Good things are supposed to come in threes, and it doesn’t get much better than driving an E30 M3 Evo Sport, an E36 M3 Evo and the latest E46 M3 – BMW Car
It’s hard to believe that it’s two years and four months since we ran the international launch of the E46 M3 as our cover splash. It was, is, and will remain to be, a hell of a car. But the hype surrounding the latest M car has subsided somewhat. Waiting lists are shortening, a mild facelift is imminent and used values are beginning to drop with some rapidity toward the realms of common sense (early cars are down to around £34, 000 now). It even got defeated quite heavily in this year’s Car of the Year assessment. The excitement has died down, but do the superlatives still apply?
To get a little perspective, we’ve visited the Independent Motor Company near Aldermaston in Berkshire to drive all three generation of M3. The showroom is brim full of M3s, but whereas last time I visited for an M3 comparison E30s dominated, it appears the E36 is now in the ascendancy.
I make no excuses for the fact that the E36 M3 isn’t my favourite M3. I’ve also stated before that the E30 Evo Sport is something of a darling. Until now, though, I’ve never driven all three generations back to back, head to head and indeed, toe to toe. Should be interesting.
I bag the E30 as we head cross-country for our photo location on Salisbury plain. This 85,000 kilometre example feels taut and eager. The dog-leg gearbox is firmly sprung for my slightly wimpy right arm but it amazes me just how quickly you acclimatise to driving this left-hook machine.
I love the suede steering wheel, and the ultra supportive race-inspired seats locate you superbly. Twist the key and the 2.5-litre four-pot explodes into a bass-heavy idle with a hint of popping and banging on the overrun as you blip the throttle. The racecar cues slowly infuse into your brain through every control interface. The zizzy vibrations, the blaring exhaust note, the feedback through the steering as your pace increases, the massive adjustable wing that dominates every glance in the mirror. This is a car that wants, needs to interact with the driver.
I love the size of the E30, it has almost perfect dimensions. There’s enough space in it to be practical, but compared to a modern car in this class it’s almost petite. Plus, its square corners allow you to place the car with great precision, giving you a feeling of space on all but the narrowest of byways.
The 238bhp engine is very strong – torquier than you’d think, but at its best as revs head past 4000rpm. Benchmark figures of 0-62mph in 6.3 seconds and 154mph flat out are nothing to write home about in this company, but the Evo Sport makes up for it when it comes to the twisty bits.
Despite looking hard enough to drag you down a back alley and nick you wallet, the E30 rides with impressive composure. Turn-in is direct and it just grips and grips. The tyres are utterly unprepared to give up the available traction, at either end, without a considerable fight. If oversteer’s your thing, the Evo Sport can oblige, but it seems happiest going round bends neutrally and very quickly. It certainly doesn’t feel like a chassis that’s 13 years old.
The E36 M3, here in 3.2 litre Evo guise, is seemingly the antithesis of the Evo Sport. Whereas the E30 trumpets its sporting heritage through wing, bulges and splitters, the E36 is sleek, elegant and understated. Where the E30’s interior appeals to the racer, the E36 caters for the executive with wood, leather and plenty of toys.
On paper, the E36 M3 is a big step forward in the performance stakes. There’s 321bhp to play with, enough for 0-62mph in a Porsche-rivalling 5.3 seconds, and a restricted top speed of 155mph. The BMW engineers claimed that without the limiter, 180mph was achievable. Even by the standards set by today’s loony saloons, this M3 is very, very quick.
Contemporary road-testers criticised the E36 for lacking torque low in the rev-range, but this fighting fit example seems to have loosened up nicely and feels strong everywhere. Of course, the Evo’s party piece really gets underway between 5000rpm and the redline, with stonking acceleration and a gorgeous howling accompaniment putting a mile-wide grin on you chops.
The gearchange of the six-speed gearbox is no match for most modern BMWs, feeling a bit notchy – the clutch, too, needs firm control. Perhaps the biggest complaint, though, is directed at the numb steering. It just can’t match the sensitivity of the E30s’.
