Motorsports Monday: 1995 BMW M3 Lightweight

I still remember the first time I went to the track and saw the notorious M3 Lightweight. I had read about it coming in the BMWCCA magazine and it looked exciting. Sure, it still wasn’t the full bore M3 that the rest of the world got to experience, but if you were a track junkie it was a recipe made in heaven. With less weight and some trick aerodynamic aids added to the already stout out-of-the-box E36 M3, it was no surprise that several of the BMWCCA instructors who had other 3-series dumped them to get the Lightweight. They were also a hit in Club Racing, where they were turned up a few notches to make a serious track weapon. Today one such club racer is for sale from the seriously BMW-savvy group at Fall-Line Motorsports:

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1995 BMW M3 Lightweight on eBay

Year: 1995
Model: M3 Lightweight
Engine: 3.0 liter inline-6
Transmission: 5-speed manual
Mileage: Not Listed
Price: Reserve Auction

1995 BMW E36 M3 LTW Lightweight Racecar. It is a genuine LTW E36 from the factory, not a conversion. 1 of 126 imported into the USA. The car is in great condition mechanically, and looks good on the exterior. The car is prepped and ready to go on track. A solid example of a reliable, fast, well taken care of racecar.

The car features the following:

Interior
●Full 8 point roll cage
●Dash bar, driver foot rest, rear shock tower reinforcement and cross-bar added, heater removal and block-off cover added
●Complete examination of tub structure, weld repair of any cracks found, front shock tower doublers added
●Recaro driver’s seat, slide mounted on alum. billet mounts. Recaro pass. seat, slider, custom alum. mount
●6-point Safecraft harness driver’s side, 5-point harness pass. side
●Bottom mount, quick release window net left side
●Right side triangle net
●Aluminum inner door panels (windows and door locks work), custom alum. rear bulkhead and rear parcel shelf panels, alum. driver’s floor panel (w/ heat insulation)
●Safecraft Halon fire system solid-mounted to cage, pull handle on cage at driver’s window
●Battery disconnect switch
●Individual Autometer gauges for water temp., engine oil pressure and temp., differential oil temp.
●Windshield demist blower
●Hard-wired AMB TranX 260 Transponder

Suspension
●Koni (TC Kline) double-adjustable coil-over front shocks and springs with ride height adjusters
●TC Kline adj. camber plates
●Ground Control spherical bearing offset “lollipop” bearings
●Turner rack stops (to provide clearance for brake cooling ducts)
●Koni (TC Kline) double-adjustable rear shocks
●TC Kline alum. rear spherical joint upper shock mounts
●TC Kline alum. rear adjustable lower control arms
●TC Kline rear trailing arm spherical joint kits
●TC Kline rear springs and height-adjustable spring seats
●Ground Control sway bars front and rear
●9” x 18” SSR wheels with Toyo Proxes R888 tires
●TC Kline wheel studs and nuts
●Turner front subframe reinforcememt kit
●Fall-Line proprietary solid-mount rear subframe, ARP studs

Brakes
●Brembo 14 in. front/13 in. rear 2-piece discs with 4-piston race calipers
●Front brake cooling ducts, incl. front bumper ducts, backing plate adapters, 3 in. silicone hose
●SS/Teflon brake lines
●Motorsports ABS control unit

Engine
●Dinan aluminum flywheel, clutch and aluminum pressure plate
●KromerKraft headers and exhaust system
●24 lb. injectors
●VAC oil cooler block
●Aluminum thermostat housing
●Custom DME programming
●Dinan high-flow throttle body
●Dinan cold air filter kit
●“Euro” high capacity air meter
●Fuel pressure regulator

Drivetrain
●Custom Fluidyne competition radiator w/integral water-cooled engine oil cooler
●Auxiliary electric fan w/dash switch (mechanical fan removed)
●Custom water expansion tank
●Custom breather tank/filter
●100% plumbed with Aeroquip SS braided hose and AN fittings, including fuel lines

Fuel System
●Dual in-tank fuel pumps (fuel starvation occurs at ½ gallon, not ½ tank)
●Foam inserts inside tank to control fuel sloshing under g loading
●External fuel tank vent, check valve to prevent spill if car is not upright
●Peterson cleanable mesh fuel filter

Rear Drive
●3.45:1 Ratio “six-bolt drive flange” w/Quaife differential (the car will be top end limited with a higher numerical ratio and the stock 5-speed transmission)
●Alpina increased-capacity diff. cover w/temperature sensor
●Fall-Line solid aluminum/delrin diff. mounts
●Fluidyne diff. cooler with circ. pump/cooling fan (reduces fluid temp. from 300+F to 250F)

Please call Rob at 847-215-9500, or email info@fall-linemotorsports.com with any questions.

The build sheet in this case is a veritable who’s who of BMW tuning, with Fall-Line added to T.C.Klein, Dinan, Turner, Alpina and the typical suspension geeks from Koni and Ground Control. All in all, it looks to be a seriously well built bit of kit. Add up the bills, and it will be no surprise that the reserve is still on despite bidding over $25,000 – these Lightweights are limited cars, and the pricing reflects that. While they don’t have the mystique of the RS America, for BMW fans this was about as good as it got in the E36 chassis for the U.S.. Although the Lightweight isn’t even really that fast compared to many new cars, this one offers you a unique and very special track car that is just about perfectly assembled so that you too can fly the BMW and German national racing colors!

-Carter