Every Little Thing
With the E46 M3, BMW corrected the previous-gen E36’s most obvious flaw: the relatively pedestrian 240-horsepower S50 engine. The E46’s S54 had a stout 333 horsepower and, finally, six glorious individual throttle bodies, and all was well in the world.
But there’s more. In order for the BMW M3 to be the M3, it must also be an excellent car. You know, one you can live with. The only other flaw consumers could possibly find with the E36 was a cheap and somewhat cramped interior. So the E46 debuted with a thoroughly redesigned interior and a longer wheelbase (up 1.0 inch), length (1.5 inches), width (1.6 inches) and track (2.6 inches). The E46 was better in every way, as an M3 and as an excellent all-around car.
Track-ready specials like an Ariel or Caterham may make some car folks spout idealism in misty-eyed prose. But there’s a utilitarian strength to a vehicle that does everything – every little thing – with nearly perfect execution. If you’re a devout fan of the all-around great cars like the BMW M3, Volkswagen GTI, or Honda Civic Si, you’re already familiar with the priorities emphasized by Paul in his letter to the church in Thessalonica:
“But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen and protect you from the evil one. We have confidence in the Lord that you are doing and will continue to do the things we command. May the Lord direct your hearts into God’s love and Christ’s perseverance. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we command you, brothers, to keep away from every brother who is idle and does not live according to the teaching you received from us. For you yourselves know how you ought to follow our example. We were not idle when we were with you, nor did we eat anyone’s food without paying for it. On the contrary, we worked night and day, laboring and toiling so that we would not be a burden to any of you.” (2 Thessalonians 3:4-8)
In the middle of theological epiphanies and spiritual admonitions, Paul takes time to talk about hard labor because there’s a utilitarian aspect of following Christ too. There’s value in good, honest work as a demonstration of how a person ought to live as they follow Christ while caring for family, feeding their dog, and troubleshooting their BMW’s VANOS system. Those things aren’t hindrances to a person’s devotion to God. They’re manifestations of their beliefs, and opportunities for God to guide and bless.
Some faith traditions encourage disciples to climb a remote mountain and ask questions of a reclusive mystic. Perhaps the first question should be, “Why aren’t you down in the village helping people?” Discipleship happens on the ground seven days a week. So does ministry (and most driving). Paul showed an excellent example of daily, all-around discipleship by avoiding idleness and being a blessing, not a burden, to his hosts.
If you want to see God at work, or want to do the work of God, go to work. Call your relatives. Donate something. Volunteer. Give blood. Pick up litter. You’ll get a glimpse of the full, all-around picture of discipleship to which God has called you – by working on these little things.
VANOS (BMW’s variable cam timing) was a part of E36 M3s, but the E46 had what BMW engineers called “Double VANOS” – the feature on exhaust and intake timing. The E46 also had a clever dual-resonance intake system with small openings in the ports designed to get decent swirl even at very small throttle openings. You know who cares about small throttle openings? People who drive the car every day. Those little openings are just some of the little things that add up to a great, big, full experience of a truly great car.
John V16 is the confluence of God and cars. Please support our work and donate a V16-powered 1940 Cadillac Series 90 Sixteen to John V16. Or share this article with a friend.
