Best ///M car (article)

[CleanAzzE30z]

Once again, the automotive press has unanimously voted towards a certain ///M3 as best. not only of all ///M3s but of all ///M cars. ENJOY!


Inside Line: Media Gallery


"Question is, have we saved the best till last or are we about to witness a bloody massacre? How can the boxy E30 M3 with its 2.5-liter inline-4 engine — even in its ultimate 1990 Sport Evolution configuration with 235 hp at 7,000 rpm — stand up to the sophisticated savagery of the E46 M3 CSL, the effortless mambo of the E39 M5, the supercar chops of the E26 M1 and the phenomenal pace, poise and polish of the E92 M3?

Quite easily, as it turns out. Let's make this simple: The original M3 is utterly brilliant. More to the point, it's utterly brilliant in ways that the people at M have either forgotten about or chosen to ignore. Something of the essence of the E30 is present in the CSL and the M1 — a sense of mechanical honesty, integration and purity — yet not in the E92 M3. For all its pace and grip, the new V8-powered M3 doesn't have the E30's dynamic fluency, its loose-limbed agility or its intimacy.

Apparently Formula 1 driver Jean Alesi liked his E30 M3 so much he later called it one of the most enjoyable and best-handling road cars he had ever owned. A finely balanced weight distribution of 48 percent front/52 percent rear gives one clue as to why it feels so good. This car can't rely on electronic aids, so it has to work with you and build a mutual bond of trust. It's as if the car knows exactly what you want to do. And in turn, the car's intentions and abilities are completely clear to the driver. If you can't form a close relationship with the E30, chances are you have no friends.

This original M3 from 1986, created as a homologation special for racing, is the antithesis of the new E92 M3 with its big horsepower and comfy seats. The pure connection between man and machine more than compensates for the car's comparative lack of pace down the straight bits. You can tell exactly what each of the four wheels is doing and the balance allows them to work in unison. This car is the very essence of what the BMW M Division is all about.

The Best of the Best
The E26 M1 has an essential spirit that you look for in a BMW M car, but it lacks firepower and feels old-fashioned these days, so it comes in a noble 5th in this rarefied group. The new E92 M3 doesn't have the E30 M3 magic, but its speed and ability are electrifying. That it doesn't finish higher than 4th is testament to the fact that it's up against the all-time greats here. The V8-engined E39 M5 is absurdly good fun, but the E46 M3 CSL just bests it for total sensual overload.

When we tally up the scores at the end of the day, it's the E30 M3 that beats them all. It wins because it does more with less and destroys the idea (apparently at the core of BMW M thinking these days) that if power is good, more power must be better.

If that were the case, the E92 M3 — which, on paper, is a best-of-all-worlds solution with its M5-derived V8, M3 size and M1 supercar aspirations — would represent the very pinnacle of the M Division's achievements. But the touch of the master belongs to a different era, a lightweight M3 scaled down to a package that's less about technology than the magical connection between man and machine.
"



Mariano

[mtechnik]

Nice nice

[TheTunerSource]

Go E30 M3!!!

[e36mmm]

brilliant article. persuades the reader to buy a m3. mariano, im facing an issue. ive been saing up for years for an e36 m3 and finally ive started to look around. in the market for an e36 m3 between 96-99 because i want 3.2L euro version. However, recently found a 94 model in avus blue. the price is too good to pass on and dont know what to do. maybe you can help me out. the thread name is "should i buy it" in general discussion. you can view the photos of the car and the features. ill really appreciate it.

cheers,
Buri

[CleanAzzE30z]

Id say buy it, because either way you're getting the pre-OBDII engine and youll still get 280+ HP. but thats an opinion from a biased person that has only seen the "real" E36 ///M3 engine in pictures and in person a few times. Make sure you check the mileage, and have it checked out by a BMW-specific mechanic. I think those engines need to be maintained well. Unlike the watered down, single throttle bodied version we got here.


Mariano