# newbie: E36 M3 vs E46 330



## nate (Dec 24, 2001)

Nick325xiT 5spd said:


> *Nope.
> 
> Your point is? *


You shouldn't speculate on its effects on drag and weight without haveing any data whatsoever to back up your position.


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## The HACK (Dec 19, 2001)

Alex Baumann said:


> *Body kits are not *that* heavy as you may think. For instance the M II Aero Kit (incl. front and rear spoiler, side skirts and rear trunk lip) is something like 15 kg.
> 
> EDIT : The kit is of course not an added weight  *


I agree here. The factory coupe aerokit is SIGNIFICANTLY lighter than the bumper covers that it replaces. BMW and ACS uses lightweight composite material (BMW uses fiberglass, ACS uses combination Flexall ?sp, fiberglass, and carbon fiber) and certainly these two kits not only aids in reducing weight but also improve cornering stability.

However, in a drag race environment, bodykit does not aid in acceleration.


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## ·clyde· (Dec 26, 2001)

nate328Ci said:


> *You shouldn't speculate on its effects on drag and weight without haveing any data whatsoever to back up your position. *


Come on, Nate. When has _that_ *ever* stopped anyone here from saying anything? 

:angel:


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## Nick325xiT 5spd (Dec 24, 2001)

Technically speaking, all I said was that WITH the body kit and the 19" wheels he wasn't going to beat the 330.

That may strongly imply a causal link with the body kit, but it could only be one of the to items listed. :angel:


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## Jetfire (Jun 20, 2002)

The kit won't make a world of difference in a drag race, and its effects at the track are unknown until one looks into the aerodynamics of the kit. Maybe it helps, maybe it doesn't. Who cares? I'm glad you like it, definitely makes the car stand out from the E36 crowd. I'm not a big fan of most kits, but that's just me.

As for stoplight racing, those 19" whels will definitely give you a disadvantage. They may look nice in your opinion, but they're almost guaranteed to be heavier than the stock wheels. Heavier wheels make the engine work harder to produce torque, which will lead to slower acceleration. Since the stock E36 M3 and stock E46 330 are fairly close, I predict that you will lose most of the time to your buddy. Of course, it also depends on driver skill, driver weight, previous driving history on the car, condition of the transmission, etc.


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## bluer1 (May 30, 2002)

Pretty much dead even drag racing.
The SO and I have tried it.


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## ·clyde· (Dec 26, 2001)

Dave 330i said:


> *These young punks think they're hot in an old M3. *


Why don't you take them out to a gravel strewn twisty and show 'em whose boss?

:angel:


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## alm36 (Dec 10, 2002)

thanks everyone for all of your info. i think i can take my friend, cuz he can't drive, but we'll see. one question i do have is my car has an indicator light thats says tail light failure, what is this problem? I checked the taillights and they work fine.


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## AF (Dec 21, 2001)

Let us know how it goes if you decide to race but I would suggest you keep it off the street and on the track . . . 

Also, as far as the tail lamp question, maybe the tail lamp has the wrong bulb in it, I would find out what buld it requires and change it to see if this corrects your problem.


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