m42 hate on bimmerforums [Archive] - M42club.com - Home of the BMW E30/E36 318i/iS

sheepdog

09-29-2007, 07:51 PM

That is why this site was formed.

Bimmerforums is full of 325 guys, and even more e36 guys.

I can agree with them on e36 318s, it was severely underpowered.
The e30 guys ragging on the m42, just have never driven them properly. Most that have, often wished they still had it.

The m42 hate has slowed some in the e30 section though due to us getting organized.

Most people only look at power, not power to weight ratios, or even actual numbers. Just seat of the pants, and if you drive a 318 like a 325, which is what many of them did when first driving one, of course it is slow.

That thread just oozes ignorance.

Stück

09-29-2007, 08:27 PM

I'm a "325" guy, and a "e36" guy.... owning both a heavily worked 2600lb m20b28 (233hp/238tq) e30 and a modded e36 M3.. and I find my e30 318iS just fine... its really quite peppy & respectable. That said I have driven many e30 and e36 m42/44's that were gawd awful slow, more so then they should be. I attribute that mostly to the fact that the demographic that daily drive those cars do not maintain them, let alone keep them in tune.

When you drive a car into the ground its not going to be a peak performer.

tjts1

09-29-2007, 10:51 PM

Well I got my shits and giggles tonight with my puny little 1.8. 30 minute drive with a beautiful sunset interlude. No complaints here. I would love to see one of those fools keep up.
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&hl=en&geocode=&saddr=mill+valley,+ca&daddr=37.920368,-122.630424+to:fairfax,+ca&mrcr=0,1&mrsp=1&sz=12&mra=dpe&sll=37.932284,-122.584076&sspn=0.128897,0.233459&ie=UTF8&ll=37.948529,-122.590256&spn=0.128868,0.233459&t=h&z=12&om=1

318iSdaniel

09-29-2007, 11:46 PM

jpod999

09-30-2007, 01:18 AM

Just read that whole thread. The ignorance over at bimmerforums just astounds me. Alright our M42 may not have as much power as your average M3, 540, 850, "ITR", or something along that line, but that doesn't mean that the car isn't fun as hell. I've ridden in faster cars than mine, but still love my car. It was especially fun at the track last weekend where I kept up and then passed a race spec Miata. :D:D

Lukis

09-30-2007, 09:37 AM

That is what is fun about this cars, you would not expect it to be fast.
several times I had people riding with me, and they say WTF is this a 1,8??
No it is not an M3, but you can take corners like no other stock cars whitin its price range.
Like a experienced track driver said, He was falling behind in the bend after a 318is when he drove an E36 M3 3,2

xsjado

09-30-2007, 11:01 PM

i love my m42 thats all that matters....its like u n me arguing if we had twin girlfrends...i like the perky athletic one and u like the bustier but not as lively one..hehe...each to their own.

tjts1

10-01-2007, 12:12 AM

Which one has big boobs? I want that one.

bmwman91

10-01-2007, 12:28 AM

I'll take the gymnast with no boobs. They can put themselves into positions I can barely imagine.

sumyungguy

10-01-2007, 02:41 AM

wow, that thread is ghey and is pretty much why I don't cruise around bf.c (and lots of other forums). Honestly, any 4cyl sports car gets hate, and they take the right (cough...better) kind of people to love them.

xsjado

10-01-2007, 08:30 AM

.......mmmm jessica alba vs jenna jamerson....m42 vs m20!my vote goes to jessica!!!wow!!!

bmwman91

10-01-2007, 10:44 AM

I love the discussion that has formed from this. Interesting tangent.

Abrax

10-01-2007, 02:22 PM

Aren't they all just jelous out there on bimmerforums? They must know very well, that E30 M42 is really better handling than any other BMW car of that age and comparable price... I wouldn't change it for any other BMW - maybe M3 E30 if i could afford it ;)

tjts1

10-01-2007, 02:48 PM

I love the discussion that has formed from this. Interesting tangent.

At least we're keeping it interesting right?

jpod999

10-01-2007, 05:50 PM

I'll take the gymnast with no boobs. They can put themselves into positions I can barely imagine.

+1000

Stück

10-01-2007, 06:34 PM

Be careful over on BFc stirring shit. They will put you in TO for a week for calling a crackhead a crackhead.

g0dspeed

10-01-2007, 10:35 PM

No matter how they put it.... to me an E30 is still a legend..so e30 with m42 will make it an immortal legend.. huhuhu.....

tony92ic

10-02-2007, 11:40 AM

I "upgraded" from a 95 318i to a 95 325is and the M42 wasn't as fast in a straight line, but it was a hell of a lot more fun to drive. I miss that car - don't miss the 325 at all.

Then I truly upgraded to an e30 M42. I'll take less weight and more HP in that order please.

m44power

10-02-2007, 02:19 PM

just some idiots . They dont know nothing about m42 there engines is big as they mouth as for the e36 m42's (i am a e36 guy) THEY HAVE KNOCK SENSORS AND 6mm VALVE STEAM! so RESPECT THEM! as you respect every m42 engine around . E30 m42 are faster? i dont think so..... maybe is lighter but not faster :D

VIVA LA M4x! (M42/M44)

1988E30M3

10-02-2007, 04:09 PM

Having done the Oktoberfest DE in my 318is yesterday, I can vouch for how well balanced the car is. Sure it was lacking in the power department, compared to the mostly newer and I6's bimmers out in the track, but when it came to the tight turns that is where the lightness came into play. My instructor was amazed at how well the car handled.
Ripping through the track at red line almost the whole way, that is fun!

