54 PERFORMANCE BMWsuch as an E36 325tds seven-row oil
cooler, ARP rod bolts, an E36 M3 Evo twin
pick-up sump, ‘pumpkin’ twin fuel pump
setup to prevent starvation on track and
a viscous fan delete, with a Spall 350mm
fan now performing cooling duties. Of
course, a fettled engine would be no good
without a strengthened transmission and
the drivetrain has been suitably uprated.
Up top, Darren has fi tted a CAE shifter
while below decks you’ll fi nd a Goodridge
braided clutch line, CDV delete and Turner
Motorsport single mass fl ywheel with an
M5 clutch. He’s also added an E46 330Ci
‘purple label’ steering rack for quicker
response from the helm and at the back
there’s a 3.73:1 ratio LSD, which really
lets him rip through the gears and while it
means the top speed is now a rev-limited
148mph, that’s fast enough.
With a build like this, appearance is
dictated by aerodynamic needs, but that’s
not to say that Darren hasn’t been able
to give his E36 a touch of individuality.
He’s built the car as a Super Tourenwagen
homage, the ’90s racing series where
BMW fi elded E36s and won three out ofthe six seasons that were held. This is
why it wears standard E36 mirrors as per
the racing cars, but it’s not just aesthetics
that have received the STW approach,
that chunky rear wing is an STW item too.
As far as business is concerned, there’s
a genuine E36 M3 GT adjustable front
splitter and a Geoff Steel Racing GRP
bonnet that’s been gold-lined and fi tted
with AeroCatch locks. This is mirrored by
a Geoff Steel GRP bootlid also mounted
using AeroCatches and there’s a clever
electrical connector setup that provides
power to the rear numberplate light
without having to worry about unplugging
any wires. A carbon fi bre sunroof-delete
panel has been fi tted and is equipped
with a roof-mounted scoop that provides
ventilation and it’s very effective. As far
as aesthetics are concerned, the car has
been treated to some BMW Motorsport fl ag
decals, there are some delightfully retro
OEM BMW yellow headlight lenses and
the front bumper has been fi tted with a US
centre trim panel, with the BMW text on
it, which is why the number plate is side-
mounted. It all combines to make for anexceedingly tough-looking, and extremely
focussed E36 and with his combined
interior and exterior weight-reduction
programme Darren has managed to save
a seriously impressive 500kg, meaning it
now tips the scales at somewhere in the
region of just 1000kg.
Even having gone through this car’s
monstrous spec it still only feels like
we’ve scratched the surface of what it’s
all about and how much has gone into it,
and it’s one of those moments when the
written word just doesn’t feel capable of
really conveying how impressive this build
is. So, is Darren done or is there more to
come? An S54, he says, would be nice, but
he is happy with the S50 and is planning
to chuck some Schrick cams in there for
good measure. Having learnt his lesson
from Project Nordschleife 1, there are
defi nitely no plans to sell this car; “I will
be keeping this one,” he smiles. “I’m really
happy with how far it has come and I’ve
done everything I’ve wanted so now all I
want to do is go out and enjoy it on track,”
and we reckon he’s going to have a very
good time indeed ●It may be hardcore,
but this E36 gets
driven everywhereRoof scoop provides
cabin ventilation Stripped and braced boot areaPBMW217.e36_track_car.ed2.indd 54 07/08/2017 08:25