So the 320is is better than the m3

General E30 related discussions -
Please put technical questions in E30 Tech Help forum below

Moderator: martauto

macas
E30 Zone Squatter
E30 Zone Squatter
Posts: 1696
Joined: Sat Mar 10, 2007 11:00 pm
Location: BEAUTIFUL BIRMINGHAM

Tue Mar 03, 2015 6:24 pm

User avatar
87mtech27
E30 Zone Camper
E30 Zone Camper
Posts: 1429
Joined: Mon Feb 02, 2009 11:00 pm

Tue Mar 03, 2015 6:49 pm

Bold claim 8O
JF008
E30 Zone Regular
E30 Zone Regular
Posts: 632
Joined: Tue Jan 17, 2012 11:00 pm
Location: Fort McMurray

Tue Mar 03, 2015 7:01 pm

Good read but its old news, the 4 doors have always been better :)
Demlotcrew
E30 Zone Team Member
E30 Zone Team Member
Posts: 13329
Joined: Mon Dec 20, 2004 11:00 pm
Location: East Anglia

Tue Mar 03, 2015 7:35 pm

The weight is noticeable, but the looks are killer, in race trim the M3 is sublime and thats why its way more desirable than the 320is.....which stood for one purpose only!
pacerpete
E30 Zone Team Member
E30 Zone Team Member
Posts: 18168
Joined: Sun Jan 23, 2005 11:00 pm
Location: Iver heath. South bucks.

Tue Mar 03, 2015 8:39 pm

Just like in 1989, 320is owners want a M3 but are lacking in lucre. They then spend every waking hour waxing lyrical about their miser model and justifying why they have an IS and not the real deal. Sounds familiar ! :)
bss325i
E30 Zone Team Member
E30 Zone Team Member
Posts: 24536
Joined: Sat Jan 20, 2007 11:00 pm
Location: London/Surrey

Tue Mar 03, 2015 8:51 pm

To save people money! :)

And what a load of tosh about braking and handling better! The M3 has a bigger brakes and better geometry than the 320iS's 325i derived set up!

Also that guy is probably comparing the weight advantge with a U.S. spec M3 which was loaded with all options and leather.
http://www.bmrperformance.co.uk

BMW and MINI specialist - Gatwick
ross_jsy
Married to the E30 Zone
Married to the E30 Zone
Posts: 7307
Joined: Sun Jul 12, 2009 11:00 pm
Location: Jersey, C.I.

Tue Mar 03, 2015 9:08 pm

Didn't the 320iS use the same 5 stud set up as the m3?
macas
E30 Zone Squatter
E30 Zone Squatter
Posts: 1696
Joined: Sat Mar 10, 2007 11:00 pm
Location: BEAUTIFUL BIRMINGHAM

Tue Mar 03, 2015 9:10 pm

I bet the is engine sounded lovely with them throttle bodies
maxfield
Old Skooler
Old Skooler
Posts: 15186
Joined: Sat Nov 26, 2005 11:00 pm
Location: Mansfield

Tue Mar 03, 2015 9:10 pm

ross_jsy wrote:Didn't the 320iS use the same 5 stud set up as the m3?
No.

After a quick Google search, there's very little between EVO2/Sport EVO and the 320iS.
Image
Topblag
Old Skooler
Old Skooler
Posts: 7095
Joined: Wed Jul 30, 2008 11:00 pm
Location: Fife - You got a problem with that ?

Tue Mar 03, 2015 9:27 pm

4 pot nonsense.
1990 325i Cab auto in Alpine White II
1988 Alpina C2.5 moredoor in Black, 71k
1990 325ix, moredoor auto in Laser Blue. 51k
1984 Hartge H35 in Black
2004 996 C4S in Silver 43k manual
2006 Audi S6 V10 in Black 58k
pacerpete
E30 Zone Team Member
E30 Zone Team Member
Posts: 18168
Joined: Sun Jan 23, 2005 11:00 pm
Location: Iver heath. South bucks.

Tue Mar 03, 2015 9:34 pm

Topblag wrote:4 door nonsense.

:D
e30topless
E30 Zone Team Member
E30 Zone Team Member
Posts: 13598
Joined: Wed Aug 23, 2006 11:00 pm
Location: surrounded by scrap

Tue Mar 03, 2015 10:16 pm

An M3 simply looks sublime when just parked up.. 100% more than any standard E30,

The end :D
User avatar
87mtech27
E30 Zone Camper
E30 Zone Camper
Posts: 1429
Joined: Mon Feb 02, 2009 11:00 pm

Tue Mar 03, 2015 10:27 pm

ross_jsy wrote:Didn't the 320iS use the same 5 stud set up as the m3?
Nope.

