sport or motorsport? whats the difference?

[Nissar]

Hi all,

Ok i dont actually understand the difference between a 325i sport or motorsport. Sometimes i think people jsut say sport as a shortened version of motorsport but im getting kinda confused. Any help would be appreciated.

Also if they are different what is the best way to know which is which?

cheers

[beardymat]

sports are saloons and motorsports are cabriolets

whatever you do dont call a sport a motorsport cause the motorsport police will get ya

[jmc330i]

Also if they are different what is the best way to know which is which?

sports are saloons and motorsports are cabriolets

Thats about it - quite a big difference really

Dont be fooled by someone selling a 325i Sport (or any Mtech kitted car) as a 'Motorsport' at a higher price than normal, they dont exist.

[Geeman]

All true...

Sport = Tin top

Motorsport = Soft top

And there is no grey area at all. That's the law as laid down by the Motorsport police.

[bootyman]

This is an interesting article i stole from the WLN site about the Motorsport. Makes interesting reading. Especially as the Motorsports attached to it was for sale for over Ԛ£10k

I'm now one of the Police so be aware, even though i know fcuk all myself

The Motorsport edition Convertible seems to be one of the most regularly copied E30 special editions. Be assured that the one pictured here is the genuine item!
Part of the problem is that few people fully understand the spec, the other is that there were actually three versions between 1989 and 1991. I don't have all the facts at the moment so please bear with me, however the research is ongoing and I will update this page as facts appear. This particular car is from the 1990 batch of 250 all of which had the small rear light clusters, larger lights only appearing on 1991 model year convertibles together with plastic bumpers. However a very interesting fact has appeared whilst this car has been stripped down. All regular E30 convertibles produced at this point would have had the early type lower front panel and rectangular foglamps. Although it is obvious that the Motorsport car has the later foglamps I had always imagined that a special bracket arrangement was used to support them behind the spoiler. This is not the case, a proper 1991 type front panel is used making the bodyshell unique to this run of 250 cars, i.e; early rear panel / late front panel.

Specification: Macau Blue with Blue hood and silver leather or Sebring Grey with Black hood and black leather.

M-Tech2 bodykit but no rear spoiler.

M-Tech suspension.

M-Tech2 Steering wheel.

M-Tech Leather Gearknob / Gaitor.

Motorsport woven leather / tricolor cloth seat centre panels (bubble leather).

Full leather door trim and rear side panel trim.

Leather trimmed centre console and handbrake lever / gaitor.

7x15'' BBS Alloy roadwheels with Nogaro silver painted centres.

M-Technic logo sill plates.

Inside of bootlid lined in light grey vinyl.

For anyone who is wondering what the odd looking item is ahead of the drivers side door lock allow me to explain. Pre 1992 model year convertibles have what BMW refer to as a thiefproofing system. The slot in the door takes a primitive coded magnetic key which sets the alarm system. A small red light below the number plate illuminates when the alarm is armed.

Later cars switched to an alarm operated from the keyfob which also locked / unlocked the doors. Everyone said weld up the hole and delete it as you are painting the car but that would have made it less original!

[Kos]

the first motorsport cabrios had no body kit at all, they were either macau blue or negaro grey with silver/grey leather and M tri colours stiched into the corner of the seats which had horizontal stiching. powerhoods leather door cards cntre console and a few more options.

second batch were as bootay man said, late spec front, early spec back and came in sebring grey and macua blue and buble leather.

the final batch were in calypso red or maritus blue with lotus white leather, i think these were the ones with late spec rear lights.

all had electric hoods, the proper leather door cards and centre console, the second batch had the m-tech door sills.
wheels were 15"bbs with the early ones being standard in appearance the later ones haveing the darker centres
LSD was on option on the early ones not sure if it was OE on the later ones, oh and if they were autos the had the 4sp EH switchable box.

all had a tech 2 steering wheel!!

[Nissar]

guys...thanx for the info...was gettin a bit confused there... well already own a 325i sport then i guess.

Whats the difference in terms of spec between a motorsport and a sport?

