Elizabeth de Latour

BMW E39 Coupe render

Editor’s welcome

I know I already wished you a happy new year in the last issue, but I’m going to say it again, properly, because I am actually writing this in January, so it feels rather more real for me – so Happy New Year once more! As you read this, we will be almost one whole month through 2023, and I hope it’s been a good one for you and a solid start to the year. Santa was kind enough to bring me a few goodies, though he wasn’t willing to stump up for the custom headlights I’m having made for my E92 M3. He’s also not going to pay for the M235i’s seemingly endless list of repairs (check out my running report in this issue’s Our Cars to see what I mean…), so I am clearly starting the year as I mean to go on by spending money on cars. Old habits and all that… Spring and shows still seem far away at this dull and dreary time of year, but my mind is already wandering and wondering about what events it, I and my cars will be attending this year, and the exciting news is that we are hosting a German car show in 2023! The German Car Festival will be held at Silverstone on Sunday, 10 September, and it promises to be a spectacular celebration of the finest automotive exports to come out of Germany. We will, of course, be flying the blue and white flag high for Bavaria and BMWs; you can expect some stunning displays of incredible modified machinery, classic icons, and awesome highperformance builds. There will also be plenty of on-track action, club displays and lots of opportunities to treat yourself and your car to some goodies in the retail village. Head over to Fastcar.co.uk and check out the events section for more info, and I’ll hopefully see you there! To the issue in hand – literally –- and we have a hearty selection of BMWs for you to enjoy, and to help you get through another cold winter month. Our cover car is a simply magnificent E46 M3 Saloon build, and not only has a monumental amount of effort gone into this spectacular machine but it’s also been turbocharged and is making a massive 530whp. That’s just the beginning of the turbo goodness, though, as we also bring you a monstrous 700hp F10 550i, along with a wild 400hp drift E36 Touring. And if you like wild builds, you’ll love the wide-arch M52- swapped E30 we’ve got for you – it’s a serious show-stopper. If, however, you prefer your BMs a little more sensible, we have the fascinating history of the South African 2004, and we also take a look at the awesome E60 Alpina B5, plus we’ve got an in-depth buying guide to the magnificent E38 740i, and there’s loads more BMW goodness beyond that. Next month, we are planning to bring you a massive buying guide that aims to give you a used BMW for (almost) every budget, and we’re doing our best to pick a selection of cars to suit all tastes and needs. No M cars, mind, as we’re going to save those for an all-M buying guide a little later in the year. So, please enjoy everything that Issue 3 of Total BMW has to offer, and I will see you next time!

IIt finally feels like spring is really here, and with the better weather come shows! I went along to my first show of the season, the Ultimate BMW Meet, held at the British Motor Museum in Gaydon, and it’s fair to say that it lived up to its name and then some. There were over 800 cars on display, including my M3, of course, and the quality and variety of BMs on show was simply incredible. Considering this was the organisers’ first-ever show, I’m genuinely amazed at what they achieved, and I can’t wait for next year’s offering! Check out pics from the day in our show report on.

As for the rest of this issue’s content, we’ve got plenty for you to get your teeth into. We begin with our cover car, and it’s an awesome build. Its owner had a supercharged E93 M3 but hated how it drove, so decided to swap everything into a Touring bodyshell and build himself an E91 M3, and this 666hp estate is one hell of a machine. But awesome as it may be, it’s not even the most powerful car in this issue, with that honour going to the absolutely insane turbo E30 we’ve got for you from Finland. It is pushing out over 1000hp, but it’s not for show, and this is a full-on top-speed build that has hit over 200mph.

Speaking of builds with purpose, how about a track-focused E46 M3? CSL styling means it looks sensational on the outside, while a hardcore interior, seriously sorted chassis and a 3.3-litre S54 with a carbon airbox let you know it’s not messing around. Then there’s the S50-swapped wide-body E36 we have for you, a simply sublime air-ride E12, and a full-on M2 Comp that’s definitely not shy. On top of all that, we are celebrating 30 years of the E36 M3 with an in-depth buying and tuning guide to the second-gen machine, plus we’ve got loads more for you to enjoy besides!

Next issue, we are bringing you an absolutely awesome E60 M5 running velocity stacks, and this is a show-stopping build that’s not to be missed! For now, though, please enjoy everything the June/ July issue of PBMW has to offer, and I will see you next time!

AAh, the start of a new year! I want to say it feels exciting because I don’t want to be jaded and down about life and everything that’s going on around us. I’m looking forward to seeing where this year takes us, and I’m hoping it’s in a good direction. I had a really nice Christmas, I hope you did too (even though it seems forever ago, now…), and I feel ready to face another year. Also, while I happen to like winter, especially when it’s a nice sunny day outside like it is right now, I’m really looking forward to summer, to car shows, to catching up with friends and enjoying car stuff.

And if you’re looking for car stuff to enjoy, this new issue of PBMW that you’re holding in your hands is just what you need and the perfect way to start your year. We’re all about going big and starting how you mean to go on, which is why our cover car is a real monster of an F13 M6. It’s undergone some serious upgrades and is now pushing 1000hp, and it’s an absolute animal. And speaking of wild builds, we’ve also gone to Sweden to bring you a 2002 that’s definitely not one for the purists, seeing as it’s a drag build running a 700whp turbo Barra swap, which is certain to get some eyebrows twitching. Sticking with engine swaps but keeping things closer to home, we’ve got a rather lovely E30 Cab that’s not only running an S54 swap but also an E46 M3 SMG II gearbox to go with it, which is definitely not something you see every day, and we like this build a lot. It’s not the only E30 we’ve got in this issue because, within these pages, you will also find an absolutely stunning E30 M3 running a 2.5 S14. Plus we’ve also got a supercharged E46 330i Touring and a 435d Gran Coupé that’s packing some serious diesel muscle, and it’s all topped off with our Car of the Year 2021 results! Next issue, our cover car is an awesome wide-body E31 850Ci E31 build from SEMA, and it’s a spectacular machine you don’t want to miss! As always, please enjoy everything the February/March issue has to offer, and I will see you next time!