M3 on Top Gear

[dtmpower]

When discussing Hammond's choice of the e36 Clarkson mentioned "...you've bought the wrong one". Hammond replied instantly that the e30 m3 was too expensive given that it's a modern classic.

I have a feeling that Clarkson is much sharper than Hammond and actually meant that he bought the wrong model of the e36 - he bought the fragile 3,2 double vanos engine with the 6 speed gearbox. Where as Clarkson would have bought the earlier 3.0 with the 5 speed gearbox.

Anyone else agree with me ?

[hyperblue]

Yeah I took it as meaning that too, Hammond's reply seemed like he missed the mark.

[rb5230]

pretty sure he meant it as they all took it. The bmw was from 1996 wheras the others were from the 80s, but then an original m3 would have been way out of budget. Not really a fair test given the huge difference in power and one car being 10 years younger. An original m3 had they not been so expensive would have made for a much fairer test.

[TheEnd]

rb5230 said:

pretty sure he meant it as they all took it

It's so well rehearsed, that of course he meant the e30. They'd have picked it up during the scripting otherwise.

[smack]

The stearing rack on the 3.0 is pants apparently, according to ASBO or whatever he called is now. Anyhow, that is my excuse for bending my mates one in the mid 90's!

He got the front end resprayed as it was stoned chiped to hell, he actually was happy!

[SDxsi]

TheEnd said:

rb5230 said:

pretty sure he meant it as they all took it

It's so well rehearsed, that of course he meant the e30. They'd have picked it up during the scripting otherwise.

Was the E30 M3 not available as a 2 door coupe only? The challenge was a 4 door saloon. I think he meant the 3.0 5 speed rather than the 3.2 6 speed.

[barefoot]

Didn't Hammond also say the original one is now a classic you cant buy one for under 15k? Which obviously refers to the E30, I don't think he or James May were referring to the 5 speed E36!

[SDxsi]

The OP was on about what Clarkson said though, not Hammond. Clarkson was refering to the 3.0 5 speed and Hammond took it as he meant the E30.

[TheEnd]

Top Gear - Scripted...

If Hammond got it wrong, it would have been reshot in an instant.

Edited by TheEnd on Monday 5th July 09:55

[dtmpower]

SDxsi said:

The OP was on about what Clarkson said though, not Hammond. Clarkson was refering to the 3.0 5 speed and Hammond took it as he meant the E30.

This is exactly what I meant.

[pat_y]

having owned both versions of e36 i can honestly say in standard form the 3.2 evo is a much better car in nearly every way.

[dan101smith]

dtmpower said:

SDxsi said:

The OP was on about what Clarkson said though, not Hammond. Clarkson was refering to the 3.0 5 speed and Hammond took it as he meant the E30.

This is exactly what I meant.

I'm 100% sure that's not what he meant, because the 3.0 is worse than the 3.2 for track work, and this was a trackday toy feature.

[rb5230]

dan101smith said:

dtmpower said:

SDxsi said:

The OP was on about what Clarkson said though, not Hammond. Clarkson was refering to the 3.0 5 speed and Hammond took it as he meant the E30.

This is exactly what I meant.

I'm 100% sure that's not what he meant, because the 3.0 is worse than the 3.2 for track work, and this was a trackday toy feature.

+1, its so obvious what he meant, why would he have anything to say about a less powerful version of the exact same model?

[VX Foxy]

TheEnd said:

Top Gear - Scripted...

If Hammond got it wrong, it would have been reshot in an instant.

Exactly! Do people think it's all ad lib?!

[MarkwG]

Only seen the latter half of the show, but having seen the car - he could easily have bought a better one for that money, surely...?!

[TheEnd]

It's on iPlayer now.

They've edited it so now it's James May that says "you've bought the wrong one"

[Luke.]

TheEnd said:

It's on iPlayer now.

They've edited it so now it's James May that says "you've bought the wrong one"

Really? How odd.