[bootyman]

One is a cab and the other is a tin top

Sorry i couldn't help it. I dont personally know, but i'm sure someone will answer properly in a mo

[orangecurry]

Sport has a close ratio gearbox and LSD as standard....

[gazm3]

See here...

http://www.e30zone.co.uk/modules.php?na ... ic&t=12121

Cheers Gareth

[Nissar]

excellent... thanks for all the info guys. learn somethin new everyday!!

[pacerpete]

The difference in laymens terms is as follows.

325 Sport, as per equivalent ordinary 325 but with a few extra morsels (and extra rust!) and twice the price

325 Motorsport cab, as per ordinary equivalent cab but with a few extra morsels (and extra rust !) and a very nice full leather trim (door cards,consoles etc) and twice the price.

Both variants are considered (M cars and tuner cars excepted) the ultimate incarnations of their genre.
Many owners have seen too many WLN ads and believe their molested scrap has achieved classic status and is worth big till. These are now old cars and there are very few nice low mileage ones left, so anything good if properly marketed (WLN) will pull good money.
But in the real world of slammed, burger kinged turds with shagged roofs and the arch delete option one must tread warily and don't believe the 'classic' hype as these cars only sell for good money as standard nice cars.
If mutilation/modding is your bag it's best to destroy a standard car as the sports /motorsports are no different to drive than a standard car with a few good options , and standard cars are generally much cheaper.

With careful searching these cars can be found for sensible prices , i believe Ben (bootyman) has just bought a councilled motorsport cab for less than Ԛ£4000 with a hardtop, i believe it is being further molested as we speak !

[bootyman]

Molested. I'm going to bugger and rape the fcuker

[paulj]

The difference in laymens terms is as follows.

325 Sport, as per equivalent ordinary 325 but with a few extra morsels (and extra rust!) and twice the price

325 Motorsport cab, as per ordinary equivalent cab but with a few extra morsels (and extra rust !) and a very nice full leather trim (door cards,consoles etc) and twice the price.

Both variants are considered (M cars and tuner cars excepted) the ultimate incarnations of their genre.
Many owners have seen too many WLN ads and believe their molested scrap has achieved classic status and is worth big till. These are now old cars and there are very few nice low mileage ones left, so anything good if properly marketed (WLN) will pull good money.
But in the real world of slammed, burger kinged turds with shagged roofs and the arch delete option one must tread warily and don't believe the 'classic' hype as these cars only sell for good money as standard nice cars.
If mutilation/modding is your bag it's best to destroy a standard car as the sports /motorsports are no different to drive than a standard car with a few good options , and standard cars are generally much cheaper.

With careful searching these cars can be found for sensible prices , i believe Ben (bootyman) has just bought a councilled motorsport cab for less than Ԛ£4000 with a hardtop, i believe it is being further molested as we speak !

Forgive my ignorance but what is WLN?

Molested. I'm going to bugger and rape the fcuker

carefull Ben i hear the inside of the exaust can be quite rough on the pecker

[bootyman]

WLN specialise in selling mint Motorsports for over Ԛ£10k sometimes

It's ok dude. I have Jeranimo for protection

[paulj]

Thats good mate, dont want you to catch anything

[peejay]

See here...

http://www.e30zone.co.uk/modules.php?na ... ic&t=12121

Cheers Gareth

Gareth you are the man! Every time I start to feel down about my 16 year old oddity you manage to come along and reasure me that what I have is very special. You cheer me up no end.
Last November I bought an E36 (shhh, keep it quiet) 323i coupe for the winter months only that I becoming very fond of I have even considered selling my Motorsport. So when I read all your links mate it lifts my spirits .........I'm just off to the garage to gaze at me "drop top" now and daydream about sunny days.

PJ.

