E30 Zone

What platforms was the E30 B6 3.5 offered on? Was there an M3 based version? Done Google searches, but it's very muddled, with replicas, and the modern 6-series B6. Was it post facelift only? Also, was there a correct side for the front grille badge to be on? Any other information I should know, and copyright-free photographs would also be appreciated.

Info needed for the Wiki, also I'm curious.

One last thing about the M3 in general. Are they all pre-facelift? Were they still making them with pre-facelift lights, even when the 325s etc had post-facelift lights?

Thanks.

don't know anything about the b6, but do know a bit about the m3.

from memory the m3 came out in '86, which would have been a d-reg in the uk, they used the same shell start to finish, which is basically a prefacelift e30.

the large 1piece bumper at the front is an integral part of the body shape, unlike non m3s there is no metal valance behind it. likewise, there isnt the usual rear arch pre/post facelift distinction as m3 used modified inner and outer arches anyway.

the lack of valance, different front and rear wings, different scuttle for bonded front screen, different roofline, different front and rear screens, different bootlid and different doors are enough that an m3 shell is really an m3 shell as it's significantly different from both pre and post facelift e30s.

all m3s did however use the prefacelift rear pannel with it's slimmer rear lights. i suppose to most this would class all m3s as pre facelifts. they used the same setup right untill the end of m3 production which overlapped the introduction of the normal facelift e30 by a good few years.

Interesting post,Harry,learnt more about M3's in two minutes than I have in two years!! Thanks.

The E30 Alpina B6 3.5 was Alpina's ultimate E30, based on both Pre and Post models as well as the M3 badged up as B6 3.5 S unlike the non M3's which were B6 3.5. Apart from the fact that they are based on different shells (M3 and non M3) and the M3 having the 'S' attached they got the same treatment.

The B6 3.5 was a continuation from the E30 B6 2.8 (itself a sucessor from the E21 B6 2. which was dropped when Alpina's C2 2.7 was released because the C2 2.7's gave similar performance and had better handling. However were an M30 2.8 would fit so would the M30 3.5 as they where the same size.

ALL B6 3.5 models had an m30 engine fine tuned to give 260BHP at 6000rpm and 237lbf.ft at 4000rpm and ALL had the Getrag 265 sports gearbox with M3 propshaft and 2.79 ratio M3 limited slip diff.

Only 62 M3 based B6 were built with only 2 being officially imported into the UK, one in black colour and the other in red. 219 non-M3 B6 were built and of this just 87 were the facelift, and they came as both 2 and 4 door. Production of the B6 3.5 started in 1985 to 1990 so it is kind of surprising on how there where more pre-facelift (chromies) than the facelift.

more information such as compression, tyre width and other options available on request .

You can find a couple of magazine roadtests here (at bottom of page)

http://home.online.no/~krimp/sweb/photo ... ernational

Here's one that's been for sale for ages!


http://search.autotrader.co.uk/es-uk/ww ... egLetter=B

A B6S is the ultimate E30 in my eyes......

I think the B6 is better then the B6s.

tomson wrote:A B6S is the ultimate E30 in my eyes......

Could do with 12 more valves

Theo325 wrote:

tomson wrote:A B6S is the ultimate E30 in my eyes......

Could do with 12 more valves

Ok, ultimate "standard" E30, as sold by BMW - if you can call it standard

with a 3 year warranty unlike 1 year from Hartge!

audi3333 wrote:The E30 Alpina B6 3.5 was Alpina's ultimate E30, based on both Pre and Post models as well as the M3 badged up as B6 3.5 S unlike the non M3's which were B6 3.5. Apart from the fact that they are based on different shells (M3 and non M3) and the M3 having the 'S' attached they got the same treatment.

The B6 3.5 was a continuation from the E30 B6 2.8 (itself a sucessor from the E21 B6 2. which was dropped when Alpina's C2 2.7 was released because the C2 2.7's gave similar performance and had better handling. However were an M30 2.8 would fit so would the M30 3.5 as they where the same size.

ALL B6 3.5 models had an m30 engine fine tuned to give 260BHP at 6000rpm and 237lbf.ft at 4000rpm and ALL had the Getrag 265 sports gearbox with M3 propshaft and 2.79 ratio M3 limited slip diff.

Only 62 M3 based B6 were built with only 2 being officially imported into the UK, one in black colour and the other in red. 219 non-M3 B6 were built and of this just 87 were the facelift, and they came as both 2 and 4 door. Production of the B6 3.5 started in 1985 to 1990 so it is kind of surprising on how there where more pre-facelift (chromies) than the facelift.

more information such as compression, tyre width and other options available on request .

Providing the majority of information here is correct, great first post

That B6 looks bloody tastey, but at £19k it's one hell of a layout.

NayC wrote:

audi3333 wrote:The E30 Alpina B6 3.5 was Alpina's ultimate E30, based on both Pre and Post models as well as the M3 badged up as B6 3.5 S unlike the non M3's which were B6 3.5. Apart from the fact that they are based on different shells (M3 and non M3) and the M3 having the 'S' attached they got the same treatment.

The B6 3.5 was a continuation from the E30 B6 2.8 (itself a sucessor from the E21 B6 2. which was dropped when Alpina's C2 2.7 was released because the C2 2.7's gave similar performance and had better handling. However were an M30 2.8 would fit so would the M30 3.5 as they where the same size.

ALL B6 3.5 models had an m30 engine fine tuned to give 260BHP at 6000rpm and 237lbf.ft at 4000rpm and ALL had the Getrag 265 sports gearbox with M3 propshaft and 2.79 ratio M3 limited slip diff.

