On top of the MSRP for an M3, this specialty package would cost approximently $17,798. This included all of the preformance upgrades as well as an additional warranty from Dinan.
Are these “Specialty Vehicles” Worth it?
On paper, the steep $17,798 you are paying, on top of your $48,195 M3, may be hard to render as a smart investment. However, the rigorous standards of a Dinan built vehicle is well worth the money. In this example, the Dinan S2-M3, their advances on the platform are as follows.
Dinan’s only engine modifications consist of bored out throttle bodies, an airbox, an airflow meter, and a muffler. This is due to the rigorous preformance tuning that comes standard from BMW. Nonetheless, Dinan still made some tweaks to the intake and exhaust-valve timing, spark timing, fuel flow, and throttles. As well as adapting those engine parameters to the new parts. These sychronized adjustments increased the maximum RPM’s to 8200, removed the speed limiter, and increased the power output to 361 horsepower.
However, the improvments of the engine output are no match for Dinan’s suspension adjustments. The S2-M3 includes new 12-position adjustable shocks and anti-roll bars, stiffer springs, front camber plates, front and rear strut-tower braces, and larger wheels and tires. These additions extremely improve the handling of the M3, allowing it to rip through corners with seemingly limitless grip.
