E36 M3....are they still fast?
Discussion
As above really, can an E36 M3 still cut the mustard....I'm getting to fever pitch to scratch an itch I've always had and seems a logical step to make from a 328i Sport which I love, but is a little asthmatic.
Still a quick car by 21st century standards? question is 3.0 or evo 3.2 and budget for vanos....
Still a quick car by 21st century standards? question is 3.0 or evo 3.2 and budget for vanos....
The vanos issue is very over-subscribed as an issue.
They're still decently quick cars. Sub-6 seconds and a very responsive throttle (save for the Evo which tends to be quite stiff in the pedal) certainly adds to the feel of the car.
The Evo obviously has the legs but the 3.0 is a lovely engine. The trademark I6 howl with a rev-happy nature certainly makes it involving.
Both cars have a tendency to understeer a little but this can be tweaked out. They're worth next to nothing now so can represent a good buy - providing you have the patience to find a decent, unmolested example.
They're still decently quick cars. Sub-6 seconds and a very responsive throttle (save for the Evo which tends to be quite stiff in the pedal) certainly adds to the feel of the car.
The Evo obviously has the legs but the 3.0 is a lovely engine. The trademark I6 howl with a rev-happy nature certainly makes it involving.
Both cars have a tendency to understeer a little but this can be tweaked out. They're worth next to nothing now so can represent a good buy - providing you have the patience to find a decent, unmolested example.
They represent a total bargain, I think I would go for the Evo model, and just scourer one with the right service history.
Are there any owners out there who've had both engined variants. I'd be interested to hear on experiences, you read up on the subject and you read that the 3.0 is 95% the car of the Evo, mind you I'm not sure if this is the same as the 205 GTi syndrome, where owners of 1.6 would swear its a better car and the truth is, they just wern't man enough for a 1.9...........
Are there any owners out there who've had both engined variants. I'd be interested to hear on experiences, you read up on the subject and you read that the 3.0 is 95% the car of the Evo, mind you I'm not sure if this is the same as the 205 GTi syndrome, where owners of 1.6 would swear its a better car and the truth is, they just wern't man enough for a 1.9...........
RemyMartin said:
As above really, can an E36 M3 still cut the mustard....I'm getting to fever pitch to scratch an itch I've always had and seems a logical step to make from a 328i Sport which I love, but is a little asthmatic.
Still a quick car by 21st century standards? question is 3.0 or evo 3.2 and budget for vanos....
12.0 0-100 and 13.8 quarter mile.....the figures speak for themselves. A very hard package to beat at the price point. Still a quick car by 21st century standards? question is 3.0 or evo 3.2 and budget for vanos....
RemyMartin said:
As above really, can an E36 M3 still cut the mustard....I'm getting to fever pitch to scratch an itch I've always had and seems a logical step to make from a 328i Sport which I love, but is a little asthmatic.
Still a quick car by 21st century standards? question is 3.0 or evo 3.2 and budget for vanos....
12.0 0-100 and 13.8 quarter mile.....the figures speak for themselves. A very hard package to beat at the price point. Still a quick car by 21st century standards? question is 3.0 or evo 3.2 and budget for vanos....
falkster is correct...3.2 Evos rarely make the claimed 320bhp (more like 300) and most well maintained 3.0 lumps make close to or on the specified 285bhp so the differnce isn't huge.
The earlier cars had slow steering racks and the 3.0l 4drs used the same suspension as the regular cars with sports package.
The Evos had revised suspension geometry and the saloons joined the coupes and convertibles in the set up.
The evos also had either 6 speed 'boxes or SMG all the 3.0l cars had the (stronger) 5 speed boxes. Neither version has ASC+T but all have ABS.
The SMG boxes are pretty awful and are horrendously expensive to fix/replace should they die...
Personally, if I were buying a saloon (4dr) then I'd go for the 3.2 version. If it was a coupe I'd go for the best available regardless of model or age.
