Christian first brought in his E46 BMW M3 Cabrio a few weeks back – he came in to pick up a set of new wheels for BMW E46 – a set of 19in VMR V710 wheels – to give his freshly-acquired M3 a fresh aesthetic with a little help from Sr Mod Expert Elliott Goodman. But we didn’t stop with just a set of wheels- as always, wheels look best when paired with a drop – and that’s precisely what we did. On an older car like an E46, the OEM shocks are probably long-since dead, as the lifetime of a shock is only 50,000mi, or 5-10 years – meaning the majority of original E46 M3 shocks out there are probably blown. Which is why Elliott suggested totally overhauling the E46 suspension – since we didn’t want to go with all-out coilovers, retaining the OEM setup was the way to go.
Addressing the concerns of both aesthetically lowering the car and enhancing its handling, Elliott set Christian’s E46 up with a set of H&R Springs for BMW E46 M3, paired with a set of Koni Yellow Shocks for BMW E46 to both replace the worn-out OEM shocks and to enhance its handling with an adjustable Koni performance shock.
Giving the E46 M3 a splash more aggression is a Carbon Fiber Front Lip for E46 M3 (HM Style) – with its subtle upturns at the edges and smooth, one piece design, it really adds a lot to the E46 M3 exterior.
Of course, if you’re adding some spice to the front, you can’t forget the rear, can you? Spicing up the tail of the E46 M3 Cabrio is a Carbon Fiber CSL style rear diffuser for E46 M3 – this full carbon fiber panel replaces the original diffuser panel entirely, creating a much sportier and more aggressive look.
With all the new carbon on the outside, we couldn’t help but add a little splash of carbon on the interior with some Carbon Fiber Steering Wheel Trim for E46 BMW M3, which ties together the whole carbon-trimmed aesthetic- and you may notice the radio’s a touch different – the OEM radio is in a landfill where it belongs, and has been replaced with a modern, Android-powered in dash nav/audio system, incorporating all the functions of a modern in-car-entertainment interface in a like-factory looking unit.
With all the goodies installed, now let’s take a step back and admire the overall package…
With everything installed, this E46 M3 looks sharper than the day it rolled out of the factory, and Christian is thrilled with the end result, from the way the VMR V710 wheels look to the handling improvements offered by the Koni Shocks and H&R Springs and the aesthetics of the Carbon Fiber Splitter and Carbon Fiber Diffuser. Shoutout to Elliott for helping put together this sexy build and we tip our hat to Christian for letting us share his M3 with you guys.
Wheel Specs
VMR V710 Hyper Silver
19×8.5 ET35 19×9.5 ET22
Hankook Ventus V12 Evo2 Tires
245/35-19 | 275/30-19
Interested in modifying your BMW E46? We’re the original E46 experts – if you’re looking to mod your E46 look no further than the Mod Experts. Give us a call at 714-582-3330 (x8009 for Elliott), chat live at ModBargains.com or email elliott@modbargains.com
Thanks for reading, see you next time!
Story & Photos Nick Gregson