In an abundance of finishes, the violet shades of BMW’s finishes are returning to relevance in a big way. Recently, we’ve seen several Daytona Violet builds and now, European Auto Source have showcased a fetching looking Techno Violet Metallic BMW E36 M3 build.
The E36 M3 first arrived in the United States back in 1994. and it quickly garnered a lot of attention – if not respect. Unlike the European model, the U.S. version of the E36 M3 used the S50B30US engine with an output of 240 horsepower and 305 Nm (225 lb-ft). When compared to Europe spec models, it also sported a different suspension setup and it did a 0-60 mph (97 km/h) time in about six seconds. The then current M3’s in Europe could rely on a straight-six S50 engine that produced 210 kW (282 hp). The M3 of this generation was available with a five-speed manual or an automatic transmission.
Naturally, with progress, some good news for would-be U.S. owners of the M3 came through. Starting in 1996 model year, the M3’s engine displacement was bumped up to 3.2 liters. It still produced only 240 horsepower, but the torque increases to 240 lb⋅ft (320 N⋅m) which is the same S52B32US engine used in the early M Roadster and M Coupe. Luckily, for the owner of this BMW E36 M3, the power isn’t a problem.
This Techno Violet Metallic BMW E36 M3 comes supercharged. Thanks to a supercharger solution by Active Autowerke, the M3 relies on some impressive horsepower under the hood. This carefully engineered BMW M3 Supercharger kit from Active Autowerke matches the Rotrex C38 supercharger with the perfect hardware, software and ECU tuning solution, to take the factory 240 horsepower straight up to over 400 horsepower. Additionally, this kit yields the M3 with the potential for even more power with additional upgrades.
Once the supercharger kit was added, the owner decided to add a bit of flash to its looks department. This is done thanks to a beautiful set of old school design BBS Wheels. Thanks to BBS E88 motorsport inspired wheels, sized 17×8.5 and 17×9.5 in the front and rear, respectively, the M3 seen here pops up, giving us a back to the future experience like no other. Thanks to a set of Ground Control coilovers, the vehicle comes with an aggressive stance and a great exterior look. A set of Recaro sport bucket seats completes the build.
