#04 e46 m3 specs full
Winter arrived with full fury in January 2002, and it quickly became clear that the OEM Michelin Pilot Sport tires, which generated terrific grip on dry and wet pavement, were no match for the fluffy white stuff. The comfort-over-speed crowd never cottoned to the M3's hard ride, high-rpm gearing, and elevated powertrain and tire-noise levels. The hard-core enthusiasts loved the blend of sports-car performance and responsiveness coupled with sedan practicality. Opinions about the car quickly bifurcated into two camps. Our blue beauty rolled up the miles rapidly, both on long trips and around Ann Arbor. Our M3 suffered no obvious ill effects from this crankcase malnourishment, but we strongly recommend that owners stick to the specified Castrol oil as there have been cases reported of M3 engine failure linked to using the wrong oil. In one case, the only oil we could find in the wilds of Indiana was Valvoline nonsynthetic 10W-40. We didn't have this special elixir on hand for the first few of the 14 quarts of lubricant the M3 consumed between its oil changes during our 40,000-mile test. Either way, however, you would be wise to keep handy a supply of the special oil BMW specifies for the M3-Castrol TWS Motorsport or Formula RS 10W-60 synthetic-because it can only be found at BMW dealers at $9 per. Whereas we don't mind popping the hood and gazing at the lovely engine while checking the level on the dipstick, it's just as easy to wait for the low-oil light to come on when the crankcase is down a little more than a quart. Our car consumed its first quart in less than 1900 miles, and by its first oil change at 12,500 miles-a service interval determined by the onboard maintenance system-this ultimate driving machine had used three more quarts.
#04 e46 m3 specs driver
The casual driver will also be shocked by the M3's appetite for motor oil.
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You would also be wise to mind the M3's trick tachometer, which progressively increases the redline as the engine warms up. This car will teach you to adopt the sensible habit of fastening your seatbelt, installing your radar detector, and tuning your radio station after starting your engine, thereby giving it time to warm up. And often when it managed to run on the first attempt, it spit and bucked for several seconds before settling down. The highly tuned six sometimes stalled at the first starting attempt. For one thing, the M3 has the most cold-blooded engine we've encountered in quite some time. Not bad for a car that can hold four adults and a decent load of luggage.Īlong with that performance, however, are a number of characteristics that do not endear the M3 to your average drive-and-forget consumer.
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The electric-blue M3 also showed great grip, managing 0.87 g on the skidpad and stopping from 70 mph in 161 feet. With 1940 miles on it, we took the M3 to the test track and measured a 0-to-60 time of 4.5 seconds and a standing quarter-mile of 13.1 seconds at 107 mph.
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Our M3 arrived in July 2001 and quickly captivated the hotshoes in the office with its amazing acceleration and sure-footed handling. The total came to $53,309, which included the now-discontinued luxury tax and was more than $14,000 above the cost of our 1994 M3, but perhaps not unreasonable for the additional 93 horsepower and eight years of inflation. We ordered a 2001 Laguna Seca Blue M3 two-door equipped with the Cold Weather ($700) and Luxury ($3100) packages, as well as adjustable-width seats ($500), xenon headlights ($500), a CD player ($200), and a Harman/Kardon sound system ($675). Would this engine, which produces 102.6 horsepower per liter, survive everyday use? Your humble servants on Hogback Road resolved to find out. This most exotic version of BMW's in-line six displaced 3246cc and revved to 8000 rpm, developing a peak of 333 horsepower-enough to slice a second from the old M3's 0-to-60 and quarter-mile times.
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Then came the next-generation M3 in early 2001 with its hot-blooded Euro motor.