The E46 M3, like my car, is geared rather tall. Dinan and others sell a 3.91 final drive gear (stock is 3.62) for $2400 and that alone makes the car accelerate faster than a new M3. The 135 and 335 cars are geared very short in comparison, which limit top end considerably (40 mph difference) and greatly benefits the acceleration to make one think the motor is more than really what it is.
Would have been nice if BMW didn't gear the M3 so tall (does it need to go nearly 200 mph?) and install such a restrictive exhaust system in the US versions. Reversing those two errors will transform the car and even make it more liveable. Shorter gearing (although still taller than N54 equipped models) for every day driving and the correct headers make the engine run cooler, more efficiently, and more economically.
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'08 Carrera S 6MT Guards Red/Black ext leather, Carbon fiber pkg, sport exh, sport chrono +, PASM, Nav, Bose, 19" forged turbos, red tranny tunnel
'07 MV Agusta F4 1000 R 1+1, Corse Red/Silver, RG3 race pipes and factory race ECU
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