The only non E30 M3 to use the M3 set up is SA 325i.
bss325i
E30 Zone Team Member
E30 Zone Team Member
Posts: 24536
Joined: Sat Jan 20, 2007 11:00 pm
Location: London/Surrey

Tue Mar 03, 2015 10:34 pm

87mtech27 wrote:
ross_jsy wrote:Didn't the 320iS use the same 5 stud set up as the m3?
Nope.

The only non E30 M3 to use the M3 set up is SA 325iS.
EFA.
http://www.bmrperformance.co.uk

BMW and MINI specialist - Gatwick
User avatar
87mtech27
E30 Zone Camper
E30 Zone Camper
Posts: 1429
Joined: Mon Feb 02, 2009 11:00 pm

Tue Mar 03, 2015 10:36 pm

Bloody auto correct :o:

I swear I typed 325iS :x

Talking of which I have a magazine feature of C2 2.7 vs SA 325iS that I've been meaning to upload.
ross_jsy
Married to the E30 Zone
Married to the E30 Zone
Posts: 7307
Joined: Sun Jul 12, 2009 11:00 pm
Location: Jersey, C.I.

Tue Mar 03, 2015 10:39 pm

bss325i wrote:
87mtech27 wrote:
ross_jsy wrote:Didn't the 320iS use the same 5 stud set up as the m3?
Nope.

The only non E30 M3 to use the M3 set up is SA 325iS.
EFA.
That's the iS I'm thinking of
Topblag
Old Skooler
Old Skooler
Posts: 7095
Joined: Wed Jul 30, 2008 11:00 pm
Location: Fife - You got a problem with that ?

Tue Mar 03, 2015 10:58 pm

pacerpete wrote:
Topblag wrote:4 door nonsense.

:D
4 Trips to the Carvery winkeye
1990 325i Cab auto in Alpine White II
1988 Alpina C2.5 moredoor in Black, 71k
1990 325ix, moredoor auto in Laser Blue. 51k
1984 Hartge H35 in Black
2004 996 C4S in Silver 43k manual
2006 Audi S6 V10 in Black 58k
User avatar
andyp
True Old Skooler
Posts: 6899
Joined: Sun Jan 09, 2005 11:00 pm
Location: LONDON

Tue Mar 03, 2015 11:54 pm

they all got 2 cylinders missing
e30topless
E30 Zone Team Member
E30 Zone Team Member
Posts: 13598
Joined: Wed Aug 23, 2006 11:00 pm
Location: surrounded by scrap

Tue Mar 03, 2015 11:56 pm

andyp wrote:they all got 2 cylinders missing
The Achilles heel of the M3,
I hate the spastic s14 why didn't they fit the M88 for the sake of the small weight difference ? :D
jimbom30cab
Tech 1 freak
Posts: 7634
Joined: Mon Oct 12, 2009 11:00 pm
Location: in the garage

Wed Mar 04, 2015 12:03 am

Pottering about in the iS today, i can see the appeal of the S14. The iS feels so much more lighter and nimble than a 6 pot. I can only imagine what another 100bhp in the same weight of car with improved set up can be like. Cracking fun is my guess. I'm hankering for an M3 this year.
bss325i
E30 Zone Team Member
E30 Zone Team Member
Posts: 24536
Joined: Sat Jan 20, 2007 11:00 pm
Location: London/Surrey

Wed Mar 04, 2015 10:16 am

I've been driving a very famous 318iS this week and it's a pleasant enough tram but God do they sound shit!
http://www.bmrperformance.co.uk

BMW and MINI specialist - Gatwick
User avatar
Ianb
E30 Zone Regular
E30 Zone Regular
Posts: 517
Joined: Sun Feb 14, 2010 11:00 pm

Wed Mar 04, 2015 10:30 am

jimbom30cab wrote:Pottering about in the iS today, i can see the appeal of the S14. The iS feels so much more lighter and nimble than a 6 pot. I can only imagine what another 100bhp in the same weight of car with improved set up can be like. Cracking fun is my guess. I'm hankering for an M3 this year.
if a more powerful 4 pot is what you want you should try a CA18DET swap with a couple of tuning stages added (eg big turbo) ! This makes the old 30 fly ....Serious fun or possibly, if you have deeper pockets the S2000 lump.
steve_k
E30 Zone Team Member
E30 Zone Team Member
Posts: 8044
Joined: Fri May 23, 2008 11:00 pm
Location: in the vale of mansfield
Contact:

Wed Mar 04, 2015 10:36 am

bss325i wrote:I've been driving a very famous 318iS this week and it's a pleasant enough tram but God do they sound shit!
do tell........................ winkeye
if it's got t*ts or wheels it's bound to be trouble...............prove me wrong.
getting oral sex off an ugly person is like rock climbing.....don't look down ;)
Gert_8
Married to the E30 Zone
Married to the E30 Zone
Posts: 11304
Joined: Mon Dec 08, 2008 11:00 pm
Location: In your back passage faster than a rat up a drainpipe!

