The second-generation M3 lost some focus - and fans - but gained mass-market appeal and a good bit of refinement.
Heresy, they cried! Fans of the E30 M3 were distraught when they drove the E36. The E30's roots were obviously in racing homologation - it had massive fender flares, custom glass, a racing engine, and thousands of changes to distinguish it from lesser E30s.
By comparison, the 1995 E36 M3 was a less focused and more refined effort; it came across more as a supremely capable GT car, a more polished version of the ordinary 3-series coupe with stiffer suspension, bigger brakes, and a larger, less racing-inspired six-cylinder. Purists decried it, calling it the "330iS" or "the watered-down M3." But despite all of their complaints, it was hard to argue with the E36's recipe - its sales figures massively eclipsed those of its older brother, and the second-generation car outperformed the first in just about every way.
In place of the E30's high-strung four-cylinder, the E36 received a smooth-as-silk 3.0-liter inline-six derived from the 2.5-liter engine in the 325i. The M3's 24-valve unit generated 240 horsepower and 225 lb-ft of torque. In 1996, displacement was bumped to 3.2-liters, but peak power output remained the same. That motor-which was essentially a stroked version of the earlier three-liter-remains, in some ways, the red-headed stepchild of the M3 lineage. It wasn't by any means a poor execution, but enthusiasts knew that European E36s received a 321-hp 3.2-liter (and that the earlier, 3.0-liter incarnation of the euro E36 had also received more power, checking in at just over 300 ponies). And hell hath no fury like a jaded M3 fan.
The E36 M3 was offered in convertible, coupe, and sedan trim - the latter outselling the coupe in the U.S during the few years it was offered. Engine- and focus-oriented quibbles aside, the E36 was a sales success, and it ensured the continued life of the M3 as a model.
By the numbers, an E36 M3 was:- 1.6 seconds quicker to 60 mph than the E30 M3.
- 1.2 seconds quicker in the quarter mile than the E30 M3.
- $3150 more expensive than the E30 M3.
- 48 hp more powerful than the E30 M3.
- 484 lbs heavier than the E30 M3. ...next page >>