4 or 6 cyls ?????

[Ziggy]

as a rough guide as i have no weights (will amend if supplied) i will assume that a 6yl is to have an extra 40% in total weight (ENGINE + BOX).

Actual weights are in your owners manual (or here http://www.unixnerd.demon.co.uk/e30.html). The weight of the engine & box isn't what you're after, it's the weight of the car overall (including fuel & driver if you want it to be accurate!). That means that the m20 engined car isn't anywhere near 40% more than the 4-pot. In reality, a 1.8 and 2.0 are pretty close - that's why the 320s get slagged off too!

From your figures, yes the m10 would have a better power to weight ratio... cars are generally better with a chassis, wheels etc though...

[Andy335Touring]

6 cyl Tourings handle better than 4 cyl ones though.

Please explain?

Andrew

Well, I've owned two tourings. One a 318, one a 325. Both were well maintained and running on standard suspension - I find the 325 handles better. It feels more "planted" and I can boot it harder round corners. The tyres on both were cheapo rubbish, but with good tread. I've never driven an E30 saloon so I can't comment on them.

Only the 325 Tourings came fitted with the M-Tec suspension as standard, this might influence(SP?) your perception of the handling 4 pot V's 6 pot ?

[e30bmlover]

4 pots are far better!

sorry mate but the only 4 pot worth haveing is the s14 m3/320is the others i wouldnt piss on. imo.

[kirils]

the 4 cyl are ok, i had a 316 and it was ok when you are not driving up hill i was driving a 318i m40 and also it was nice, but when i drive my 320i you can feel that there is more power i don't even want to start about 325i, and the sound you can't compare those 2...
a friend of mine has a 320i 4cyl e21, it feels less power than the 320i with 6 cyl . the 6 cyl live a lot longer, but they spend more fuel! and you need to buy 6 spark plug and are more tax etc...

[hammoj28]

Nothing wrong with four pots or six pots. I like both. yeah the m3 engines are amazing! but i like my lil m42 too. Lots of grin factor for a little 1.8! Love the sound of 6 cylinders though. Im not that keen on m40's tbh, owned two of them. Liking the idea of a tuned m10 though.

[Morat]

Please explain?

Andrew

Well, I've owned two tourings. One a 318, one a 325. Both were well maintained and running on standard suspension - I find the 325 handles better. It feels more "planted" and I can boot it harder round corners. The tyres on both were cheapo rubbish, but with good tread. I've never driven an E30 saloon so I can't comment on them.

Only the 325 Tourings came fitted with the M-Tec suspension as standard, this might influence(SP?) your perception of the handling 4 pot V's 6 pot ?

Ahhh, didn't know that. Well in that case I'd have to revise my earlier claim to "325 Tourings handle better than 318s, and probably better than 320s, but I haven't driven a 320". You live, and you learn

[bottlecapE30]

here we only have the 318 and 325 i have driven both and could tell much difference between the two only that the 6 had more low end power.

[tickle]

my connection got cut off mid post soz,

did say my calcs where rough guess and only put a couple of mins into it.

never said 6 pots where slow, but to the prune who wouldnt piss on a 4 pot. id like to hear you say that when you get understeer on the twisties, where real drivers go!

Also 4 pots are good on fuel while ragging about, cheap to tune, cheap on tax + insurance = lots of spare coin for tweaks + great fun!

And an m10 will take alot of crap from what ive been hearing lately

pleased to see the amount of support for the smaller engines

[e30bmlover]

what so the m20's wont take crap? i belive the m20 engines are solid provideing that you look after them, and a prune im not. its my opinion, i dont like 318is's. i like 6 cylinder m20's be it 320 323 or 325 it dosent matter. i want smooth engines, not screamers! yes the 320 is my first car(im 23) i was on about doing a 2.7 conversion but my friend who is a tec for bmw told me ''keep it original'' so im going to. iv got another job(thank god) and im going on permenant nights(more coin) im gonna save like a gooden, sell the 320 and get another 320! but its going to have an i.s on the end of it. so yes i will have a 4 cylinder but she will be the s14, like i said in my earlier post the only 4 cylinder worth haveing(imho).

[hammoj28]

Nah, i think the m42 is a brilliant little thing even if it is nothing compared with the s14.

[Morat]

my connection got cut off mid post soz,

did say my calcs where rough guess and only put a couple of mins into it.

never said 6 pots where slow, but to the prune who wouldnt piss on a 4 pot. id like to hear you say that when you get understeer on the twisties, where real drivers go!

Also 4 pots are good on fuel while ragging about, cheap to tune, cheap on tax + insurance = lots of spare coin for tweaks + great fun!

And an m10 will take alot of crap from what ive been hearing lately

pleased to see the amount of support for the smaller engines

I can't see much difference in running costs between a 4 pot and a 6 pot. My insurance was about £100 extra per year fully comp so thats hardly significant.
As for tuning... well I don't think that your "lower running costs" will buy back the power deficit you started with. You can turbo both 4s and 6s, but the 6 will give you more bang for the buck. After that you're looking at an engine swap anyway.

Understeer on twisties - nope, just add more right foot. The 325s have plenty of power to get rid of any understeer you might find (and I've found understeer so rarely that I thought there must have been something wrong). Or get a touring

4 pot - its an E30 so you're doing something right
6 pot (325) - is where you really want to be.
M3 - different car, different class - and mainly for the track where you can really enjoy it. (IMO)


I just reread this and it sounds really agressive... sorry for that. I think the 4pots are good cars, but I really don't think they are as good as the 325s. 320 I'd leave, personally but in the end its each to their own.

Morat

[tickle]

not meanin to be pushy with my opinion, apologies if i came across that way:eek:

the prune statement was in jest + in order considering that you were slaggin off members motors, there was none of that from my end and was more curious myself as to whether this discussion was right.

after all thats what a forum is for isnt it, helping each other out and building on each others ideas for the eventual benefit of us all

[camcc]

6 cylinder for me