Fishey

My friends M3 I posted pictures of has the H&R springs (I don't think they are coilovers)

Robby

3219lbs isn't TOO terribly bad- should be ~3375lbs test- the 951 is ~3150 test- the E36M3 was ~3350lbs- w/the larger rotors, excellent chassis, larger wheels, etc, that's not too bad- PLUS, have you ever picked up a stock E36M3 catback muffler? It IS HEAVY! You could save an EASY 30lbs right there & probably get better sound deadening too... Anyway, the E46M3 is ~3600lbs test- that IS getting up there- that's the prob w/all the new cars- 50 dif air bags, electric everything, etc- it all adds up- I like nice & simple- I wish I could get rid of a few of the power options on my 951...

'88-924S

I used to have an E36 325i w/ some modifications and I've driven the E36 M3 several times. The E36 series I think is a excellent example of engineering. I think they are one of the best all around cars ever. Handling is good, comfortable, well made, etc. They are perfect for high speed cruising and you can fit groceries in it too! For pure driving though the Porsche is made just to drive, not to pick up groceries, so it's my first choice. If I had two kids and could have just one car the E36 just might be the one.

eclou

The real beauty of the E36M3 is how easy it is to drive - makes almost anyone a hero at the track. I have done some of the stupidest moves on the track in the past - throttle lift-off at apex, inadvertent braking at apex, etc and the M3 will forgive me 99.9% of the time. It is so easily driven at speed that even my wife got into DE's for awhile - driving my E36 instead of her '00 996 by preference.

Here is a pic of her kicking *** at TWS:

http://www.986host.com/gallery/eclou/DSC00595

Z-man

What's the weight distribution of a E36 M3? Is it a rear transaxle car?
-Z.

Mike Buck

50/50 . .. no

RajDatta

If anyone questions this statement, I suggest they drive one. You will walk away impressed. In stock form, they are the best handling cars of their time and better than our beloved 951s. We all love our cars but lets not get blinded here. M3s can be driven fast by almost anyone right out of the box. They inspire great confidence and have superb braking and torque as well. They could definitely use a taller final drive or a 6th gear but that is another debate.
I recommend them over 951s and 968s to all my friends if they want the best daily driver out there.

Jeff Lamb

I have been following this thread with interest and I am wondering if anyone could compare / contrast the E36 M3 versus the E36 325? I am considering buying one of these to use for my daily driver, however, before I do so, I want to understand the differences. I am married with two children so I am going to be looking for the 4 door models. I am leaning towards the 4 door M3, however, I just don't quite know how much better it is than the 325.

Thanks,
Jeff

jjmson20

FISHEY what year is your friends M3?

Robby

968TurboS, 88-924S, & eclou- you guys are right on the $! They are incredible cars- they DO need taller gearing though AND/OR a 6th- I'm not sure how hard it would be to get a taller FD in one- I think it would be fairly easy(?)- as crazy as it sounds, the lightweight M3's had even SHORTER gearing(!?).

Z-man, etc- I'm almost positive it's a rear tranny- the weight distribution is always listed a 49/51, so even better tha 50/50- I think 48/52 - 49/51 is perfect! The 968CS M030 was 49/51 too- unfortunately, the extra weight of the turbo, intercooler, etc, as well as the lack of weight of the weaker 5-sp tranny of the 951, not to mention the addition of the helper springs at the rear of the 968, makes the 951 the opposite- 51/49- the engine weighs ~404lbs vs the 968's ~385lbs- these #'s came from this list BTW...

Jeff- I would stick to the M3 if possible- the susp, brakes, etc are all upgraded, as well as lot's more power- the '96 & up had 236Tw vs '95 having 225- made a big diff b/c it came on ~300rpms sooner- took almost a full 1/2 sec off 1/4 mile times... Of course, it's supposed to be easier to tune the '95's b/c of their OBD1 vs OBD2, but, not sure if you did same basic mods to both if you'd have more in the end w/the '95 or not- anyone know? EC is doing a test w/a '95 M3 right now- it had some pretty strong #'s right off the bat- dynoed 220RWP when they started, but they said it was a VERY good example, as it had ~20HP more to begin with. ALL E36 M3's had 240HP stock BTW. Anyway, I guess the '95 or up stuff doesn't affect you, as the 4-dr's were only made in '97 & '98 anyway. I used to not like 4-drs, but, b/c of the Audi's & the E36M3, I've grown to like them much better- this is really a great looking 4-dr car IMO. BTW- the 4-dr only gained ~8lbs over the 2-dr- according to MT I believe- I have a test somewhere of the 4-dr when it first came out & it was LESS than 10lbs. They cut the front doors slightly shorter, so they didn't have to lengthen the chassis or change it in any way....

Fishey

1995
Because thats the best year OBD1 baby!

Robby

If you did the same mods to both a 95 & a 96 & up, would the 95 be stronger? I know you can make a 95 stronger w/mods IF the 96 & up stay STOCK, but... Stock to stock the 96 & up are much better- ~1/2 sec faster to the 1/4- the TQ makes a BIG dif. I know the 95's are easier to mod, but- so, how do they compare IF both cars get simlar treatments?

None of this really matters though if you have ~$6K & call up AA....

Jon Moeller

e36's are all transmission cars, not transaxle. I've worked on enough of them to know. One benefit to this is that changing the rear ratios is pretty easy. Just look for one off another car.

If I recall, '95's had a lower rear than '96+'s. The '95 is the car to buy if you're looking to mod (no OBD-II). No sedans until '97, though.

I almost went for an M3 over my 951, but then I realized that the 951 was within my price range, and offered far greater performance after modifications. This is a bang for the buck assessment. If you're keeping a car stock, the e36 is the way to go. Great ride, brakes like you wouldn't believe, and awesome handling.

I decided to go for the 951, because I didn't need a practical car. (Woohoo, no kids!) For a family sedan, the M3 cannot be touched. IMHO.

The 325i is a very good car for this function, but the M3 is a car that won't leave you wanting in 99% of street driving.

-J (Former BMW owner/driver/fanatic)

Jon Moeller

Robby,
The problem with OBD-II is that I believe you break federal law by removing it. This fact makes modifying the '96+ engines much more difficult. A relatively common swap is to put the 3.2 liter in a '95, for the best of both worlds.
-J

Fishey

I know this isnt the place to discuss this but I know that Porsche 993's also use OBD, The 95's OBD-I and 96+ OBD-II ( the 96 993's also have some major issues with CEL. I was wondering if the OBD used on the 993 is similar to that of the m3 if it is? then do the OBD-II Bmw's have issues with CEL?

I know timings and stuff like that but the proccessor could be the same as they are both 6 cylinders.. any comments?