E30 BMW with an S2000 F20C Engine Swap
Combining the classic E30 BMW chassis with the high-revving fun of an S2000 engine for a lightweight drift build makes sense.
There’s a reason the E30 tax is real. It’s impossible to deny that BMW’s 2nd generation 3-Series has an exceptionally good chassis. It’s light, rear-wheel drive, well-balanced and very strong. The only downside is the engines are also decades old and make decades-old power. Even if you found one with the later six-cylinder engine, you’re starting your build with just 169 hp. When you take that into consideration, implanting an F20C S2000 engine makes sense. Supercharging it, well, that makes even more sense.
When we spotted this eBay advert from the UK, the idea of the character of an older 3-Series being mated with the reliability and freneticism of an S2000 struck us being a productive marriage, If a little hair raising at times.
As we mentioned, the E30 BMW was available with a straight-six engine as well as their 4-banger. That means plenty of room under the hood. Even more, if you’re willing to do some cutting to push the engine back to a front-midship position. Also, plenty of room then for a supercharger conversion. The seller claims 365 British horses when detuned for reliability, which is competitive for a car weighing 2138.48 lb. With a different pulley and engine map, the seller claims 450 horsepower which would be competitive and a very big grin.
This car is built for drifting, but it looks to have a sense of fun. It has two rear back-boxes for the exhaust, one being neighborhood friendly and one that should have the neighbors calling the police. For performance, the list is excellent and includes a custom sub-frame and LSD. We recommend having a read through, particularly if you’re looking for ideas.
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