Autotechnik Tuning Thunderstorm BMW M3: 500hp for Every Day of the Week

BMW's V8-powered E92 M3 is being lauded as the best one yet. It's just as at-home commuting to work as it is slicing apexes and leaving stains of dead Falkens on the ground. Modifying an M3 is just icing on the cake.  German BMW tuner ATT Autotechnik Tuning knew the M3 could only benefit from more horsepower, so they created the Thunderstorm M3. It's a 500hp hard-top convertible, turning the jack-of-all-trades M3 into a car with a Master's Degree in useable horsepower.

To get the E92's high-strung V8 into the “500+ Club” Autotechnik + Tuning fitted the car with a supercharger and new engine software; a great choice to keep the power down low. The custom exhaust system has “optimized dynamic pressure”. I don't know what that means, but I bet the car sounds incredible. Oddly, the exhaust is not mandatory for the kit, but is a $2,000 option. KW coil-overs lower the car and rein in any body roll. A set of ATT-TEC LeMans 20” wheels (8.5x20 in front and 10x20 rear) add grip and style. The interior is untouched, but they will outfit it with carbon or Swarovsky crystals if you like. It's a slick looking M3 that let's in all the sun you can handle, handles tighter than stock (hopefully), and has enough power to move up in the ranks. Altogether, that's a good combination.

The price for the Thunderstorm package is $28,000, not bad for a hard-top convertible with 500hp. Your other options would be a Mercedes SL63 AMG or Ferrari California, which costs as much as a baby seal's liver. But the way ATT presents the prices is a little silly. For example, “The set is completed by 20 mm distance washers (for 393,00 Euros) on the front and rear axle.” The word “washer” has no place in a press release. All I need to know is that the wheels won't fall off the car, not why.

Instead of going “Mansory” on the M3 and throwing glitter on it, giving it 8 turbos, and rims with gold fish in them, ATT did it right. The M3 is great out of the box, and adding power just raises its already stellar capabilities. They kept it simple. I just don't like when a press release turns washers and back-pressure into diamonds and cold-fusion. Remember what FDR said about walking softly...

Strange washers aside, the ATT Autotechnik Thunderstorm M3 is a bargain. It can keep up with pricier rivals, and lead the pack of anything under $100,000 with a combination of comfort, technology, speed, and handling. The 3 series is one of the best cars available today, and naturally a 500hp version is the cream of a very good crop.

Source: Autotechnik + Tuning