Lets talk E36 vs E46 for a track car

[LTW_Yup]

I acquired a fairly well specced E36 328i track car earlier this year and despite having it on track for a matter of hours and then the diff falling out of the car, i thought the chassis was absolutely fantastic. The question I have is, would there really be a huge benefit in moving into the E46 M3 platform over the E36 platform for a pure track car?

My thinking is I have a decent E36 shell in a good colour (boston green) with a lot of nice bits on it (full LTW kit, M3 hubs, brakes, a full cage, reinforced subframe, coilovers etc.), but I cant make my mind up whether to just stick with the E36 chassis and spend all of my money on that. I was thinking if I were to do it, Id want to do it properly (S54, KWs/Nitrons, AP5000R etc.), but im just looking for people who have built both and would recommend one over the other and if its really worth the hassle of moving into the 46 chassis with the S54 already in it but starting from ground zero.

Obviously when going to a 46 i'd have the unknown of potentially buying something where the subframe could rip out of the car and not to mention the other pitfalls that 46 M3s can have with them.

I dont want to be that guy but I see 36s going nearly as fast as 46s on the ring, and whilst I would mainly be staying in the UK for my track time, it still makes me wonder if theres any real benefit of a properly built 46 M3 over a properly built E36.

So i put it to you guys, what do you think? would I be stupid to start over in a 46? Or is the 36 chassis good enough to warrant me spending thousands to make it a proper tool?

[Steve H]

I have a 36 M3 and have raced a 36 328 so I’m biased but………….

The biggest/only pace restriction on a 36 is tyre size as far as I can see. Pretty much everything else has been developed for the 36 in terms of powertrain, suspension etc. But if you want big widths the 46 accommodates better.

Possibly the 36 can be modified but I am not sure, possibly it doesn’t actually need the same width to do the same pace.


But 36s are still racing competitively against current machinery and 46s in power/weight classes, there’s not much else from the 90s that is.

[LTW_Yup]

Ive got a 17x9 square setup on mine at the moment with a 245/40/17 but could go up to a 255 so tyre wise i can go fairly wide.

I think it might just be worth putting the money into the 36 chassis.

[Steve H]

I’m inclined to agree, the 36 is just a great thing to have.

For comparison on the tyres, I was out in a 46 recently that had 295 all round. Massive grip but as I said before, the 36 may be able to do the same thing on less rubber.

[Bright Halo]

Is there much weight difference between the two?

[Steve H]

Probably around 100kg depending on spec etc.

[braddo]

To me it doesn’t make sense to sink a load of money making a 3-series a lot quicker than what you have now. I would suggest you fix and enjoy the E36 and then when you want a speed upgrade go to a caterham.

The thousands you will spend on upgrades and running costs can finance a £20k caterham easily, which is quicker, can do more track miles every day and hold their value.

https://www.pistonheads.com/buy/listing/18532050

Or a hot Honda Elise or VX220 turbo etc for something with more crash safety and/or usability.

[Tommie38]

I guess I m partly qualified to answer having owned E36 M3 Evo and E46 M3. Both modified and tracked but not dedicated track cars. I ve had something like 5 friends with E92 M3s in various flavours so have a reasonable amount of seat time in those too.

If it were my money I d be buying an E92 M3 or even an F82 M4 and doing less mods. Brakes, suspension, tyres and seats. I d probably go DCT. Main reason for me would be the speed difference. E92 is a step up and the F82 cars are miles faster, particularly if you tune the motor.

I know not that helpful an answer !

Edited by Tommie38 on Sunday 27th July 14:36

[Digga]

Tommie38 said:

I guess I m partly qualified to answer having owned E36 M3 Evo and E46 M3. Both modified and tracked but not dedicated track cars. I ve had something like 5 friends with E92 M3s in various flavours so have a reasonable amount of seat time in those too.

If it were my money I d be buying an E92 M3 or even an F82 M4 and doing less mods. Brakes, suspension, tyres and seats. I d probably go DCT. Main reason for me would be the speed difference. E92 is a step up and the F82 cars are miles faster, particularly if you tune the motor.

I know not that helpful an answer !

Is faster always 'better' though?

The E36 is almost a sweet spot for chassis weight and with any 2.5+ 6 cylinder, it's plenty fast. It's easy to keep upgrading the platform, but having something a bit more affordable is not without merit on track days.