HOT RIDE
to the tailpipe. This, combined with the fact the OM605
has an amazingly well-fl owing head and cam set-up for
a diesel, means from an airfl ow point of view, this 5cyl
diesel can seriously rev if needed. But what about fuel?
A big part of the reason diesels don’t tend to rev high
or make big power is the fuel systems are generally not
capable of that. But this OM605 has taken a step back in
technology to take a huge leap forward in performance,
as Scott has binned off the factory electronic diesel
injection set-up for a fully adjustable mechanical injection
system, and a seriously beefy one too. While a race
spec mechanical set-up isn’t exactly the last word in
refi nement and economy, it can supply the massive
amounts of fuel needed to be revving like a petrol engine
would and making 450bhp at a hefty 2.3bar boost, which
soon could be turned up to 3bar!
A BorgWarner S366 T4 turbo is a big turbo even in
petrol engine terms, and it’s pretty gigantic in the diesel
world, so this thing must be a laggy dog at low rpm,
right? Well, no. While it sure isn’t spooling from idle like
most factory diesels do these days, considering this thing
pulls way harder for way longer than any normal diesel,
it spools up very well, and that’s thanks to a relatively
simple but ingenious addiction: the quick spool valve.
What this does, under 1bar boost, is block off one of theOnly the shifter and gauges give
clue to this car’s performancetwo exhaust ports on the inlet of the turbos twin scroll
turbine housing; effectively halving its size, and making
it behave like a much smaller, faster spooling turbo. But,
unlike a much smaller turbo which would normally choke
performance as the revs rise, the quick spool valve opens
once boost pressure goes over 1bar, giving full fl ow
to both sides of the turbine housing, and allowing the
engine to be the 450bhp 6500rpm diesel ripper it is.
While the engine set-up is no doubt the main feature
of this car, it’s hard to miss the fact that the car looks
almost show quality, and that’s because Scott literally
stripped the car right down when he bought it to make
it a really immaculate example; something of a rarity in
E36s these days! Genuine M3 bumpers and a M3 GT
rear spoiler were fi tted, and the whole car was repainted.
It was just as comprehensive underneath too, with the
whole underside made good as new, with everything
powder coated or painted, along with fresh bushes and
a complete disc brake E36 328i rear end – a big change
from the base model drum brakes the car had when he
fi rst bought it!NO SMOKE - NO POKEThe suspension and brake set-up is well thought out, with
M3 hubs, longer E46 front lower arms for wider track
and more camber, adjustable HSD coilovers front and
rear, and a clever suspension geometry set-up. Rather
than the typical negative camber all round, this beast
runs very slight positive camber on the rear when static.
This means that when the car squats down under hard
acceleration, rather than giving huge rear camber and
pure wheelspin, the rear tyres sit fl at to the road, giving
amazing grip from the Toyo R888R tyres.
The brakes are far from typical for a diesel too, with
big AP Racing 6pot brakes on the front, meaning it’s
more than able to haul itself down from the insane ‘best
part of 200mph’ speeds this car has seen on the clock!
For what it’s worth, we’ve done the maths, and with the
205/40x17 tyres, the 2.93:1 ratio rear diff, the 0.828:1
ratio 6th gear in the gearbox, and the 6500rpm rev
limit, this car’s top speed should actually be a genuine