M40 vs M42 optical differences? (318i vs 318iS)

[d-anie-l]

hello all.
my first post
i am on the look out for a 318iS as my new daily drive and hopefully track toy. I am hopefully going to look at one this weekend and have a couple question. Having never looked at one i am wondering what the chances of it being a tarded up 318i are? i have done my reading and think i know the difference but cant actually find any pictures of a m40b18 to compare to a m42b18 engine.

what is going to give the car away as a 318i? i was actually just going to look at vin to see if it reads af93.

thanks
daniel

[stevetigger]

Here is a bog standard 318i



Here is a 318is

[keggy]

318I is 8v Is is 16v

[d-anie-l]

thanks!
will be hard to confuse those two!

[Motorhole]

Also note how much further back the M42 is in the 318is

[stevetigger]

Also note how much further back the M42 is in the 318is

About the same, Different angled photo's and one has a strut bar which makes the engine look further back!

[Motorhole]

Oh yeah, whoops! I thought that strut bar was the bottom of the screen. Silly me

[Demlotcrew]

Also note how much further back the M42 is in the 318is

About the same, Different angled photo's and one has a strut bar which makes the engine look further back!

Not even close! The M42 sits much further back into the bulkhead!

Looks like someone fitted a Auto box to that one in the pic.

Andrew

[stevetigger]

So an Inch is much further back now??

[Demlotcrew]

So an Inch is much further back now??

Bit more than an inch!

When BMW are trying to create a car thats got 50/50 weight distribution an inch here and there makes all the difference.

Andrew

[Chris-W]

So an Inch is much further back now??

Try taking the gearbox off both and you'll appreciate the extra inch!!

[Chris-W]

BTW - front vin plate reads '318is' as well, in case it's an engine swap.

[Gwynleym10]

before you go get the registration number and check it on the MyRAC part of the RAC website