Project E39 M5, Part 2: Installing and Testing the Corsa Performance Exhaust

by Martin Gonzales

After ensuring we could stop our newly acquired fun-machine in a previous installment of Project BMW E39 M5, it was now time to let some ponies loose! Our goal; produce more power while maintaining the “quite refined” feel of our performance sedan. It’s no secret the S62 power plant in the BMW E39 M5 was extremely muffled and restricted from the factory. With a price tag rivaling a large down payment on a house, those who could afford a new E39 M5 back in the day were more interested in impressing their power lunch buddies with the M badge rather than with the rumbling performance notes the S62 could belt out. So in the name of sales numbers BMW, like any other manufacturer, put a muzzle on the ol’ girl leaving the performance enthusiast longing for more. But seriously though, what’s the point of having a 400hp engine if you can’t hear and enjoy it?!

SEMA 2014 Wrapup

by Sarah Forst

A pass to SEMA is akin to an invite to the Playboy Mansion for most nerdy teenage boys. But just like any 14 year old geek, once there, they have no clue how to navigate. The grotto first, the game room, the Aviara- where to start? Luckily it gets much easier after some experience but there's still so much to see that leaves a lot that gets missed. Come along as we find the Rocket Bunnies among other things.

Project E39 M5: Part 1 - Stopping the Ultimate Driving Machine

by Martin Gonzales

With almost 400 horsepower and weighing in at a little over two tons, slowing down the BMW E39 M5 safely and consistently is definitely no easy task. Aside from ensuring all stock braking components are in tip top shape before we start on the inevitable road of power and handling mods, we will also be making a few improvements to the already well engineered braking system of our new/used Bavarian fun machine.

My Weekend At The USCA And Optima Search For The Ultimate Street Car

by Nick Betz

What's the best way to get out of organizing a brand new shop over the weekend? Well, here at MotoIQ the only excuse you can use that won't get you fired is "I'm headed to the track." That was my excuse to not put in a 4th day of shop moving, and it worked! 

Project E36 M3 (Silver): Part 4 – Updating the Interior with Ultrasuede Accents

by Billy Johnson

We spruce up the interior of our beloved 15 year old M3 by having our friends at Coby Wheel wrap the worn and faded steering wheel, arm rest, shift boot, and e-brake boot in Ultrasuede and add Motorsport tri-color stitching to bring out a more modern and sporty character while improving the feel and ambiance of the interior.

Project E36 M3 (Silver): Part 3 - Uncorking the M3 with the help of a Borla Cat-Back Sport Exhaust.

by Billy Johnson

E36 M3s are notoriously difficult to make power out of while staying naturally aspirated and we are constantly in search of the best bang for your buck since a lot of money can be spent for little to no gains in power.

While this E36 M3 was previously used to test various intake components and eventually cams, the quiet 15 year old stock exhaust was left untouched.  With help from our friends at Borla, we dive into the exhaust half of the equation to free up some more ponies without breaking the bank while making our car sound more like an M3 should to better reflect its performance.

Project #YAE92 M3: Part 3 – It’s The Little Things

by Mike Bonanni

If you haven’t noticed, things are moving quickly with us and the Yost Autosport Project #YAE92 M3 endurance race car build! It seems like yesterday this car was sitting on a set of rollers with everything removed but the engine yet in this part of our build journal it actually looks like a race car! Over the past few weeks our lives have been absolutely consumed by this project as the racing season bears down upon us. If you’ve never built a full blown race car before let me tell you this, there are a lot of small things that need to be done that are seldom on the front of your mind.

Project E90 M3: Part 2 - Macht Schnell Bypass Track Pipes and EAS 80mm Exhaust Tips

by Billy Johnson

We continue our difficult quest to extract more power from our S65 V8 without hurting the daily drivability of the car. Since cat-back exhausts don’t really make any power for the E9X M3 and since there really aren’t any aftermarket headers on the market because the equal-length factory headers are that good, the only real performance gain is in the removal of the stock cats. We test the Macht Schnell “Bypass Track Pipes” (Test Pipes) and European Auto Source 80mm exhaust tips to give our stock mufflers a sportier appearance to match the improved performance and sound that the Bypass Track Pipes should deliver.

Project E90 M3: Part 1 - ESS Tuning’s E-Flash ECU & Performance DCT Software

by Billy Johnson, photos by Brian Humphries

Unfortunately, when a motor is as well-engineered from the factory as the S65 in our E90 M3, it leaves little for the aftermarket to improve upon without spending big bucks building the motor or going forced induction. However, ESS Tuning has years of experience with BMWs and provided us with their E-Flash ECU Software as well as their Performance DCT Transmission software to squeeze out even more performance from an already highly-strung motor.

Project E36 M3: Part 4 - APEX Arc-8 Wheels and Michelin PSAS3 Tires

by Jonathan Lawson

I remember the first time I strolled onto a BMW lot back in the mid-90s to see the new E36 M3 in person. I fell in love with everything about it, including some of the factory wheel offerings. The wheels were considered large at the time, with 17" diameters, and no one knew that APEX would have their 18" x 9" Arc-8s within wheel wells. The M3s were also delivered from the factory with the then-impressive Michelin Pilot MXX3 tires, with no one ever thinking that the "all-season" Pilot Sport A/S 3 would not only perform even better, but allow you to drive in all but the most foul of winter weather conditions.