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Something from one M2 50d heard? If not, then it is worthwhile for all M fans to take a look at the now unrecognizable compact class sports coupe from Gary Martin to throw. But who is actually Gary Martin? Gary Martin himself comes from South Africa and has been running his own tuning workshop there since 2016, which goes by the name Grease Monkey Motor Garage. Ultimately, his plan was also to be realized there, his inconspicuous 2-seater coupe (F22 220d M Sport, 190 hp, 2-liter in-line four-cylinder), into a racing car with N57 triturbo diesel. We had already briefly reported on the vehicle in 2021. As you will see in the following paragraphs, there is not much left of the actual vehicle, both under the hood and in terms of the interior and exterior.
The look does justice to an M2!
An F22 220d M Sport, with a 2-liter in-line four-cylinder and 190 horsepower, should already be quite sufficient for many a BMW enthusiast. But not according to Gary Martin, who kept asking himself how the combination of a strengthen diesel engine and the M2 F22 would look like. When he finally found a suitable engine, as well as an original M2 front apron and fender, he was certain that he wanted to turn his idea into reality. However, Gary Martin didn't just buy everything together for his courageous project, but also lent a hand in many areas.
in the video with "only" 580 hp
For example, he simply made the rear and side parts himself to generate an authentic M2 look. However, this was not necessarily voluntary, as he simply could not find any suitable original parts on the market beforehand. The sports coupé was subsequently equipped with a new tailgate, bonnet, front and rear spoiler, all of which are made of carbon. For this, Gary used the aftermarket. Incidentally, with regard to a new paint job, Gary decided on the color Daytona Gray. Finally, of course, the right lighting could not be missing, so that the now hardly recognizable sports coupe is equipped with adaptive LED front and rear lights.
A whopping 610 PS & 1.070 Nm under the hood!
Now we come to the most important changes, namely those that took place under the hood. The new engine is a 3-liter in-line six-cylinder with three turbochargers and, without further adjustments, already puts 381 hp (750 Nm) on the test bench. It was an engine from an X6 M50d and if you look at the standard performance here, it would actually easily do justice to an M2. But anyone who knows Gary knows that that wasn't enough for him.
In fact, it wasn't that easy to get the engine in the bow at all, so Gary had to help a lot here, among other things with a custom-made cooling system. Due to various upgrades in terms of performance, the engine in his custom car now puts 610 PS & 1.070 Newton meters of torque on paper, at 3,2 bar boost pressure. This came about through extensions such as new engine control software, a Nitrous oxide injectionto Water-methanol injection and a Intercooler. Of course, the exhaust gases were also able to enjoy new components from which they escape. Four Akrapovic tailpipes and a straight-pipe exhaust system are installed.
Powerflex sockets, M2 brake systems and 20 inch rims!
Since the power had already more than tripled by this point, further upgrades such as an automatic eight-speed gearbox were a must. For the rear differential, Gary chose the one from an F30 330d. On the other hand, he used an F10 M5 to equip the front axle with a new brake system. He installed an M2 brake system on the rear axle. Furthermore, there was for the vehicle Coilover struts from BC-Racing and suitable Powerflex bushings, as well as 8,5×20 and 10×20 inch black high-gloss Asanti Athena rims.
The interior!
Since Gary Martin is often on the racetrack himself, everything in the interior was trimmed for motorsport. So the inner workings were unceremoniously included bucket seats, Roll bar and Harness belts equipped, which in Gary's case are anything but show. Gary added the final touches to the interior with a BMW M steering wheel, fully digital dashboard, an NX touchscreen and a different iDrive system. The once so decent and sober sports coupe is now unrecognizable, which is a good thing because it means Gary Martin's project was a complete success! If we get more information, there is of course an update for this report. You will be informed about this if you simply use our Feed subscribe to. Have fun watching the pictures and stay true to us!
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BMW F22 Coupé as M2 50d with N57 triturbo diesel engine!
Photo credit: Stefan Kotz
