BMW M3 ‘Turner Burner’

1992 E36 318is with S50US swap. What makes this one unique is that it was one of the very first M50/S50 swaps ever and one of Turner Motorsport’s first builds. I first saw this car in 1997 and it’s changed little as a track/race car in all that time. The Turner Burner name comes from a "Performance BMW" magazine article.

The chassis started out as a 1992 E36 318is. Note the early dashboard and no side markers. I remember the original spec as a S50 3.0-liter with Euro HFM/injectors/chip, Borla exhaust, Bilstein Group N coil overs, and 17" Fikse FM5 wheels. Will Turner rolled into an open house at HMS Motorsport (where I worked) and he was like a rock star among the BMW club guys. No one had seen an engine swap E36 yet, and building one from a lowly 318is was genius. The car was a smash hit and demonstrated how adaptable the E36 was to modification and Turner's knowledge as a BMW specialist.

E36 M3 Turner Burner
engine 2012 service at Turner.
E36 M3 Turner Burner
engine 2012 service at Turner. This may be the original S50.
E36 M3 Turner Burner
engine this is not the original S50 but still remains true to its Turner roots. this engine is a VAC stroker.
E36 M3 Turner Burner
engine this is not the original S50 but still remains true to its Turner roots. this engine is a VAC stroker.
E36 M3 Turner Burner
engine this is not the original S50 but still remains true to its Turner roots. this engine swap predates aFe entirely but original Euro airboxes are hard to come by.
E36 M3 Turner Burner
exterior
E36 M3 Turner Burner
exterior 2012 service at Turner
E36 M3 Turner Burner
exterior 2012 service at Turner
E36 M3 Turner Burner
exterior 2012 service at Turner.
E36 M3 Turner Burner
exterior 2012 service at Turner.
E36 M3 Turner Burner
exterior 2012 service at Turner.
E36 M3 Turner Burner
exterior 2012 service at Turner. This was shortly after we moved into this location. The parts warehouse is in the background.
E36 M3 Turner Burner
exterior at Wile Motorsport
E36 M3 Turner Burner
exterior at Wile Motorsport
E36 M3 Turner Burner
exterior one of the first applications of the '330' badge on a engine swap
E36 M3 Turner Burner
exterior the original had a M3 Lightweight splitter.
E36 M3 Turner Burner
interior
E36 M3 Turner Burner
interior
E36 M3 Turner Burner
interior That's probably the original 318is dashboard.
E36 M3 Turner Burner
suspension 2012 service at Turner. Bilstein Group N coil over suspension.
E36 M3 Turner Burner
suspension 2012 service at Turner. Mountain Autosport sway bars and Bilstein Group N suspension.
E36 M3 Turner Burner
suspension 2012 service at Turner. Mountain Autosport sway bars and Bilstein Group N suspension. One of the original E36 X-braces.
E36 M3 Turner Burner
suspension 2012 service at Turner. This is one of the original E36 Motorsport strut braces and predates the version used on the M3 Lightweight.
E36 M3 Turner Burner
suspension this is one of the original E36 Motorsport strut braces and predates the version used on the M3 Lightweight. the original build used Bilstein Group N suspension.
E36 M3 Turner Burner
track circa 1998 at New Hampshire International Speedway. It's original incarnation with M3 Lightweight aero, Bilstein Group N suspension, and Fikse 17" wheels.
E36 M3 Turner Burner
track October 2018 at Club Motorsports, NH