Purists Look Away: BMW M3 Gets Supercharged LT4 V8 With 650 HP

Dive deep into any automotive internet forum, and you'll find die-hard fans of particular brands decrying what they believe to be abominations to already perfect cars. Maybe it's adding a turbocharger to an already high-revving naturally aspirated engine. Perhaps it's replacing a legendary engine for something with more power. Their opinion on what other people do with their cars matters little. Look at the video above where one E92 BMW M3 owner decides to remove the car's S65 V8 and replace it with a supercharged V8 from General Motors. To some, such modification borders on blasphemy.

The GM-sourced engine is a supercharged LT4 V8 also found in the heart of the Corvette Z06. It has some serious performance chops. The engine produces 650 horsepower and 650 pound-feet of torque. According to the owner, it should be making closer to 680 horsepower thanks to a custom exhaust and intake. He also notes more than 700 horsepower is easily accessible with a few more modifications to the engine.

The modified M3 has two ECUs – one from GM for the engine and another for the car's onboard electronics that run things like the fan and dashboard. The reason for the change from BMW power to the heart of a Corvette – the M3 had a wonky power band, according to the owner. Other modifications included bigger brakes to handle the additional power. The video is the first instance the car moves under its own power.

Car customization is endless if you have enough time and money to do so. Parts and labor alone can balloon to tens of thousands of dollars if you want to turn a Honda Civic into an eight-second drag car. Car customization also gives owners the ability to tune and change their car any way they want – whether it pleases others or not doesn't matter so long as the owner is satisfied. Even in a world where crossovers and SUVs dominate the roads, the vehicles we decide to buy and drive are still intimate. Vehicles are status symbols and extensions of their owners. And some, like this BMW owner, wanted more power. You can't blame him.