G-Power Goes Supercar Hunting with the M3 Tornado RS

We, like many enthusiasts, are lamenting the slow demise of the big displacement, high-revving normally-aspirated high performance engine in favor of downsized, forced-induction engines. Sure, they’re usually just as powerful as (and in many cases, more powerful than) their immediate predecessors, and serve up torque curves that are flatter than a tortilla that’s been run over by an A380, but they tend to go about their business in quiet, drama-free fashion. Hardly the behavior befitting a sporty car.

So we’ll forgive the odd snort of derision with which some of you might be greeting German tuner G-Power’s latest supercharged BMW, the M3 Tornado RS. Why would anyone pollute the hellhound howl of the current M3’s 4.0L unboosted V8 with blower whine? Well, G-Power does have a good reason to strap on a supercharger or, more accurately, 710 good reasons.

That’s right, this orange crusher is putting down 710hp, an increase of 296 over stock. Torque leaps up to 516 lb.-ft. Most of that extra fury comes from G-Power’s SK III “Sporty Drive” centrifugal supercharger kit, with the supercharger itself produced by ASA. Other changes include a stroker crankshaft that bumps displacement up to 4.6L, forged Mahle pistons, a carbon fiber airbox, high-flow catalytic converters, and a titanium exhaust system.

Of course, G-Power didn’t work solely under the hood. The company has also added its all-carbon fiber “RS” aero kit for the M3, which encompasses a front splitter, replacement trunklid with a spoiler, and optional front brake ducts to improve cooling. The G-Power Venturi hood, also made of carbon fiber, further reduces weight and improves cooling performance, in this case for the engine. The G-Power Clubsport suspension kit drops the ride height, while G-Power ceramic brakes (6-piston calipers at the front, 4-piston units at the rear) sit behind the 20” G-Power Silverstone Clubsport forged wheels wearing Michelin Super Sport tires that fill the wheel wells.

The result of all these speedparts? The M3 Tornado RS will blast to 62 mph from rest in 3.7 seconds, and will take 9.5 seconds to reach 124 mph from a stop. G-Power claims the top speed is in excess of 205 mph. And you can bet your bottom euro that this baby’s braking and turning capabilities are equally awe-inspiring.

And speaking of euros, you’ll need to fork over 35,000 of them (which is about $46,800 at this time) for the SK III “Sporty Drive” supercharger kit. Yes, just the supercharger kit. If you want all the other stuff shown on this car, you’ll have well over $100k invested in an M3 (assuming you count the purchase price of a stock BMW M3). A crap-ton of money, sure, but that’s still cheaper than a lot of “junior exotics” like the 458 Italia, 911 Turbo and Gallardo. Even the most ardent blower bashers should be able to get behind that.

Source: G-Power