Just like the legendary AC Cobra, I felt in love with my M roadster the minute I saw it. Its retro styling, 2 seater, long hood, what’s not to like… except maybe … MORE Power
The BMW M roadster is a great driving machine with great power, even in the S52 version with 240bhp @ 6000 RPM and 236 lb-ft of torque @ 3800 RPM on a 10.5:1 compression ratio. Simple math, stuff a great motor into a little car and you get a winning combination.
In trying to enhance one of the “ultimate driving machines” in term of power, I had explored numerous performance options. Various centrifugal supercharger where looked at and I even seriously explored transplanting a V8 engine from an E39 M5! The outcome was either not worth it or too damn expensive to transplant a new engine!
One objective was certainly to gain more power but my number one goal was to keep the car looking as if it left the factory this way. Needless to say that only with that comment I had eliminated most of the kits available! The vast majority of people would have added a standard easily available centrifugal SC kit or even a turbo but for me, standard anything does not fit with my individualistic approach to life. I only want the finest for my car and I always say, do it once but do it right!
So once Eurosport announced the possibility of a twin screw supercharger for the E36 platform I was hooked. Without a moment of hesitation I dropped Josh McMurray, President of Eurosport, an email to see if he was planning in offering this kit to the E36/7 variation and if so could I be on his waiting list.
I knew that this would be the right choice do to the nature of a twin screw setup;
• Lost of torque
• Very linear power curve
• Reliability
• Compact design
• Near silent operation.
• Flat power curve with nearly no lag
• Jim Conforti Tuned software
• Maintain 2nd throttle body for ASC (useful north of the border)*
Needless to say that getting my hands on this kit would equate to a healthy grin factor when I would be pressing the throttle. ;-)
Not only did I manage to be on the initial list but Eurosport helped me creating the ultimate driving machine or should I say the ultimate drifting machine! Forced Induction BMW are not as common here in Montreal as in the USA, now if we are talking about twin screw… my guess is I will have the exclusivity of owning a MZ3 setup this way, at least north of the border! Also a very important aspect of EHP kit is the fact that you can keep your ASC throttle body and believe me it’s a nice option for the cold days here in Canada.
* The kit as I received it, did not permit to keep my ASC. Josh is working on making it available shortly so I will be able to adapt the kit to use the 2nd throttle body thus maintaining the ASC. The second option would be to use a third party traction control unit like Racelogic but on my OBDII car equipped with misfire detection I would have to have my DME programmed accordingly. I believe Jim Conforti would be able to make it work.
Josh McMurray and I where exchanging email on the progress of the kit on a regular basis, Josh was kind enough to answer all of my emails, and only Josh and I know how many emails I sent him. Thanks for your patience Josh! Again he was kind enough to provide me some updates by answering all of my emails on the project and occasionally, I had the opportunity to get a sneak peak of the project.
Once the kit showed up at my front door I couldn’t believe it, the amount of hours in engineering this kit is out of this world. No wonder it took that long to reach production status. The quality and fit of the parts is spectacularly good. All the mounting brackets and ancillary are either die-cast or machined from solid billet to race-car-quality, and the finished product looks like it left the factory this way. This isn’t just some supercharger kit that you just append to bolt on to your car, this twin screw conversion is a piece of engineering that I consider a piece of art! Not only does it stays true to BMW M division concept, but it even goes a step beyond in bringing performance only found in exotic V8 engine.
The instruction provided by Josh where very detailed and clear. There was a ton of pictures witch helped a lot. As we where doing the first installation on an M Roadster, we had to document and also create one bracket to relocate the Traction Control ASC solenoid as previously discussed. As more and more kit find their way into new coupe and roadster owner, I am sure Josh will update the documentation with everyone experience. This is a small price to pay to be the first the first one using the kit!
Now forget how nicely the kit is and how everything was neatly packed when shipped with so much attention to details and let’s find out how it performs!
