Experienced the Dinan S3-R...wow

[EliteM3]

So I was in Dinan's Morgan Hill headquarters to talk about the dinan exhaust and mid-pipe and noticed what I believed was the S3-R in the parking lot. It just so happened to be Steve Dinan's personal car. The performance specialist (who will remain nameless) asked if I wanted to hear it, and I happily took him up on the offer. Next thing I know, we are strapping ourselves in and going for a little "stroll" a few miles around the blocks.

All I can say is WOW, and I am now ruined. The car is so stealth that I was shocked anything had been done to it under normal driving conditions. However, once he dropped the hammer, I was firmly compacted into my seat. The torque on this monster is intoxicating. The engine pulls ridiculously hard to red-line, and is firmly planted on the ground. The suspension is simply masterful as it can be your daily driver and be a formidable track threat. The engine has the torque we all wish the V8 should have had from the factory, and now I am wishing I had the money to install that strocker in my car. 50 state legal and no CEL!!!

It is a lot of coin to have a "Dinaned" out car like this one, but after a ride like that, it seems worth it.

Glad I stopped by

[THE-FN-MAN]

Has anyone ever raced one of these cars in another M3? Like what mods would have to be done to a stock DCT car to run with/beat this car? Just curious

[crabman]

I don't think anyone has any dislike for it, its that FI is hugely less expensive.

[EliteM3]

Is FI 50 state legal? Anyone match the manufacturer warrantee in that game?

We all have amazing and expensive cars here. But I personally use it as my only DD to commute to work and handle daily life. So it's nice to have all that stealthy power and handling when I want it, but know that if anything goes wrong, someone is taking care of it through a guarantee.

Maybe that's the realist in me, and maybe my risk taking days requiring significant money are fading, but I was impressed with what I experienced.

If anyone is in the south bay (Ca) has a legal FI car that wants to take me for a spin, I will gladly write up a new review of that experience as an impartial 3rd party. Let me know!

[Sam@Alekshop]

http://www.m3post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=702956

This car is in the south bay and we might be taking it out for a spin this evening. Pm me if interested !

[crabman]

Originally Posted by EliteM3

Is FI 50 state legal? Anyone match the manufacturer warrantee in that game?

We all have amazing and expensive cars here. But I personally use it as my only DD to commute to work and handle daily life. So it's nice to have all that stealthy power and handling when I want it, but know that if anything goes wrong, someone is taking care of it through a guarantee.

Maybe that's the realist in me, and maybe my risk taking days requiring significant money are fading, but I was impressed with what I experienced.

If anyone is in the south bay (Ca) has a legal FI car that wants to take me for a spin, I will gladly write up a new review of that experience as an impartial 3rd party. Let me know!

The stroker is not 50 state legal anyways making it pretty much a non starter as far as that. It also puts your warranty in the land of who knows since any kind of drivetrain issues will be a bone of contention between Dinan and BMW and more than one person has been left holding the bag in that deal. Outside of those drivetrain issues most dealerships will carry through with warranty repairs without a problem anyways leaving you with nothing much gained in the warranty department. When you consider the fact that the FI route for the same power can be done all in for 15k this is less than half of what the stroker is going to run you all in that also means that you are going to be sitting on a sizeable war chest to be dealing with issues should they arise if you go FI.

I'm not trying to rain on your parade here, I think the Dinan stroker would be a cool thing to do were it much cheaper because FI is always going to be harder on the engine than a simple increase in displacement but the buy in costs are very very high for what you get. There is a reason why you can find all manner of people with FI but you cant hardly find a person that has gone the Dinan stroker route.

[fishbone0701]

When it comes to the warranty my local dealer used to be a Dinan dealer until they kept on repeatedly having to fight with Dinan to stand behind their product. It got to the point they were waiting for authorization for over 90 days from Dinan with irate customers. This became routine so they stopped dealing with the aggravation.

[crabman]

Originally Posted by SehrSchnell

How on earth is the stroker not legal? Same goes for FI? No idea why we have this conversation...

Read the fine print and you will find out the stroker requires the removal of the cats and the use of Dinans midpipe (among a number of other things $) in order to get the advertised hp. That is illegal in every state as it cannot be done legally under either EPA or CARB rules and all states must comply with one or the other. I never said anything about FI in that statement, only that his statement is incorrect and the stroker is not 50 state legal. So to answer your second question we are having this conversation because you were not paying attention.

However since you brought it up it is fair to say that Dinans stroker isn't the only thing gimped by leaving the midsection be, it also puts a hurt on the hp with FI and a good percentage of people who go FI dump the cats which you well know. All this is to say nothing of altering the tune which is also illegal in all 50 states as it also cannot be done under either EPA or CARB rules. Exactly how many FI M3s would you say there are running around without a tune?

[klammer]

And back to your regular scheduled programming

[GIdriver]

Originally Posted by klammer

And back to your regular scheduled programming

LOL!!!

[crabman]

Originally Posted by SehrSchnell

You are talking about the S3-R... the stroker is just part of that. But the stroker itself does obviously not require removing the cats, so your point is invalid there. Yes, a SC requires a tune... so what? You can run a 535 SC kit and leave all your cats intact with no problems, no legal issues.

