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Tag: S52

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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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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:

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1990 BMW M3 on eBay

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2000 BMW M Coupe – REVISIT

Published December 14, 2014 by Rob

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The low mileage Estoril Blue BMW M Coupe we featured last month is back up for sale, on offer at $1,250 less than when we first came across it. Looking to drive a modern icon? I think everyone will agree the Clown Shoe, as it is sometimes called, could be the BMW equivalent of the air-cooled 911 in terms of collectability.

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 2000 BMW M Coupe on eBay

The below post originally appeared on our site November 29, 2014:

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Tuner Tuesday: 1995 BMW 525i S52-Swap

Published December 2, 2014 by Carter

When I start to recount stories of my early driving years and my family’s run of German automobiles, I’m sure it sounds like we ran a used car lot. Fair enough; before I was old enough to drink we were on to our 5th BMW with a Porsche on the way – and still a few more to come. One of my favorite cars would probably be a bit of a surprise to some, though; when the climate control failed on our E32 735i 5-speed it was replaced by a 1995 525i. Now, normally the 525i is a bit of a downer – too much car with too little motor. But several updates over the life of the 525i meant that by 1993, the 525i was a bit of a sleeper – especially when equipped with a manual. The update from the M20 to the M50 motor and then the addition of VANOS gave the car a mini-M5 feel. It screamed up the tach and felt much quicker than it looked. But for some the M50 just isn’t enough motivation to leave the 525i alone:

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2000 BMW M Coupe

Published October 26, 2014 by Nate

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As Wagon Week comes to a close, we’ve got a little halfling. If you were to ask a layperson if a shooting brake was a wagon, they might say yes, and the hatch certainly taps into some of the same styling cues. Can we at least count them as longroofs? Regardless, I’ve made my love for the clownshoe known, and it’s looking like I better consider them a little more seriously as even S52-engined years are climbing in value. This is a clean example in Texas, but it’s not extraordinary and is a bit weak on description.

Click for details: 2000 BMW M Coupe on eBay

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