Rage2. I think are experiance just comes from diffrent M3 engines. I have worked for a few years building 2 diffrent supercharged E36M3s but both are the 95 engines. They had there limits at around 350whp due to compression and S/C effeciency. The current E36M3 I am working on is a Turbo M3 also a 95 and the first stage of the project will start sometime next year but alot of research has gone into this engine as we have talked dirrectly to AA tuning and boostlogic extensivly about there kits and alot of the gurus on diffrent BMW forums. The information we are getting back is all similar that the stock internals will go to 400whp after that the internals will need to be changed. I do not have any information on the 3.2l block and I am just guessing thats its tolarances might not be as high.

Also very good numbers from your 2.5l engine but was that on moddified piston and rods? I always thought that the 944turbo limits were around 400whp as well on stock internals.

 

Wow! No wonder the Bimmer can rev so high for a six-cylinder engine! The cylinders look like pinholes compared to the 944s.

Actually it surprises me that our engines can rev as high as they do considering how big the pistons are. I think I heard somewhere that the bore on the 3.0 cylinders are larger than the Ford 302s?

 

Completely stock internals.

 

Dualblade, here is a site (I am not sure how accurate it is) showing the 97 M3 cabriolet with curb weight of 3200 lb. http://www.supercars.net/cars/1997@$BMW@$M3%20Cabrioletx.html

 

the M3 cab is pretty heavy, certainly not 3200 lb. my 2 door coupe weighs about 3200 lb. the cab is more like 3450 or 3500lb.

as far as fishey's statement about handling, i agree to some extent. the steering IS a little lighter on the M3, not as well-connected to the road as the 944. However, the handling is still very good and very predictable. just like the 944. so good, in fact, that the M3 was given the title of "best handling car in the world" regardless of price back in the late 90's by a well-known motorsport magazine (can't remember which one). hmmm......sound familiar?

 

Yup car and driver did this test in 1997. M3 did stomp the competition...including the nsx and 355 competition.

 

It was Car and Driver who in 1997 I believe named the M3 as the Best Handling Car above $30K. It beat out some top-notch competition, such as a Ferrari F355, Acura NSX, and others. It was also Car and Driver who proclaimed the 944 as the Best Handling Car back in 1985.

 

I always think about a replacement for the S2, just in case. The M3 is my top pick. I had an E36 328is coupe that I hated--non sporty feel, body roll, plastic interior rattled, clutch pedal squeeked...etc. My Porsche mechanic told me the M series was a MUCH better car than my 328.

The '97's are still selling for near $20k in decent shape. Still a little high for me.

I was thinking of getting an Acura RSX-S, until I read about all the tranny problems everyone's having with those cars!

Keeping the S2 makes the most sense at this point! Yay!

 

now there i definitely agree. this is my second BMW (first was a '91 325i) and the interior finish is lower quality than any of my 944 cars. the cheap plastic interior just doesn't look right. the leather seats are pretty decent, but the surface finish on all the other surfaces (dash, door panels, quarter panels, etc) are all pretty cheap appearing. the 944, on the other hand, at least has decent appearing interior panels.

 

The 944 interior is very solid, I have no squeaks or rattles EXCEPT for the rear hatch!!

 

When my hatch glass is silent (when I open and close it a few times, the glass must re-set or something), the car is solid as a rock! Then, the hatch glass starts rattling, and it sounds like a '79 Reliant K!

On my 328, the damned arm rest would rattle so much, I pulled it out and replaced it with the non-armrest console that BMW sold in the accessory catalog. What a plastic POS that turned out to be!

The dealer installed wood trim really helped the interiors of those E36 cars, IMHO.

 

yea, my car has the wood trim, but even so, the remaining plastic still makes it look cheap.

 

Mine seats pretty well when I close it but the roads are rough enough around here that it starts rattling within a few miles of home.

 

Streck--Must be your glass is loose in the frame. Try closing it, then pushing the glass with your hand, in the upper corners. If you hear a clicking noise, it's that noise you are hearing when you drive.

 

Drive the M3 and finally understand why they call it "The Ultimate Driving Machine". Its a grandiose statement- and the M3 lives up to it entirely. Nowhere will you find precision(metric) in a car, that employs aircraft engineering standards(they make 747 engines w/ Rolls) in every vehicle they produce, exceeding tolerance, durability, and constant-operation certification tests(TUV). Every single aspect of the little BMW brute has been intentionally designed; from the sound of the door closing...to the exhaust note at 5200RPM. BMW knows its these sensory tweaks- is what sells cars!