RE: Spotted: BMW 320Si
Discussion
Usget said:
The trouble with this car is that they could have made it so much better. "If we're going to do a homologation special, then let's do it properly, Fritz," they could have said.
Instead, to all intents and purposes, it's a normal 320i with some nice wheels.
So no, it's not the spiritual successor to the E30 M3.
Its not though is it really. Its got a different cylinder bore etc to make it more revvy in the high end, its got a carbon engine cover and other bits to make the C of G lower.Instead, to all intents and purposes, it's a normal 320i with some nice wheels.
So no, it's not the spiritual successor to the E30 M3.
Whether all those tiny mods make a difference is where the point lies, I suspect the difference is marginal but I do like the idea! As has been said, its more like the E30 and E36 318is than a full blown M3!
I bet it doesnt have an LSD and they couldnt up the power to 200bhp or something.
Sounds an interesting car.
Autocar article here: http://www.autocar.co.uk/car-review/bmw/3-series/f...
... states it was sold for LESS than the standard 320i. It also had larger brakes to go with the engine mods.
There is no point comparing it to older M3s etc. It is a 2006 E90 for £10k but is a much more interesting buy than the equivalent 320i/320d at around the same price.
Not all homologation specials were like an Integrale Evo. Some were much closer to this 320si in terms of how much they differed from the base production car.
If you're not after (or, for example, can't insure) a high performance car this looks like an interesting alternative to the warm hatches and equivalent diesels that those buyers might be looking at.
Autocar article here: http://www.autocar.co.uk/car-review/bmw/3-series/f...
... states it was sold for LESS than the standard 320i. It also had larger brakes to go with the engine mods.
There is no point comparing it to older M3s etc. It is a 2006 E90 for £10k but is a much more interesting buy than the equivalent 320i/320d at around the same price.
Not all homologation specials were like an Integrale Evo. Some were much closer to this 320si in terms of how much they differed from the base production car.
If you're not after (or, for example, can't insure) a high performance car this looks like an interesting alternative to the warm hatches and equivalent diesels that those buyers might be looking at.
http://www.evo.co.uk/carreviews/evocarreviews/2005...
I like it and so did EVO when they reviewed it.
I like it and so did EVO when they reviewed it.
boy said:s m said:
Don't quite a few of these develop 'engine problems' - often resulting in a new engine?
They do indeed.Personally I wouldn't give the steam off my piss for one of these, the certainly aren't anything like an E30 M3.
There were quite a lot of software updates done and the valve clearances need to be checked frequently.
Not saying don't buy one but certainly check the engine carefully.
MiseryStreak said:
Yeah, a spiritual successor to the E30 M3, except for the fact that the 20 year older car had much more power, a lot less weight and a whole heap more desirability.
It's a spiritual successor to the E36 M 318is , which was another homologation special. That one had an M3-esque body kit, a slightly raised rear spoiler, but did not have M3 mirrors or M3 alloys. On the rubbing strip (M3 thickness rather than 318i narrow) in the position that the E36 M3 had a small M3 logo the M 318is had a little Motorsport flag logo which I thought looked OK. CAR magazine gave it a warm-ish review at the time (1994), but like the 320si it was not extremely fast, and was reasonably pricy.http://www.google.com/search?q=M318is+E36&rlz=...
http://www.google.com/search?q=M318is+E36&rlz=...
kambites said:
s m said:
Some are on their third engine at 90k and they have full BMW SH.
That's worse than a TVR! 
However, I would suggest, as the engines are rare on secondhand market, checking the engine over thoroughly. There seems to be a high percentage of engine failures without being alarmist. Unlike a Nicasil 328i block where you can get a replacement cheapish, I don't think you would have such an option with a 320Si
http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=525...
Edited by s m on Wednesday 30th January 12:31
dibblecorse said:
Dan, playing devils advocate, why ?
Maybe I'm the sap I described in my own intro to the piece but I just love the bloody mindedness of going ahead and building a car that made no marketing sense, is an impossible sell on the performance numbers compared with others in the same range and is basically a bog-standard saloon with a really trick engine whose attributes bear no relevance to road driving whatsoever. And I love the wheels. 
I'm stubborn enough to like a car purely on the basis that most people don't get it too!Maybe I'm just being a bit rose-tinted and/or deliberately eccentric. But there's just a huge amount that appeals to the inner geek in *me* and I thought I'd try and sell the case with a bit of a yarn.
Didn't really succeed in that, as it goes!
Dan
Devil2575 said:
http://www.evo.co.uk/carreviews/evocarreviews/2005...
I like it and so did EVO when they reviewed it.
They make it sound pretty interesting. Maybe it has to be driven to be appreciated.I like it and so did EVO when they reviewed it.
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