Three Killer BMWs From SEMA 2017
SEMA 2017 has come and gone, but these three BMWs are still on my mind.
SEMA was crazy. You know it, I know it, we all know it. Enthusiasts of every brand had something amazing to look at. Me, personally, I like BMWs. Specifically, I like fast BMWs that haul ass on track, and set killer lap times, or slay tires and get sideways. So, you could imagine my excitement upon finding these three very different, and very awesome Bimmers.
Up first is a car that recently set the world of drifting on fire. Formula Drift’s flying Latvian, Kristaps Bluss is the driver of this HGK Motorsports BMW E92 M3. Under the hood is a 427 cubic-inch, LS-based MAST Motorsports V8 that’s good for 900 horsepower.
The Eurofighter E92 is actually Bluss’ unofficial backup car. At Formula Drift Irwindale technical issues took the HGK Motorsports E46 out of commission. HGK had brought the Eurofighter E92 as a show display car. Instead of packing up, they got the E92 through tech inspection and he brought the car out for the finals. The crowd ate it up, with the car putting on a killer display of horsepower and tire smoke.
The insane engine is matched by the equally insane all carbon fiber widebody kit. There is no E92 BMW quite like this one. The build quality is impeccable, and seeing that monster 427 under the hood is just mind-blowing.
Also in attendance was a competitor build. This is Michael Essa’s Formula Drift E46 M3. The E46 has made a real resurgence in drifting as of late, and has become a very common sight in the Formula Drift field. Bucking the Formula Drift trend of LS-swapping all the things, Essa’s E46 utilizes the original S54 3.2L straight-six engine, which is assisted with a monster turbo setup.
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It’s always great seeing a local driver, and local names on a SEMA car.
Saved the best for last, this time. Two Formula Drift cars, and now it’s time to attack time with the Yost Autosport BMW M4 endurance racer and part-time time attack car. This 600 wheel horsepower endurance racer was built to compete in the 25 Hours of Thunderhill, and features some big names on the driver roster.
Our friends at SpeedHunters did a great job of covering this car, so I will point you towards their article for more details on the Yost Autosport BMW M4. In short, big aero, big tires and big power make for an absolutely insane BMW M4 that no one will confuse for anything other than a purpose built race car.
SEMA 2018 can’t come fast enough.
