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Tag: e30

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S52’d 1989 BMW 325i

Published January 4, 2015 by Nate

$_57 (6)

We (along with every BMW enthusiast site) go through so many iterations of E30s, but if you could finally go out and get one, how would you want yours? The answers are as diverse as coffee preferences. Sure, the starting point is energetic and standard, but there are a million ways to take it.

Personally, with the E30 M3 boat sailed, I think I’d want to get a little crazy with an engine-swapped example. While the E28 M5’s S38 is a dream, the E36’s S52 is among the most popular choices and readily available (as well as significantly cheaper to maintain). Today’s 325i has some issues that will make it continue to be a project, but the heavy lifting has been done to make it a true hoonmobile. A PPI has been done, which is more than many of the passed-on projects we see here can offer. Once the to-dos get sorted, it’s a good-looking E30 that is ready to be made great.

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1991 BMW 318is

Published December 30, 2014 by Paul

Sometimes automakers will and save the best for last. While many consider the M3 the ultimate E30, the 318is was, in its own right, a 3 series to admire. Much like how Mercedes-Benz slotted their new V8 into the aging W111 coupe and convertible in the early 1970s, BMW took it’s new 1.8 liter, twin cam M42 four cylinder engine and inserted it into the two-door E30 for one last shout before the 3 series baton was handed off to the E36 in 1992. This new motor breathed new life into an old favorite, with some praising the added balance the smaller engine provided. The interior was classic E30, which was basic in comparison to modern day BMWs. However, as BMW was reaching a bit downmarket with the one year only 318is, the mantra “everything you need, nothing you don’t” was abided by. This 318is for sale in Ontario, Canada has covered only 68,000 miles and in silver over black, has aged rather well with a decidedly vintage flair.

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1991 BMW 318i Convertible

Published December 28, 2014 by Paul

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The 318i Convertible may not be the quintessential E30 choice for the power hungry out there. In Brilliantrot and equipped with a 5-speed manual gearbox such as we see here with this 1991 example for sale in Florida, I can suddenly see myself enjoying miles of carefree motoring along a coastline somewhere. By 1991, the E30 Convertible would be on its last legs, but not before it had made itself an icon of the upwardly mobile of the 1980s. Looking over the pictures of this car with a mere 55,000 miles on the clock, it reminds me of what made me fall for the E30 3 series in the first place, many years ago.

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Tuner Tuesday: 1988 BMW M3 S52

Published December 16, 2014 by Carter

I’d like to try a social experiment if you’ll allow me; I’d take an E30 M3 listing and say absolutely nothing about it. My hypothesis is that it wouldn’t matter; the car would still generate lots of comments both positive and negative, outlining both the strengths of the E30 and the rapid appreciation of the market. The convergence of factors that has resulted in the M3 market as we see it today is the evolution of not only a naturally occurring timeline coupled with a increase of personal wealth vis-a-vis the ownership group juxtaposed with those who actually ponder ownership. This, in turn, can be viewed as in part the skeuomorphic racing details of the M3 coupled with the natural analogue interface of the E30 chassis. Immersion in the marketplace has resulted in datafication as we try to quantify the various appeals of the models and even sub-models, while the scalability of the marketplace seems to utilize fuzzy logic – models constantly morphing in and out of vogue as the relative price of ownership fluctuates. Modularity in the E30 platform has not helped but convoluted the matter. Coupled with the emergence of internet fora the M3 is the first truly viral car. The rapid influx of various examples in order to take advantage of these previously stated confluence of factors has resulted in, ironically, crowdsourcing in an effort to elicit an explanation:

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Motorsports Monday Budget Racers: 944 v. 325is

Published December 15, 2014 by Carter

Let’s be honest; going to the track is a bit of an addiction. Few make it out the other side without having at least contemplated heavy and expensive upgrades to their cars. The symptoms of the illness vary from patient to patient, but most exhibit similar characteristics; starting with a somewhat sporty road car, the owners quickly engage in a series of modifications that will make them “faster”. These modifications nearly always degrade the everyday usefulness of your road-going machine, and ultimately no matter how much you modify a street car, it will still be a compromised design. You simply can’t create a track weapon that is road-legal without some compromise. The result, then, is bobble-headed enthusiasts driving their barely-suspended, over cambered and too loud cars around looking – let’s be truthful – a bit of a fool. What’s a smarter option? Well, if you really want to drive faster on track, you find a slow car that someone has already made into a racer. First off, you’re getting into a more pure track car. They’re not road legal generally, so all of the goodies that make life bearable on the street are gone making them lighter. If the build was done right and well, you’re probably saving a lot of money, too. But the real benefit of getting a slower car is that you’re doing more of the driving – ask any racer, and most will say that extracting maximum performance from a slow car is more rewarding than allowing the computers in your GT-R to obliterate the pavement for you. Two of the most popular German cars to hit the track in are here today – the venerable E30 in 325is form, and the iconic Porsche 944. Which will hit the finish line first?

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