This past Friday our good friend and ex-1552 Design employee, Rich, drove the M3 from Maryland to Sarasota. He did it in a straight shot and began the trip with some hefty snowflakes falling from the sky. He told us the M3 was "scary as sh*t" in the snow, and we have no reason to doubt him. The car scrabbles for traction even in the dry.

Our M3 made the 1,000-mile journey with no incidents, minus a few loose 19mm lug nuts here and there (our car has a stud conversion and Rich spent a couple of hours searching for someone with a deep 19mm socket). Obviously, the engine swap was done correctly and the car runs perfectly. As a matter of fact, it runs so well it's got us rethinking our plans to add a turbo (not really).

The S50 in our car is really awake. Though none of the mods is wild on its own, the combination of them together adds up to an engine that revs forever, gets there quickly, and sounds amazing. Actual power won't be scaring any dynos, but the acceleration this car delivers, especially in 2nd and 3rd gears, is impressive. Big HP numbers are always a nice goals, but there's still something to be said about a lightweight car with a wide powerband and a close-ratio gearbox.

We'll get more pics up shortly. For now, though, here are a few engine shots: