BMW e46 M3 in SA vs USA + the world

[Xack]

Why is it that so little, if any STOCK M3's out there,almost always makes less power than the claimed 254kw atf as it was suppose to according to BMW??
I'd like to hear your thoughts on this guys, esp. the tuners.

I know it depends on which altitude the car runs on the dyno and the fuel we running our cars on, but the simple solution would be to run a M3 e46 at the coast on a lil octane booster and wollah, we should have 250+ kw right?? So what do you guys say, am i right in saying our M3's are under powered no (333hp) as advertised. Or did i get the whole thing Ass backwards again :dunno:...accept my apologies if i did.:banghead:

 

[msm]

I think these engines are spec'ed to run on 98 Octane fuel to produce that power.

 

[ambroseg1]

I think these engines are spec'ed to run on 98 Octane fuel to produce that power.

if thats true then BMW is unethical. They know we dont get that grade of fuel in SA, and should thus adjust their power figures accordingly.

 

[msm]

I think these engines are spec'ed to run on 98 Octane fuel to produce that power.

if thats true then BMW is unethical. They know we dont get that grade of fuel in SA, and should thus adjust their power figures accordingly.

Could not agree with you more. Here's a statement from one of the BMW brochures:

BMW recommends the use of RON 95 super unleaded petrol. Unleaded RON 91 and higher with a maximum ethanol content of 10 % (E10) may also be used. Output and consumption figures apply to RON 98 fuel"

PDF Link

If anyone has an E46 M3 brochure (I do at home somewhere), I'm 99% sure it would have a similar statement

 

[Fordkoppie]

Did you ever see an s54b32 on a calibrated engine dyno (engine out of the car) @ sealevel + 21deg C intake temp + 101.3KPA atmospheric pressure?
If not, you will never ever ever see that figure. Not even close

 

[Xack]

right, so far, two members are agreeing with me...must be the fuel right?? So why is it, that whenever we feed these cars with high octane cocktails, they still dont produce the promised 254kw atf?? ..where are the heavy hitters today...Sherwin?? Mr Smooth??.excede, chiplogic, somebody who's seen plenty of e46 M3's dynographs

---

Did you ever see an s54b32 on a calibrated engine dyno (engine out of the car) @ sealevel + 21deg C intake temp + 101.3KPA atmospheric pressure?
If not, you will never ever ever see that figure. Not even close

Well, we are refering to streetcars, not BMW F1 team and if a car is advertised as having 333bhp, it bloody well better come close....jus think abt it, almost every other manufacturer, EG: Ford st 166 (dyno runs confirm) OPC, GTI,clio RS get it right and the list goes on & on

 

[moranor@axis]

when i dynoed my car the operator said bmws are the only cars that make what they supposed to on his dyno... granted its not an M3... dynos are notorious for giving different readings depending on the conditions... i see dynos as more of an indication than anything else...

as to why other cars make stock power the only thing i can think is maybe because most of the cars you mentions are turbo and/or Fwd they are more reliable on the dyno or dynos are better set up to read these cars?

or you could be wrong :mmm:

 

[Whacko]

Inside the owners manual there is an inconspicuous page with the SA specs. Mine has it.

 

[Xack]

Inside the owners manual there is an inconspicuous page with the SA specs. Mine has it.

mind to share what the SA specs are in your manual?:thinking:

 

[Whacko]

Inside the owners manual there is an inconspicuous page with the SA specs. Mine has it.

mind to share what the SA specs are in your manual?:thinking:

228 KW and 5.5 sec 0-100km

 

[STREETRACER]

thats the S50b32 specs not S54b32! the S54 has besides fuel and weather differences the exact same engine as abroad!

 

[mrv]

Hi Whacko

Can you upload those SA specs?

 

[Whacko]

Hi Whacko

Can you upload those SA specs?

I'll take a shot and post it a bit later

 

[George Smooth]

I think the cars do make the promised power but not using the methods we use to test them. Factory dyno rooms cost millions to build and we do not have the correct facilities to test flywheel readings. What is important to note is that in most vehicle tests the cars performed to BMW's specs even though the testing methods are questionable both in terms of what is considered a decent surface for testing and weight carried in the car.
The 333hp car you quote is the US spec S54 which has a different branch manifold incorporating catalytic converters. The rest of the world got the 343hp car. Unlike the E36 M3 3.2 which was muted in South Africa by software which had very conservative timing maps and slightly less compression the S54 is the same spec.

 

[Major]

I think these engines are spec'ed to run on 98 Octane fuel to produce that power.

if thats true then BMW is unethical. They know we dont get that grade of fuel in SA, and should thus adjust their power figures accordingly.

Durban has 98 RON. :dunno:

 

[Xack]

I think the cars do make the promised power but not using the methods we use to test them. Factory dyno rooms cost millions to build and we do not have the correct facilities to test flywheel readings. What is important to note is that in most vehicle tests the cars performed to BMW's specs even though the testing methods are questionable both in terms of what is considered a decent surface for testing and weight carried in the car.
The 333hp car you quote is the US spec S54 which has a different branch manifold incorporating catalytic converters. The rest of the world got the 343hp car. Unlike the E36 M3 3.2 which was muted in South Africa by software which had very conservative timing maps and slightly less compression the S54 is the same spec.

Thanx for your views Mr smooth and everybody else...i guess only thing iam worried about is the performance, which, like you say is on par with BMW's claims :thumbsup:

PS: i jus saw a dyno of 219wkw at Zeemax, that is a bloody strong ///M even the one with 181wkw at altitude

 

[thireshan]

I think the cars do make the promised power but not using the methods we use to test them. Factory dyno rooms cost millions to build and we do not have the correct facilities to test flywheel readings. What is important to note is that in most vehicle tests the cars performed to BMW's specs even though the testing methods are questionable both in terms of what is considered a decent surface for testing and weight carried in the car.
The 333hp car you quote is the US spec S54 which has a different branch manifold incorporating catalytic converters. The rest of the world got the 343hp car. Unlike the E36 M3 3.2 which was muted in South Africa by software which had very conservative timing maps and slightly less compression the S54 is the same spec.

Thanx for your views Mr smooth and everybody else...i guess only thing iam worried about is the performance, which, like you say is on par with BMW's claims :thumbsup:

PS: i jus saw a dyno of 219wkw at Zeemax, that is a bloody strong ///M even the one with 181wkw at altitude

Zeemax is flywheel power and not wheel power

 

[Xack]

PS: i jus saw a dyno of 219wkw at Zeemax, that is a bloody strong ///M even the one with 181wkw at altitude

Zeemax is flywheel power and not wheel power [/quote]


Oh?? right, thanx for that T, i jus saw that now...puts things into perpective :thumb:

 

[thireshan]

:thumbsup:

PS: i jus saw a dyno of 219wkw at Zeemax, that is a bloody strong ///M even the one with 181wkw at altitude

Zeemax is flywheel power and not wheel power

Oh?? right, thanx for that T, i jus saw that now...puts things into perpective :thumb:
[/quote]


its all good :thumbsup:

 

[StK]

Not just SA that has this.We have long conversations here about how the E36 3.2l never makes what BMW claim-at least not without modifications... a remap will usually get the pwer they claim and a it more