Why did BMW do this?

[Xat1cZ]

nothing to add here really everything's been said

-lightweight - weight distribution , homologation etc.. they made something like ~350 hp in the DTM car IIRC

[alexw]

Sigh.

These are the kinds of questions I'm answering almost daily since my M3 is for sale. There are some seriously dense people out there.

[dinanm3atl]

and 8 more valves and ITB's and more displacement....

mcderp.

Meh - I've driven quite a few and while it is fun it's no more fun than an M20 powered car. It's hardly any faster. I'll take a 24V 325iS over an S14 M3 anyday... and walk away with 10-15K in my pocket. I think it is over-hyped... just my opinion though.



Now as to why BMW did it. Answers are in this thread.

[Emre]

Meh - I've driven quite a few and while it is fun it's no more fun than an M20 powered car. It's hardly any faster. I'll take a 24V 325iS over an S14 M3 anyday... and walk away with 10-15K in my pocket. I think it is over-hyped... just my opinion though.

Drive one on the track and see. On the street, they make no sense.

[dinanm3atl]

Drive one on the track and see. On the street, they make no sense.

Heard this before... drive a 24V E30 325iS on the track. Now decide if the 10,000 dollar body kit is worth it. Oh and those aluminum control arms... For me? Not so much.

[coldweatherblue]

... to create the winningest car in the history of Touring Car racing?

[mikeedler]

The real question is: why does the sport evo have a sunroof? They bothered to use thinner glass, delete roof grab handles, lighter decklid, and I think they even went with the manual crank windows and sunroof but why not make it a slicktop like some 318is'?

because it was a street car that you are talking about. the lighter glass and such were for homologation purposes.

they could have used the 323i motor if it only had to do with displacement. The S14 could handle 10,000rpm's pretty safely, whereas the M20 couldn't even come close.

The E30 is not only about the S14, it is the complete package- who cares if a 24V E30 is faster-- it's not an E30M3, and never will be. the M3 is a piece of racing history.

I actually don't know why I am even replying in this troll ass stupid thread.

[lolcantturn]

Heard this before... drive a 24V E30 325iS on the track. Now decide if the 10,000 dollar body kit is worth it. Oh and those aluminum control arms... For me? Not so much.

You're not buying the car, you're buying a piece of automotive history. We all know that a 24V E30 on H&R Race springs would man-handle a stock M3 on the track, but that's not why they are bought.

[grahamsy2k]

Thank you all.

[Holland]

Sorry, I'm a fan of the S14 and its capabilities. I think an S14 in a lighter E30 chassis would be a monster. The M3 is quite a heavy car, but that engine in a humble 318 would be super quick.

[dinanm3atl]

You're not buying the car, you're buying a piece of automotive history. We all know that a 24V E30 on H&R Race springs would man-handle a stock M3 on the track, but that's not why they are bought.

That is a totally different argument. As said I think they are over-hyped. If you want to pay extra for automotive history(which the US M3 is well even more over-hyped) that is your choice.

[fronton]

because it was a street car that you are talking about. the lighter glass and such were for homologation purposes.

they could have used the 323i motor if it only had to do with displacement. The S14 could handle 10,000rpm's pretty safely, whereas the M20 couldn't even come close.

The E30 is not only about the S14, it is the complete package- who cares if a 24V E30 is faster-- it's not an E30M3, and never will be. the M3 is a piece of racing history.

I actually don't know why I am even replying in this troll ass stupid thread.

And my slicktop 318is was a designed as a race car? You are wrong sir, the e30 M3 was designed as a race car first, especially the sport evo (note even higher front arches to run 18" rubber, brace cooling ducts instead of fog lights...). But my point was that why go to all the trouble of those weight saving techniques and not bother with the 10-15lbs of a sunroof in the worse place to have weight? I can see having a sunroof in a standard M3 but the 'hardcore' sport evo in my opinion should have been a slick top. Well, really they all should have been slick tops but they wouldn't have sold as well in the US without all the e30 options as standard.

[Xat1cZ]

The M3 sure is slow compared to what you meet on the street TODAY, altho' I'm sure it was different 20 years ago.. however the E30 M3 still keeps up with most cars on the windy roads and sure is ALOT more fun to drive ... having driven over 100 different cars ranging from 4x4 Twin Turbo jap. sport cars, C4,C5 Corvettes, Camaros, Mustangs, most (e36,e34,e39 etc.) 3, 5, some 7 and 6 series BMW's, SUV's, volvo, toyota, saab, audi's etc. etc. and nothing have been more fun FOR ME to drive than the old M3.

[Jean]

Obviously for this reason

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=80NZ9h2lz8M

[Threehz]

Jean, you made my day with that video!