325i top speed

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   I'm interested in what top speeds you other E30 owners have had in your cars?
I'm considering fitting an LSD to mine and i've heard the lower ratio will lower my top speed, goes off the clock at the moment at 150mph, but what is the benefit to acceleration, noticable?

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paul325i Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Visit Members Homepage Add to Buddy List Really Senior Member II Joined: 23-January-2003 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 666	Topic: 325i top speed Posted: 26-February-2003 at 15:32
	I'm interested in what top speeds you other E30 owners have had in your cars? I'm considering fitting an LSD to mine and i've heard the lower ratio will lower my top speed, goes off the clock at the moment at 150mph, but what is the benefit to acceleration, noticable?
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b318isp Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Visit Members Homepage Add to Buddy List Moderator Group Joined: 10-October-2002 Location: Ireland Status: Offline Points: 2057	Posted: 26-February-2003 at 16:30
	You probably have a 3.91 or 3.73. Check the tab in the rear of the diff or count the turns of the propshaft to get one turn of the wheels. Overall gearing is effected by changing the diff ratio and BMW will have set this so that you reach top speed close to peak power. If you go to a 4.10 you will have higher revs, but less power (as you will have passed peak power rpm) so won't go any faster - you might even hit the rev limiter! If you put in a lower diff, you will also be at lower power as the revs will be below peak rpm. Only do this if you have increased the engine output. A higher ratio, such as the 4.10, will give you marginally better acceleration in gear, but overall will have little effect as each gear will be shorter (runs out at a lower rpm). This also may mildly effect fuel economy and cruising noise. Finally, the 4.10 only came in the small casing for 4 cylinders. I think you should look for a 3.91 LSD from a 325i Sport.

b318isp Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Visit Members Homepage Add to Buddy List Moderator Group Joined: 10-October-2002 Location: Ireland Status: Offline Points: 2057	Posted: 26-February-2003 at 16:31
	P.S. Why are you interested in top speed? With 170 bhp you are limited to about 140mph for an E30 anyway.

paul325i Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Visit Members Homepage Add to Buddy List Really Senior Member II Joined: 23-January-2003 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 666	Posted: 27-February-2003 at 16:14
	The LSD seems my best bet as i want the handling characteristics of it so badly. Just wondered if it would make a big difference to the top speed as i occasionally venture up to that speed against mates, it will hit the limiter in 5th already even with the standard diff so that won't be a surprise but the lower gears are not ideal, 1st is to low, 2nd is ideal, 3rd is to long, 4th is nice, and 5th could be slightly higher. Was thinking about a sport gearbox for it but i wasn't sure on the ratios, engine feels like it can pull longer gearing.
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blk325 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Newbie Joined: 22-March-2003 Location: Great Britain Status: Offline Points: 5	Posted: 25-March-2003 at 21:43
	humm paul325;ive had a e30 320iand flat out 6k rpm ,was looking at 125mph.that has since been sold as i killed that.now have e36 325,seems that gearing is simmilar,dont know why yours is somuch faster?any sugestions.?

kbannon Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Visit Members Homepage Add to Buddy List Admin Group E39 525i Sport Individual Joined: 09-October-2002 Location: 64 Zoo Lane Status: Offline Points: 15508	Posted: 26-March-2003 at 20:19
	I found that it can depend also on the type of surface and weather - comparing the surface of the roads here in Ireland (poor quality and cool temp) and those when the car was on the autoroutes in France(v. good surfaces and hot temp) there was about a 10% difference in speed @ 5 and 6 krpm
	Current: 2009 E60 520d "Sport" tractor Previous: 1989 E30 320i SE 1997 E39 523i 2003 E39 525i Sport Individual

paul325i Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Visit Members Homepage Add to Buddy List Really Senior Member II Joined: 23-January-2003 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 666	Posted: 27-March-2003 at 08:14
	My car will go off the speedo at 150mph on a cold night on an empty road such as the M25 at 3 in the morning but when its hot and sunny it will only go up to 140mph or just above on the speedo. Maybe the final drive gearing is lower on the E36?? I always feel like i need a sixth gear, the car could pull 80 90 mph in a higher gear no trouble, not sure about top end though current gearing is best for that i think, but mine revs to 6500rpm if that is the difference.
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deacs Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Newbie Joined: 28-January-2003 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 10	Posted: 27-March-2003 at 10:11
	my 89 325i sport hits the rev limiter in 5th at just under 140mph, no way i could get 150 as like i said "it hits the limiter in 5th" thats with a 6000 mile old engine

paul325i Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Visit Members Homepage Add to Buddy List Really Senior Member II Joined: 23-January-2003 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 666	Posted: 27-March-2003 at 10:41
	Mine will hit the limiter too after a while but the needle is showing off 150mph thats with a 100,000 mile engine. Sport has lower gearing than mine, mines only an i.
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Adam Garside Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Visit Members Homepage Add to Buddy List Groupie Joined: 20-November-2002 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 70	Posted: 27-March-2003 at 11:14
	Mine's just a "i" not a "sport" and i've had about the same. 60mph in 2nd 80mph in 3rd 110mph in 4th 146mph in fifth (with about 300rpm left before limiter kicks in) I think the aerodynamics have a huge effect, I never got as higher speed once i removed the Alpina front splitter, felt less stable once it was removed too.