[bootyman]

Pete i'm really happy you mentioned the condition of these cars in relative to the price they fetch. As you rightly pointed out, i got mine quiet cheap in relative to other's out there, but the pic below is an advert for my car for sale just a few months ago and the owner wanted Ԛ£6k, plus the hardtop. You can then imagine the amount of work needed to make it mint again. Put it this way, buy the time i finished, this car will stand me in at near Ԛ£12k. How? Well engine going next week hopefully to be raplaced by a 2.7 (Proper one at that too) over Ԛ£2k, new wheels from Image Ԛ£1750, plus Ԛ£500 for tyres, new interior Ԛ£2k, new roof, Ԛ£500, new suspension Ԛ£700 roughly, respray in original colour Ԛ£2k. Now do the maths

Ho and for all the enthusiast's, everything i take off the car will be stored, so the car can be restored back to factory spec in half a day if needs be. Not that i'm bothered what people think about how i spend my money anyway, but thought i'd just say before i go in the black book of the Motorsports POLICE

[gazm3]

Motorsports POLICE - Who are they Ben?

[bootyman]

Cant say mate. I want to live long enough to see my next birthday

[astondg]

To confuse the issue slightly, my car is listed as a 323i Motorsport or 323i JPS Motorsport according to most insurance companies here. It is a "tin top". I can't remember what is says in the owners handbook thing, just 323i JPS I think.

Aston

[bootyman]

If it's a tintop, then it's a Sport as no Motorsports were ever made in tintop. Insurance Companies usually just select the nearest thing to your car

[astondg]

It is not a Sport, I don't think there were any 323 sports? Just checked the manual and it says 323i JPS Motorsport, that was written in by the dealer. I think maybe this pack (Recaro seats, LSD, etc.) was a dealer thing so maybe the name was added at the dealer too, must have been Australia wide though or something.

Aston

[Simon13]

there were a few 323's sold in a sport spec in all but name, lsd,dog leg box,kit, seats very rare!

i might modify the alpina! might upset a few. see how many ponies i can get out of the old girl!

[woodysjw]

MotorSport Police - Better hide mine as it looks nothing like it did when new,

[astondg]

there were a few 323's sold in a sport spec in all but name, lsd,dog leg box,kit, seats very rare!

Mine has the lsd and seats but not the dog leg box or body kit. Also had different dampers I think and BBS style wheels. I think the electric sunroof and air conditioning were part of the JPS Motorsport spec out here too.

Aston

[Geoffsco]

Mine has the lsd and seats but not the dog leg box or body kit. Also had different dampers I think and BBS style wheels. I think the electric sunroof and air conditioning were part of the JPS Motorsport spec out here too.

JPS = John Player Special. The mods were done in Australia, but I'm not sure of the exact specs or how many were made, as a lot of the ones around are fakes. The Recaro's, LSD and dampers are probobly about it. May have been some very mild engine mods, but I'm not sure about that.

They were all black with gold pinstripes and gold BBS rims, and a JPS badge on the C pillar.

[astondg]

Mine has the lsd and seats but not the dog leg box or body kit. Also had different dampers I think and BBS style wheels. I think the electric sunroof and air conditioning were part of the JPS Motorsport spec out here too.

JPS = John Player Special. The mods were done in Australia, but I'm not sure of the exact specs or how many were made, as a lot of the ones around are fakes. The Recaro's, LSD and dampers are probobly about it. May have been some very mild engine mods, but I'm not sure about that.

They were all black with gold pinstripes and gold BBS rims, and a JPS badge on the C pillar.

Yeah. Mine isn't a JPS exactly though, that is where the Motorsport bit comes in I think. It has Recaro's, LSD, also had Bilstein dampers which I think weren't standard (standard was Boge I think?). It has stripes now but didn't when it was new (previous owner put them on) and it had wheels that looked like the BBS design but were from another manufacturer (I have forgotton the name at the moment). It doesn't have the JPS badge either. No engine mods as far as I am aware.

So that is why I think it is called a JPS Motorsport (owners manual) or maybe just Motorsport (insurers), it isn't a JPS exactly but it also kind of is, maybe a dealer thing rather than BMW Germany or Australia. It is a kind of JPS fake I guess but that is the way it came from the dealer.

Aston