How hard are these e30s to drive?

[Rickz]

For someone who has only driven FWD cars, how hard would it be to go to start driving an e30?

Of course the more modern beemas have computerised systems and stuff to help in the wet etc.

But in the wet and stuff is it just worth taking the car somewhere and getting used to it?

I will be buying one on the future, just curious about how they are to drive in the wet and how easily it would be to lose control! lol.

thanks.

[Ollie_bwoii]

Not hard tbh! I passed my test in a fwd Mini only a few weeks ago, and I'm coping fine in my E30.

The rear end is very light though, so can catch you out on wet corners, or even in the wet when you rev it to much pulling away.

Still I think even my 316 is fantastic to drive!

[jaymos]

ive never lost the back end of mine, which im quite proud of considering its immense power

[Alex]

its fine, just be more carefull when its wet, cold icy etc.

my fwd car used to understeer when it got to its limits this is easy to fix in a fwd car, with these old rwd cars as soon as it lets go it lets go, back end will step out and if your not quick you can loose it.

just take it easy in this sort of weather, in the summer i find i can drive so much quicker and throw it into bends a lot faster without having to worry as much

[Barx325i]

I'd agree with that. I've been piloting a 316 for a few weeks now & it's great. Just don't go mad, but with a bit of trial and error and you won't have a problem.. The only problem you will have is wondering why you hadn't bought an e30 much sooner.

[B7]

ive never lost the back end of mine, which im quite proud of considering its immense power

Go and stand in the corner. You are not trying hard enough!

[harry_p]

only difficult to drive if you're a hamfisted buffoon who treats the accelerator pedal like a digital on / off switch.

people seem to forget that these cars were bought brand new by 'normal' people who wanted a nice car, not the sole reserve of racing drivers. if they've managed to survive this long through however many owners theyve had they can hardly be death traps.

[jaymos]

ive never lost the back end of mine, which im quite proud of considering its immense power

Go and stand in the corner. You are not trying hard enough!

i am, im just a top driver though

[Alex]

ive never lost the back end of mine, which im quite proud of considering its immense power

Go and stand in the corner. You are not trying hard enough!

i am, im just a top driver though

Sound like a slow driver

[jaymos]

Go and stand in the corner. You are not trying hard enough!

i am, im just a top driver though

Sound like a slow driver

i wouldnt say that, i just know how to drive, hence no accidents in 15 years

[asmith88]

in the wet or the snow, very easy to lose the back end, just take care though at the start and take your time getting used to it, makes for a great car though

[robbo86]

I went from fwd to rwd, provided you are sensible and as has been said dont accelerate out too soon or hard in the wet and you will be fine. I have slipped the back a couple of times accidnetally but I dont drive like a goon ussually.

[Jesus325iTouring]

Not hard tbh! I passed my test in a fwd Mini only a few weeks ago, and I'm coping fine in my E30.

The rear end is very light though, so can catch you out on wet corners, or even in the wet when you rev it to much pulling away.

Still I think even my 316 is fantastic to drive!

Ollie how old are you ? And how much are you paying for insurance?

[gudgeon]

I must be a right old fart. None of my first cars were FWD.

If the back end slips out a bit, simply collect it back up again.

Find an empty road in the snow and do a bit of practising. Leave the brakes alone!

[Jesus325iTouring]

only difficult to drive if you're a hamfisted buffoon who treats the accelerator pedal like a digital on / off switch.

people seem to forget that these cars were bought brand new by 'normal' people who wanted a nice car, not the sole reserve of racing drivers. if they've managed to survive this long through however many owners theyve had they can hardly be death traps.

Perfectly put Harry

[Ollie_bwoii]

Ollie how old are you ? And how much are you paying for insurance?

I'm 17, and pay £700 but "share" the car with my dad.

[SHAKEELE30]

i wouldnt say that, i just know how to drive, hence no accidents in 15 years

How many miles you drive actually drive in the e30

how much power we talking here by the way???

[E30BeemerLad]

fitting decent brand tyres can make a remarkable difference to how these cars behave both in normal if a little spirited driving and also when giving them a good trhaping.

Just using your noodle and being careful with the hero antics will usually keep them out of the scenery.

I speak from experience

[Felix79]

I've spun a few of my e30's over the years but that is down to me pushing it too hard in the worng conditions on roundabouts.

The cars are tail happy but with an e30 you can tell when it is going and they are very controlable. If you just pay the car a bit of respect when accelerating at slow speeds you'll be fine.

