A reminder of how race cars are more animal-free than road-legal vehicles, this BMW E36 was conceived as a one-time assault weapon. It started life as a 320i before Tim Vego Motorsport turned it into a hardcore machine with 600 horsepower on tap. It rocks an S14 engine borrowed from the 320is E30, but throws a Garrett turbocharger for better measurement.
The entire car weighs about 1,000 kilograms (2,200 pounds) and has a strip-out cabin with only the driver’s seat. The only thing bigger than the diffuser on the back is the huge canard and huge wings as part of a wild arrow package with a splitter in the front. From the centerlock wheel to the side exhaust, it is safe to say that this is not a typical E36.
The rear team of this irresistible 3 Series installed a GTR-like vented hood and went a long way to cut the fender parts to cool the brakes. This is a perfect race-spec E36 with a six-speed sequential gearbox, a complete roll cage and a polycarbonate window for weight loss. It’s safe to say that it doesn’t get more coupe sport lightweight than this.
This E36 is not for the faint-hearted
Adjacent footage was recorded at the end of October but only released today. During a test event held at the Adria International Raceway in northern Italy, we saw the E36 in full swing. The Widebody Racer looks pretty awesome to drive in a light car like the Miata with 600 hp. We can only hope that these vehicles will survive in the inevitable electric world.
How can this be possible? Well, some automakers are spending R&D resources on the perfect synthetic fuel. Meanwhile, other companies are working to develop hydrogen-fueled combustion engines. It would certainly be a sad day if this soundtrack coming towards us would be considered vintage in the silent EV era.
Source: MattyB727 – Car Video / YouTube