Wed Mar 04, 2015 10:52 am

Where's Mitchen.....???



:D
Image
PONY, 2013 - "Anyway span 360 degrees hitting the kerb and giving the old man two fingers as I was spinning like Michael Schumacher would
NoTurbo
E30 Zone Regular
E30 Zone Regular
Posts: 435
Joined: Fri Nov 01, 2013 11:00 pm
Location: North London

Wed Mar 04, 2015 11:08 am

I love my 318is. We need to remember that these lower torque 4 pots demand a different driving style. That creates part of the lustre that translates too the 320is and M3. The 4-pot car might feel faster even if it isn't due to the required change in driving style. The 320is may benefit from a slightly better power to weight ratio than the M3 (not sure about the 4-door version). But, I am not sure if its actually better than an M3. The M3 looks better and has much more power although I would always be worried to park it out of sight as it attracts ALOT more attention.

The s14 engine is far superior to the m42, sounds better, better design and more capacity, power, torque. Everything about an S14 is better except the driveline/ rotating mass.

320is vs M3 I would love to have either but M3 always wins. Though it would not be my primary car or daily driver. The 320is would happily be a daily for me, and would probably get used and abused a lot more.
polsta
Married to the E30 Zone
Married to the E30 Zone
Posts: 10322
Joined: Fri Oct 09, 2009 11:00 pm
Location: portsmouth

Wed Mar 04, 2015 12:07 pm

The 318is is a nice nimble fun daily, on your own , but with 3 passengers it's game over and feels like a 1.1 fiesta, now race that against a 325....

M3 is the king, anyone who says otherwise is a bit deluded
etouring
E30 Zone Regular
E30 Zone Regular
Posts: 293
Joined: Sun Aug 12, 2012 11:00 pm
Location: London

Wed Mar 04, 2015 3:12 pm

87mtech27 wrote:Bloody auto correct :o:

I swear I typed 325iS :x

Talking of which I have a magazine feature of C2 2.7 vs SA 325iS that I've been meaning to upload.
Upload!! Idd like to give it a read.
User avatar
87mtech27
E30 Zone Camper
E30 Zone Camper
Posts: 1429
Joined: Mon Feb 02, 2009 11:00 pm

Wed Mar 04, 2015 3:14 pm

I'll give it a try later today :)
etouring
E30 Zone Regular
E30 Zone Regular
Posts: 293
Joined: Sun Aug 12, 2012 11:00 pm
Location: London

Wed Mar 04, 2015 3:15 pm

polsta wrote:The 318is is a nice nimble fun daily, on your own , but with 3 passengers it's game over and feels like a 1.1 fiesta, now race that against a 325....

M3 is the king, anyone who says otherwise is a bit deluded
Any m52 conversion smokes a £30k M3, not much of a king if anyone with £1k can defeat you....
etouring
E30 Zone Regular
E30 Zone Regular
Posts: 293
Joined: Sun Aug 12, 2012 11:00 pm
Location: London

Wed Mar 04, 2015 3:17 pm

nice 87mtech :thumb:
Blitz
Married to the E30 Zone
Married to the E30 Zone
Posts: 11155
Joined: Mon Jan 30, 2006 11:00 pm
Location: East London+Basildon

Wed Mar 04, 2015 3:34 pm

etouring wrote:
polsta wrote:The 318is is a nice nimble fun daily, on your own , but with 3 passengers it's game over and feels like a 1.1 fiesta, now race that against a 325....

M3 is the king, anyone who says otherwise is a bit deluded
Any m52 conversion smokes a £30k M3, not much of a king if anyone with £1k can defeat you....
But then you will still have worthless muntant.
pacerpete
E30 Zone Team Member
E30 Zone Team Member
Posts: 18168
Joined: Sun Jan 23, 2005 11:00 pm
Location: Iver heath. South bucks.

Wed Mar 04, 2015 3:37 pm

etouring wrote:
polsta wrote:The 318is is a nice nimble fun daily, on your own , but with 3 passengers it's game over and feels like a 1.1 fiesta, now race that against a 325....

M3 is the king, anyone who says otherwise is a bit deluded
Any m52 conversion smokes a £30k M3, not much of a king if anyone with £1k can defeat you....

I would like to see a 1k M52'd E30 that would do anything except smoke.......
Demlotcrew
E30 Zone Team Member
E30 Zone Team Member
Posts: 13329
Joined: Mon Dec 20, 2004 11:00 pm
Location: East Anglia

Wed Mar 04, 2015 4:19 pm

1K for an M52 E30? Where?????? 8O
maxfield
Old Skooler
Old Skooler
Posts: 15186
Joined: Sat Nov 26, 2005 11:00 pm
Location: Mansfield

Wed Mar 04, 2015 4:31 pm

Put your £1k M52 Touring with its cut springs against a £30k M3 on track....
Image
Post Reply