Any other e30 m3 owners here?

[LongRanger]

Tough car.

Rain. Fog. Road construction. Critters. (Big) About 7200 miles, round trip.

Do this again, with a Real M3 ---- any time!

Rick

[///msw3]

Awesome Rick! Thanks for the photos, I will have to add them to her file. You really put her to good use, she's probably bored now sitting in a garage wondering where are all of the dead bugs Once I get back to CA, I will start driving her in anger/joy again! These e30 m3's are really made to be driven, much like the early 911, it's such an easy transition to make.

[LongRanger]

. . . e30 m3's are really made to be driven, much like the early 911 . . . an easy transition to make . . .

Yup.

Same kinda power-band.

S14 is dead below 3000 . . .

Then, starting at ~3500, the torque shows up . . .

Then, at 4500 --- car feels like it looses a 1000 pounds . . . takes-off . . .

These cars rev soooooo hard, too --- stockers are safe to 7800 . . . . but will lunch their AC. Cars come with TWO limiters --- the first, the 'soft' one, an ignition cut-out, kicks in at around 7200-7300, followed by the 'hard' one, a fuel shut-off, at 7500 --- if the stumbling motor didn't get your attention.

Tooling around, at 6000+ . . . barks/woofs like a liter-bike.

Destroys corners, too. Only car I've ever heard of that'll fail its unibody 'cause it corners so hard. (Look for dimples in the rear corners of the sunroof opening.) Good reason NOT to upgrade things too much. Unless you cage it.

This was my 2nd M3, and seriously modified suspension: full Turner re-enforcements --- both sub-frames, + shock mounts + bar-mounts + bushings, KONI SAs, Eibach springs and bars, rotors/pads, +2 on the wheels, Bridgestones . . . not race duty --- but you've seen the receipts. Stock motor (intake/exhaust/chip), and everything fixed. Not the prettiest car, when I had 'er, but ---- OMG . . . could that car corner. Tail-wagging terrorist. You could find my house just by following the black marks around the corners. Lousy drag-racer but . . . every Pony-car pilot in the 'hood had been pounced and pummeled enough times to know the sound of us rolling in . . . at >7000 . . .

Incoming! . . .

Rick

[dporsche74]

I have owned a 90 E30 M3 yrs and yrs ago really like it

but have had a few of the Mercedes Cosworth 2.3-16v , like it much better
Most stable cornering car it seemed to alway know what you wanted it to do ,
plus the interior was way nicer too

[///msw3]

I have owned a 90 E30 M3 yrs and yrs ago really like it

but have had a few of the Mercedes Cosworth 2.3-16v , like it much better
Most stable cornering car it seemed to alway know what you wanted it to do ,
plus the interior was way nicer too

I have always had a secret desire for one of these, I would guess that this is one damn fun car.

[dporsche74]

yes they are just one of most fun car to drive out there

few more years the EVO 1 and EVO 2 will be old enough to import to the States without butchering them up,
Im afraid prices might be thought the roof in 5 more yrs

[///msw3]

That's looking pretty tough, The ORIGINAL black series

[LongRanger]

Hmm.

The original M-B 190 2.3 16v came out in the US just a little before the first M3s, 1986? I really wanted to like this car, too --- the last Benz I can remember coming with a 5-speed (a dog-'box, yet!) --- but I just didn't fit behind the wheel. Car felt small inside, too, almost Japanese. Pricier than the M3, too. Back then, Dealers could at least justify the price. After all --- 'this is a Mercedes.'

The 190 2.3 16vs that were sold here are interesting, but much more sedan-like than the M3. I've looked at used ones, off-and-on, but these cars were never numerous. (Versus ~5K M3s imported.) Never see the M-B cars raced, whereas M3s seen to live on tracks --- even now. The M-Bs have a reputation for snapping their T-chains, too. And pricier to fix. After all --- this is a Mercedes.'

M-B's Evo I and II cars are pretty rare, only built about 500 each, '90 and '91? and never imported. (Never seen one come up for sale --- anywhere.) Much more focused car, with dedicated short-stroke 2.5 liters, built specifically for DTM homologation. AMG pedaled 'power packs' for these, too, as I recall.

But kind of a footnote, these cars. M-B finally won the DTM with the Evo II, in '92? --- after BMW and AUDI left.

Good luck importing any Evo. EPA may waive their smog requirements . . . but the DoT's safety regs will still apply --- 'bags, chimes, inter-lock, intrusion beams, seat belts, instruments and lighting. And hope they don't look too close at the bodywork. 'Don't see this one pictured in my US Models book. Zis thing crash-tested?'

Gulp.

RVK

PS And how come I'm always seeing M-B 190 2.3-16v fans turning-up on M3 threads --- even at M3 events . . . but never the other way around?

[Oliviero]

I owned this '87 M3 Group A (newly built) for a while. I drove it at the Nürburgring. It was very fast and nicely balanced.

Ergon BMW 002.jpg

[///msw3]

I owned this '87 M3 Group A (newly built) for a while. I drove it at the Nürburgring. It was very fast and nicely balanced.

Ergon BMW 002.jpg

YES! So cool, thanks for posting! Must have been a friggin blast. Did it have an s14 in it?