E36 M3....are they still fast?

[fozzymandeus]

s m said:

Here's the relevant bit - it appears as if they have quoted him - maybe they did make it up or paraphrase it but somehow I'll believe he said something along those lines as it was also reported in "Fast Lane", "Car" and "Performance Car" at the time as well as Autocar - they were the main big UK car mags. It doesn't alter the car in any way though

Makes sense. Never a serious consideration for the name, just a bit of gossip. Typical journalistic license, nothing wrong with it but not to be taken too seriously.

I should really add my thoughts on the OP's question while I'm here:

"E36 M3....are they still fast?"

Yes.

[e21Mark]

A 328 might not be an M3 but you can still make them fun to drive with a few tweaks to the suspension and an extra bit of grunt from an inlet swap. Personally I've always been a fan of the built not bought ethos. Mind you, if I can find a decent car, at the right price, I quite fancy a e36 M3 myself.

My old e21 runs the same engine as the 328

[GarryA]

s m said:

fozzymandeus said:

s m said:

iSore said:

GarryA said:

Well it was an interview with BMW Motorsports top man at the time.

Really? Who?

Kalbfell, Karl-Heinz

The motoring press, especially the publications suggested, did have a habit of "extrapolation" from merest hints said by various officials, turning such things into full blown stories and FACT before two shakes of a lamb's tale. Autocar and Car particularly.

There's probably a grain of truth in the 330CSi story, what with the E30 M3 being the only car, at that time, to wear the badge, however I doubt it was ever seriously considered. Additionally, BMW suits from that era had a reputation for spreading a bit of smoke.

Here's the relevant bit - it appears as if they have quoted him - maybe they did make it up or paraphrase it but somehow I'll believe he said something along those lines as it was also reported in "Fast Lane", "Car" and "Performance Car" at the time as well as Autocar - they were the main big UK car mags. It doesn't alter the car in any way though

Too right, I hope my posts did not come across like that.

I am a fan of the E36 M3 and an ex E30 M3 owner, looking to go for an E46 CSL very soon.

[s m]

fozzymandeus said:

s m said:

Here's the relevant bit - it appears as if they have quoted him - maybe they did make it up or paraphrase it but somehow I'll believe he said something along those lines as it was also reported in "Fast Lane", "Car" and "Performance Car" at the time as well as Autocar - they were the main big UK car mags. It doesn't alter the car in any way though

Makes sense. Never a serious consideration for the name, just a bit of gossip. Typical journalistic license, nothing wrong with it but not to be taken too seriously.

I should really add my thoughts on the OP's question while I'm here:

"E36 M3....are they still fast?"

Yes.

Yep, loads of things like that happen in car development - Ammerschlager wanted all the E30 M3 chassis developments put on the standard E30 as he believed it improved the handling a lot.....BMW top brass blocked it as they wanted the M3 to remain the pinnacle and 'different'

[s m]

GarryA said:

Too right, I hope my posts did not come across like that.

Don't worry, I believed you Garry

[Pedmeister]

Devil2575 said:

k15tox said:

it comes from a time when M-cars were M-cars.

You'll find plenty of people who will tell you that the E36 M3 is not a proper M car.

Absolutely. The E36 M3 was not a patch on the original E30 M3 in terms of sheer driving pleasure/experience. The E30 M3 was a fully focused driver's car. The E36 was not the same type of animal at all, despite it being faster & more powerful.

[schuey]

I sold my E36 M3 evo saloon last year,being the 4 door made it better!
Very quick car on the road and track,cheap insurance(I'm 31) and cheap parts from ECP etc. Really good fun and I doubt you will buy anything near as quick and reliable for similar cash,mine was a main dealer px that a mate gave me a heads up about. £v.cheap! Obviously I got lucky there but even at 3-4k they are a bargain,anybody who thinks a remapped diesel is quicker needs to have a word with themselves in the mirror. Its no good having 500lbs of torque to crash in to your 4500 rpm limiter with when you can howl by in an M3.

Edited by schuey on Thursday 26th April 20:52

[Vladimir]

schuey said:

I sold my E36 M3 evo saloon last year,being the 4 door made it better!
Very quick car on the road and track,cheap insurance(I'm 31) and cheap parts from ECP etc. Really good fun and I doubt you will buy anything near as quick and reliable for similar cash,mine was a maie dealer px that a mate gave me a heads up about. £v.cheap! Obviously I got lucky there but even at 3-4k they are a bargain,anybody who thinks a remapped diesel is quicker needs to have a word with themselves in the mirror. Its no good having 500lbs of torque to crash in to your 4500 rpm limiter with when you can howl by in an M3.

