BMW V10 Engined SLC - Anyone in the UK?

Guys, there is a chap on Pistonheads, hovering about the Ultima forum, with a BMW M5 V10 engine for sale...

Drop the boat anchors!!!!

I assume that it might be tricky to get the 'box and engine mated as no one has made an adaptor plate or bellhousing yet (or have they) but I think this would be a wonderful engine for an SLC and would certainly tempt me! :thumbsup:

Thought it might be useful for any of the UK guys on here thinking of building an SLC with a funky powerplant! :idea:

With regards to my situation and the fact that my Group C project is stalling, I think we need to buy a new house (later this year) and see how much money we have left before I get in touch again Fran! But I can see me visiting next year - Beautiful car!
 

Ron Earp

Admin
Boat anchor huh?

An LS7 is lighter, smaller, less complicated, inexpensive,and makes only 7 less hp but 100 lb-ft more torque.

And that is but a production example, with custom engines the difference could be much greater.....
 

Craig Gillingham

Banned because I can't follow the forum rules.
am a UK guy looking to "get" an SL-C but..... taking all things into consideration would either go new LS7 or LS3 with new suitable gearbox.
 
Well, I think a BMW V10 would be an awesome engine to go into the SL-C. While of course the LS-series is a great choice I personally love to see all these crazy powerplants. I'm still waiting for someone to go with a gas turbine.
 
the V10 would be awesome! i had crazy big block ideas for mine when i first ordered ..... well actually i had V12 Ferrari ideas before that. as it turned out i opted of the LS7 due to the lack of time available to work out the challenges of being 'different'.

the cool thing is we can change the engine out for something more exotic in the future when time allows. makes for something to look forward to in the future ... kind of like an ongoing christmas present :) the toy that keeps on giving.
 

Tim Kay

Lifetime Supporter
Intertaining thought but not sure I would go with BMW V10.

I currenty drive an M6 daily. I love the car, the exhaust has been modified with Eisennmann mufflers (can't tell you which sound I like the best GT40vsV10 - two distinctly different sounds), the sequential trans is absolutely awesome and the handling is fantastic for a "GT" road car.

BMW as a complete package is a fabulous car but......motor is seriously lacking in torque thus the reason, I believe, a seven speed trans. M6 is incredible above 60 mph but lacking out of the hole. With that said, just for something different it would be interesting to see in a 2000 lb car (the M6 is 4200 lbs) But as Ron eluded to, there are other options with more bang for the buck.
 
I would think you would want the SMG box with it. That is going to be a hard setup to do. Cool, yes. But you need the coin and the knowledge to pull it off. Just because someone is using one as a paperweight and gives the impression he will "give" it away, I don't think this is a free lunch.

Although for certain a 500 hp V10 7 speed sequential shift SLC would be one helluva car...
 

Craig Gillingham

Banned because I can't follow the forum rules.
the other problem in UK with used/recond engines is that the mating trans will need to be NEW or the car will end up with a dreaded "Q" plate
 
Craig, just replying to your PM over on SELOC - Small world ;)

I don't think you would be concerned about the lack of torque in a sub 1000kg SL-C, and is it even 'lacking' torque, or just compared to an LS7?

Would probably be a tricky engine to get running and work out all the details but I am sure that it would be rewarding!!
 
Now you're talking! LOL! ;)

Apparently those BMW V10s have been selling on eBay for about £3k according to that thread on PH... That sounds too low to me, but my, what a bargain!

I think we must be stalking each other round the car forums of the world Craig! LOL!
 
It seems with the new BMW engines you can't just swap them into a different car, a BMW dealer has to re-program the ECU in connection with the engine and starter key. I know of some people who tried a similar trick with the V8 M3 engine and they couldn't get it running properly, unless you spend big money on it with DPA.

John
 
You would probably be best to dump the factory ECU and go with a custom Motec. That is what the guys that put the 360 motor in the Rambler did. Apparently Ferrari was not that helpful :)
 
My assumption was that you would have to bin the BMW management and go stand-alone. I would have thought that systems such as MOTEC and alike would be able to handle the VANOS-type stuff... Plus, you would probably be running a slightly different induction set-up along with a very different exhasut system for a mid-engine applications, so I would have thought that a standalone ECU would net a few extra ponies and be worthwhile anyway!

What is a Rambler - that sounds interesting!
 
<chuckle>
A Rambler was a VERY pedestrian smallish station wagon from the (?) late 50's early 60's made by American Motors if I'm not mistaken.
 
Ohhps,
Was going to attach these....
 

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Brian Hamilton

I'm on the verge of touching myself inappropriatel
^^^^^^

Why?

I'm all for crazy wild engine swaps, but dude... There's a line SOMEWHERE, even for me! But I guess that's what they wanted and that's what they got. LOL


Now that I think about it, it's kinda cool...
 
Neat as some of these exotic engine packages sound, there's a down side - in the 2nd most recent Car & Driver, they wrote about engineering a Nissan 350Z with a stand alone management system. Looks like BIG money to get that one-off stuff engineered properly, on the order of $50K plus.

Seems it would be better just to do some mods on an LS7 and make 650+ HP.

That rambler is, however, sacrelicious.
 
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