It’s almost impossible to read a review of a modern BMW 3 Series and not read a reference to one of its great predecessors. The 3er most commonly referenced, and frankly idolized, is the E30-generation. The E30 isn’t the original 3 Series but it’s easily the most beloved. Mostly because of the E30 M3, which is often described as the finest driving instrument BMW has ever made, but also because even just the standard E30 3er drove with such joy that even humble enthusiasts could experience it. But is it really as good as we remember, really as good as the myth suggests? Car Magazine recently found out.
This new review from Car Magazine is a time-warp into the past, as editor Curtis Moldrich recently drove a 1989 BMW 320i Coupe (he calls it a saloon). They say don’t meet your heroes because you’ll often be disappointed. But Moldrich has been looking to buy an E30 3 Series for some time now and after driving one, he isn’t disappointed.
The champagne-colored E30 320i is a humble car, one with a tiny-by-today’s-standards 2.0 liter naturally-aspirated inline-six engine. With only 127 hp and 121 lb-ft of torque, said engine is positively puny in today’s money. However, with barely any weight to lug around, it’s said to feel far more sprightly than its numbers would suggest. BMW claimed 0-60 mph in around 10 seconds but it likely feels quicker than that.
But where the E30 3 Series really comes into its own is when the road gets twisty. Its hydraulically-assisted steering, nimble chassis and incredible outward visibility make it an absolute joy to drive. It’s the sort of old-school, communicative driving that we all claim we want back. According to this review, the E30 3er is everything we wish BMW still was and everything great that we remember about the brand.
[Source: Car Magazine]
I have a lot of old school BMW’s. Although new ones have a lot in terms of safety, luxury and tech, I cannot help but feel that along the way something has been lost! I drove yesterday the new M5, and later my M635csi. The smile on my face was when I saw the leather seats with the classic BMW design waiting for me to sit, when the electric Antenna popped up when I heard the old 6 cylinder coming to life and when in a corner i just hit the gas pedal and the old lady threw her ass like crazy… So, yes the M5 is one of the best BMW’s ever made and i love it, but if you wanna roll down the window and hear true engines made by great guys 40 years ago, the E24 is just magic!
It was when it was new, maybe you need to compare M5 to its contemporaries. Or an M2?
Clearly, I am just saying that the old cars have something nice and clean-cut in the way they drive, feel, etc. Comparing an old car to an M5 or whatever is just ridiculous… The M5, M2 and lot of great new cars are marvels in fields of tech, safety, luxury, etc. But that does not mean that in some areas a lot of older cars were based on what driving actually is and not just a method of transportation..And this is what tends to become lost… Simple pure driving.
As the former owner of a decade old E9, don’t oversimplify or sentimentalize things. As 1 British car Magazine put it, you pay for ANY used car twice:. 1. Buying it & 2. Maintaining it. True almost to the nickel on my car before it finally rusted out on me. Yes, you can maintain a classic & it will be unlike anything modern (but that was true of the original 6 Series from new, 1 reason BMW produced it, with upgrades, for over a decade). My point was a new BMW, depending on the model, can still be as enjoyable vs. its contemporaries as was yours when new. I considered buying a Chevy Spark when new (engineering.com called it possibly the best car per $) because it was small, light, nimble, had a stickshift &, as LJK Setright wrote, more fun to drive a slow car fast than a fast car slow. Soon we’ll all be ride sharing autonomous BEV & none of it will matter.
P.s. I get what you’re saying about vintage classics, Jaguar & Aston have both been dead to me post-Sirs William Lyon & David Brown, when Ford bought them to ruin with swapped-out badge engineering (Mondeo?!). But BMW still do interesting product, I see no point to living in the past, for anyone who does try bringatrailer or Hemmings. People lament current models while ignoring the classics of their youth couldn’t pass safety or emissions laws. Enjoy your classic.
Fun fact: BMW referred to the 2-door 2002, E21 and E30 as sedans. They don’t have the more dramatically sloping roofline of a coupe. Over the years, people have started lazily thinking coupe/sedan equals 2-door/4-door, but it’s more about the roof.
True!
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