With an enormous turbocharged S52 motor, this E36 M3 is making some monster power, and it’s an absolute beast of a build.
It’s hard to believe that, up until what feels like a few years ago (even though it was probably much longer ago than that…), the E36 was very much the unloved 3 Series. When it was launched, the E36 was not met with the universal acclaim of its predecessor, with some cost-cutting measures evident, and early buyers coming over from their E30s were disappointed.
The LCI model tackled a lot of problems on the early cars, but time proved that the E36 was not built to the same standard as the beloved E30 and the E36s soon became the cheapest BMWs you could buy. Even the the E36 M3 became unloved – when it was launched, it was criticised for being too soft and lacking the hardcore nature of the legendary E30 M3, and, for quite some time, it failed to find fans, and prices were rock bottom.
Damon’s car history
Fast forward to now, and the E36 is now becoming a much-loved modern classic, while the E36 M3 is a rapidly appreciating M icon that has found a firm fanbase, and Damon Mehr (@slowm3hr) is a fully paid-up member. But, then again, he’s something of an M addict in general and as big of a car enthusiast as they come, and they are both his passion and profession.
“I run a performance shop as well as an auto boutique (@mehrwerks),” Damon tells us, and BMWs hold a special place in his heart. “I’ve been interested in BMWs since the first time I saw a Laguna Seca Blue E46 M3 when I was around 12 years old. They’re special to me because this is the car brand that got me into this passion and hobby,” he grins. “My first BMW was my first car, and I specifically bought that model only because it had two exhaust tips! I had no other information on the car,” he laughs, but the car in question was a 335i, so it was a fine introduction to the marque. His current Bavarian collection is enough to make any BM fan’s heart race, with no fewer than four M3s to his name – two E46s, an E90, and the E36 we’re featuring here.
Buying the E36 M3
“I decided to buy my E36 M3 because it was the only M3 I hadn’t previously had. It had a very big market for parts and modifications and was a great way to show off my shop’s services,” Damon explains. “I actually found the car in a back parking lot of a random side street, rotting away.
The car had no interior, bad paint, and no drivetrain,” which makes it sound like a nightmare purchase for just about anyone else, but for Damon, it was the perfect blank canvas. “Before I even bought the car, I knew exactly the route I wanted to go with it at the time, and it only took two months from the day I got the car to get it to how it sits now,” he smiles. That is impressive, but then again, at the tender age of 23, Damon has already owned over 100 cars, including everything from M3s to Corvettes, Evos and now a GT3, and he’s modified most of them, so this is most definitely not his first rodeo.
Transforming the E36 M3
With Damon now the owner of an E36 M3 shell, there was a lot of work to do to transform this into a fully functional car and a rolling demo for what his shop is capable of, so he wasted no time and got stuck in straight away. “The first thing I did when I got the car was look for the bare motor block. From then, I sent that out to the machine shop and started ordering all the supporting mods for the build,” he explains, and it seems fitting that we start with the engine because it is an absolute monster.
Turbocharged E36 M3 build
Pop the bonnet on Damon’s E36 M3, and you will be greeted by a very clean shaved bay and the sight of a very large turbo mounted to the side of the S52, and it’s making some very large numbers, indeed. The engine itself is a fully built S52 with Wiseco pistons and Pauter rods, with a built and ported head with aggressive cams, dual valve springs and oversized valves, along with a custom in-house turbo kit, plus an upgraded fuel system running double pumps and 2100cc injectors, all topped off with a standalone ECU setup, also tuned in-house.
The end result is an absolutely monstrous 840whp and 811lb ft wtq, which means this M3 is knocking on the door of 1000hp; that is just insane, and definitely a great way of showcasing just what Damon’s shop is capable of. Power is sent to the wheels via the standard ZF five-speed gearbox with an IRP shifter on top and a DKM twin-disc clutch to handle those massive outputs.
Turbocharged E36 M3 chassis modifications
The chassis has received some enhancements to help the car deploy all that power and allow Damon to make the most of everything it has to offer. “The car was sitting on air suspension for the longest time for some car shows, but I immediately regretted my choice due to the ride quality,” Damon laments. “I then upgraded to AST coilovers, and the only other chassis modifications I did was the front and rear subframe reinforcements to ensure no failure with the excess power,” he explains, and these are joined by Turner control arms and poly bushes throughout.
Those ASTs deliver a purposeful drop and get the car sitting perfectly over Damon’s superb choice of aftermarket wheels for this build. “At the time, all my other cars were running the same Volk Racing TE37s, so I had to match them. I definitely had some other wheel ideas, but the deal came up and I had to take it,” he grins, and we don’t blame him at all. The 18” TE37s look fantastic on this E36, and the square setup has them filling the arches to perfection.
Exterior styling on the turbocharged E36 M3
Considering how much of a beast this build is, you really wouldn’t know it to look at it, and, as far as M3s go, this one is pretty subtle. “I really just wanted a minimalistic look to the car with the aggression being under the hood,” Damon reasons. “I did all the paint and exterior work myself, and it took less than a month,” he adds, which is especially impressive when you consider just how bad the car was when he bought it. Damon opted for Mugello Red when painting the car, and it looks fantastic in that shade. It wears just a few styling enhancements, namely a carbon front lip and side blades, which contrast perfectly against the bold red bodywork and add just that little extra hint of aggression to proceedings.
Interior mods
“For the interior, I wanted to do a racecar yet luxury approach,” Damon explains, “which is why I went with the leather Pole Positions and full carpet, instead of it being fully gutted,” and it’s a killer combo. The single-piece Recaro bucket seats are joined by a set of red OMP harnesses mounted to the Studio RSR cage fitted in the rear. Then you’ve got the Renown steering wheel, the AEM gauges for AFR and oil pressure, and the finishing touch is the pair of red door pulls, all of which combines to deliver the perfect blend of hardcore racecar vibes with everyday comfort.
What’s next for the turbocharged E36 M3?
As impressive as this whole build is, and an 840whp turbo M3 is always going to be impressive, it’s the fact that it took Damon just two months to put this car together from scratch that really blows us away, especially when you consider he started from little more than a bare shell, and that he shaved the bay and did all the paintwork on the whole car himself. And while there is a lot to love about this build, it’s the engine that is, without a doubt, the star of the show, as well as Damon’s favourite part of the whole project. “It completely transformed the car into something relatively undriveable,” he chuckles, and we can only imagine how much of a handful this monster M3 is.
But for not much longer. The modding mind never rests, and Damon is currently busy working on the M3 once more; “I am actually currently in the middle of swapping the drivetrain once again, this time to an E46 M3 S54 engine and six-speed transmission,” he tells us. That might be a step down in terms of power, but it will make this M3 drive very differently, giving Damon a whole new experience, as well as once again showcasing the talents of his shop. This 3 Series has come a long way from when Damon first got his hands on it, and it’s now an epic E36 that really shows off this generation at its very best, and when you see a stunning example such as this, it’s easy to see why the once unloved 3 Series is now a firm fan favourite.
Love modified German cars? Don’t forget, we’re hosting our German Car Festival event at Goodwood Motor Circuit this October 5th!
Photography: Karmen Trebolo (@kncapturescars).
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