That said, it does little to undermine your progress. The race-bred ‘floating’ brake disc after immense retardation and the chassis is extremely competent. There’s a bit of bodyroll, but traction out of bends is excellent. It just lacks the final ten per cent of involvement that elevates the E30 into the realms of mythology. What the E36 offers, in both M3 guises is a high level of refinement in the cabin that makes long distances a pleasure – a challenge to be relished. Personality-wise, the E36 is the GT to the E30’s GTi.
It is also very practical machine, with good accommodation, fuel economy and low-speed manners….sure, the suspension is firm, but not jarringly so. The E36’s looks also score here. They get knowing nods from the cognoscenti, but attract minimal attention from filthy tea-leaves. As reunions go, this stint with the E36 M3 has proved remarkably pleasurable.
So to the E46. Has it lost its shine, is the halo slipping? Nah! Every time I drive one of these, especially a manual, I come away convinced that BMW has created one of the all-time great machines. Its breadth of ability is truly staggering. Comfy, cool, well priced and bloody quick. Most press demos come to us with only a couple of thousand miles on them. This lovely 21,000-miler felt considerably faster. Holding onto your license would be very hard work.
There are many more touches around the car, whether it’s the wing vents, the grey dials or the glow-in-the-dark M gear knob that underlines the fact you’re in something special. Although a twitch of the right foot and the corresponding aural explosion serves the same purpose.
Whether you like to drive clean and smooth or play the hairy-arsed lunatic, the E46 will oblige. We’ve said it before but it still seems incredible that this machine is 911-quick on the road yet is over 15 grand cheaper than the Porsche. It mightn’t quite have supercar road presence but it still turns heads wherever it goes.
One thing that makes human beings special is our ability to learn from mistakes and to improve ourselves. The great thing about this test is to see, hear and feel BMW learning from its mistakes, maximising its strengths and improving the finished product.
The first generation of M3 was all about winning races. Those chunky arches accommodated bigger race tyres, the bodywork on this Evo Sport was concerned with increased downforce and quicker lap times. The side effect, almost, was a sublime road car with enough creature comforts to appease the thrusting young executive and a chassis to impress Roberto Ravaglia.
With the E36, BMW made a conscious decision to broaden the appeal of the M car. The looks were toned down to such an extent that only the mirrors, wheels, and a subtle body kit differentiated it from lesser models. There was even a four-door version, surely an all-time great Q-car.
Inside, you got comfy seats, quality ergonomics loads of toys and typical BMW build. The car was more composed, easier to drive and more useable, more of the time. It also came in right-hand drive of course, making it the first choice for more than just die-hard enthusiasts prepared to tolerate left-hand drive. BMW also introduced a clutchless M3 for the first time with the 5MG.
All this added up to a very healthy balance sheet but there were murmurings of dissent. Some people felt the E36 had diluted the essence of the M3. So, with the E46 the company retained the best bits of the E36 but also managed to recapture some of the E30s sparkle.
The pumped bodywork and quad tailpipes instantly differentiate it from lesser Threes and the chassis now revels in the hooligan streak that the E36 had forsaken. It also packs one of the finest engines in any car on the planet. All for about 40 grand.
Of course, you need a lot less than 40grand for an M3 – even an ultra rare Evo Sport like this (only 600 were built and only 45 were officially imported into the UK – chassis numbers ran from AC79000 to AC79599) can be had for £12, 000. It is undoubtedly the finest, most focused and most desirable of the E30s. However, I think I’d be tempted to buy a cheaper Evo II and spend the difference on a roll-cage, brake upgrades and sticky rubber and turn it into a proper track car.
The E36 M3 Evo is currently sitting around the £15-£16,000 mark, depending on mileage and condition. Despite my hard heart, I warmed to the car during this test. It’s a phenomenally accomplished all-rounder, and at that money, a conspicuous bargain. Plus, as it was more commercially successful than the E30, there are plenty of good ones out there to be found. If you need to combine your petrohead ambition with practicality, this is the kiddy.
The fact that this comparison only underlines that the E46 M3 is the best M3 ever is probably no great surprise. What was a surprise, and a delight, was just how much the personalities of these cars differ, and how the product itself has evolved and impreoved. And that bodies very well indeed for the next M3. Can’t hardly wait.
Related posts:
November 3, 2008
2000 - 2008, Articles