BC Racing Builds a 700hp E90 BMW M3 Taxi Cab (w/video)
I’m sure we’ve all had that cab ride from hell, where the driver disregards speed limits, traffic signs, and common sense to achieve your destination while arguing on the phone with all the dispatcher. It’s an unpleasant experience, leaving you sweaty and shaken-but it doesn’t have to be like this. BC Racing and its 700hp 2008 BMW M3 showcased it’s carry out how a taxi driver should carry himself, as seen with the build here.
The original French Taxi movie franchise (written by Luc Besson, starring Samy Naceri-not the appalling Jimmy Fallon/Queen Latifah remake! ) illustrated which a skilled driver in the right machine could possibly get you to your appointment from the minimum time with maximum proficiency. And while most of us are nervous passengers by default, all of usis no different from ordinary people, and was in a position to possess some fun with the concept of a well-driven taxi as he was approached by one of his sponsored drivers.
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You see, Philip Grabow from road-race prep specialists Element Tuning was in a pickle. He was leading the U.S. Time Trial Championship when his regular race car caught fire and was burnt beyond quick repair. All he needed was to score points with the next race and the 2013 TTU class title will be his. So a call was placed to Pete to find out what could be lying around. Pete had his ’08 BMW M3 in the workshop by chance. Originally Frozen Silver, it had been treated to severalof any ride by using a 700hp Active Autowerke-supercharged V-8 under the hood!
This is Active’s most powerful E9X M3 blower kit, boasting a substantial 700 hp and 480 lb-ft at 9 psi through the Rotrex C38-92 supercharger. The blower is mounted by using a machined bracket and relies on a dedicated drivebelt system, as opposed to sharing the car’s accessory belt.
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The Rotrex has its own oil supply, and Active gave it a different oil cooler to keep temperatures under control in the harshest conditions. The company also fitted a front-mount intercooler to cool the charge air once it entered through the dedicated cold-air intake.which is evenly given to the eight velocity stacks. The air is mixed with extra fuel from the large Bosch Motorsport injectors, at a rate dependant upon the custom software created in-house by Active for the M3’s ECU.
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AA’s own bypass and blow-off valves create plenty of hissing and whooshing since they bleed off boost when the driver lifts his foot. And to avoid detonation on low-grade fuel or at high temps, the Level 3 system comes along with water/methanol injection as extra insurance. The performance increase was nothing short of astonishing. If it has an excessive amount of power, on first acquaintance, it’s some of those conversions that almost feel as. Naturally, that’s difficult, but it was insanely fast and very loud together with the X-blow and pipe-off valves.
Pete originally bought the M3 because his company provides a full range of suspension kits. While catering to a wide number of vehicles, they have a soft spot for BMWs, as does his test and development driver, Chelsea Denofa, a person who has run most versions of the 3 Series from theis honored on offering custom suspension setups for individual vehicles, developing each coilover kit for its intended application. Whether its street or track, the company has driven the car under those conditions and valved the dampers to match. If you require, BC Racing can also provide custom springs and will revalve the dampers.the most notable-of-the-range BC Racing ER Type coilovers. These have a twin-piston design, with larger external fluid reservoirs to control heat, as well as separate 30-way compression and rebound adjustment to allow for fine-tuning. The truth is, the reservoirs house the secondary piston that controls the compression damping. These particular coilovers in addition have a Swift Spring upgrade, an optional extra that gives customers access to an array of quality coil springs.
Using its track chassis, Pete stuck with 18-inch wheels to give himself the widest possible choice of tires-in this instance choosing semi-slick Toyo R888 rubber. The Toyos are placed on BC Forged TM14 wheels. These are from the one- and two-piece wheel range. It absolutely was originally designed by BC Racing but has become distributed by PYSpeed as BCR continues to concentrate on its suspension systems. Other designs are available, even though the two-piece wheels are produced from aircraft-grade T6061 aluminum and custom-made to individual specifications using a concave spoke design.we were surprised to learn Pete volunteered his 700hp E90 M3. The guy clearly has a feeling of humor-he chose to wrap the silver paintwork in bright yellow 3M vinyl and apply taxi checkers aside: a job he did himself over the course of 3 days with company General Manager Tim Griffith.
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The result is actually a machine that could rival the thrill factor of BMW’s own Nürburgring Taxi fleet. Actually, the team even added a taxi pricing structure for theincluded in the roof for the photos, Phil proceeded to complete second at the last race of the 2013 season at Sebring, claiming the USTT TTU championship. In fact, you will see the story unfold in the exclusive video shot for us by BCR’s marketing manager, Cody Slack. It recounts Phil’s request and Pete’s loan of his M3. The recording is online at europeancarweb.com and well worth a visit.
Cody reported that several unsuspecting people actually aimed to hail this taxi though it was being shot around the local streets, as a final thought. Apparently one guy went running over to it but changed his mind when he saw what he was about to step into-that was probably a very good option!
