Video: Matt Farah drives engine-swapped, 550-HP E30 BMW M3

Matt Farah – actor, car aficionado and host of The Smoking Tire channel on YouTube – has recently tested this unique drivetrain-swapped E30 BMW M3.

The project, dubbed Honest Assembly, was carried out by car college students. The team set out to build world’s first E30 based on the F80 M3 / F82 M4 drivetrain. There is no denying that they succeeded in no small way, accommodating the 3.0-liter six-cylinder S55 engine in the bay of the E30 and pairing it with a 6-speed transmission.

Instead of stopping there and then, they proceeded to develop three selectable boost stages for the model: 300, 500 and 550 hp (224, 373 and 410 kilowatts, respectively). Of course, harnessing that kind of power necessitated upgrading the brakes to AP Racing Radi-Cal by Essex Racing, reinforcing the chassis in several ways and lowering the stance. Wrapping things up, they gave the Bavarian two-door projectile a front spoiler and a Gurney flap.

Based on the video, Matt was quite fond of the car, although he kept lamenting the lack of power steering. Seems like adding it would make this E30 BMW M3 a dream car…