E30 or E36

90Camaro · #1 (**permalink**) 06-29-2002, 10:55 AM

Hey everyone new guy here. My friend has an '83 320i, and it's getting to me and I badly need my own little 3 series to tweak as well as drive to and from campus next year. I have my eye on a '91 318i (yes, I know, 4 doors and a 4 banger but it's VERY cheap and mint) and I was wondering if this was classified as an E30 or an E36. Also what are the differences between the 2 designs? Any help is appreciated because I grew up with the American V8 and thus know little about German performance. Thanks.

JasonJ75 · #2 (**permalink**) 06-29-2002, 11:40 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by 90Camaro
Hey everyone new guy here. My friend has an '83 320i, and it's getting to me and I badly need my own little 3 series to tweak as well as drive to and from campus next year. I have my eye on a '91 318i (yes, I know, 4 doors and a 4 banger but it's VERY cheap and mint) and I was wondering if this was classified as an E30 or an E36. Also what are the differences between the 2 designs? Any help is appreciated because I grew up with the American V8 and thus know little about German performance. Thanks.

I'm not sure to be honest...I'm finding conflicting info online, some say E30 went through '91, my E30 Bently manual says E36, but the E36 Bently says E30...WTH??...I'm going to wager that its an E30, got any pics?.....

What's the difference...Well to start about 300 or so pounds. The E36 put on some weight, but with that weight you get quite a few more creature comforts and a better all around built car. Even though my 325is is out gunned and out handled by my M3 in every form imagineable I can't help but get a sly grin on my face everytime I throw the 325 through a corner, it is by far the most tossable and driver oriented BMW out there(bowing to the E30 M3 of course). IMHO...

Jason

'87 325is
'98 M3/4

Ty Vil · #3 (**permalink**) 06-29-2002, 02:19 PM

It's an E30, I think you'd be better off with an 87-88 325is, they came loaded with all the options. It'd be older but definatly better to drive and mod.

Red95M3 · #4 (**permalink**) 06-29-2002, 08:22 PM

The E30 and E36 are very different cars. The e30 is definatly more driver oriented. I know everyone's going to say the e36 is a better car, but to be honest I have just as much, if not more fun driving our '90 325i than my '95 M3. With the e30 you are going to get a more tossable car, but you won't get the power or reliability that the e36 engines can offer. Of couse, if you plan to mod the car its all relative.

kiley_sean · #5 (**permalink**) 06-30-2002, 09:23 AM

I have only seen a 91' 318is (The first year of the M42). I am not sure if the year is right on that 318i (M10?). I think they took a break from production that year but I am not positive. Anyways, the E30 is definitely alot more fun to drive. They come with "punchy" gearing like 3.73 and 4.10 so they feel very fast. On paper the E30 325is isn't quite as fast as the E36 (24-valve M50), but it will feel just as fast because of the gearing and weight. I am going back to E30's or maybe even a 2002 as soon as I can find a creek to rest my E36 in!!!!

frayed · #6 (**permalink**) 06-30-2002, 09:36 AM

There's a couple of E30 M3's running around town here, one with an M50 motor, another with an S50B30 motor. Now that's the car to have.

From a performance standpoint, the biggest drawback of the E30 chassis is an antiquated rear suspension design. The E36 chassis, and now the E46 chassis, is quite a bit superior.

kiley_sean · #7 (**permalink**) 06-30-2002, 10:32 AM

The improved IRS, along with the stiffer chassis' make for awesome handling but how many drivers really push their cars to the maximum potential? The E30 is more than enough car for the average-skilled driver to handle. Just look at some of the E30 M3 guys who don't even "track" their cars! Bottom-line, the average driver is probably not going to notice much of a difference between the two set-ups.

An E30 with an M50? Wow! Now that's smoking!

frayed · #8 (**permalink**) 06-30-2002, 12:17 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by kiley_sean
The improved IRS, along with the stiffer chassis' make for awesome handling but how many drivers really push their cars to the maximum potential? The E30 is more than enough car for the average-skilled driver to handle. Just look at some of the E30 M3 guys who don't even "track" their cars! Bottom-line, the average driver is probably not going to notice much of a difference between the two set-ups.

An E30 with an M50? Wow! Now that's smoking!

Hmmm, well I push my car to its limits on the track. . . . not at every corner, in every situation, but some areas of the track I'm pulling all she's got. In ITS racing, experienced race car builders will tell you that the E36 chassis is quite a bit superior and easier to dial-in. That's why the E36's dominate over the E30's in that class. But yeah, the vast majority of drivers would likely not push things to the limit.

Never mind the M50 motor, it's the one with the S50 motor that's balls fast (donor motor from a 3.0L 95 M3). Yeeehaaa! And, it only adds about 60 lbs (or close to it, Alex McHenry would know for sure), to the E30 M3 chassis.

JasonJ75 · #9 (**permalink**) 06-30-2002, 05:37 PM

I bought my 4.10 off of a guy who just dropped in an S50 into his E30 M3....He was laying serious tread into 3rd.

So he drops to a taller ratio and what does he do? Supercharges the thing...I never got a ride in the SC'd beast, but I can only imagine...Time for a 2.97