e36 318is any good as a track car?

[320ise]

track in question will be oulten park, never done any tracking before, but as far as i know on this track top end wont be everything as its very twisty i have heard, would this be a good car for this kind of abuse or would i be better with a 6 pot, other thing is:

is it possible to have a car that is a normal car for day to day use and then allso for use at track ounce every 6 weeks to 2 months? if so how would the e36 (mainly the i.s but others invited) stack up to this task in terms of reliability?

thanks.

[town325i]

its a bit heavy really the e30 i.s is a better car oulton park has alot of up hill sections to good track though ive been there to watch the bsb the last few years

[320ise]

cool, havent really got the funds for a good e30 i.s, e36 seems to be the cheaper root, although maybe a e36 325i would be better for uphill sections of the track, is there not many long straits on this track? allso what are e36 i.s like under hard driving? do they tend to roll and understeer or are they quite sharp like the e30?

[town325i]

the e36 is a bit over weight really and the rear suspention is shit to many bushes and the rear subframe bushes can crack the the body under the rear seat on some ive seen

[320ise]

wow thats really bad! would a 318i (non i.s) stripped on budget sport shocks/springs be a better buy? and more fun out on track?

[town325i]

a cheap 325i would be your best bet really ive picked up e30 325i's for £300 to £400 and they where road legal or go for an e36 325i you can get those really cheap

[320ise]

lol its finding a 325i for 300 these days (e30), e36`s seem to be going much cheaper. problem with e30`s now is everyone thinks there worth a mint and a lot of the crap advertised is near scap! i bought a near mint 325i sport tech 2 with no tax and mot (stood for 4 years) for £250 2 years ago! only cost 90 to get it through mot! then the insurance got the better of me and like a fool i sold it with full history and 93k on the clock with all mots from new for 2,500! wish i would have stuck it out and kpt it it would be work about 5k now!

[alan1272]

e36 325i would surely be the best budget choice, i imagine the climb up clay hill would become a long, drawn-out affair in a 318is.

i also suggest you youtube some vids of oulton park as it's not as twisty as you might think.

[320ise]

yeah i will do that whats the difference between international etc on the track day booking site? is international longer or revised etc??

[town325i]

its a bit mad coming down the hill towards the lake

[GrindCulture]

E36 318ti?

[320ise]

whare are the ti's like are they good?

[78dude]

First of all, what are you looking for in a track day car?
Remember that the BMW E36 is a very good car for this purpose..... (they use them even in Rally in Finland)
The 318is is a 140bhp 4 pot twin cam made from BMW motorsport so its a good engine, but indeed as a road car it can feel a bit heavy because E36 have a modern design compeer to the E30. But remember, most BMW fans are fan of 6 pots because they sounds better and have more torque (like AM Car fans)

If you take an E36 318 iS and you start to strip it, take out the interior, and take it on a diet so it loose a bout 100 to 150 kg you will see and feel the car change caracter, it dont need so much rews to make it go fast, so if I was you, go for an iS and I do think you will get happy with it... Remember that you are fresh in the track day car game and its important that you dont spend to much money on it...

[320ise]

good advice maybe a e36 i.s would be a good idea! as i have a daily driver so i could have a dedicated track car with no interior. would it be more like an e30 when stipped?

[GrindCulture]

whare are the ti's like are they good?

I'd imagine they'll be slightly more sporty feeling than an iS, they're smaller, so therefore lighter, and they have a rear setup very similar to an E30. If you can get a later one with a 1.9, a bit more torque and power.

[town325i]

whare are the ti's like are they good?

great car the rear suspension is similar to an e30 and and is the same as a z3 they drive well but are a bit tail happy in damp and wet conditions

[GrindCulture]

whare are the ti's like are they good?

great car the rear suspension is similar to an e30 and and is the same as a z3 they drive well but are a bit tail happy in damp and wet conditions

Much more like an E30 then compared to an E36?

[town325i]

its even more lively than than an e30 in the wet i think the later one came with traction control to help the people that cant drive

[BigBavarian]

If you go for a e36 4 doors are better for the track as they are lighter than the coupes

[320ise]

how much lighter are they than coupes? and as for compact i allways thought they were really well planted! mite make things more fun if there twitchy!

[town325i]

how much lighter are they than coupes? and as for compact i allways thought they were really well planted! mite make things more fun if there twitchy!

get a compact and put a m52b28 engine in it that will make a really fast car and a big grin factor thats what im planning to do on misses car only thing is she dont no yet

[GrindCulture]

Or drop an M60B40 V8 in it, that would be mental

[no1_jazz]

heres a e30 325i on the track

[mt1104]

isn't the rear suspension on a e36 4-linked i.e. better than the e30 trailing arms?

[town325i]

isn't the rear suspension on a e36 4-linked i.e. better than the e30 trailing arms?

yes it is but they dont keep the rear bushes in place for long they like to spit em out

[baur320]

If you go for a e36 4 doors are better for the track as they are lighter than the coupes

Later 318is was a 4 door with an M44 engine....