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dannywig View Drop Down
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Points: 78 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 29-December-2003 at 00:56
Originally posted by daddy cool daddy cool wrote:

if the e36s with the 6 pots are better , why is it they get eaten by the e30s on track days ?

 sometimes manufacturers make mistakes when they bring out later models !  like vw did with their lardy mk 4 & 5 golf .

 personally i wouldnt touch a 4 cylinder beemer with a barge pole , but thats simply because i think the 6 pots are the best sounding , and smoothest engine ive ever had .

I never said that the E36 was better, its common knowlegde that they aren't as good. My point was, why didn't BMW continue with four pot engines in the later M3's? Maybe cos the whole car is so much heavier it needs the extra grunt that the six pot has. Although the Porshce 968 had a 3 litre 4 pot and that was mean't to be one of the best drivers cars ever! I wonder how much lighter its engine is compared to a E36 M3 engine.

 
1991 E30 320i Convertible
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Points: 691 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 29-December-2003 at 01:08

if its anything like a normal beemer 4 pot , its a $hit load lighter !

  the normal sixers are bloody heavy , let alone with the extra bits an e36 m3 has . been doin my 2.5 today , i still cant believe the size of em !

 whereas the 4 pots look more like ur average ford or vauxhaul motor .
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Points: 78 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 29-December-2003 at 01:27
Yeah the sixers do look massive come to think of it LOL. What are you doing to your 2.5 by the way?
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Points: 691 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 29-December-2003 at 01:34

she had a 2.7 in her , but the bottom end started rattling so im fitting my modded 2.5 lump outa the track day car i was building . not even sure what she,l go like yet as i havnt driven her with the same diff or box .

 find out 2mrw ( hopefully)

 not sure what to do with the old set up now tho ? repair or strip ??
e30 2.7 cab
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Points: 666 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 29-December-2003 at 02:08
Originally posted by dannywig dannywig wrote:

Originally posted by Sohlman Sohlman wrote:

Originally posted by dannywig dannywig wrote:

Sorry but a 318is is nowhere near as quick as 325i, its only marginally quicker than a 320i.

Quickness is not just about 0-60. The 318is has a much lighter engine and the car has perfect balance. It is substancially quicker than a 320 and about .8 second off a 325, but around the right track a 318is would be quicker than a 325. The 320 and 325 carry a heavy engine at the front which does affect it's handling. That is why M3's had 4 cylinder engines. Now if you put a 200BHP 6 cylinder e30 against a standard M3, there in gear times would be very close if not quicker for the 6 cylinder due to more torque, but around a track (twisty bits) it would not stand a chance.

So yes i agree a 325 is quicker than a 318is, but overall not as much as you might think.

I'm still not convinced that a 318is is as quick as some people make out, but I'm probably wrong. I wouldn't swap my 320i for one just because its quicker round a racetrack anyway. I've heard that an M3 isn't that much lighter than a 325i sport, its just because the M3 engine is more free reving and has higher BHP output that makes it quicker.

Right this will sound childish but, i have raced a 318is before and its true they can corner much better than a 325i. 

They have nearer to 50:50 weight distribution and in the right hands with the revs kept up they exit corners quicker to, as the 2.5's torque just means wheel spin and the heavy engine means understeer. 

But get out on an open road and the 325i will kill a 318is, thats what the 325i and to a lesser extent the 320i were aimed at, the autobahns.

Oh and on weight i think the M3 is actually heavier than a 325i overall but the weight distribution front to rear is nearly perfect, that is why they are so competitive on the track.

 

 


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Points: 33 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 29-December-2003 at 14:29

Yeah Im a member of club gti and the forum.

One good thing about the 318 is it looks to be two insurance groups down from the golf

but with a 0 - 62 of around 10 secs it wont cut the mustard (dont think I could bare being burnt off by a Nova)

Im gunna keep my eye on the local paper for 325s

cheers guys
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Points: 825 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 29-December-2003 at 18:45

Does that mean Ive finally got through to you about a 325?

My work is done here now.

BTW I would have a 325 E30 tomorrow, Ive had 2, one sport and one SE and they are ace. Ive always wanted an M3 E30 since I was about 14 and have finally found one that was worth buying. However Ive only done 100 miles in it since buying it 6 months ago and they were all on a trackday.
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Points: 304 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 29-December-2003 at 18:59
I think the reason the E36 and E46 are 6's rather than 4 pots is the fact that the E36 is a fair bit heavier and bigger than the E30, and even more so the lardy E46.Because of this, the displacement had to increase. E30 2.5 & 2.7(?),E36 3.0 & 3.2 and so on.To make a 4 cylinder 3.2 ltr engine would be nuts,also the weight of the engine is swallowed into the equasion.

I just know I'm going to be corrected on this!!!

