Originally Posted by Driftster (Post 94088)

I think this new BRZ/GT86 is a smart car, a very smart car brought out at the perfect time in the automotive world to be a sure fire hit and generate tons of money..

but...it's lacking the character of the M3 in a HUGE way..

Spec wise i'm fairly sure the BRZ/GT86 would turn out to be the superior on track vehicle stock for stock..

but once modification came into play it's a new ball game...


Let's not forget the M3 engine and the engines associated with it's timeline were some of the strongest engines for abuse ever produced outside of American big blocks...


I don't think any other 4 cylinder in the history of automobiling can claim that factory racing teams bought them used, set them out side in the rain and snow, were frequently urinated...And finally brought indoors cleaned up, turbocharged to in excess of 1300HP and put into a formula 1 car..


And i doubt the Fa20 will pose a threat to that story.

Originally Posted by mines13 (Post 94119)

Great story, except the E30 m3 engine was never used in f1. the 1.5l inline 4 was pupose built for f1. I think the OP makes a great point with the comparison.

Originally Posted by Mitch (Post 94124)

The story is that the blocks were sourced from high mileage cars (since they'd been proven to be free of manufacturing defects). The rest of the F1 engine was built around it. But the way I remember the story it was the M10 block (the engine on which the S14 is based, but not the S14 itself). I've never seen official documentation or anything, but that's what I remember.

Originally Posted by mines13 (Post 94127)

the block dates back to the 1960s, pretty much all bmw 4bangers into the 1980s can vauglely trace their lineage back to the m10, but they are not the same. in the same way an ls3 can trace its history ack to an iron block 327/350 from a malibu, chevelle, etc from the 60s.

Originally Posted by Eldorian (Post 94875)

This thread reminds me of how ugly cars from the 80s were. Looks like the Hammerhead-i Eagle Thrust.

Originally Posted by Eldorian (Post 94875)

This thread reminds me of how ugly cars from the 80s were. Looks like the Hammerhead-i Eagle Thrust.

Originally Posted by Driftster (Post 95026)

less than 350lb increase between e30 and e36...

The power went up from 200HP to 320Hp

and the price went from
34,810 (base sticker in 1988) to 39,700(Base sticker price in 1995)

Originally Posted by Driftster (Post 95030)

of course, but my figures were based off of global averages..

The US e36 M3 is also substantially lighter than the european m3 although making less power..

the ES e30 M3 is also substantially heavier than the standard global e30 m3..
making their weight differences much much much smaller..

The suspension on the e30 m3 although fantastic was still not set up from the factory to deal with the changes that took place under the skin for the US market..

Unlike the e36...which was..

And as far as the "we didn't get the nice engine"

Call me crazy but i prefer the engine with less problems and slightly less power..
I'll take a much much less problematic vanos system, hydraulic lifters and a ridiculously easy ability to make power....

Over a constantly variable, constantly leaking, constantly out of sync vanos system that was all but thrown out within the first year and retooled from the ground up..

a solid lifter system that required valve lash adjustment after every track day

and a cam profile exhaust and intake setup that was pushed so close to it's power production limits you'd be lucky if you could squeeze 5HP out of the thing using less than 6,000 dollars...(without doing port work..which at the time no one would do)



So if you really want to cut it down to "the cars that were availible in...spokane washington on july 8th 1988" or some crap..then we're talkin


a 190HP 170ftlb m3 weighting just a few lbs under 3000lbs only being sold with all weather radials (as decent summer tires were a $$ option)

to a 240hp 230ftlb m3 wight just over 3200...and i mean JUUUUUUST over 3200...with nice summer tires standard





but as for my choice..

Give me a 1986 BMW 335i....best of the bunch.

Originally Posted by Driftster (Post 95030)

a 190HP 170ftlb m3 weighting just a few lbs under 3000lbs only being sold with all weather radials (as decent summer tires were a $$ option)

to a 240hp 230ftlb m3 wight just over 3200...and i mean JUUUUUUST over 3200...with nice summer tires standard

Originally Posted by Driftster (Post 95038)

South Africa had a big market for performance cars at the time but they never got a e30 m3.,.

So they improvised..

They made their own..

Originally Posted by Driftster (Post 95268)

...but i wouldn't feel so bad modifying the e30 m3 car.

Originally Posted by Eldorian (Post 94875)

This thread reminds me of how ugly cars from the 80s were. Looks like the Hammerhead-i Eagle Thrust.

Originally Posted by pastuch (Post 95478)

Wow... I think the E30 was one of the last good looking BMWs. I hate every single car they currently make except for the Z4 .

Originally Posted by SUB-FT86 (Post 95603)

The E30 looks like a carved BOX. What do you find attractive about a boxxy styled car?

Originally Posted by Mitch (Post 95877)

Race cars are neither beautiful nor ugly. They become beautiful when they win. - Enzo Ferrari

The e30 M3 is the winningest road-racer to date, and that makes everything about that car beautiful.

Originally Posted by SUB-FT86 (Post 95603)

The E30 looks like a carved BOX. What do you find attractive about a boxxy styled car?

Originally Posted by Dave-ROR (Post 121674)

This one is overpriced (but still worth more than a new BRZ Limited IMO).. but if this had black interior.. I'd be incredibly tempted.

http://bringatrailer.com/2012/01/26/...e-1988-bmw-m3/

Originally Posted by SUB-FT86 (Post 121772)

I would easily take a BRZ limited over that car in a heartbeat. I never saw the appeal in the e30 M3.

Originally Posted by Dave-ROR (Post 121927)

Driven one? Drivers car.. in spades.