So many moons ago I enquired about mods to do to my Z3 BMW after running a disappointing 15.3 secs quarter mile when I just got the car. This car was running well under spec as decent 3.0 Z3s are capable of high to mid 13s but a low 14 is no problem for an otherwise stock car.
After some diagnostics found 2 things wrong with my car. Airflowmeter was throwing an error and also vanos unit seized up on exhaust side. Thanks to Reynolds BMW in Retreat, I had both issues resolved for a very reasonable price.
Now my car was pulling 4 pipe M3s and 335s from the robots so needless to say I was very happy with the fix. But the bug bit and I wanted more!
You see, most races from the robots last all of 400 to 600 meters, which is all well and good. Except if you get onto any freeway or decent stretch of road, the little Z3's Achilles heal begins to surface.
Because these cars have a good power to weight ratio and the 3.0i engine puts out decent power and torque (170kW and 310Nm stock), they get off the line pretty darn convincing. A 4 pipe M3 would struggle to keep up from 0 to around 140km/h and a 350Z or S2000 would see a clean pair of tailpipes if they tried. The M3 would close at 140 and pull away there after. The 350Z around 160/180 and the S2000 would draw even right on top but cant pass.
I researched exhaust systems on the web and found one company that dyno tested their system. Supersprint. I printed their system specs and took it to a local fitter who insisted that bigger is better!
The first attempt at an exhaust system left my car wheezing for torque and was a huge disappointment! Whatever you do....DO NOT fit a dual 57mm system to a 3.0i or 330i motor! The performance was dead but the shop that did the job was quite ready to refund my money as I was not happy with the results.
So I took my car to Powerflo in Tokai. Here they fitted a dual 50mm exhaust with Lamba foolers (minicats if you will) 2 centre boxes and an X-pipe just before the new dual rear freeflow box. I eliminated 1 centre rear box in the process and immediately the car felt a lot more alive and much more eager.
This was a huge improvement over stock as the car gained so much in the sprint performance that the factory filter was ditched in place of a K&N oiled panel filter. This again, was a bad choice and the czr lost mid-range power. I then sourced a dry Simota blue filter, also panel. It can be oiled but left it dry and tried this instead. Throttle response was greatly improved and higher up the rev range the car felt stronger. I was pleasantly surprised when I came across the same 4 pipe M3s, 350Z, C55s, Honda S2000 and Boxtser S's. They were no competition for the now much improved Z. I would open up big gaps on all and sundry until 3rd and maintain for at least 1km before the bigger engine cars began to close. And close they did but took forever. Unfortunately, due to poor BMW quality standards, all that power play had bad effects on the rear diff mounts which eventually tore away from the boot floor. I had the boot floor reinforced and the diff cross member and bracket angel-ironed in place. That sorted the diff woes but then the bush packed up.
I also got the feeling that the rear was slightly out of square as a result as the tear and repair.
I have since sold the Z and replaced it was an older Supra Turbo which I'm slowly but surely modding up but I do have this to say about the Z3 3.0i in particular; You wont need an MCoupe with a Z3 3.0i and the right mods. The car is more than capable and the MCoupe requires you to rev its guts out to access its power. Yes the MCoupe would be faster in a straight line but not by much. I raced one before I did my mods and ran 3 cars behind him on a 1km. Then I raced one again after the mods were done and I left him for dead from the line and he only passed me in late 4th gear. The little Z has left me highly impressed and before I parted with her I was running alongside Porsche Carreras and Audi R8s right into 5th gear, at which point the bigger engines would walk away. But as an all out sprinter, there is no better value that a Z3 3.0i. If you can find them in good nick with FSH and no rear diff tears, you will spend less money and gain more performance that a S2000, 350Z, RX8 or M3 E46.
Not that I'm knocking any of these cars in any way, each have their strengths I'm sure. Just thought I'd share my experience with the forum!
After some diagnostics found 2 things wrong with my car. Airflowmeter was throwing an error and also vanos unit seized up on exhaust side. Thanks to Reynolds BMW in Retreat, I had both issues resolved for a very reasonable price.
Now my car was pulling 4 pipe M3s and 335s from the robots so needless to say I was very happy with the fix. But the bug bit and I wanted more!
You see, most races from the robots last all of 400 to 600 meters, which is all well and good. Except if you get onto any freeway or decent stretch of road, the little Z3's Achilles heal begins to surface.
Because these cars have a good power to weight ratio and the 3.0i engine puts out decent power and torque (170kW and 310Nm stock), they get off the line pretty darn convincing. A 4 pipe M3 would struggle to keep up from 0 to around 140km/h and a 350Z or S2000 would see a clean pair of tailpipes if they tried. The M3 would close at 140 and pull away there after. The 350Z around 160/180 and the S2000 would draw even right on top but cant pass.
I researched exhaust systems on the web and found one company that dyno tested their system. Supersprint. I printed their system specs and took it to a local fitter who insisted that bigger is better!
The first attempt at an exhaust system left my car wheezing for torque and was a huge disappointment! Whatever you do....DO NOT fit a dual 57mm system to a 3.0i or 330i motor! The performance was dead but the shop that did the job was quite ready to refund my money as I was not happy with the results.
So I took my car to Powerflo in Tokai. Here they fitted a dual 50mm exhaust with Lamba foolers (minicats if you will) 2 centre boxes and an X-pipe just before the new dual rear freeflow box. I eliminated 1 centre rear box in the process and immediately the car felt a lot more alive and much more eager.
This was a huge improvement over stock as the car gained so much in the sprint performance that the factory filter was ditched in place of a K&N oiled panel filter. This again, was a bad choice and the czr lost mid-range power. I then sourced a dry Simota blue filter, also panel. It can be oiled but left it dry and tried this instead. Throttle response was greatly improved and higher up the rev range the car felt stronger. I was pleasantly surprised when I came across the same 4 pipe M3s, 350Z, C55s, Honda S2000 and Boxtser S's. They were no competition for the now much improved Z. I would open up big gaps on all and sundry until 3rd and maintain for at least 1km before the bigger engine cars began to close. And close they did but took forever. Unfortunately, due to poor BMW quality standards, all that power play had bad effects on the rear diff mounts which eventually tore away from the boot floor. I had the boot floor reinforced and the diff cross member and bracket angel-ironed in place. That sorted the diff woes but then the bush packed up.
I also got the feeling that the rear was slightly out of square as a result as the tear and repair.
I have since sold the Z and replaced it was an older Supra Turbo which I'm slowly but surely modding up but I do have this to say about the Z3 3.0i in particular; You wont need an MCoupe with a Z3 3.0i and the right mods. The car is more than capable and the MCoupe requires you to rev its guts out to access its power. Yes the MCoupe would be faster in a straight line but not by much. I raced one before I did my mods and ran 3 cars behind him on a 1km. Then I raced one again after the mods were done and I left him for dead from the line and he only passed me in late 4th gear. The little Z has left me highly impressed and before I parted with her I was running alongside Porsche Carreras and Audi R8s right into 5th gear, at which point the bigger engines would walk away. But as an all out sprinter, there is no better value that a Z3 3.0i. If you can find them in good nick with FSH and no rear diff tears, you will spend less money and gain more performance that a S2000, 350Z, RX8 or M3 E46.
Not that I'm knocking any of these cars in any way, each have their strengths I'm sure. Just thought I'd share my experience with the forum!