[Mr. 5]

Wow man!
That drop in looks great!!
I'd like to check one of those out.

Originally Posted by tom @ eas

Look into the Macht Schnell filters for the N54 engines:


Macht Schnell - N54B30 High Performance Panel Filter
http://www.europeanautosource.com/pr...oducts_id=2205

This was one of the first mods we performed on our 1-series project, before switching to a DCI setup.



100% correct. Here's an article we did on the e46 M3 filter:

Most gotton-gauze filters will share the same characteristics - cotton, oil, mesh and rubber/polyurethane construction. The MS54B32 goes a bit further. We'll start with pleat depth.

Pleat Depth

The MS54B32 filters are made up from an 8-layer construction with an approximate 1.5" pleat depth. As reference, K&N & aFe's depth measurement is only about 0.75". Pleat count & depth play very important roles in filtration - while providing maximum airflow, in a safe and efficient manner.



Layers

The Macht Schnell MS54B32 are an 8-layer construction, twice as many cotton piles as K&N and aFe. This allows more filtering and greater oil saturation for dust collection.

Wicking

An important factor not really talked about in the past is the bleed area or "wicking". This is the urethane bleed that is soaked up by the gauze, reducing the surface area of the filter and limiting airflow:

Here's an example of poor wicking on a popular panel-type filter:



The Macht Schnell MS54B32 filters have very little bleed, keeping the wick area to a minimum and permitting maximum airflow:



The MS54B32 filter is a specific e46 M3 filter and set to be the best filter on the market for your M3 - not a "one size fits all" application.

Is it the cheapest? probably not. The best? Without a doubt. Rest assured - you are getting the best stock-replacement filter for your BMW's powerplant.

[NoMods]

waste of money, no performance gains at all - iirc oily residue on your sensors too.

[Mr. 5]

Originally Posted by armoredsaint

waste of money, no performance gains at all - iirc oily residue on your sensors too.

What sensors? Do you mean the MAF that we don't have?

[ToadHollow]

Originally Posted by Mr. 5

What sensors? Do you mean the MAF that we don't have?

.......... must be thinking about a past vehicle.

[tom @ eas]

Originally Posted by Mr. 5

Wow man!
That drop in looks great!!
I'd like to check one of those out.

You're nearby, drop by if you'd like. However at your stage - I'd look into a DCI instead.