Diesel performance and BMW — two things that don’t live in the same universe, unless your name is Matt Santjer. Santjer’s 335D BMW is a gnarly German luxury car that makes crazy horsepower with its six-cylinder 3.0-liter engine.
This BMW is ready to be a player in the ODSS 6.70 index class and show everyone you don’t need a diesel truck to go fast.
The 335D that Santjer campaigns is powered by one of BMW’s M57 engines; this inline six-cylinder powerplant uses a common rail injection system and comes from the factory with a single turbo. Santjer’s BMW has three compound turbos, uses a Santjer dual injection pump system, and is fed fuel by a set of S&S 100-percent over injectors. BRR Tuning calibrates the ECU. This combination puts down 700 horsepower on the dyno and still gets 30 miles per gallon when Santjer drives the BMW on the street.
Santjer brought his BMW to an ODSS event at Piedmont Dragway and entered two different classes so he could get plenty of laps in to gather data. The results speak for themselves, with Santjer setting several personal bests, including an impressive 1.589 60-foot…not bad for a luxury sedan. In this video from Drag Racing and Car Stuff, you get to see Santjer line up against several different trucks, which is entertaining to watch. Sinter steps away from index racing on one pass and shows the BMW’s true potential as he rips off a 6.30-second pass. The BMW isn’t just a pretty face, it’s also very consistent and Santjer motored to a final round appearance in the 6.70 Index class before he drove it home after the event.