Have you ever come across a car at a show that completely blows you away, making everything else feel a little… ordinary in comparison?
Car shows are undeniably fun for anyone with a deep love for cars, but for regulars like me they can sometimes feel repetitive. Maybe it’s the lack of innovation, the predictable formats or the often unfinished projects on display. For the latter, I blame social media, where sneak peeks and behind-the-scenes content often overshadow the traditional reveal process.
Despite taking several walks through the 2024 Oslo Motor Show in October, something caught my attention towards the end of my time at the show. I’m so glad it is, because Jorgen AuneThe 2002 BMW E46 M3 is insanely cool.
Jørgen, a 39-year-old car builder and owner of JAAS Industriservice AS/JAAS Performance in Surnadal, Norway, has been immersed in the modified car scene for more than 30 years. During that time he built several cars, including two we’ve featured before: BMW M3 clone of 900 hp and a BMW E21 ‘Street sweeper with 1,000 hp.’
At first glance, Jørgen’s new E46 BMW M3 might seem like a relatively ordinary build – if you look beyond the oversized wheels and tire setup. But as is often the case with his creations, there is much more than meets the eye.
Jørgen’s signature style revolves around a sleek and subtle appearance, with just a few well-chosen aftermarket touches. True artistry always lies beneath the surface. We’ll get into these details shortly.
His main focus on the exterior was housing huge 300/68/18 Michelin racing slicks under the rear wheel arches. To achieve this, an additional 40mm of body width was added to each rear fender. No adjustment was required at the front to fit the chosen Michelin 280/68/18 rubber. The wheels are three-piece Work Meister S1s: 18 x 10.5 inches in the front and 18 x 11 inches in the rear.
The BMW also features a custom carbon fiber front lip, an HGK carbon roof and an aftermarket boot lid, all of which contribute to its minimalist yet purposeful appearance.
And now the part that made my jaw drop. Displayed on the Buldre Racing Team stand, the M3’s presence was unmistakable. If you know Buldre, you understand that these Norwegian tuning experts are known for building insane machines that can produce ridiculous power.
The large Garrett intercooler hanging from the front is the first clue that something special lies under the hood of the E46.
Behold, the wildest looking BMW S62B50 engine I have ever seen.
What immediately caught my attention was the unusual layout of the engine. Jørgen moved the engine 350mm rearward, mainly to accommodate a modified BMW E30 325i differential, inverted and mounted ahead of the engine. That’s right, this M3 puts its power through everything four wheels.
This radical arrangement allowed for the installation of two Precision 6266 turbos, each with a 50mm wastegate. Because the engine sat further back in the space, custom ducting was fabricated to direct the air through the intercooler before entering the combustion chambers via twin Bosch 74mm throttle bodies.
If that’s not wild enough, check out the custom air intakes running through the headlights!
The engine’s internals are equally impressive: Tore Toppklokk ported heads with Supertech valves, Wiseco forged pistons and ZRP forged connecting rods all work in tandem with the standard BMW S62B50 crankshaft, ensuring rock-solid reliability.
The MaxxECU engine management system has been tuned in-house by Jørgen himself. The result? No less than 1,250 hp and 1,400 Nm with a boost of 1.6 bar (23.2 psi).
All this power is transferred via a Tilton quadruple-plate clutch and a modified flywheel to a Samsonas 5-speed sequential gearbox, combined with a Nissan Skyline R33 GT-R transfer case. The rear differential is a BMW E34 M5 unit, with Gripper LSDs front and rear.
The M3’s chassis, once a single piece, now revolves around a custom tubular frame. Coilover suspension – a combination of AST (front) and BC Racing (rear) – improves handling and determines ride height, while Ksport 8- and 6-piston brakes front and rear ensure the car can stop as well as brake. it goes.
The front frame extends into the cabin, where a fully integrated six-point roll cage and four additional mounting points at the rear ensure the structure can withstand all the loads on the track.
Inside, the BMW’s original interior is completely gone, replaced by a stripped-down, race-oriented setup. The firewall was custom built to accommodate the relocated engine, and a custom-fabricated transmission tunnel was created for the 4-inch exhaust system.
Mounted on the tunnel are a Blink Marine keyboard for controls, a QSP hydraulic handbrake with a Wilwood master cylinder and a Samsonas shifter for lightning-fast shifting.
The interior also features Atech bucket seats with six-point harnesses, a QSP steering wheel and an ECUmaster ADU7 dash logger for advanced data monitoring.
The trunk houses two 405 mm Spal cooling fans combined with an HGK 970x470x65 mm dual-pass radiator. Fuel is supplied by three Walbro 535 pumps, a Nuke Performance regulator and a custom recovery tank.
“The idea to build a BMW M3 with AWD came to me because I was tired of spinning the wheels on my previous cars. This time I wanted something that could connect,’ says Jørgen. “The main source of inspiration was Ken Block’s Hoonicorn Mustang. I wanted something that could do the same crazy things, but also compete in the Gatebil Extreme series. But most of all, I wanted to build something that had never been done before.”
With these words, I can’t wait to see Jørgen in action at next year’s Gatebil events – taking part in both the time attack and putting his AWD drifting skills to the test in the Knitting drawers (Power Drift) competition. What a machine!
Alen Haseta
Instagram: Hazeta