When you think of a BMW E46 convertible, you probably picture something clean and classy cruising down the street. But this one? It’s a whole different beast. The star of the show is its wild rocket-bunny style wide body kit, with those massive overfenders that completely transform the car’s presence.
This style blew up in the JDM scene years ago, and for good reason – it just works. While it’s nothing like BMW’s own M3 wide body, these flares actually throw back to the boxy, muscular E30 3-series days. Along with a bunch of other mods big and small, these fenders turn this convertible from mild-mannered to straight-up aggressive.
The E46 Convertible Build
After the introduction of the E46 M3 GTR, many BMW fans realized that a wide body makes the car look much sexier, but the owner of this awesome-looking 330ci decided to go even further and outfit his convertible with a set of Rocket Bunny Style overfenders.
“ many BMW fans realized that a wide body makes the car look much sexier, but the owner of this awesome-looking 330ci decided to go even further”
Performance
Under the hood, this E46 rocks a 3.0L straight-six that’s been woken up with some choice bolt-ons. We’re talking Castle headers for better flow, a cold air intake letting it breathe easier, SAP delete for cleaner engine bay aesthetics, and beefier performance coil packs to keep the ignition strong. The car sits proper on coilovers, giving it that perfect stance and handling to match the aggressive looks.
Wheels
The wheel setup is represented by Ferrada FR4s rims in a staggered fitment, with 19×9.5s up front and meaty 19×10.5s in the rear, filling out those wide fenders perfectly.
Exterior
Speaking of the body, it’s decked out with an M3 front bumper, Mtech 2 rear bumper, and that sweet duck bill wing adding some extra attitude. The front lip and rear diffuser keep things looking race-ready, while opaque halos and LED upgrades (both tail lights and Dipo turn signals) refresh the lighting all around. Of course, those wide body overfenders are still the main event, with exposed rivets.
List of Modifications
Engine
- 3.0 in-line 6
- Castles headers
- Cold air intake
- SAP delete
- Performance coil packs
Suspension
- Coilovers
Wheels
- Ferrada FR4 19×9.5 and 19×10.5
Exterior
- M3 front bumper
- Mtech 2 rear bumper
- Duck bill wing
- Rear bumper diffuser
- Front lip
- Opaque halos
- Wide body kit
- Slotted and drilled rotors
- Led tailights
- Dipo led turn signals
Interior
- Touch screen stereo
- Ambient lights
- Interior swap
- Carbon fiber trim
Interview with the Owner
Why have you decided to buy a convertible?
– I drove a convertible and fell in love, theirs nothing better than cruising with the top down in 70° weather.
Why did you choose a BMW E46?
– The E46 is just the best looking BMW, the E46 had so much potential.
What inspired you to bring it to the current state?
– I love seeing what a car starts out and what it could be and turning that dream into a reality.
What challenges did you face while putting it together?
– When I bought the car I had some title issues because it came from another state, I bought the car completely stock and needing a lot of work to get it to where it is today.
What do you love about your car?
– I love everything about my car, from the way it drives to the power when I put my foot down to throwing the top down and driving through the mountains or a night cruise.
Is it your daily or a weekend ride?
– This is my weekend car.
How often do you drive with the top down?
– When the weather permits it’s top down, and if it’s a little too chilly I’ll turn on the heater or throw on a jacket.
Conclusion
Despite concerns of some BMW purists, the wide-body fenders actually suit the car quite nicely, especially with a set of properly-sized Ferrada FR4 rims (19×9.5 front and 19×10.5 rear) reminding the E46 M3 GTR edition. Upfront is the M3-style bumper with a black chin spoiler which continues the theme of the trunk duckbill spoiler and rear diffuser.
“Despite concerns of some BMW purists, the wide-body fenders actually suit the car quite nicely”
| Parts Category | Difficulty Rating* |
|---|---|
| Suspension Mods: | 6/10 |
| Performance Mods: | 5/10 |
| Exterior Mods: | 10/10 |
| Interior Mods: | 2/10 |
* Based on our build difficulty evaluation system ⓘ
The star of this build is clearly the exterior mods, maxing out at 10 points with that eye-catching wide body conversion leading the charge. Under the hood, the 3.0L straight-six picks up 5 points worth of bolt-ons, while the coilover setup adds a solid 6 points to the handling department. Inside, the cabin keeps things street-focused at 5 points, blending comfort with carbon fiber attitude.
Watch the progress and find out more about this BMW E46 project by visiting the Instagram profile of the owner: @thiccc_E46!
Stay tuned for more convertible car reviews on Specs&Mods.com – Follow us on social media, and share this write-up if you enjoyed reading it!
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