///m 325is?

[MitchFong]

Iam not sure what the whole ///m symbol means. I thought it meant m3 but i guess im stupid. None the less i just saw an 87/88 (not sure) parked outside of a gas station but it said ///m 325is on the back.. Clean lookin car too but im lost as to the whole ///m thing. This is probably an easy question but i have no clue. Thanks
Mitch

[Ryan Stewart]

BMW Motorsport is a division. They made enhancement packages for non-M cars. Only a handfull of them made it to the North American market so likely someone put the badge on afterward.

[MR 325]

^ What he said

It's likely somebody who was at the dealership saw the badge and thought it would look cool

[MitchFong]

Hmm thank-you, it just looked out of place. Nice looking car minus the rear valence, lack of front valence, and the side skirts did not fit it at all. They were almost to long for it. It was also minus one dirver's side window lol. Im gunna offer him 800 bux and see what he says, only 140k on it.

[Iain]

My car, as Streetspec_iS and Sovann can attest, was laden with M Technik options from the factory (seats, map light in mirror, trip computer, Shadowline, steering wheel, etc) and also had an ///M badge stuck on its rump.

Many people presume that it is ///M Sport, but I've been told by a few people more knowledgable in E30 Lore than I that it stands for ///M Technik...

[george graves]

From what I remember it was a seperate buliding(in the biggining) at BMW that the top engineers went to(and the race engineers were demoted to) - some where between the race guys and the production guys.

kinda like BMW "skunk-works".

Imagine having a job where some one says - "da, Weva gotten da m-thirdy motren 3.5 litern. Adden 4 valvens to the header-zoid. Meake itz to a 3.8 lizzter. We needzn to winz da razz!!!!" Arch Hile Hitler!!!

Or something - hell I don't know - it just a company name - like "3M"....BMW is is the parent company....

[Jand3rson]

M stands for 2 different things. ///M is BMW's motorsport division, BMW M GMbh. Performance cars such as the M1, M3, M5, MZ3, and M6 are the cars that cary the ///M badge, signifying performance models.

The other ///M, is M-Technic. These are sport and appearance option parts, a separate division from BMW Motorsport. They include body kits, body add-ons, steering wheels, seats, shift knobs, pedals, etc. M-Technic options were readily available in European markets, but much more of a rarity due to being very expensive in the US.

Many US-spec cars came with M-Technic options. In E30's, this included the iS and eS cars, which had M-Tech I steering wheels. In 1992, there was the M-Technic appearance package, which came only on the cabrio. This consisted of an M-Technic II body kit, and no performance upgrades. Cars that bear a model number such as M3, M5, etc are the performance variant cars. The M cars did not have the traditional numeric names of the standard cars, such as 325i and 540i, simply the M and the body style number. The only US-Spec M car to be badged as such was the E24 M635CSi. The US market never recieved the M325iS, though they are rampant in the UK and Europe, consisting of an M-Technic II body kit and steering wheel, and 15 inch BBS basketweave wheels.

[Mot]

dont forget about the crazy SA m325iS evo thingys, factory turbo hottness.

[hamann318is]

^ What he said

It's likely somebody who was at the dealership saw the badge and thought it would look cool

What if you drive a 318CSL?

Rockin' the M badge since... uh... last year. I keep it real, yo'.

[325Projectz]

Its been said before and I'll say it again.

A VIN should be required when buying ///M parts.

[nando]

I'd love to rock a front ///M badge, but that's as far as I'd go. maybe after the 5 speed swap ;)

[SA E30]

dont forget about the crazy SA m325iS evo thingys, factory turbo hottness.

Not turbo and they weren't M325iS Evo1/2 ... they were just 325iS Evo1/2

I think they were closer to Alpina B3... with an M-Tech 2 kit, and 5 hole suspension... looked from the exterior like the M-Tech 325i/s that they had in the UK... but engine wise it was pure South African... with a hint of Alpina

[Julien]

just a correction, the M635csi was actually a european m6, with the proper 6ITB m88 (IIRC) and european bumpers. Basically it was lighter, more powerful and better looking than a US spec m6. There is no m325is AFAIK in england, they are all 325i Sports . But i could be wrong.




Julien

[MitchFong]

wel this particular car is an 87 325is m-tecnik. Has the ///m steering wheel, shift knob, few other small things. Has nice recaro seats but they are not leather? It has a few rust holes so im not offering him much. There a hole in the front right rocker panel but the car pulls like a son of a bitch.

[MitchFong]

it also has racing dynamics side skirts and rear valence. rear valence is huge and cracked so thats gone, and the side skirts do not look like they fit tho car. More so like they are for a four door? its odd but other than the few rust spots and the funny plastics it could make a nice car. If he will sell it for under 1000 canadian ill take it. But the front seat it being held forward by a piece of wood between the back and the rear seat? Needs work but its a good project.