If you had the choice what would you buy?

[Farbin Kaiber]

See my sig.

[Hick]

see my sig.

+1

...?

[Brian 89 325i]

I would say to go with an M20 4dr car. That'll get you enough power for around town etc... and if you need to haul people you won't have to avoid going UP hills. lol
There really isn't much point to having an ix for you, and there is a lot of limitations to them.

Brian

[z31maniac]

The 318iS. All of my experience with E30's has been with the I6 M20. I really want an M42 car, and then I want the DASC kit.

I love my slicktop M42 car. I can't wait til it warms up and I can throw my Kosie/RT-615 combo on and take it to some autoX's.

Nicely balanced, good gas mileage and a hoot to drive.

It's just too bad you can't buy the DASC kit new anymore, from what I understand.

[Jonny Cash]

89 four door.

Ive owned two M42 cars, the motor never grew on me, but theyre fun to toss around. They say they handle better.. Im not a beleiver. As far as the IX goes, well a big reason I drive an e30 is because its cheap to maintain.

[AC Nico]

i'd take the 318is... its cheaper with gas and the engine is great. if you want more hp then put a turbo on the m42 ;)

[///e30freak]

I voted IX. A plastic bumpered sleeper saloon with a big ole' turbo and show those sti's who's boss!

[mikeedler]

none of the above.
I would wait to find a nice '90+ 2 door 325i or

[ejnight]

318is from what you describe in your post.

[craiggroves91]

I voted 4dr 325i because it has the M20, but I would rather have a 2dr

[BeirBrennerE30]

'89 325is... best combination of factory equipment.

plastic bumpered 325ix... best snow car and a little different (do you get snow in norcal?)

[325ix]

318is in norcal

[HarryPotter]

325is

[Iain]

318iS - lovely responsive front-end (steering is great... once you replace all the shit that has fucked out over the last 20-25 years). I think one of those as a gutted thrashbucket would be a world of fun and something you could re-shell easily if you ever bent it. I'd go 2dr, too, as I don't like the look of the 4drs and I think they weigh a bit more too.

I'd do every spec of the suspension, rip most of the trim/AC/etc out to get weight down, add a decent LSD and probably a Euro M52 (lighter block) with S50 cams to keep weight off the nose, but add twin-cam six-cylinder zing. You could also build a good turbo M42 for similar coin.

[Ral]

I voted IX. It's something different, and cool. An '80's AWD stickshift sports car? Its kinda like the German grandfather of STI's in my mind. Either way, it's a very cool car. I understand the arguments for the others, but I think iX's are really, really cool. And, you have the M3, which is the pinnacle of what the 318is strives to be.

And, if you were taking your friends out for a ride, would you really stuff all of them in a 4-door E30? Many on here do and I would have no problem with it, but I think you've moved beyond that just a little bit...