Drifting competitions require not only skillful drivers but also cars tuned to attack corners in the most precise yet entertaining manner. Pontus Hartman drives one such car – a BMW E46. Yes, this isn't an ordinary car, as its engine has been swapped with a mill that delivers around 800 hp of whooping output!
A Professional Drifter
Based in Sweden, Pontus Hartman is a professional drift racer driving for Hartman Drifting. He currently competes in Drift Masters European Championship (DMEC), which boasts of some of the best drifters that the Old Continent can offer. While this seems to be Hartman’s first venture into the Drift Masters Grand Prix, he is really an experienced drift driver.
Old Yet Trusted E46
Hartman has been competing in drifting contests with his beloved BMW E46 for years. Basically, the E46 is the fourth generation of BMW’s 3 Series that was built from 1997 to 2006. The E46 is offered in different body styles, including a four-door sedan, a two-door coupe, a two-door convertible, a five-door wagon and a three-door hatchback.
The BMW E46 was also offered as a high-performance version as the BMW M3. In this guise, the E46 M3 offered up to 355 hp and 273 lb.-ft. of peak torque from an inline-6 engine. On the other hand, the most powerful non-M version of the E46 delivers 235 hp and 222 lb.-ft.
While these power figures are already impressive, they aren’t enough for Hartman. So the Swedish pro-drifter took the BMW engine out of his E46 and swapped it with a more powerful creation – a 4.0-liter engine from Barra.
800 Horses In A Bimmer
So, Hartman’s BMW E46 drifter is now powered by a turbocharged 4.0 L Barra inline-six engine. This mill features BorgWarner S300SXE turbocharger, CP-Carillo forged pistons and rods as well as an Ecumaster ECU. This unit delivers around 800 hp of max output and 737 lb.-ft. of peak torque to the rear wheels via a Holinger RD6 six-speed sequential transmission. This power delivery is helped by a TenaciMotorsport 200 mm twin-disc clutch and a RTS Winters quick-change rear end.
Interestingly, Hartman’s drifting machine is perhaps the only BMW E46 served by a Barra engine. Of course, various modifications have also been done to ensure that Hartman can compete. Too bad that the opening round of the DMEC 2020 season has been rescheduled to June, no thanks to the Coronavirus outbreak.
Source: Engine Swap Depot, Pontus Hartman via Instagram