Magnum Ti

European Car Magazine

Driving this modified 318ti caught me off guard. I've gotten used to our long-term 318ti and its 138-bhp powerplant, so the new-found thrust of this car was a surprise. This ti did not buckle under the stress. In fact, it handled its increased load with ease.

Though motor transplanting is hardly a new idea, it is nonetheless the most effective and reliable way to increase horsepower. This re-engineered Compact is another beautifully engineered project brought to the street by Osh Minelian at Race Marque Systems. Built largely from BMW's extensive parts bin, it is as factory correct as they come and features the same attention to detail as Race Marque's fabulous M-powered 325 Cabriolet.

Osh used the VANOS-equipped 2.5-liter motor from a 1994 325i, an engine that produces some 189 bhp at 5900 rpm and 181 lb-ft of torque at 4200 rpm. While this gave the ti an instant 51 bhp boost, Osh fitted the engine with hardware that drew even more power from the six-cylinder mill.

The electronic management was upgraded with an RMS computer chip programmed to provide more aggressive fuel and ignition maps while raising the redline 300 rpm. The intake features a throttle body enlarged by 3mm and is fed by a European-type airbox routed through a "Y" junction to a lower air dam duct. This provides a ram-air effect at higher speeds while giving the engine a deeper voice. Peeking through the M-Technic rear skirt are twin pipes, slightly staggered for a petulant, DTM look.

The sum of these simple, yet effective, mods raised the factor another 30 bhp or so. This brings output to well over the 200 mark in a chassis that weighs 331 lbs less than a standard 325i. Best of all, each time you poke the throttle, the ti responds instantaneously-no waiting for turbos, blowers, etc. to spool up.

Although lighter overall, the ti did gain some 100 lbs in the nose, a factor Osh addressed in the suspension. Stiffer-rate M3 springs surround the ti's dampers up front, and the rear coils are custom, one-off units designed with 20-percent less rate than E30 M3 springs. The front geometry is held in check with an M-Technic anti-roll bar and the rear by a 17mm E30 bar. Any understeer the ti might have picked up was effectively dialed out: when pushed to the limit, the ti assumes a neutral position, and your right foot steers where you go.

With more engine, the ti also got more brakes, and this car features Race Marque's E36-based binder package. The solid 11.3-in. front discs were replaced with vented and cross-drilled RMS rotors, while the rears feature larger 11-in. RMS discs. These CNC-drilled, cad-plated rotors feature chamfered holes and are gripped by blueprinted and powdercoated calipers with chromed spring clips.

Braided stainless-steel brake lines are also part of the RMS kit, and ATE Racing Blue fluid courses through their Teflon-lined veins.

The factory hotrod attitude was continued with the running gear, and Motorsport wheels sized at 17 x 7.5J carry 235/40ZR-17 Dunlop SP rubber.

Race Marque will supply the upgrades, you supply the car. You'd be hard-pressed to find the same blend of instant gratification and reliability this conversion offers.