Chris BAVARIA Nicholls

The Japanese consider the E36 318iS to be the German AE86, due to its great handling and low power, so does fitting a race-bred S14 engine into this one make it the equivalent of Takumi’s tofu delivery sledge? Words and photos: Chris Nicholls.

Wild Japanese E92 M3 The Japanese owner of this E92 isn’t really one to seek the spotlight. As you’ll see, he prefers to let his car do the talking. Words and photos: Chris Nicholls.

Thunder from down under. Full-on hardcore track-monster. Want more grunt from your S65 but don’t want to tread the same path as everyone else? Australia’s Harrop Engineering has the answer. Words and photos: Chris Nicholls.

1000HP RB28 E92 M3 They say nothing good comes easy, and that certainly applies to this 1000hp, RB28-engined wide-body E92 M3 from Down Under. Words: and photos: Chris Nicholls.

V-power 500 whp, 5.8 V10-swapped E30 M3 will rock your world. With car, engine and gearbox bought sight unseen, this E30 M3 V10 project was not an easy build, but the 5.8-litre, 500whp end result makes it all so worthwhile. Words and photos: Chris Nicholls.

Charged 650HP E92 M3. There are almost an infinite number of ways to tune an E92 M3 these days, but in terms of drivability, fun and flying under the radar, we reckon this one is just right. Words and photos: Chris Nicholls.

Classic lines long-term transformation. In 1992, Australian Keith Olsen bought a tired 3.0Si which, since then, has undergone a full restoration and sensitive modification, on an Alpina theme, as Chris Nicholls discovers. Beautiful BMW E3 3.0Si gets the Alpina treatment.

Slammed, shown, driven estate agent… BMW E34 540i Touring transformed into awesome S38 3.8 wagon. Kiyoto Furuyama’s 3.8-litre, S38-swapped 540i Touring melds shakotan style with real grunt and practicality. Words and photos: Chris Nicholls.

The World’s Fastest M3…E36 M3 Salt Flats racer.  The World’s Fastest M3… On salt! The story behind a record-breaking E36 Salt Flats racer from Australia.  BMWs make fantastic racers. But this record-breaking Australian M3 is the first BMW salt-flat racer we’ve ever encountered. Words: Chris Nicholls. Photography: Chris Nicholls and Ben Read.