2.7 conversion producing 220 bhp
bilstein dampers and shorter springs
tarox grooved and drilled discs with uprated pads
anti roll bars
7.5jx15 revolution wheels
momo steering wheel and gear knob
The car was featured in performance car magazine in january 1990 it was featured against the Hartge H26 and the Alpina C2.7 the article was written by John Simister who now works for evo magazine heres what he wrote about the car.
You want a bmw thats faster than munich's standard issue. The factory would like to point you towards Alpina. If you don't want to go that route, you'll probably find your thoughts directed towards Hartge's catalogue. These currently, are the big names.
But they are German, and their products are pricey. Given the bewilderingly large number of 3 series bmws in uk roads, you'd think there might be a niche for a british-developed tuning package. Same results, lower cost it would make a lot of sense.
Griffin motorsport think so too. Mainly a competition preparation outfit, and heavily involved in racing M3's the swindon based company also do an interesting line in bmw 3 series road car conversions. These they developed after having the uk Hartge concession snatched from their grasp at the 11th hour.
So Griffins 2.7 litre, 325i based reply tp Alpinas C2 and Hartge's H26 has every chance of being good. Its all down to execution, because the formula is much the same. A gas flowed cylinder head, a more adventurous camshaft profile, a free flow tubular exhaust system make for deeper breathing, while lung capacity is increased with a longer stroke crankshaft ( from the now defunct 525e) plus mahle pistons and connecting rods to suit. Reprogramming the bosch motronic management ensures that each element can work to its optimum. All this results in 220bhp up from 171 and 200lb ft of torque up from 164. So as you might expect, Griffin offer suspension, wheels and tyres to complement the extra go, plus their own range of body addenda. Shorter springs lower the car 1.4 inches, theIr movements controlled by bilstein gas filled dampers. A rear anti roll bar joins an adjustable front item front geometry changes, based around redesigned front wishbone bushes, give greater steering precision plus the crisper turn in that comes from a revised castor angle. Five spoke 7.5jx15 Revolution wheels complete the dynamic side of the package, shod with 205/50vr15 bridgestone re71 tyres. Their offsets are carefully chosen, says griffins david lles because an incorrect offset leads to a dead steering feel and an excessive urge to follow road camber.
Does it work? And is the Griffin bmw a viable alpina alternative? yes, and yes A day with the metallic silver grey example of solicitior phillip bann proved the point. Banns Griffinised 325i se lacks the Griffin bodykit sporting instead bmws own, and morwe pricey m technik treatment, but otherwise its griffin through and through. With the m technik cosmetics, plus the harder front breke pads chunky steering wheel and leather gearknob that also feature, your looking at £8556 for the whole conversion. In relative terms , thats not excessive when you consider that your bmw dealer will probably credit you for the value of your unused wheels, tyres and steering wheel if your applying the Griffin treatment to a brand new car.
the performance figures make a convincing case for the Griffin. True banns car is a saloon and the two german conversions are tourings, but this saloon has the weighty air conditioning option so all three cars displace the wighbridge by similar amounts And the bmw has the best acceleration of the lot.
These are the salient times Standstill to 60 takes 6.8 seconds, to 100mph 17.9 seconds. And around the millbook bowl griffins bmw aderaged 141.2 mph flat out. An indication of top end power at the expense of bottom end pull? Not really a curiously hollow torque curve sees the griffin actually out dragging an alpina from 30 to 50mph in both fourth and fifth gears. Thereafter its herr bovensiepen's creation which makes the running, until the very top end when the british developed car gains a second wind . The hartge meanwhile is nowhere.
Impressed? so are we, the more so considering phillip banns car had a glitch in the the management chip which limited the engine to 6350rpm instead of the intended 6800. This has since been put right, Bann tells us.
The engine sounds good too, a more gutteral version of the BMW turbine hum, though not actually load. An outsize silencer sees to that, which occasionally grounds owing to the low ride height. Griffin have since developed a smaller, lighter version to fix that problem.
As you would expect, Griffin's BMW sticks to the road like chewing gum to a bus shelter. The tail twiches are strictly at the driver's behest in this essentially neutally balanced car. In fact, the responses to the hlem are so crisp, yet so linear, that you wonder if this BMW has a quicker steering rack. It doesn't but such an item - with an M3-matching ration - is now available from Griffin.
A short suspension travel makes for a choppy ride over lumpy roads, but over smoother surfaces the ride is fine - taut, but not harsh, and more absorbent than an Alpina C2's. It suits the car. And, if you object to further boosting West Germany's balance of payments, the conversion will suit your pocket. The point is proved: Griffin know their stuff.
So a bit more about my car its had three owners its done about 120000 miles and it needs a lot of work doing to it! The car has loads of service history and it seems to of been very well looked after. The second owner of the car was good friends with a guy called Martin Ellis who worked for williams and he also looked after Alain Menus car in the 1995 touring car championship and this guy serviced the car during that time.
The third owner took the car to Griffin to have all the servicing done and also had the head rebuilt. Unfortunately it went back to griffin as it kept losing power and when the owner got the car back he said it still didn't feel right but he went on holiday thinking that he would get it sorted on his return. When he did get back he went to griffin but they had gone bust he says its something to do with the ecu so the car still isn't kicking out all the power but i will be getting that sorted!
when i went to view the car i did notice some rusty areas but i've taken the car to chris warburton to have it checked over and once the body kit came off there was a lot of rust so much that chris advised that we reshelled the car! after a very long wait and me going all over the country to try and find a good shell i bought a 318i in dolphin with only 67000 miles and a full mot so i've now taken the car to chris and the reshell will be taking place very shortly.
If anyone has any info about Griffin motorsport please let me know!
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