[BluePurpleRed]

dtmpower said:

When discussing Hammond's choice of the e36 Clarkson mentioned "...you've bought the wrong one". Hammond replied instantly that the e30 m3 was too expensive given that it's a modern classic.

I have a feeling that Clarkson is much sharper than Hammond and actually meant that he bought the wrong model of the e36 - he bought the fragile 3,2 double vanos engine with the 6 speed gearbox. Where as Clarkson would have bought the earlier 3.0 with the 5 speed gearbox.

Anyone else agree with me ?

Sorry, I don't. I think its mostly PH that perpetuates the myth that all 3.2 Evo's will grenade their VANOS inside 2 minutes. Also the fact that he is saying that you can't get a good one for under 15k proves that. The Evo has lots more improvements over the 3.0, engine aside. If it is looked after then it won't be 'fragile'.

Its like the TVR and Lotus mickey taking. Yeah if you give a wannabe a premium car made in low volume, and they run it on a shoestring for years it will die all the time by the time it gets to 'classic' status.

The E36 is in this stage of not being modern enough for the keep up with the Joneses types, who will still get away with a late E46 and beyond and it doesn't have its own cult like the E30 yet. I think it might not get cult status, but for me it was great when shopping for it, 5 - 7 k gets you a great one and so its much nicer inside and faster than a similarly priced 944 S2 / turbo (stock) and a lot cheaper and more practical than a 911 / TVR etc.

Having said that I am going to move soon to another unpopular car which I think is undervalued.. the Maserati 3200 after I have been on a Euro trip with my Evo.

Edited by BluePurpleRed on Monday 5th July 13:30

[dtmpower]

BluePurpleRed said:

dtmpower said:

When discussing Hammond's choice of the e36 Clarkson mentioned "...you've bought the wrong one". Hammond replied instantly that the e30 m3 was too expensive given that it's a modern classic.

I have a feeling that Clarkson is much sharper than Hammond and actually meant that he bought the wrong model of the e36 - he bought the fragile 3,2 double vanos engine with the 6 speed gearbox. Where as Clarkson would have bought the earlier 3.0 with the 5 speed gearbox.

Anyone else agree with me ?

Sorry, I don't. I think its mostly PH that perpetuates the myth that all 3.2 Evo's will grenade their VANOS inside 2 minutes. Also the fact that he is saying that you can't get a good one for under 15k proves that. The Evo has lots more improvements over the 3.0, engine aside. If it is looked after then it won't be 'fragile'.

Its like the TVR and Lotus mickey taking. Yeah if you give a wannabe a premium car made in low volume, and they run it on a shoestring for years it will die all the time by the time it gets to 'classic' status.

The E36 is in this stage of not being modern enough for the keep up with the Joneses types, who will still get away with a late E46 and beyond and it doesn't have its own cult like the E30 yet. I think it might not get cult status, but for me it was great when shopping for it, 5 - 7 k gets you a great one and so its much nicer inside and faster than a similarly priced 944 S2 / turbo (stock) and a lot cheaper and more practical than a 911 / TVR etc.

Having said that I am going to move soon to another unpopular car which I think is undervalued.. the Maserati 3200 after I have been on a Euro trip with my Evo.

Edited by BluePurpleRed on Monday 5th July 13:30

I was not trying to dissect whether an E36 3.0 or 3.2 warrants 'classic' status.

It was purely that Clarkson very quickly said - "you've bought the wrong one"

I doubt he meant buying a BMW was his intention - it was model specific, which in my opinion he didn't mean an E30 as he would know instantly they are out of the price range of the challenge and they were only ever 2 door coupés.

I can see that Top Gear is likely very staged and scripted but most of pistonheads would agree with me that the 3.0 is a better track base than a 3.2 and with so did Clarkson....

[manand38]

Is not the a variant of the 3.2 used in the Z3M Coupe, Z4M Coupe and E46 M3?