Active Autowerke Supercharged BMW 330iA: a four-door, automatic M3?

[aimee]

Hardly, according to Car and Driver's test, although the AA-tuned 3er is probably about the closest one can get to an M sedan. Except, of course, for the automatic transmission. The AA treatment consists of a $6500 supercharger kit and a $679 exhaust system, which makes quick work of the BMW factory warranty while bumping the horsepower from 225 to 310, and torque from 214 to 280. An M3 by comparison makes 333 and 262, respectively. To this AutoMKger, the kit doesn't seem to make the 330iA all that fast, which we can probably blame on the A in the badge. It does 0-60 in 5.5 seconds, only one-tenth faster than a non-supercharged six-speed 330i with the performance package, which adds 10-hp over a regular 330i. And that performance-packaged 3-Series has a nice fat warranty should anything go awry. The aftermarket supercharger system is exceptionally smooth and factory-seeming, loud enough to hear but not obtrusive. Active Autowerke has already equipped an M3 with a S/C kit, which will appear in C&D's upcoming tuner shootout.