The earlier cars had slow steering racks and the 3.0l 4drs used the same suspension as the regular cars with sports package.
The Evos had revised suspension geometry and the saloons joined the coupes and convertibles in the set up.
The evos also had either 6 speed 'boxes or SMG all the 3.0l cars had the (stronger) 5 speed boxes. Neither version has ASC+T but all have ABS.
The SMG boxes are pretty awful and are horrendously expensive to fix/replace should they die...
Personally, if I were buying a saloon (4dr) then I'd go for the 3.2 version. If it was a coupe I'd go for the best available regardless of model or age.
This is one of the cars I had hoped to own in my lifetime and I had always maintained they were fast even to todays standards. But looking at the 0-100 and 1/4mile times, my 4 pot diesel will be almost exactly the same 
The performance must feel raw and it will be an extremely exciting car I'd expect. It just depends whether your going to be put off by a remapped hot hatch keeping up with you away from the lights :/
The performance must feel raw and it will be an extremely exciting car I'd expect. It just depends whether your going to be put off by a remapped hot hatch keeping up with you away from the lights :/At the end of the day E36 M3 is an old 2-door saloon which was quick in its day and still stands up quite well.
Why not buy a newer and less exotic 2-door BMW which will have at least as much performance and almost certainly lower running costs?
Unless of course you're desperate for that magical "M3" badge....
Why not buy a newer and less exotic 2-door BMW which will have at least as much performance and almost certainly lower running costs?
Unless of course you're desperate for that magical "M3" badge....
Ozzie Osmond said:
At the end of the day E36 M3 is an old 2-door saloon which was quick in its day and still stands up quite well.
Why not buy a newer and less exotic 2-door BMW which will have at least as much performance and almost certainly lower running costs?
Unless of course you're desperate for that magical "M3" badge....
For the M3's price?Why not buy a newer and less exotic 2-door BMW which will have at least as much performance and almost certainly lower running costs?
Unless of course you're desperate for that magical "M3" badge....
An e46 330ci isnt quicker.
Plus i wouldnt say its just about a 'magical badge' it comes from a time when M-cars were M-cars.
That engine alone is a good enough reason to buy one.
The same reason why i would love a E30 M3, I'd be getting left for dust my modern hot hatches, but it isnt about that.
doogz said:
StottyZr said:
DPF delete as well as a remap, DXB would be proud 
With 204hp 1/4 is 15.2, should be doing ~14 now.
Really? How much power do those mods give? I've driven a 123d, and an M3 Evo, and one is noticeably faster than the other, although the 123d was standard at the time.With 204hp 1/4 is 15.2, should be doing ~14 now.
k15tox said:
Ozzie Osmond said:
At the end of the day E36 M3 is an old 2-door saloon which was quick in its day and still stands up quite well.
Why not buy a newer and less exotic 2-door BMW which will have at least as much performance and almost certainly lower running costs?
Unless of course you're desperate for that magical "M3" badge....
For the M3's price?Why not buy a newer and less exotic 2-door BMW which will have at least as much performance and almost certainly lower running costs?
Unless of course you're desperate for that magical "M3" badge....
An e46 330ci isnt quicker.
Plus i wouldnt say its just about a 'magical badge' it comes from a time when M-cars were M-cars.
That engine alone is a good enough reason to buy one.
The same reason why i would love a E30 M3, I'd be getting left for dust my modern hot hatches, but it isnt about that.
I'm not necessarily after the magical badge as one person put it, I just feel I really like a much faster version of what I already have.
Lets not talk about MR2 turbos which I'm also considering LOL
Devil2575 said:
StottyZr said:
But looking at the 0-100 and 1/4mile times, my 4 pot diesel will be almost exactly the same
What 4 pot diesel do you have that will do 0-100 in 12 seconds?Edit: Ah I see what you're getting at. I'd glanced past the 12secs 0-100 and focused on the 1/4.
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