When someone acquires a Competition Package E46 M3 with less than 30k miles on it (in Imola Red no less) from the discerning purveyors at Enthusiast Auto Group, one would usually assume the car would be destined for yet another dusty warehouse or garage for some car collector to look at. Fortunately, that's not the case for this ZCP M3...





This owner, being used to high-power vehicles, felt that his ZCP M3's stock power (333hp) compared to his other M3, an Alpine White E92 also boosted with a VF650 kit from VF-Engineering, needed some upgrades. Rather than just going straight to the big-boy top of the line VF570 supercharger kit, the entry-level VF cold-air intake was the first to be installed paired with VFE's Hex Flash software. Having gone straight to the VF620 with his E92 M3, he wanted to experience each power level/mod one-by-one on the E46 and the added +40hp from the VF CAI and Hex Flash tune was a quick and easy bump up.

Next came the supercharger kit.

Still wanting to take things step-by-step, the VF420 non-cooled low boost option was installed. Besides the CSL trunk, an aftermarket head-unit, and a few minor aesthetic touches, the rest of the car was still 100% OEM at this point.

The need for speed slowly became more apparent. Surely enough, the VF570 upgrade was quickly installed with the unique water-to-air chargecooler (the only water-cooled system available for the E46 M3) and front mounted heat exchanger. After a quick pulley swap and reflash to VF570 spec, a few other mods were installed to help give the car an even more precise feel and enhance the upgraded power and performance of the car.





Stopping power is unmatched with the Brembo GT big brake kit installed. 380mm rotors in front and 365mm rotors in the rear. While performing the Brembo installation and flushing the brake fluid, we advised to perform the Clutch Delay Valve (CDV) delete modification to allow for an exact clutch movement and feel. We highly recommend this quick and easy mod for experienced drivers only.



While the wheels and brakes were off, we also recommended Motorsport Hardware's stud conversion and extended lug bolts for a more secure and safer option over stock lug bolts. Motorsport Hardware studs are Certified by ISO/TS 16949 and ISO 9001 by TÜV with a 10.9 grade hardness and are available from 58mm up to 90mm lengths. With lightweight wheels on the horizon, we installed 70mm studs.




The E46 M3 ZCP suspension is, for mixed street and occassional HPDE use, a tough combination to beat. Even so, next on this owner's list is a full coilover suspension system and lightweight forged wheels. Stay Tuned!






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