The Making of a Legend: The M3

[InNeedOfBoost]

^^ The last two posts beat me to it. We really did get shafted in the US after the E30.

[M-technik-3]

No we didn't they would have sat on the showroom floors like the real M3 did here from 88-91 sales were dismal.

The sold us a car people would buy and they did! Sales were 4 times as high original.

Would I have like to had a EU spec E36 M3 sure would have, but thinking buyers would have balked at them again.

[M3 euro ltw]

E36 bashing

We asked for an E36 M3, and they complied, but watered it down.

Pop a decent diff on the S50B32 E36 and you'll take any non-CSL E46 M3.

The US forums will always complain about the E36 M3 not because we got shafted on chassis, that was virtually identical to the Euro version (slightly different springs), but they got the real deal engines, multi-throttle bodied and the rest.

A S50B30 or S50B32 engined E36 retains the M-Spirit quite well. The relative increase in power to S54 is minimal, and accompanied by extra weight as well, hence the different diff on the E46 M3.... (IMO). Can't have last years model out-run the new one.

The few M3 GT cars (think a US spec LTW with hot S50B30 euro engine) are quite desired, and probably just as much fun if not more than an E30 M3.... I know its heresy to suggest that.

The US M3 was a break from a newly started tradition of special motored, ITB, solid lifter engines bearing the M emblem. IMO they continued a trend to dilute in the S62 powered M5 as well with hydraulic lifters restricting redline etc...

But the Euro M3's were spot on, and continued the tradition nicely. I do not agree with the narrator that the US and Euro spec engined M3's performed the same, that is only off the line for a very short distance. In the US with speed limits at 60, marginal usefullness for the Euro motor... but sales of the S54 powered M3 would suggest our market does appreciate that type of engine.

[yeaseth]

Great video