Only 62 M3 based B6 were built with only 2 being officially imported into the UK, one in black colour and the other in red. 219 non-M3 B6 were built and of this just 87 were the facelift, and they came as both 2 and 4 door. Production of the B6 3.5 started in 1985 to 1990 so it is kind of surprising on how there where more pre-facelift (chromies) than the facelift.

more information such as compression, tyre width and other options available on request .

Providing the majority of information here is correct, great first post

It's all correct Nathan

all but the M3 LSD is 3.25 not 2.79.

Blitz how can you say a b6 is better than a b6s? that's garbage?

Bob_S wrote:all but the M3 LSD is 3.25 not 2.79.

Blitz how can you say a b6 is better than a b6s? that's garbage?

Also the B6S has the M3' five stud suspension set up but with M3 air con spec springs ans 16x8J wheels all round.

B6 models kept the 4 stud setup and had 16x7 front and 16x8 rears.

ALL B model alpinas should be LHD except for one which was a RHD B6 2.8 built at Buchloe and supplied to Sytners for evaluation but with the C2 2.7 being released shortly after no more RHD B6 2.8s were produced.

This is that on and only RHD B6 2.8.

http://www.thealpinaregister.com/regist ... 0-%207/86)

There is a RHD B3 2.7 on here that belongs to Gussy but something is not quite right as the B3 2.7 was never offered in the UK but was offered in Japan which is a RHD market but pretty much all german cars sold there are LHD.

bss325i wrote:

Bob_S wrote:all but the M3 LSD is 3.25 not 2.79.

Blitz how can you say a b6 is better than a b6s? that's garbage?

Also the B6S has the M3' five stud suspension set up but with M3 air con spec springs ans 16x8J wheels all round.

B6 models kept the 4 stud setup and had 16x7 front and 16x8 rears.

I didn't know about the springs but I assumed that the other info was taken as red hence why blitz comment is almost farcicle

Bob_S wrote:

bss325i wrote:

Bob_S wrote:all but the M3 LSD is 3.25 not 2.79.

Blitz how can you say a b6 is better than a b6s? that's garbage?

Also the B6S has the M3' five stud suspension set up but with M3 air con spec springs ans 16x8J wheels all round.

B6 models kept the 4 stud setup and had 16x7 front and 16x8 rears.

I didn't know about the springs but I assumed that the other info was taken as red hence why blitz comment is almost farcicle

I was just adding some info that audi3333 had missed out.

bss325i wrote:

Bob_S wrote:all but the M3 LSD is 3.25 not 2.79.

Blitz how can you say a b6 is better than a b6s? that's garbage?

Also the B6S has the M3' five stud suspension set up but with M3 air con spec springs ans 16x8J wheels all round.

B6 models kept the 4 stud setup and had 16x7 front and 16x8 rears.

When i said the B6 was the same as a M3 based B6S, I meant engine and drivetrain wise, the suspension set up is different as the B6S is based on the M3, also the steering lock to lock is based on their respective shells. likewise the B6 only has 4 studs as they is based on the standard model (the only non M3 e30s to have 5 stud are the 320is and the 325i Sport EVO 2).

the wheel info stated by bss325i is correct and 16" came standard on all B6 however 17" were available options that could be had.

both B6 and B6S had the same ZF 25% LSD with a very tall final drive ratio of 2.79:1.

The 320is is 4x100, it doesn't use the 5x120 hubs from the M3.

Theo325 wrote:The 320is is 4x100, it doesn't use the 5x120 hubs from the M3.

...and came with 14" BBS on 2dr cars and 14" bottle tops on 4dr cars with 15" BBS an option on both.

I must admit that I would rather have a B6 rather than a B6S! I must admit that I am a little unusual in the fact that I dont particularly like the plasticy look of an M3 (gulp!) A B6 chromie would also be half the price at the most compared to a B6S!

B6S suspension are same as other M3s apart from front springs being swapped for the factor coils and REMOVING the air con'ed M3 units so they match the Alpina valved Bilsteins dampers, the stiffer front being needed coz of the extra (125kg) weight.

all b6 were made at Buchloe and imported into other countries, so they are all left hand drive (the M3 a lhd only anyway).

with B6 Alpina shorter, harder springs, stiffer anti roll bars and the same Alpina specially valved Bilstein damps used in the B6S.

Theo325 wrote:The 320is is 4x100, it doesn't use the 5x120 hubs from the M3.

i stand corrected thanks.

Rodderz wrote:I must admit that I would rather have a B6 rather than a B6S! I must admit that I am a little unusual in the fact that I dont particularly like the plasticy look of an M3 (gulp!) A B6 chromie would also be half the price at the most compared to a B6S!

same here.

Both lovely cars, and I can see the merits in each of them. I'm actually leaning towards the chromie..

audi3333 - do you have one of these venerable chariots?

Thanks Barry!

That would be a very very easy choice for me!!

+ 1 for the chromie look. God it looks great!

Bob_S wrote:all but the M3 LSD is 3.25 not 2.79.

Blitz how can you say a b6 is better than a b6s? that's garbage?

I think the B6 makes more sense then a a B6s because the B6s being based on a M3 loses that wonderful S14 engine. Didn't they say that its a "different animal" to the standard M3 in one of those articles.. I love the B6s but I would prefer to have a B6. A B6 would be my dream E30 even over an M3.

Barry, do those cars have the same spec other than the body shape. The M3 bodied version looks terrific

I am leaning towards a black C2

spook wrote:Barry, do those cars have the same spec other than the body shape. The M3 bodied version looks terrific

I am leaning towards a black C2

Same engine box and diff.

Different suspension. and wheels.

Have a read on page one of this thread for the exact differences.

Ok mate, the M3 bodied version, are there many still kicking about

Does any body have any pics of the front B6 badge and also the rear, with dimensions please