With good low-speed torque in the standard normal aspiration form, the supercharged S52 engine becomes a real power house. Nail the throttle and you unleash one of the most gorgeous motoring soundtrack ever. No need to bring my iPod with me anymore! The right foot become a deciding factor in the direction as the 3.23 gear set differential equate to heap of tail-out lunacy. I might change the final gear ratio to 2.79 or 2.93 during winter.
The engine pulls very strong, like a V8 block through the entire rev range and you don’t have to drop a gear to go! There is so much low-down grunt that so long as you have 1500 RPM on the clock, you can get meaningful acceleration in any gear. The power band feels completely linear, huge amount of power available at the moment you press the right pedal. And the best thing it's as drivable and easy to modulate as a bone stock engine. There is always more power, more acceleration and best of all, endless thrill.
Make full use of the Eurosport’s kit and you’ll reduce the rear tires to a smoldering pile of trash. Finesse it and you’ll leave a dusting of smoke and arrive at 60 mph before you can think about the 4.6* seconds it took to get there, If the devil drove a roadster, this would probably it.
• measured using my GTech Pro.
The suspension is kept in control with H&R sport springs, Bilstein sport shocks and H&R front and rear sway bars while gorgeous Fikse FM10 18” wheels with 225/40/18 and 265/35/18 S03 rubber keep my roadster planted – well, sort of.
Corner can arrive at a frightening rate, but the upgraded UUC’s Big Brake Kit is up to the job. Catch my forced induction roadster at rest and you can make out the 355mm slotted and vented disc in front with huge bright red four-piston calipers. The rear use 329mm discs with the same massive bright red calipers. Throw out these big anchors by pressing the center pedal and the speed disappears in no time. Then it’s time to enjoy once again the incredible acceleration of the kit!
Beside the Supersprint cat back DTM exhaust and UUC Stage 2 flywheel, the powertrain is mostly stock. The plans for the next future are to add new headers, AEM wideband gauge and perhaps new cams but unless someone can convince me that the cams will benefit me, I don’t really see them in a near feature. Who knows, I might wake up one morning and order a set to gain an extra 15 hp!
As you may have read Bob Tunnell's first impression, the kit is extremely compact, well designed and powerful. The attention to details leave no doubt in my mind that in the same way Carroll Shelby has enjoyed close ties with manufacturer, Josh McMurray relationship with BMW should bring him manufacturer recognition. Josh has the concern for the details, and an aversion for the compromises, therefore with a methodical approach, he re-examined each element of the supercharger kit and selected what would be the next step to a one-off offering. Each and every part is picked to give the highest reliability, easy installation, and cleanest look possible; from the oem fasteners to software tuned by Jim Conforti. I had the opportunity to view most of the centrifugal offering and nothing comes close to this kit.
So if you remember this old saying, “there is no substitute for cubic inches, except more cubic inches”, well I believe the exception here is technology put together by Eurosport.
I am glad that I had the patience to wait and not ordered something else. This kit is everyone dreams in a truly amazing package. I have opted to add the S54 radiator and engine oil cooler using Josh partial kit and I am monitoring the boost pressure, oil pressure and exhaust gas temperature using OEM like M roadster gauge. I think that the oil cooler is an option that you want to have and not wish you had!
I am not associated with Eurosport in any way besides being one happy customer. My comments are based on my experience dealing with Josh and using his product on my car. Also you have to understand that this project was tuned with streetability in mind and not for the quarter mile. So I can hear the turbo guys saying… well I have 500hp under the hood, but I will bet that the drivability of the car is far from acceptable in my standard.
If anyone wants to see it or hear more about it, feel free in contacting me or even better drop by for a visit…(keep in mind that I am located in Montreal Canada and winter is coming) so I guess this make me the first and only BMW owner with a twin screw supercharger in Canada! Let me enjoy it while it last!
Thanks Josh for bringing us bimmerhead, such excellent products.
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