1999 BMW 328i Sport

Highlights

• Fabulous 2.8-litre six-cylinder motor with sought-after five-speed manual
• Lovely colour combo and wheels
• Well equipped example
• Relatively low mileage and three owners from new
• Plenty of service history

Overview

There have been many pretty BMWs over the years, and recently a few not-so-pretty ones, too. But this BMW 328i Coupé Sport – indeed, all E36 3 Series for that matter – happily falls into the former camp. When the E36 first appeared in 1990, filling the huge hole left by the oh-so-loved E30, it immediately looked right. It still does, don’t you think?

Rumour has it the E36’s gestation was nine years, with development beginning way back in 1981. Its lines were penned by Pinky Lai, who later styled the Porsche 996, and Boyke Boyer. And what they created moved the 3 Series from a simple three-box design to a handsome and more aerodynamic wedge. The focus on aero even led to the now common practice of sitting the quad headlamps behind clear covers to clean up the airflow around the nose.

The bodywork was all new, then, and so was what lay underneath. An all-new chassis that featured MacPherson struts up front and a multi-link set-up at the rear. This rear ‘Z-Axle’ wasn’t actually new, mind, just new on a 3 Series. It first appeared in the Z1, and was a costly but effective way of delivering a more sumptuous ride with better handling characteristics – as in, a calmer rear end. Which was handy, because this was before the proliferation of xDrive, so all E36s are strictly rear-drive only.

The most sought-after E36s are arguably the M3 models, but easily the next best option would be one with the M52 straight-six. And the best of these was the 2.8-litre, delivering a healthy 190bhp at 5,500rpm and 207lb ft from just under 4,000rpm. You could have an auto with up to five gears, but what you really need to fully appreciate the beauty of this engine is the five-speed ZF manual, which this example has.

It’s a tidy-looking example, too. A late-model facelifted car, with clear indicators that look a bit more contemporary than the orange indicator cars. And doesn’t it look the part in Cosmos Black with those sexy BBS split-rims and that inviting, light grey leather interior?

Full disclosure time: this example is a Cat S, after some silly skallywag bumped into it in 2021. The car’s current owner describes that impact as low-speed and says the damage was relatively light. He even has pictures of the car when it was damaged to demonstrate this. However, officially Cat S means an element of structural damage that has to be declared fit and well following a technical inspection.

Documentation

• Registered 2nd March 1999, first registered at Cowies on Stockton and still on its original dealer plates
• Mileage at the time of listing is 83,112
• The current MOT runs until 2nd October 2024
• Generally, this car’s been used lightly since 2014, covering between 1,000 and 2,000 miles per year (according to its MOT history)
• Three owners from new. It was first registered as a demonstrator, then sold to its second owner in 2000, who kept it for 22 years. The current owner purchased it in 2022 as part of his small collection, which he’s now downsizing
• The car comes with its original BMW leather wallet containing all the booklets, including the handbook and service book.
• Supplied with the car is a document from BMW showing that between 22.03.99 and 03.01.14 this car visited main agents 20 times. However, the exact details of all those visits aren’t available (the dealers’ records don’t always go back that far) but we can tell you that the following services were carried out according to the records that are among all the invoiced and service history supplied with the car:
  • Inspection II on 03.03.08 at 36,607 miles
  • Oil Service on 05.02.10 at 40,000 miles
  • Inspection I on 13.06.11 at 50,738 miles
  • Oil Service on 22.03.12 at 59,196 miles
  • Oil Service 03.11.12 at 66,948 miles
  • Inspection II on 01.09.16 at 73,169
  • Oil Service on 16.05.18 at 75,848 miles
  • Inspection II service on 15.06.22 at 82,684 miles
  • A/C regas in 17.08.21 at 60,455

• x4 keys: two main keys, a service key, a plastic emergency key, plus two alarm fobs
• CAT S, which means the car has sustained some structural damage but has been repaired and declared fit and well following a technical inspection

Interior

• This 328i Sport comes with a great specification. This includes automatic climate control, electric front windows, trip computer, light grey leather, manual gearbox, driver’s side airbag, sports seats with extendable seat squabs, front centre armrest, and a leather M Sport steering wheel with contrasting M Sport stitching
• The vendor reports no issues with any of the equipment on board
• From the pictures the interior looks in great condition for the car’s age. The light grey leather seems to be very smart, bar some slight wear to the driver’s seat bolster
• Even the leather handbrake and gear lever trim show no obvious signs of wear
• The one-piece headlining, carpets, dashboard plastics and door cards all appear in good condition, with no obvious cracks or rips
• The more modern Pioneer head unit comes with the car
• In the boot, everything looks neat and tidy. The pictures also show the original BMW first aid kit in the right-hand corner and a complete toolkit – including the locking wheel nut

Exterior

• This car looks the business in Cosmos Black. In the pictures the paintwork certainly pops as well
• The owner describes the exterior condition as ‘very clean/tidy’ with some very light marks/dings, light scuffs and minor stone chips’. The pictures back this up. There do appear to be some stone chips on the front bumper, headlight surrounds and bonnet, plus a light mark in the bumper rubber on the near-side-front corner
• The aluminium door mirror housings also have some corrosion that’s lifted the paint, but this shouldn’t be too expensive to have rectified
• Those 17-inch BBS split-rim wheels look the biz and have faired pretty well. There’s some minor kerb damage, some light bubbling here and there and the lacquer on the polished edge is peeling in places. Nothing a refurb couldn’t sort out, though
• This 328i has a BMW rear boot spoiler with an integrated brake light and a lower rear diffuser. And being a six-cylinder car, there are a couple of handsome chrome tailpipes at the back, too
• All the exterior light lenses and glasswork appear to be free of cracks
• The owner says that underneath the car has never been welded, and all four jacking points are solid

Mechanical

• Next to an M3’s S50, this M52B28 24-valve straight six with variable valve timing (VANOS) has to be the motor to have with your E36. Especially when, as is the case here, it’s driving the rear wheels through a five-speed Getrag ‘box
• 2,793cc and rated to 190bhp at 5,500rpm and 207lb ft at 3,950rpm
• The vendor says the 2.8-litre ‘six’ runs smoothly and has no issues. It starts first time from cold, gets up to temperature just fine, and produces a ‘rich and raspy sound’ from those twin tailpipes
• We’re also told that the gearbox shifts smoothly through the gears and the whole car ‘drives very nice and tight’
• The tyres are matching Michelin Pilot Sport, and all four are described as having 5mm of tread left or more
• Under the bonnet, the engine bay looks to be remarkably clean and tidy for the car’s year and mileage
• We have no reports of any mechanical issues with the car

Summary

While an E30 is always a lovely thing, no question, the E36 was a worthy successor and, now, a fine modern classic in its own right. And you won’t find many in a better specification than this one.

The right 2.8-litre six-cylinder motor: check. The right gearbox, for anyone who calls themselves an enthusiast: check. One of the best colour combos inside and out, with a set of split-rim BBS rims: Check. What more could you ask for? Well, a few creature comforts, we suppose, and with climate control and a sumptuous leather interior, you’ve got those, as well.

Yes, it’s a Cat S car, but according to the owner the damage wasn’t too bad and he has the pictures, he says, to prove that. But officially, of course, Cat S means it required some structural work so you should chat with the owner and view those pictures for yourself.

The rest of the car’s history and condition point towards it being a nice example, though: a low ownership, low mileage and seemingly very well-cared-for example of the breed.

To arrange a viewing, please request this in the Q&A section. You can click through to the seller's profile and use the 'Email Me' function to arrange a viewing privately. This seller is located in Leicester.