South Africa’s First Nine-Second S55 BMW M3

We did it, South Africa!

The race to become the first S55-powered BMW M3 in the country to break into the nine-second quarter-mile bracket had been on—and we are incredibly proud to announce that our team achieved this milestone with our in-house car.

This result represents months of development, testing and fine-tuning. More importantly, it confirms that we have developed the combination required to build a genuine nine-second street-driven S55 M3.

Strada Performance Breaks the Barrier

Our partner, Kallin from Strada Performance, had been pioneering the local S55 platform for some time.

After previously setting an impressive benchmark with the car, he returned to the track determined to go faster. Not only did he improve on his previous personal best, but he also became the first driver to take an S55-powered BMW M3 into the nine-second bracket in South Africa.

It was a significant achievement for Kallin and a proud moment for everyone involved in developing the vehicle.

Built and Maintained by The 357

The record-breaking M3 was built and maintained by our mothership company, The 357.

The 357 has established an outstanding reputation in the South African automotive industry, particularly when it comes to BMW and other high-end performance vehicles.

With highly qualified technicians and extensive experience working on some of the country’s quickest street-driven BMWs, the team combines technical expertise with a strong commitment to customer service and workmanship.

Stock Engine and Stock Gearbox

What makes this achievement even more impressive is that the M3 was still running its original engine and gearbox.

Neither the engine nor the transmission had been opened, strengthened or internally upgraded. Our objective was to explore the capabilities of the factory components while maintaining a carefully calibrated and reliable setup.

This result demonstrates what can be achieved through the correct combination of quality hardware, careful development and experienced ECU calibration.

Performance is not simply about producing the largest possible dyno figure. It is about understanding the complete setup, managing the vehicle correctly and ensuring that every component works together.

A Focused Performance Setup

The M3’s performance package included:

• NV Performance in-house hybrid turbochargers
• A port-injection methanol system
• Custom calibration using the EcuTek platform
• An xHP transmission flash

That was the complete hardware combination.

With this carefully developed setup, the vehicle successfully entered the nine-second bracket at altitude while retaining its factory engine and gearbox.

The result proves that an effective performance build does not always require an unnecessarily complicated list of modifications. The right components, tuning and experience can make all the difference.

A Family Achievement

A special thank you goes to Knut Kolmel from Grand Tech Auto, our approved panel-beating partner.

Knut dedicated countless hours to the vehicle alongside his son, Kallin—Mr Strada himself. Watching a father and son work together with such commitment and passion was genuinely inspiring.

This achievement belongs to every person who contributed to the project, supported the team and believed in what we were working towards.

Family over everything.

Watch the record-breaking S55 M3

South Africa’s first nine-second S55 BMW M3.

NV Performance—over and out. ✌️