Really? ;-) Not even remapped...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jKcxNoX17E0

[nonuts]

Vladimir said:

Really? ;-) Not even remapped...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jKcxNoX17E0

335d is very rapid, however for *fun* I would expect the M3 to be in a different league.

[schuey]

Vladimir said:

Really? ;-) Not even remapped...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jKcxNoX17E0

As it happens my old boss had a mapped 335d,it was the only diesel car I have ever been impressed by as it really was quick,but even so it was no M3. They are quick at low ish speed and on the motorway but get on a decent A road and that age old diesel problem of no revs soon catches you out.He had a CSL for going fast in!
Its the noise,handling and general coolness that makes a difference. Diesel BMW's are for reps and tightarses.

[Ozzie Osmond]

Buy an old M3 for £5,000 and the first service could easily cost you more than the car...

[rich85uk]

o/p yu willing to do a few mods to the M3? friend had the 3.0 M3 coupe with a few basic mods ( uprated LSD, new suspension,party stripped at the time, decat with aftermarket exhaust that came on the car)

and to be honest it went like stink!, about the same pace as a friends stage 1 evo 7. low down grunt was abit lacking compared to my 330ci but above 4k the engine came alive.

only downside was due to the new LSD his top speed came down to about 130mph, but that is still more than enough

[nonuts]

Ozzie Osmond said:

Buy an old M3 for £5,000 and the first service could easily cost you more than the car...

I'm not sure what would have to be wrong to get to that figure, but basically you'd have bought a total st heap and I don't think even they are going for £5k.

rich85uk said:

o/p yu willing to do a few mods to the M3? friend had the 3.0 M3 coupe with a few basic mods ( uprated LSD, new suspension,party stripped at the time, decat with aftermarket exhaust that came on the car)

Please don't, get a late Evo in good condition and keep it standard or get one that's already been butchered by someone else.

[RemyMartin]

Oh I would want a standard car for definite, id consider a cat back and carbon airbox filter jobbie for more noise but thats it.

trouble is I have my heart set on a mint hellrot or techno violet evo, I really don't want an Estoril or Arctic silver (already have that!) need to get me a ride in a nice evo as a base level.

[Vladimir]

schuey said:

As it happens my old boss had a mapped 335d,it was the only diesel car I have ever been impressed by as it really was quick,but even so it was no M3. They are quick at low ish speed and on the motorway but get on a decent A road and that age old diesel problem of no revs soon catches you out.He had a CSL for going fast in!
Its the noise,handling and general coolness that makes a difference. Diesel BMW's are for reps and tightarses.

Really? I had an absolute hoot in mine on the Llanberis pass and regularly drive the A and B roads to St Mawes just for fun. A sorted auto box keeps it in the sweet spot. It's actually into triple figures when they really start to stretch their legs. Long gearing plus 430ish lbs-ft keeps them pulling hard well up to very naughty speeds.

Neither a rep nor a tightarse. Just like a sorted RWD car with 300bhp and a tonne of torque.

Back to the OP, yes I do thnk an E36 M3 is fast, especially an Evo. I drove an old bosses one (new at the time) and it was properly rapid.

Edited by Vladimir on Thursday 26th April 21:53

[rich85uk]

RemyMartin said:

Oh I would want a standard car for definite, id consider a cat back and carbon airbox filter jobbie for more noise but thats it.

trouble is I have my heart set on a mint hellrot or techno violet evo, I really don't want an Estoril or Arctic silver (already have that!) need to get me a ride in a nice evo as a base level.

the cars do have room for improvement in terms of handling, my friends was a very capable track toy with the few mods stated and although in standard trim wouldnt be quite as quick i would imagine still quicker than most people give them credit for

[Fox-]

Vladimir said:

a tonne of torque.

Where do you like your torque, at the fly or at the wheels?

[e21Mark]

Devil2575 said:

k15tox said:

it comes from a time when M-cars were M-cars.

You'll find plenty of people who will tell you that the E36 M3 is not a proper M car.

Often those same people will never have owned or driven one,

Good luck to the OP. I hope you find a nice example and enjoy ownership of a pretty capable car.

[stropley]

Not strictly on topic but saw this & just had to throw it in front of this M3 fancier audience for discussion - a '46 for under 5K :

http://www4.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

[Output Flange]

Ozzie Osmond said:

Buy an old M3 for £5,000 and the first service could easily cost you more than the car...

Yeah.

Except it couldn't.

Even swapping the engine doesn't cost anywhere near that.

Good hyperbole, though.