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Points: 691 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 29-December-2003 at 19:03
sounds about rite to me dude !!
e30 2.7 cab
e30 325i
e30 325 sport
e30 318 touring
e28 m5
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e34 m5
e39 540
e36 318ti (green)
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Points: 1259 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 29-December-2003 at 22:15
Six cylinder engines are also generally smoother and they will have more low down grunt then a 4 cylinder. In the age we live in with huge emission, noise and fuel considerations as well as cars getting heavier and heavier a 4 cylinder car even with 200bhp is going to struggle to pull a 1400-1600kg 3 series. The old e28 M5 is far lighter than the 316 e46 let alone the M3. Enough said. Does that make any sense!
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Points: 248 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 30-December-2003 at 23:37
Test drove a couple of 318is models and just didn't like the 4 cylinder engine - very harsh and quite frankly quite loud!

I run a 320 and a 325 Sport - I love them both. The sport is really special but seriously juicy - I limit mine to 1 day a week now!! Maybe the airflow meter. In Sterling silver with Alpinas and lowered suspension it turns more heads than any other car i've had (and that includes Alfa 156 V6's and Fiat Coupes).

The 320 with the right mods is not actually that slow - I've got a Scorpion exhaust, FSE boost valve, K & N filter, Koni suspension and a stonking set of Pirelli P7000's. It handles an absolute treat and the sound is out of this world. The brakes are not as responsive as the sports (discs all round as opposed to drums at the back on the 320) but they work well with ATE powerdiscs up front.

Choice is yours - give me Ł4700 and my sport is yours.

Edited by rezaq
Reza Q BEng (Hons), MEng, MIEE

1991 320I SE Lux coupe, 145K
1990 325I Sport Auto, 143K
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Points: 106 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 31-December-2003 at 10:40

Have to add my 2 pence on this... I think the 318is is one of the best cars i've ever driven... car is quick on low revs... wheelspins in 1st/2nd even 3rd if not careful... perfectly balanced... perfect fuel economy even on a heavy foot... so what if the car aint got enough torque, the car is light, the engine doesnt seem underpowered, yes its true the car may be a little harsh sounding and loud... but than what 4 cylinder sounds sweet when pushed a bit and it's not like the car(E30) is a luxury saloon.. its more a sports car...

I've noticed the engine noise of my 318is is very similar to my mates Mk2 16v Golf Gti ..and that aint no bad motor either btw all 6ers sound nice... my dads 3.0 V6 volvo sounds sweet.... but that doesnt mean the car is the best to drive...  if i wanted a 6 cylinder i would just go for a E36 328i(probaby better balanced than a E30 325i)...

Southy Gti I would recommend a 318iS anyday... you will love it...

O yeah saw an old repeat of Top Gear the other day, that Quentin bloke was lookin at some future classics... and he just had to pick a E30 318iS.. no mention of 320's or 325's(btw I'm not puttin these cars down).. if it was my choice... best two E30's : M3 & 318iS.



Edited by beema318is
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Points: 3189 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 31-December-2003 at 10:50
Originally posted by beema318is beema318is wrote:


O yeah saw an old repeat of Top Gear the other day, that Quentin bloke was lookin at some future classics... and he just had to pick a E30 318iS.. no mention of 320's or 325's(btw I'm not puttin these cars down).. if it was my choice... best two E30's : M3 & 318iS.



I would replace the 318is with the 320is from Italy (uses the S14 engine out of the M3 but down to 2.0l for tax purposes).....not knocking the 318is

Edited by kevin
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Points: 106 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 31-December-2003 at 11:28

yeah i know... the 320iS is a nice motor... but its not really comparable to a 318iS... like you said the 320iS is more like a cut down version of a M3... so both cars aren't really in the same league... but the 318is is still an impressive motor... everyones' got a 320i or 325i... how many 318is's are there about... so this way you have something rare included in the package...  also last time i saw a E30 318is in Croydon sides was about 5 years ago... and now im the only other guy with one!!

 

 



Edited by beema318is
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Points: 3189 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 31-December-2003 at 11:54
Agreed it's nice to have something a bit different or rare. Enjoy
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Points: 39 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 01-January-2004 at 17:27

The 325i will definately be quicker than a 318is on a striaght depending on drivers abilities .

However i have raced against a E30 325i and only found myself 1 1/2 car lenghts short by end of the strip  close.

As for anything else, my 1.8is beats all e30/e36 upto the 2.3i. Not that i have tried all variants as im sure there will be faster ones than mine. 

The 318is is a quick car and its great fun round country lanes and back roads, but if you want pure straight line power then the 325i is for you.

=====

I found these specs and thought you might be interested.

E30

Model    Year      Engine(cc)          Power(Bhp)    0-62           Top MPH

316i      88-91    1596/M40           102                12.1           113

318i      87-91    1796/M40           115                10.8           117

318is    90-91    1796/M42           136                 9.9            125

320i      82-91    1991/M20           129                10.2           122

325i      85-90    2494/M20           170                 8.9            132



Edited by Matt318is
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Points: 33 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 02-January-2004 at 00:03

Thanks matt

The 318 sport seems quite rare but theres one for sale fairly local so once Ive fixed the gear selector shaft on the VW this weekend, I might make a trip to test pilot it 
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