What’s the difference between 700hp and 650? Does your head snap back very much harder? Alternatively, does the g-force push you to the seat much deeper? Does the scenery blur more? And would it matter when 650hp has already been enough to lay waste to many challengers?
It does matter because 650hp is how you’ll find the stage 2 kits from ESS Tuning and VF Engineering maxing out, with G-Power’s rated at 610hp, in the supercharged M3 arms race. So getting more power usually requires a stage 3 kit with some other internals to handle the higher boost.
With that in mind, we were naturally intrigued when Active Autowerke told us about its new Generation 2 Level 3 supercharger kit developing 700hp on stock internals. We made a decision to investigate this further.
The majority of Active’s competitors limit stage 2 boost to around 8psi, including the company’s own 640hp Level 2 kit. And while it may look unfair to check Active’s (Level) stage 3 to another company’s stage 2 kits, the real key here is retaining the stock internals.
Level 3 is apparently rated at 9psi at redline, with an extra .5psi spike just before the throttle closes, giving a peak of 9.5psi.
Karl Hugh, Active’s Technical Director, explained how they could actually control boost by careful manipulation of your S65 engine’s Vanos variable timing system, controlling cylinder pressures, valve overlap and scavenging.
Hugh also discussed how the new Rotrex C38-92 trim supercharger, which is the basis for the Generation 2 kits (replacing the prior gen HKS GTS 8555), maximizes the scavenging. He chose the Rotrex because it made more power and had better adiabatic efficiency.
To lower the engine’s intake temperatures, a front-mounted air-to-air intercooler is fitted. It further has the benefit of methanol injection, which isgenerally known as Blitzkrieg after it got its name from Active’s enthusiastic Facebook fans. It’s the company’s showcase for the Generation 2 Level 3 supercharger system. It’s also house to a prototype big brake kit the Active is producing, in addition to their own 20 ACW wheels.
The car is additionally covered in a Skinz Wrap vinyl wrap with a blueprint graphic made by Active’s in-house designer for maximum impact.
Finally, there’s a Mode Carbon front spoiler and BMW M Performance trunk spoiler plus an Auto Carbon rear diffuser.
It is possible to hear the faint whine of the supercharger as the revs climb, but it’s not intrusive or any noisier than other systems on the market.off of the throttle.
The supercharger comes on early, and the extra grunt overcomes the S65’s lack of low-end torque. Active claims the torque peaks at 380 lb-ft for the wheels, (46% a lot more than stock) before 8000rpm. Yet 80% of that can be obtained from 3300rpm. The horsepower peaks at 8200rpm, registering 590hp on the wheels.
When you push the right pedal harder, power builds with rabid ferocity. There are actually demons being exorcised each and every time you run to redline, screaming through Active’s stainless exhaust system, which features an X-pipe and-flow cats. You can’t feel any hesitation or let up within the power curve, it’s simply athan the usual 650hp stage 2 put in place is hard to express without a head-to-head race. It’s like seeking to tell the difference between taking a blow to the head from a 5 lb as well as an 8 lb sledgehammer.
I am going to say that I’ve never driven a supercharged M3 that accelerates from 30-150mph with the rate of the one. Nor have I driven one as explosive, that races for the redline as quickly as Active’s Blitzkrieg.
Even if approaching 150mph, the rate of acceleration only tapered off slightly since the engine began to fight resistance to the wind. There was plenty left but we ran out of road.
2012 BMW M3 auto carbon diffuser 04
2012 BMW M3 active autowerke ACW 20 wheel 05
2012 BMW M3 active autowerke active autowerke intake manifold 08
Krieg
A fantastic thing takes place when you get up on the prototype brakes. The gargantuan 12-piston front calipers squeeze 405mm (15.9) slotted rotors, with an eight-piston/15 set up in the rear. The forged aluminum calipers are attached to CNC-machined steel brackets for max rigidity. The top calipers likewise use six pads per corner, with the rears using four, for a total of 20 brake pads. Consider that when it’s time for maintenance!
Predictably, these giant stoppers grab instantly, and with such force you’d think the vehicle was going to flip end-over-end. They didn’t show any signs and symptoms of fade, even thoughto find the right brake bias, switching from six to eight-piston on the rear to achieve the overall balance they wanted.
Besides the ACW wheels (20×9 front, 20×10 rear) and Nitto Invo tires (255/30, 295/25 respectively), Blitzkrieg rides on JRZ Pro coilovers with external nitrogen canisters. A combination produces a firm ride with sharp turn-in reaction and almost no body roll.
In the rapidly-evolving supercharged M3 segment, where we’ve seen incremental steps to greater power, Active’s Gen 2 Level 3 kit looks and feels like it’s set the benchmark for bolt-on power. Maybe we’ll get to compare it to just one of its competitors on the road or track to have a definitive impression of who rules the roost.
E36
The second M3 in this article is owned by Active customer, Chris Ritter. It wears similar Skinz Wrap vinyl after he saw Blitzkrieg and had to have it.
The E36 can be a reminder of Active’s roots, harking straight back to when the company was first featured in this magazine in EC 5/97 with a trio of M3 turbos that instantly made everybody take notice.
Its expertise together with the E36 chassis was on full display with the track-spec car featured here, although the company has since moved away from turbos to more emission-friendly superchargers.extra, Sparcos and rollcage gauges
Before welding in a four-point rollcage, active took this ’99 five-speed and removed all the dead weight. It now weighs 2950 lb. Thanks to chassis reinforcement, it is possible to feel every imperfection from the Sparco race seats, and listen to every pebble thrown up by the sticky Nitto Invo tires.
Although street legal, it’s perhaps not something you’d drive daily unless you should get your adrenaline moving each day. It offers a raw driving experience, making modern cars feel like sensory deprivation tanks.
The engine is the familiar 3.2-liter S50, however it generates an extra 200hp thanks to Active’s Stage 2 C-38 Rotrex-based supercharger kit. It’s supplemented by a custom 3.5 intake pipe and Schrick cams in addition to Active ECU programming.
The internals remain stock whilst the exhaust includes Active headers and race system as before.
1999 BMW M3 four point rollcage 13
1999 BMW M3 hood vent 12
1999 BMW M3 center console 11
To maintain engine temps, it runs an oversized radiator and high-performance fan clutch. Oil is cooled by another Active radiator.
After you’ve tightened the harnesses, you push on a stiff race clutch which enables smooth starts challenging, requirinh throttle manipulation. Once underway, swapping gears required little effort, however, thanks to Active’s short-throw shift kit.
With all the car sitting as low as you dare around the street, as well as the tight suspension providing quick responses, the vehicle felt similar to a 3/4-scale M3. It was the lightest 2950 lb car I’ve ever driven as a result ofit and you’re bombarded from the unfiltered soundtrack of the race exhaust. And as the Rotrex C-38 instantaneously springs to action, it just doesn’t quit. Maximum boost is set at 11psi, developing 450hp.
Fitted with Ground Control Koni and coilovers inserts, the turn-in is razor sharp and the car holds a strict line. Yet getting the tail loose only requires a stab of throttle to overwhelm the tires, then a dose of countersteer brings it back into line. That kind of balance and adjustability makes this E36 so entertaining.
Getting to sample two generations of M3, albeit two cars with completely different missions, gave us a great picture of how much things have changed, and yet stayed the same.
Obviously, the E92 Blitzkrieg is preferable in nearly every aspect but, as many have lamented, the bigger car has added weight and sacrificed steering feel. However, it’s raised the bar for your supercharged M3 segment and boggles your mind with its ability. Yet I’ll admit, the E36 M3 left me with a bigger grin!
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