How does the steering system of the E46 M3 differ from that of the regular E46 3 Series?
Like all E46 3 Series, the E46 M3 utilizes a rack-and-pinion steering design with engine-speed-sensitive variable power assist. However, the system has been modified with special knuckles and a slower overall ratio of 15.4:1 (versus 13.7:1 in the standard E46 3 Series). A slightly quicker 14.5:1 steering rack is used in the M3 CSL and M3 ZCP/CS models.