The original BMW M3 had to make do with less than 200 horsepower when the performance version of the E30 was launched in 1986. In 2024, you can get an M3 CS with 543 hp. Sure, it’s a lot heavier than its ancestor but the gap in output shows how much progress has been made over the decades. It’s more impressive when you think about how stricter emissions regulations are hampering engine output.
Fans of the performance sedan with an insatiable thirst for power won’t settle for the M3 CS’ punch and will always be on the lookout for extra muscle. This is where Tom Wrigley Performance comes in as the British aftermarket specialists have extracted four-digit horsepower. The twin-turbo, 3.0-liter inline-six engine now makes a ludicrous 1,039 hp, which is basically double the output of the donor car – an M3 Competition (G80).
With 1,137 Newton-meters (839 pound-feet) on tap, the super sedan has torque levels comparable to that of a fullsize American diesel truck. As a refresher, a standard Competition offers “only” 650 Nm (479 lb-ft). Putting those bonkers numbers to the test, Auto Trader took the M3 on steroids at the Dunsfold Aerodrome in Surrey around the famous Top Gear circuit.
We mentioned the M3 CS in the beginning, and you can see it in the video below in a drag race against the souped-up Competition. As expected, the sedan tuned by Tom Wrigley Performance is an absolute rocket, immediately putting the CS in its rearview mirror. Lest we forget the CS is no slouch either, needing just 3.2 seconds to reach 60 mph. However, the extensively modified car is on a whole new level.
Auto Trader measured the car’s performance and the upgraded M3 was clocked in at just 2.6 seconds, making it a substantial 0.6s quicker than the CS. It completed the quarter mile in an amazing 9.8 seconds and needed just 15 seconds to reach the half-mile mark.
The list of mods necessary to achieve this staggering performance includes hybrid turbos and the ability to run the engine on ethanol to extract over 1,000 hp. The hot-rod M3 benefits from port injection, a full custom exhaust system, and a KW suspension lowering kit in a somewhat sleeper package since it looks mostly stock from the outside.
Source: AutoTrader / YouTube