paul325i Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Visit Members Homepage Add to Buddy List Really Senior Member II Joined: 23-January-2003 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 666	Posted: 27-March-2003 at 13:46
	I've got a 318is front splitter fitted haven't noticed any difference with or without it but probably not as big as your Alpina version. 60mph in 2nd 80mph in 3rd 120mph in 4th 150mph in 5th only speedo ratings though i know so no need to tell me that its not really doing that speed.
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jonb Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Groupie Joined: 24-January-2003 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 72	Posted: 27-March-2003 at 15:19
	this is the gearing i had on my old 2.7 e30(r.i.p). 1st: 35 2nd: 70 3rd: 117 4th: 135 5th: 145 at 5000rpm, still pulling strong, thats the fastest i got. still had 1500 rpm to go!

paul325i Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Visit Members Homepage Add to Buddy List Really Senior Member II Joined: 23-January-2003 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 666	Posted: 27-March-2003 at 16:33
	Sounds like a nice gearing set up mate. What diff/gear box combo did you use in that?
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jonb Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Groupie Joined: 24-January-2003 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 72	Posted: 27-March-2003 at 17:24
	Quote: Originally posted by paul325i on 27-March-2003 Sounds like a nice gearing set up mate. What diff/gear box combo did you use in that? hi mate im really not sure what the gearbox was. the car was origonally a 320i you see, so it may have been keeped in there once the lump was put in(i bought the car with the conversion done). i do know the diff ratio though. it was 3.25 quite high. it suited the 2.7 perfectly due to the torque, but if the 325 had this gearing it would suffer badly on exeleration.

blk325 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Newbie Joined: 22-March-2003 Location: Great Britain Status: Offline Points: 5	Posted: 27-March-2003 at 21:03
	well iam stumped.then.cause the new e36 325 ive got,has been on rolling roadand found 2 b still pushing 192bhp after 96 k miles. its on H plate.maxed out at 6500 rpm showing 130mph.drives well on the 17inch 23545 S.the gear shift is firm,no slop.engine is quiet(no untoward noises).so short of getting under car to check diff fore build markings,i can only guess that my car dosent have what yours has.what i am cosidering is putting on a induction kit(a pipercross viper)has any one else fitted these and do they realy work,the same gose fors the cat replacement pipes and a stainless exhaust.ive been stung be fore.aparently if a (tpi) stamp mark is pressent on the exhaust that system performs no better than standard fittment.please post your own experinces thaks

RichB Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Newbie Joined: 11-January-2003 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 73	Posted: 28-March-2003 at 08:55
	That doesn't seem right. I've had 134mph with spare power to boot on my 170bhp version...

paul325i Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Visit Members Homepage Add to Buddy List Really Senior Member II Joined: 23-January-2003 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 666	Posted: 28-March-2003 at 13:54
	Might have something to do with your 17inch alloys, car will be doing a slightly higher speed than your speedo is reading. But i would have thought you can get more than that. My friend's 316i E36 can do 125mph and think of the power difference.
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maxout Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Visit Members Homepage Add to Buddy List Newbie Joined: 31-March-2003 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 2	Posted: 31-March-2003 at 21:06
	you really know nothing you bunch of losers, speedo instruments are wildly inaccurate above 100 mph !! having said that i have an OEM electronic speedo in my 325 touring with a 3.5L twin turbo engine in (out of an Alpina B10 biturbo! hehe!) and on an airfield i got 196mph before I chickened out. 0-60 in about 4.5 secs as well !

maxout Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Visit Members Homepage Add to Buddy List Newbie Joined: 31-March-2003 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 2	Posted: 31-March-2003 at 21:07
	losers i can get 197 out of my 325 touring 1990 spec but with a 3.5 L twin turbo out of an alipna b10 bi turbo fitted

M3AG Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Really Senior Member II 7 series & e36 m3 registrar! (Madness) Joined: 17-October-2002 Location: Good Old Hertfordshire Status: Offline Points: 1644	Posted: 31-March-2003 at 21:38
	when my 325SE was about 2 years old, I did an indicated 150mph on the M25 (pre speed cameras') and at 2.30 in the morning, so I expect it was really around the 140 mark, as the speedo's are not that accurate. But when we pressed the computer for readings during this stunt (my wife did this, not me), it stated 141mph, and 10.5 or so to the gal! Fastest, but very brief sprint on a UK road. Imediatley dropped to around 85mph.
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