I think we are basically talking about two different issues... and in the end the short answer is; FI is totally legal, because with most systems you can leave the exhaust alone, and there is nothing illegal about a tune.

Having said that, yes, many of us run a cat-less setup, but that has really nothing to do with this conversation.

No, I'm afraid its not. Changing the tune is prohibited by both the EPA and CARB unless the tune has been tested by and received an executive order from CARB. Since no M3 shop including ESS which made yours has an executive order number on the CARB website for their tune that means they are not emissions complaint and illegal. Perhaps I'm mistaken though and missed it and I'm sure if thats the case you will be happy to post the executive order number?

As to the stroker it does not make the power they advertise without the mid section so the point is quite valid. Since as advertised it is not emissions legal in any state that would seem to me to imply that saying it is fifty state legal is just a wee bit of a stretch.

[GIdriver]

[crabman]

Originally Posted by SehrSchnell

Again... the stroker is totally legal since it is the same engine with a larger displacement... you don't even need a tune for that, nor do you need the mid-racing pipe. It will simply make more power if you add those as well. But your main argument that the stroker is illegal is simple not true. Once you had the cat-less exhaust your car will not be street legal but it has absolutely nothing to do with the stroker motor. And that was your main argument.

As far as a tune not being street-legal... are you honestly telling me that this really matters in a car like that? C'mon... there is no state around that will check for that, nor does anybody give a shit. :

And yes, going 1mph above speed limit is technically illegal as well... but I think you'd be OK.

So to sum it up... if you leave your exhaust alone, no state will have a problem with you running a stroker-motor, or a supercharger.

So now we're backpeddling and you admit the tune is not legal whereas just a few posts up you were trying to say it was legal. Just in case you forgot here are your exact words, " there is nothing illegal about a tune" which were of course dead wrong.

And again, no you are wrong, the engine he is talking about as advertised and as installed in that car is not 50 state legal and is in fact not legal in any state. He was wrong when he said it and you are wrong when you repeat it. You were also wrong when you said it does not require a tune, it does, and in a minor miracle for Dinan that at least is included in the price unlike all the other parts like the mid pipe that are required to meet its advertised and sold as hp.

I haven't had a legal exhaust on a car since the 70s so I'm nobodies conscience and I aint here to preach but I don't pretend they're legal either or spread misinformation that they are such. Last word is yours.

[rjd598]

I don't see where the confusion is...schnell said that the tune isn't illegal and even if tunes need to be authorized by CARB standards I literally think there is a 0% chance of you getting in trouble for one. Who in this world will go into a na engine and dig around for a tune...nobody! It's just like going over the speed limit by 1mph. You'll never get in Trouble for such a thing just never. The stroker engine can't be illegal and nowhere on dinans site do they warn you about that. They specifically say the mid pipe is available for more power and never say they require it for the stroker engine. In fact they go on to say the car was tested only with the free flow exhaust aka just a muffler which is totally legal

[bigjae1976]

I think the Dinan S3-R would be amazing but I could buy another M3 for that much. What disappoints me is the suspension, especially for the non-EDC cars. Should use some upgraded dampers.

[EliteM3]

Schnell,

Do you live in California? My understanding was that a SC would not pass visual inspection here without a CARB number on it. This is why most SC systems claim 49 state legal.

And your right, the full dinan setup with throttle bodies isn't technically 50-state legal but would pass emissions tests it seems because the cats are still in place.

[rjd598]

Originally Posted by EliteM3

Schnell,

Do you live in California? My understanding was that a SC would not pass visual inspection here without a CARB number on it. This is why most SC systems claim 49 state legal.

And your right, the full dinan setup with throttle bodies isn't technically 50-state legal but would pass emissions tests it seems because the cats are still in place.

full dinan exhaust for our car takes out the cats so it will not pass smog in california

[Hologram7]

What differential are they running in Steve's car?

[e92involved]

Stroker is nice but alot of cash. Would rather have my VF everyday of the week. Plus the stroker doesnt make the noise my Tial wastegate makes when I take my foot off throttle

[Stealth ///M]

Originally Posted by e92involved

Stroker is nice but alot of cash. Would rather have my VF everyday of the week. Plus the stroker doesnt make the noise my Tial wastegate makes when I take my foot off throttle

You have a wastegate on a supercharged car? Is it vented to the atmosphere, or the downpipe?

Wow..

Gotta love the knowledgable owners.

[erm324]

Originally Posted by Stealth ///M

You have a wastegate on a supercharged car? Is it vented to the atmosphere, or the downpipe?

Wow..

Gotta love the knowledgable owners.

lmao.........

[e92involved]

Originally Posted by Stealth ///M

You have a wastegate on a supercharged car? Is it vented to the atmosphere, or the downpipe?

Wow..

Gotta love the knowledgable owners.

Lol are you trying to say I am not knowledgable and that I don't have a wastegate on my setup. Since there is no downpipe its to the atmosphere buddy...thanks for your fine words.