What makes the E30 318is a fun driving car?

[Stanley Rockafella]

i personally like the m42 just fine. its all the stuff missing from the car that pisses me off.

no cruise control, no check panel, no 13 button obc......the thing that really annoys me is those freaking vinyl perforated seats installed in 95% of them. well, the seats are fine, but i despise sitting on that slippery plastic. as they start to disintegrate, the surface looks like lizard skin.

how the heck do you drive an e30 with no cruise? sorry, my vagina hurts. end of rant. carry on.....

Years ago I almost pulled the trigger on a minty, red 318is with that vinyl crap.

From the time I cranked the engine and accelerated from a stop I was disappointed. Just no juice to that engine. Only once you rev the snot out of it are you able to appreciate it. Even then it was kinda....lame. The crazy tail happy nature of the m20 was addicting

Not to mention the lack of features compared to the 325es I had previously had. This meant I had to wait an additional 8 months until I found fully loaded 325is with cloth.

[nando]

it is what it is. 130hp was never going to do anything for me, it's not like it has an excitingly high redline or other characteristics. Just a buzzy old 4 cyl, with timing chain components that wear out prematurely and cost a fortune to replace. I wanted to build one pretty badly until I started looking into it seriously..

[Poorhouse]

I like the 318is - it's fun to drive. But sorry, the M42 is a boat anchor.

A modern BMW 6 cylinder weighs about the same as an M42, makes double the power while also getting the same/better gas mileage and being more reliable.

Modern engine vs. 30+ year old tech. OK.


I like the M42 more than I thought I would. It is an engaging twin cam. Smoother than the 2.0 16V VW of the same era.

I can see calling the 318is a modern 2002.

Having owned 2002's in the past and now a 318, they don't do it for me. I like torque and a big engine in a small car package.
The M42 in my 318 will be getting swapped for something with more displacement and cylinders.

[5Toes]

... more reliable? I havent heard much about high miles new BMW engines except for tidbits about the dealer repair bills. Ill happily take a m42 with a new crank sensor and some new seals for reliability :)

[nando]

I like the 318is - it's fun to drive. But sorry, the M42 is a boat anchor.

A modern BMW 6 cylinder weighs about the same as an M42, makes double the power while also getting the same/better gas mileage and being more reliable.

[djjerme]

how the heck do you drive an e30 with no cruise? sorry, my vagina hurts. end of rant. carry on.....

If the Cruise Control worked on ANY of the E30's I've ever owned, I'd probably shiate myself..

Hell, I'm just happy that the windows continue to roll up some days.

#30YearOldElectricsFTW

[ThatOneEuroE30]

how the heck do you drive an e30 with no cruise? sorry, my vagina hurts. end of rant. carry on.....

Well generally, I cant speak for everyone on this but usually i just keep my foot on the pedal.


Not having the check panel, sun roof, and obc just make it that much better.

[5Toes]

^ 200 lbs. off is a lot - what do you have done for weight reduction?

my car is 2,450lbs on the scale with half a tank of gas. it has no front bumper, simplified front valence, no carpet, no backseat, no door cards, lightweight racing style exhaust (resonator and turbo style muffler), lightweight flywheel (7lbs), most engine accessories removed, no sound deadening/tar. No trunk carpet, smaller and lighter battery from a Honda, etc. etc.

Stock trim, BMW listed the weight as about 2650 lbs.

the 318is is the baby m3 because of its power delivery characteristics and DOHC nature. the 320is was the ///M3 of its markets

[flyboyx]

i personally like the m42 just fine. its all the stuff missing from the car that pisses me off.

no cruise control, no check panel, no 13 button obc......the thing that really annoys me is those freaking vinyl perforated seats installed in 95% of them. well, the seats are fine, but i despise sitting on that slippery plastic. as they start to disintegrate, the surface looks like lizard skin.

how the heck do you drive an e30 with no cruise? sorry, my vagina hurts. end of rant. carry on.....

on the positive side, shadow line trim is nice.

[ThatOneEuroE30]

E30 320is was the "baby M3". Calling a 318 that is an insult to the M3. All this talk about weight in the front is easily dialed out with the right suspension set up and totally forgotten with enough power. BMW quit making 4 bangers for a reason!

SMH.... You CLEARLY have zero knowledge on BMW history. The 4 cylinder is the reason any of our BMW's isn't a Mercedes. They quite making them because the 2.0 liter racing regulations were lifted so they could use bigger engines. So when they designed the cars they were with 6 cylinders so they could be raced with a 6 cylinder since it was offered in the dealership. I recommend buying the book Unbeatable you will learn a lot. With out that little m10 bmw would be bankrupt making parts for merc's.

[agent]

Everyone is quick to hate on the m42 but it really is the baby m3.

The 318is is what people refer to as the baby M3, and even that is debatable.

[djjerme]

..are we going to see a rash of these post by people who over paid for their 318is on Bring A Trailer now?

We get it - the 318is was low production and is the bee's knees because of weight/balance..blah, blah. It's still an E30. Still as aerodynamic as a brick. Still tailhappy as a new born puppy.

[M-technik-3]

E30 320is was the "baby M3". Calling a 318 that is an insult to the M3. All this talk about weight in the front is easily dialed out with the right suspension set up and totally forgotten with enough power. BMW quit making 4 bangers for a reason!

They quit selling them in the US market, they never stopped selling them.

[Wolfman]

[ATTACH]114319[/ATTACH]

[roguetoaster]

E30 320is was the "baby M3". Calling a 318 that is an insult to the M3. All this talk about weight in the front is easily dialed out with the right suspension set up and totally forgotten with enough power. BMW quit making 4 bangers for a reason!

The 320is was the tax dodge M3, nothing more, as BMW felt they needed a halo three series that was more practical for drivers in several countries. The 318is was never intended to compete with either M3 or faux M3s, and I suspect it was more of a technological proving ground/market test than anything else.

It's also inaccurate to say that BMW quit making four cylinders, as they have made them since the M10 until today, with only the shortest break between the end of the M10 and start of the S14/M40. Although I haven't done the math, I suspect that at this time BMW has produced 3 four cylinders for every 4 other cylinder count of car engines.

For the OP, power is not everything. Less will do just fine if you understand the limits of what you can and should do on a public road. On track I don't think anyone would argue that more than 136 horsepower in a ~2700 pound car would be good. That said, M42s seem to be more reliable than M20s on track, although it should be said that M20s likely have far, far more total hours of competition time a this point, even considering the 318is Rally in Europe.