BMW Diesel Coupe Transformed to an M2 with a Trio of Turbos. How Fun Is That?

Photo: Stefan Kotz story at Speedhunters

Philosophers have long wondered where the creative impulse comes from. Is it a fundamental part of what it means to be human? For sure, whatever direction you look, you see the fruit of this creative urge. It's certainly evident in abundance in our contemporary car culture.

The other day we came across this story at Motor1.com titled BMW Never Made an M2 Diesel, But This Guy Did, With Three Turbos. It's a story about a former BMW Master Technician who wanted to try something different, and how he made his vision a reality.

Martins details his build and motivtions.

The builder, Gary Martins, owns a shop called Grease Monkey Motors. He's a huge fan of BMWs and suffice it to say that he knows what he's doing when it comes to these cars. And its apparent that the author of the piece, Adrian Padeanu, is a car guy too. The engine itself makes your heart skip a beat. Of this he writes:

"The bigger engine was mounted without requiring any modifications to the body. Having received the nitrous treatment as well as water-methanol injection, the 3.0 diesel now pumps out 583 horsepower (435 kilowatts) and 1,070 Newton-meters (789 pound-feet) of torque. That's quite a bump from the original 381 hp (284 kW) and 740 Nm (546 lb-ft)."

Martins has a long list of modifications going on this machine. Initial visuals such as the front bumper, quad exhaust and carbon fiber rear wing project an image that exceeds expectations for this original BMW 2 Series Coupe. The rear fenders were widened to accommodate bigger wheels.

A lightweight custom-built carbon fiber hood veils the diesel engine compartment with a trunk lid made of the same material. Objective: go fast. Naturally you need suitable brakes for this kind of power, and these he borrowed from the M5 (F 10) for the front, and an M4 for the rear.

With the triple turbos adding all that extra torque, a modified transmission had to be upgraded as well. Its origin was a 330d, as is the differential and prop shaft. As Padeanu says, "The list of changes could go on forever."

Take a quick peak into the cockpit and you'll find M3-sourced front seats plus a roll cage. It's rear-wheel drive and designed to be used as a daily driver or a race car, which is interesting as well. In September, this diesel M2 will be competing in the Simola Hillclimb, South Africa's premiere motorsport lifestyle event. 

* * *

Related Links

Adrian Padeanu's story at Motor1.com: An M2 Diesel with Three Turbos

Stefan Kotz article Forcing Three Into Two: A Triple Turbo-Diesel BMW 2 Series

Four Turbochargers Weren't Enough to Catch the Four Rings (video)