Why did BMW do this?

[Xat1cZ]

A better question when talking about a M car is why BMW don't make them like the E24, E28, E30 and E34 M's anymore .................................................. ...


but I think I already know the answer

[BovariJo]

The E30 M3 is not just about a motor, but that's neither here nor there.

Yes, the stock M3 pales in comparison to most standard cars nowadays; but to that I have two words for you guys......Ron Checca

[jeffnhiscars]

ehhhhhhhhh saying the S14 M3 is a 'blast to drive' is kind of a stretch. It's an M10 with another cam.

I can't help but wonder..if adding a cam to my M10 will make it an S14, can I add 2 cams and make it an S54 ?

[Vivek]

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.

I'd simply reply that the car wasn't for them.

[kingston]

Hmmm...I was hanging with a friend last night who owns an E30 M3. He came down to check out my bone stock `87 325is. We drove that. Then we drove my M50-swapped E30. Then we drove his M3. Results?

The M50-swapped car and the M3 were pretty much dead even. The M50 had more down low, but the S14 screams at the top, making slightly more HP ultimately.

Better balanced, too, I'm sad to say, than either of my cars. Oh, how I want an E30 M3!!

[blunttech]

Hmmm...I was hanging with a friend last night who owns an E30 M3. He came down to check out my bone stock `87 325is. We drove that. Then we drove my M50-swapped E30. Then we drove his M3. Results?

The M50-swapped car and the M3 were pretty much dead even. The M50 had more down low, but the S14 screams at the top, making slightly more HP ultimately.

Better balanced, too, I'm sad to say, than either of my cars. Oh, how I want an E30 M3!!

so true. Its all about balance and momentum. Ive owned almost all variants of the e30 except the cabrio. 318is, m20 e30,s52 na e30,boosted twin cam and e30m3. The most fun to totally thrash is the e30m3.
A good driver can punish much faster cars. yeah its underpowered but once you get it rolling and never lift its a magical car and makes you feel like a much better driver than you are

[YAN-3]

whats a e30 M3!

[Holland]

so true. Its all about balance and momentum. Ive owned almost all variants of the e30 except the cabrio. 318is, m20 e30,s52 na e30,boosted twin cam and e30m3. The most fun to totally thrash is the e30m3.
A good driver can punish much faster cars. yeah its underpowered but once you get it rolling and never lift its a magical car and makes you feel like a much better driver than you are

This is pretty much my philosophy. I am a major fan of momentum cars and a non M E30 with a worked S14 is my dream.

[Nsquared97]

Why only a 4 cylinder? I think this video helps explain it a bit:

[LivingLegend06]

Why only a 4 cylinder? I think this video helps explain it a bit:

Why is it so buzzy? sounds like a civic.

[shaferbm]

They did it so you could troll forums about it 25 years later.

[reelizmpro]

Why is it so buzzy? sounds like a civic.

Because it's a 16 valve 4 cylinder with the AFM deleted and probably Alpha N'd (vs MAP on Honda's). They sound similar but obviously this has more grunt from the engine itself and not from just an oversized rear muffler.

[Earendil]

I'll just leave this here.
Golden era DTM BMW E30 M3 and Mercedes-Benz 190 E


My understanding of M3 history is that BMW never really intended (or thought possible) the mass production and sale of the M3. They originally only planned to have enough to get them into the Production racing league they wanted to be in, like a good number of racing cars of that time. However, due to a large demand for it, they ended up selling quite a few.

Because of that, BMW has sold M3's ever since. The primary difference today is that the M3 after the E30 was designed as a production car that could be outfitted to race, where as that first M3 was designed as a race car, and then outfitted to sell to the public. It is, at it's heart, a race car. The same can not be said of future M3's, even if they are faster. That is why I'd take a 4 banger E30 M3.

[george graves]

A good driver can punish much faster cars. yeah its underpowered but once you get it rolling and never lift its a magical car and makes you feel like a much better driver than you are

Hehe. I say the same thing about m10 e30's :)

[trackjunkie21]

The real question is, why is OP's e30 parked on the great lawn?