[SHAKEELE30]

^^^:D^^^

so you admit you were trying to be a hero then

[Morat]

The best thing you can do is get down to some deserted tarmac (when I was learning I used a disused airfield, but most of them seem to have been built on now) and learn how to slide and catch it. The secret is that the closer you get to the limit, the smoother and more precise you need to be.

[jaymos]

i wouldnt say that, i just know how to drive, hence no accidents in 15 years

How many miles you drive actually drive in the e30

how much power we talking here by the way???

i use it every day, i commute to work in it, so say 30 miles a day,
err well you know, enough power, lets just leave it at that

[E30BeemerLad]

^^^:D^^^

so you admit you were trying to be a hero then

No not really, I wasn't showboating, I gave it a tickle defo not a stab though and I had set off from stationary when going onto the roundabout and was just into second gear and accelerating when all hell let loose

[SHAKEELE30]

only messing with you mate, i read what had happened on your thread...

[George]

only difficult to drive if you're a hamfisted buffoon who treats the accelerator pedal like a digital on / off switch.

people seem to forget that these cars were bought brand new by 'normal' people who wanted a nice car, not the sole reserve of racing drivers. if they've managed to survive this long through however many owners theyve had they can hardly be death traps.

^What he said.

As long as you're sensible you shouldn't have any issues (imo).

[gudgeon]

I used to have a Nissan Silvia turbo. Brilliantly balanced car that would break out behind so predictably that even a blind monkey could look like a rally driver. I would often go round roundabouts sideways on my way home from work at 4am. Never felt out of control and only spun it once when I was being a prat down a friends road and hit a sleeping policeman while drifting it round a corner. Watch out for those!

I'm not condoning the behaviour, I was young and witless. It taught me that lack of traction at the back is not necessarily a problem though.

[E30BeemerLad]

only messing with you mate, i read what had happened on your thread...

yeah I know mate, read my post back and it did sound a bit miserable

I did curse myself on Sunday when I was stood on the driveway in my overalls in the rain looking at the mangled mess and thought "you knob end"

[SHAKEELE30]

dont ive done the same enough times, and that was about 8 years ago when i wrote my one off....

[Bob_S]

easy aslong as your pottering

[DavieP]

I must be a right old fart. None of my first cars were FWD. If the back end slips out a bit, simply collect it back up again....

Well, I know I'm an old fart - learned to drive in RWD cars cause FWD'ers were quite rare at the time. I've never thought them to be anything more than normal to drive. Despite having only tonight, royally seen off a 'competitive' Jag XS around a roundabout and onto a very short, 2-lane strait that quickly turns into a 1-laner, I'm not a risky racer.

I feel the rear end of my car and adjust both speed and brakes accordingly. It was the way I learned to drive and I find it far more controllable than any twitchy FWD that tries to put down power at the same time as trying to steer through the same set of wheels.

Proper cars put their power down through the rear and steer through the front - that way you can steer through the rear as well.

[Felix79]

^^^:D^^^

so you admit you were trying to be a hero then

First time I spun was in my 2 door 318i ( M10 ) and it was on a roundabout that was wet and had desil on it. I must have skidded sideways up the road by a good 20 yards and was stuck between the island and curbe. Really shook me up and took me a good hour to cailm down.

2nd time was in the pina , think I only had her a little time and was getting use to it and I changed down gear at the wrong time and snapped the back end and in a slowish 2nd gear bend. I remember calling March109 up and asking him for some advice. I found out that night thank to the zone that P6000's on the rear is not a good idea. Have to admit now my Falkens are run in the back feels loads better now but when god was handing out driving talent I was not even in the right que hehehe.

[Brianmoooore]

The big mistake most beginners make is to lift right off of the power or even brake when the tail steps out. This transfers weight forwards, and makes a bad situation worse.
I'm old enough to have learnt to drive in a RW drive car as well. My mother drove me to an old airfield, where I got to know the car, and drove home afterwards.
Too hot into a particularly nasty adverse cambered 90 left, and I learnt all about opposite lock! Was a while before I had a lesson with my mother again!

[Simon13]

i learnt when i hit a tree at 60 odd in my 318 when i was 19 on crimbo day in 2001

[fuzzy]

as long as you dont panic and upset the balance when the end kicks out it almost sorts itself out .

[Felix79]

i learnt when i hit a tree at 60 odd in my 318 when i was 19 on crimbo day in 2001

LOL I guess it's one way of learning !