E30 vs m3

[booostit]

Is the e30 m3 really that much faster than the m20 motor?

[87e30]

Is the e30 m3 really that much faster than the m20 motor?

It's not about drag times in the e30, especially the m3.

Put your flame suit on.

[Mastrcruse]

I would say this has been gone over before but to answer your question. You must look at the car as an entirety to get the true value of the M3.

like 87e30 kind of said, with these cars we aren't talking about the drag times...thats for the american muscle. The pure performance is were you have to compare the e30's and M3 at.

[Liam]

Is the e30 m3 really that much faster than the m20 motor?

No... But the whole M3 is in a different world from the 325.

[SpecM]

not that much "faster", but a different kind of fast

[Holland]

M20 and S14 have similar N/A power potential, but the way that each motor delivers is an entirely different world.

[shiftbmw]

I'd say yes. To be fair, the M20 motor isn't all that fast without the rest of the car attached.

S14 vs M20 straight line...no.

[Ral]

M3 vs 325, curved road, stock for stock, yes. (yes, I've driven both)

[red325]

The difference between the e30 m3 and a stock e30 with an m20 isn't so much about power as it is about handling. The 30 extra horse power the e30 m3 (S14) provides doesn't make it much faster than the m20, its the handling the e30 m3 provides that really makes it better.

So, straight up drag race between m20 and s14 would be a close race.

Driving on a road with all kinds of turns the e30 m3 wins by a mile b/c of the handling.

[TwoJ's]

M20 and S14 have similar N/A power potential, but the way that each motor delivers is an entirely different world.

Similar power potential? Not even close man, the m20 can't hold a candle to the s14 when it comes to getting high NA power.

[reelizmpro]

The M3 is faster but not by much in stock form. The S14 needs to be above 4500K before it starts getting into it's powerband. The M20 is more forgiving and has a broader range. The problem is most street driving is done in the lower RPM range. The M20 offers a better combination of power/torque for different types of driving...stop and go, spirited runs, autoX, track. The S14 on the other hand needs open road to stretch it's legs or a good driver who can keep the RPM's high. Kinda hard to do in stop and go traffic and quite annoying. At that range the S14 produces more noise than anything.

Area under the curve often comes up in favor of the M20 but don't forget that the S14 keeps making power and peaks out at 192 (vs 168) and has more RPM. This is where the engine shines. It's a different type of car. So a 325i owner driving an M3 for the first time may not be impressed. They need to adapt to the characteristics of the new engine.

[kroberts]

The E30 M3 always makes the short list as one of the best sports cars of all time. It was, so I've read and been told, nearly perfectly balanced. The S14 loved to be revved and did best when the rpm's were maintained. You need to remember why the car was built though. the homologation story has been covered before.

On the street mine was a pain in the ass, especially in urban traffic. I found that I was ALWAYS shifting. First gear is a joke, kinda like driving an old beetle. No torque down low. I felt like I was abusing the car when I had to drive mine in town. Luckily it was not my DD.

After learning what a quality rebuild would cost for my S14, I decided to commit the ultimate blasphemous act and swap in the S52. It's a blast to drive now but in all honesty, it's not an E30 M3 anymore.

[nando]

Similar power potential? Not even close man, the m20 can't hold a candle to the s14 when it comes to getting high NA power.

yeah, you can do what, 300whp with a race S14?. a race M20 could be about 240-260. The only reason the m20 can come close is because it can have higher displacement, HP/Liter it's not even in the same game.

actually, $/HP neither engine is all that great. a basic 2.5l S14 makes 200whp and costs a boatload of money. Sounds fantastic though. :D

[blunttech]

i was never impressed by the M3 either till i bought one and put a few miles on one. it just feels like an extension of yourself as far as handling. it will do whatever you ask of it and beg for more. the power is very unimpressive except under the conditions it was made for. put 4 or 500 miles on one and get it sideways a few times and youll get it. ive had pretty well set up e30's and nothing compares handling wise

[george graves]

e30m3 = not fast around town, no TQ down low, hard to stretch it's legs out between lights/traffic.