M3 history question

tallwingedgoat · 08-02-03, 02:02 AM

What year did the first E36 M3 CONVERTIBLE come out?

thepolarfoxqx · 08-02-03, 04:22 AM

1994 in europe.

LateNightCable · 08-02-03, 11:13 PM

1997 in the U.S.

thepolarfoxqx · 08-03-03, 12:49 AM

both the japanese and euorpeans screw us by not letting us have the good stuff till they already rolled all over in it.

Too bad they don't buy our cars.

tallwingedgoat · 08-03-03, 12:52 AM

Thanks for the information guys.

BTW I heard 2005 will be the swong song for M3. After that BMW will replace it with the M4, a V8 GT based on the 3-series. The M4 will also look significantly different from the saloon, just as the M6 is to the 5-series.

The inline-six will remain only for the 3-series sedans and roadsters. No more M-powered 6 pots.

LateNightCable · 08-05-03, 12:34 AM

Thats' pretty sad. Won't there ever be another storming little Bimmer with a six that just won't quit? Things are just getting way too complicated, I long for the simple and the pure.

ops:

thepolarfoxqx · 08-05-03, 01:20 AM

god will damn BMW to hell for all of eternity for getting rid of the ///M Inline Six. The killer inline six was the greatest engine ever concieved. I don't like them making the new M cars drastically different looking their non M counterparts. Half the fun of an M3 is smoking someone who expected easy victory.

I fail to see the reason for a V8, their six has plenty left in it. retune it, push it a bit harder, bore to 3.5L, you could get that thing to spew 400hp.

i hope it isn't the swan song for the M3 or M straight six. It would kill me.

I swear, i'd never buy another BMW again. Ever.

m3 fanatic · 08-09-03, 03:08 PM

But times are changing!

I dont want to get smoked by a teenager in a jap car.

S4 with V-8 and 350 hp
RS6 with 430+ hp
E55 with almost 500 hp and ft. lbs.
STI WRX with 300 hp
Evo's with 280 hp
New C55!!

Enjoy the horsepower wars. Free gas for everyone.

"Sadly" I'll have to keep my 2 vehicles for at least 2-3 more years.

LateNightCable · 08-09-03, 07:07 PM

The Sub WRX and Evo are both four-bangers, and they smoke. Proof that the ///M Inline-6 is still valide.

Instead of more cylinders, I really believe BMW should focus their attention on weight reduction. That would improve alot of things that more cylinders could never help, except add more weight. At over 3,400 pounds, the M3 is getting pretty hefty. Weight reduction and continued evolution of the six is the key to staying competitive - and true to ///M roots.

thepolarfoxqx · 08-09-03, 09:38 PM

no teenager in a jap car is taking down the current M3. there is room left in the inline six. As I said, if you bored it to 3.5L, it would only be a minor stretch of tuning to produce 400lbs. The E60 M5 is over 300lbs lighter than the E39 M5 due to weight savings and aluminum intensive contstruction, if they could do that for E46 M3, they'd have a rocket damn near nothing could touch.