The World's Coolest BMW M3 Eats Ferraris But Has No Engine

A 1984 BMW 3-series that hits 62mph not just faster than a 2013 M3: this thing will outrun a Ferrari 458 and a Porsche 911 GT3.

How? This monster 3-series has been cobbled together by Mate Rimac, founder of Rimac Automobil. He's a bit handy with motors and wires, and aspires to build an electric supercar. This electric supercar, to be precise: the Rimac Concept_One.

To test his hardware, Rimac needed a guinea pig. His 1984 BMW E30 3-series had blown its engine after a pile of trackday abuse, and was ripe for conversion to shakedown his EV hypercar idea. From the tyre-shredding pictures, you can tell it worked, big-style.

The specs? Glad you asked. Well let's consider the original BMW M3, that everyone worships, an automotive God. It's probably the purest driving machine The Ultimate Driving Machine ever produced. It had 195bhp as standard. The Rimac 3-series has 591bhp from its motor, and 542bhp at the rear tyres. Which, incidentally, is the same as a 5.0-litre supercharged V8 Jaguar XKR-S.

The Rimac eM3 hits 62mph in 3.3sec, and runs the quarter-mile in 11.8sec. It'll top out at 174mph, where those Eighties aerodynamics kill the speed. No matter. This thing's got 664lb ft of torque at 0rpm and weighs less than a Toyobaru at 1150kg.

Best of luck building your sleeper supercar Mr Rimac, but you've already peaked. Nothing you build will ever be as cool as this shed-built EV tuned eM3. Here's to zero emissions...