The New Era of BMW Engine Swaps is Here: Welcome to the B48 Revolution
BMW swaps are entering a completely new chapter and the B48 is at the center of it. If you have an E30 or E36 or E46 and you want modern power with real reliability and huge tuning potential, the B48 is quickly becoming the go to engine. It brings everything people love about newer BMW motors while keeping the classic chassis feel we all enjoy.
The B48 is lightweight. It is turbocharged. It responds extremely well to tuning. The aftermarket is exploding. And best of all there are tons of engines available since BMW produced them in massive numbers.
This is exactly why we at Garagistic have teamed up with Strom to bring the community a full roadmap on how to swap this engine into older chassis in a clean and repeatable way. Our goal is simple. Give you the parts. Give you the information. Show you everything step by step so you can build a modern powered classic that rips on the street and at the track.
Why the B48
The B48 balances modern engineering with real world usability. It has a compact aluminum block. It has a twin scroll turbo that delivers fast spool and a wide torque band. It was built to handle daily abuse and long term reliability which makes it perfect for track builds.
You get modern power levels in a light package. You get great cooling efficiency. You get strong aftermarket support. And you get an engine that still feels like a BMW.
What Strom Has Already Proven With Their B46 Cars
Before bringing the B48 swap to the public, Strom spent years developing their B46 race program. Those cars showed what a modern turbo four can really do when engineered correctly.
They built complete race cars with port plus direct injection, race ready cooling systems, custom turbo and exhaust setups, and engine management that allowed multiple power levels and boost strategies.
These cars were tested hard. They were run at real tracks. They were pushed in real competition. And that knowledge feeds directly into the B48 swap program. Everything from fueling to cooling to wiring to tuning has already been developed at a race car level.
That means you benefit from proven experience instead of starting from zero.
The Garagistic Grip E36 B48 Swap
Our own E36 called "Just a 92" is now fully B48 swapped in partnership with Strom. This is the same chassis that went viral for running a 1 minute 59 second lap at Buttonwillow with only about 150 horsepower.
Now that same car is getting real power. Real torque. Real boost. And all the modern engine management that comes with the B48.
We are currently setting up the car to compete in the 2026 season of Grid Life GLTC.
Listen the noise of the B48 E36 Here!
Why GLTC is the Perfect Proving Ground
Grid Life GLTC is one of the most exciting and competitive grassroots racing series in the country. The racing is close. The rules focus on power to weight balance. The cars are real builds that people can actually replicate. There are multiple sprint races in a weekend so reliability matters just as much as speed.
This makes GLTC the perfect place to prove what a properly swapped B48 can do inside a classic BMW chassis. It rewards momentum, balance, repeatability, and smart engineering. Exactly the things that make the B48 shine.
What We Are Bringing to the Community
Garagistic and Strom are creating a complete B48 swap ecosystem.
You will get
• A full parts list for the swap
• Engine mount solutions
• Cooling solutions
• Fueling guidance, including port injection setups
• Wiring and ECU options
• Exhaust and turbo placement info
• Drivetrain recommendations
• Track proven setups
• And a complete video series showing everything step by step
We are documenting the entire build process so you can follow along and learn what it really takes to bring a modern engine into an older BMW without the guesswork and frustration that usually comes with swaps.
Enjoy some progress photos!
