M42club.com - Home of the BMW E30/E36 318i/iS

DISCUSSION => General Topics => Topic started by: fabe on September 14, 2009, 02:15:59 AM

Title: Top speed for the E30 318is?
Post by: fabe on September 14, 2009, 02:15:59 AM: I know the M42 isn't built for top speed runs, but just curious if a close-to-stock M42 can go beyond the standard top speed
E30 318is : 127mph (~203.2kph)
E36 318is : 132mph (~211.2kph).

* figures obtained from Brendan Purcell's website: http://www.esatclear.ie/~bpurcell/318istechinfo.html

Tried a high speed run some time last week. My e30 with the E36M42 and Getrag 250 (3.15 rear diff), managed to top out at 215kph(as shown on GPS), speedometer indicated ~225kph. The car won't go any faster after holding that speed for more than 1 minute. Rev was about 6,200rpm
Title: Top speed for the E30 318is?
Post by: quinn11m20 on September 14, 2009, 01:36:55 PM: I have had mine up to 152. That was with a performance chip and K&N Filter. Plus a stock clutch. I used a Garmin GPS as a speed reference. I did it on a flat Highway out here in Florida.
Title: Top speed for the E30 318is?
Post by: 318isfolife on September 14, 2009, 02:12:59 PM: k and n drop filter, dynomax hi-flow muffler (stock piping), turner chip. I have seen 135 and i still had a bit to go in 5th. the high ways over where im at arent really flat either. im sure on a flat road that is uber-long you could easily get this car to 145-7 ish.
Title: Top speed for the E30 318is?
Post by: fabe on September 14, 2009, 10:06:43 PM: Quote from: quinn11m20;78429
I have had mine up to 152. That was with a performance chip and K&N Filter. Plus a stock clutch. I used a Garmin GPS as a speed reference. I did it on a flat Highway out here in Florida.

What's your final drive ratio and what engine speed was it at 152mph?
Title: Top speed for the E30 318is?
Post by: roundel318 on September 15, 2009, 04:31:25 PM: BMW spedo's are famously optimistic.
I have seen fuel cutoff in 5th with a shown speed of ~140mph @ 6550rpm.
I doubt it was doing any better than 135mph, I would guess around 131, 132mph.
This was on a stock car that had nothing done to it.
Title: Top speed for the E30 318is?
Post by: fabe on September 16, 2009, 12:17:51 AM: Quote from: roundel318;78475
BMW spedo's are famously optimistic.
I have seen fuel cutoff in 5th with a shown speed of ~140mph @ 6550rpm.
I doubt it was doing any better than 135mph, I would guess around 131, 132mph.
This was on a stock car that had nothing done to it.

Which is why the mention of GPS-indicated speed... ;)
The difference between the GPS and speedo is about 8kph... ~5mph..
Title: Top speed for the E30 318is?
Post by: roundel318 on September 16, 2009, 03:25:31 PM: Nice, I have problems reading :)
Title: Top speed for the E30 318is?
Post by: quinn11m20 on September 16, 2009, 09:32:20 PM: My tach was at 7000k. the speedo was way past the 140 mph mark, and I will add it was in the 70's (70 Deg F). I don't know if that helped any. I redlined every gear, when I got to 5th I just put my foot down as hard as I can get. And actually, I had recently replaced the speedo gears and took the car to get calibrated. I was 3 miles over. My Garmin was new and was put to the test with a buddies car. So plus or minus 3 miles an hour, She was about 152.
Title: Top speed for the E30 318is?
Post by: fabe on September 16, 2009, 10:06:36 PM: Quote from: quinn11m20;78553
My tach was at 7000k. the speedo was way past the 140 mph mark, and I will add it was in the 70's (70 Deg F). I don't know if that helped any. I redlined every gear, when I got to 5th I just put my foot down as hard as I can get. And actually, I had recently replaced the speedo gears and took the car to get calibrated. I was 3 miles over. My Garmin was new and was put to the test with a buddies car. So plus or minus 3 miles an hour, She was about 152.

I have guessed that the car would need 7,000rpm to go beyond 145mph.. Are you running stock 4.10 final drive ratio on the E30?
Title: Top speed for the E30 318is?
Post by: tjts1 on September 16, 2009, 10:44:38 PM: (http://farm1.static.flickr.com/231/511886664_d1dc947c06_o.jpg)
Title: Top speed for the E30 318is?
Post by: kenika65 on September 17, 2009, 01:21:57 PM: Been at 135 with 3.93LSD on the speedo...
Title: Top speed for the E30 318is?
Post by: quinn11m20 on September 17, 2009, 03:31:11 PM: Well the tach was more than 7k, and yes it was the stock diff.
Title: Top speed for the E30 318is?
Post by: Birdman16 on September 18, 2009, 12:14:27 AM: Around 140 the speedo said... I was drafting a 550i sport but I think the speedo was a bit off... Friggin scary but sweet!
Title: Top speed for the E30 318is?
Post by: quinn11m20 on September 18, 2009, 04:39:08 PM: You ain't lying about friggin scary. My car was floating all over the road.
Title: Top speed for the E30 318is?
Post by: xwill112x on September 18, 2009, 04:46:08 PM: ive touched on 140 before..
Title: Top speed for the E30 318is?
Post by: 1991 E30 M42 on September 19, 2009, 02:23:46 AM: 125 knots on my second engine, It was years ago and mapping gps's were exspensive, so I used the hand held unit for my boat. According to Google, 125 knots = 143.847431 mph.
Title: Top speed for the E30 318is?
Post by: gearheadE30 on September 24, 2009, 07:02:54 PM: I've seen 135 on the GPS, and the highway was nowhere near flat. Felt like it was still pulling, too. And it didn't float at all, but I guess poly stuff and Ground Controls can do that haha
Title: Top speed for the E30 318is?
Post by: nigel on October 05, 2009, 06:12:37 PM: I hit 115 the other week, with loads of revs to go... but a catastrophic cooling failure and subsequently blown head gasket put an end to that. Now I'm stuck in Buffalo, NY until I make enough money to get it fixed.
On the plus side, the bav auto spring set and billie sports rode smooth and solid.:)
Title: Top speed for the E30 318is?
Post by: quinn11m20 on October 05, 2009, 06:57:56 PM: Hey Nigel, speaking of Bav Auto. Did you go to the Show and Shine they hold this past weekend?
Title: Top speed for the E30 318is?
Post by: nigel on October 06, 2009, 11:00:16 PM: Didn't know about it... was it up here in the North East?
My ride isn't much of a shower, anyway... and it definitely can't be called shiny.
Ultra fun to drive, though :)
Title: Top speed for the E30 318is?
Post by: quinn11m20 on October 07, 2009, 04:52:03 PM: Yeah. It is held in Portsmouth NH. I wouldn't worry about being a show car. You wouldn't have been the only one.