Warm weather is already here for much of the country. After we survived that nasty polar vortex, the rising temperatures are certainly welcome, especially for those of us itching to get back to enjoying our cars. Shows will ramp up soon, the first one on our schedule is next weekend at Riverside 6 in Chattanooga, [...]
The BMW E46 325i was one of the more popular options when it was new, but as the chassis is now twenty years old at its oldest, these lower-trim 3-series examples have fallen from favor. The 330i and M3 tend to attract more attention, but that means these less-desirable versions are more affordable than ever. [...]
We have a lot of love for the E46 chassis here at ECS. Truth be told, it used to be a black sheep, of sorts because it sat in the middle between beloved classics and contemporary performance models in BMW’s lineup. The E46 was a drastic change in visual design for BMW, with a rounded [...]
The BMW E46 330i or 330Ci is perhaps one of the most ubiquitous BMWs. It straddles the line between being an enthusiast’s performance car and a normal commuter. These are the BMWs those of us in our late twenties and early thirties remember as the ‘new’ BMW, and what nearly every ‘hip’ mom drove back [...]
The BMW E46 M3 has always been considered one of the most celebrated dedicated performance platforms. It’s powerful, rear-wheel drive, includes a limited-slip differential, was equipped with either a manual transmission or a single-clutch automated manual, and checks all the boxes for enthusiasts. However, as with any high-performance BMW built with cutting-edge technology, there are [...]
The E46 M3 is considered the last analog M3 and is still used today as the benchmark quintessential sports car. With a celebrated history, massive enthusiast community, and astounding aftermarket support, it has maintained relevance and still commands a premium price, even for SMG-equipped examples. Despite all those positives, and the 333bhp S54 power plant [...]
Winter is quickly approaching and that means shorter days, colder temperatures, and fewer weekends to spend in the garage preparing for it. Right now is the time we put our fun cars, bikes, and other toys away and go back to driving our beaters. That, or preparing our daily driver for the changing weather. Be [...]
If you are fairly new to the wonderful world of DIY maintenance and upgrades on your car, you’re probably a bit overwhelmed with all the acronyms, like DIY (do it yourself, if you didn’t know.) These acronyms, like DCT, LSD, ASC, and the alphabet soup of other shorthand signifiers are pretty easy to google and [...]
If you’re like our own Josh Shirk, you have taken advantage of the extremely affordable E46 330ci prices the market has seen lately. While exceptional examples are still selling for north of $5,000, you can pick up an E46 330ci for much, much less if you don’t mind doing a bit of work. However, work [...]
The E90 335i is a car that surprised everyone, especially BMW, with its performance potential. Shortly after it hit the market, tuners were jumping at the non-M car. The reasons they skipped the M3 and went for the 335i were the astounding capabilities the N54 possessed that allowed it to reach high horsepower figures with [...]