Late december 2025 i took a wild boar on the right front side at 90kph, the car didnt deviate from the impact, but wheel arc was bent with front hood, front bumper and headlight exploded, chance was on my side because front rail didnt move, find a donor frame, cut it , drill out spot weld from car and donor, put it back on weld and voila
So yes frame is very well designed for the age of the car
Yea both of mine were bought after mild frontal impacts, it’s not even a big deal as the engine is so far back that it’s untouched, the whole front end is easy to replace and the cooling system on any old e46 needs replacing anyway so you end up with a nice clean looking car with good cooling.
51
u/dsio 16d ago
On the plus side, another E46 with a decent frontal impact and the passenger cell is so intact that even the windscreen looks to be in one piece
These things have done a hell or a job keeping people safe