318iSdaniel

10-02-2007, 05:39 PM

Having done the Oktoberfest DE in my 318is yesterday, I can vouch for how well balanced the car is. Sure it was lacking in the power department, compared to the mostly newer and V6's bimmers out in the track, but when it came to the tight turns that is where the lightness came into play. My instructor was amazed at how well the car handled.
Ripping through the track at red line almost the whole way, that is fun!

a v6 bimmer- now that is something i would pay to see! i knew what you meant, though. ;)

silverblades181

10-02-2007, 09:42 PM

.......mmmm jessica alba vs jenna jamerson....m42 vs m20!my vote goes to jessica!!!wow!!!

Word

The M20 has rocker arms that break on the track....My M42 has 244 000km and I beat the shit out of it every time I go on the track and it has never let me down.

Jenna looks like a slut, Jessica looks nice.

FL318is

10-03-2007, 02:18 PM

My M42 cruises at 205 mph and goes 0 to 60 in 2.8 seconds plus it can double as a submarine and was actually used by NASA as a lunar excursion vehicle. :p Thats why I bought it. :cool:

1988E30M3

10-03-2007, 02:18 PM

a v6 bimmer- now that is something i would pay to see! i knew what you meant, though. ;)

Oops! (BTW, I fixed the original post)
That is what happens when your other bimmer has a V8 in it.

christophbmw

10-03-2007, 08:31 PM

the M42 has a way better hp per litre figure, its light, its noisy, its slow......but in the end; its hella fun to drive! wouldnt trade it for anything!

ps, ive never met a 325is owner that could "keep up" with me on some of the roads i live by, any takers?

sheepdog

10-03-2007, 09:14 PM

hp per litre

Is the most pointless number unless you are Honda trying to show how great you are.

Unless you live in a country where you pay taxes based on it, who cares. Higher Hp per liter just means you spend more on your engine development. It has no bearing on anything else, and in fact usually consumes more gas doing it.

A more useful number is HP per pound, hp vs overall dimensions or hp vs mpg.

g0dspeed

10-03-2007, 11:21 PM

My M42 cruises at 205 mph and goes 0 to 60 in 2.8 seconds plus it can double as a submarine and was actually used by NASA as a lunar excursion vehicle. :p Thats why I bought it. :cool:

:D....so it's true u did travel to the moon and back with ur e30......:p

kramerica5000

10-04-2007, 10:56 AM

To be fair, most people on the forum rightfully flamed the dumbass.

christophbmw

10-04-2007, 11:04 AM

Is the most pointless number unless you are Honda trying to show how great you are.
A more useful number is HP per pound, hp vs overall dimensions or hp vs mpg.
ya but doesnt hp per litre indicate an effiecient motor if it is a higher #? kindof like how BMW can get the same power out of a 4.4l, and it takes chevy (i dont have anything against chevy, just using them as an example) 6.3l to get the same power (sure the BMW engine cost WAY more.....but it shows you that it is more effeicient, it generates less heat but produces more power).

"the 318is....the Lotus of BMW's", was a quote i read on the MM website (of course that M42 had 200hp :rolleyes:).

......also, i like how on bimmerforums the where comparing Hondas "top-model" car (integra....actually Acura, and the SI). haha, they forgot one thing.......ITS STILL A HONDA, Bmw's got class, sure its 17 years old, it still has more class than a new Honda, wouldnt you agree?

And one more thing: Bmw's are momentum cars, not straight line cars (im sure im preaching to the choir), thats what makes them fun to drive.

kramerica5000

10-04-2007, 11:36 AM

I agree that hp/liter is an indication of the overall quality of engineering that goes into an engine. But I believe BMW claimed that in 1991 when the M42 was released it had the highest hp/liter of any comparably sized engine. The integra came out that year and it had a 1.8L with 130hp, so most likely this is true. The following years VTEC was added to the Hondas and power went up to 160hp and up.

So IMHO if you look at comparable engines of the time, the M42 has very high hp/L. The only thing that kept it from competing with the later Hondas was the lack of variable valve timing which was essential for generating a lot of power in the high rpm bands without sacrificing driveability the lower rpms. A Vanos variant of the M42 would have been the next logical step for BMW, but they obviously didn't feel that 4 cylinders was where they wanted to focus their energies.

We've just gotten used to cars with high HP in an age when the typical accord is making around 200hp. But back in 91, 134hp was a lot. Even today when you look at the typical 1.8L in an inexpensive car, its making the same if not less than the M42. Hell my dad's 2003 Miata's 1.8L with variable intake timing only produced 140hp.

So I'm convinced that the M42 exhibits the best engineering you can expect to find in a production car. The only thing that kept it from competing in subsequent years was the fact that BMW was behind the Japanese on the technology curve, especially when it came to variable timing. But IMHO I like the fact that it doesn't use it. I like that its a traditional DOHC engine that you can easily tune to your liking.

strad

11-28-2007, 11:55 PM

I know it's a bit perverse, but part of the fun, for me anyways, is seeing how high I can push the freeway mileage on my 200k mile M42. So far 31mpg, but I've done some work that might pay dividends on the next road trip.

I like the motor just fine. It's a wonderful complement to the M20 that I already have, and the M52 that I'll have next month.

Abrax

11-29-2007, 01:14 AM

Guys!

Some time ago we've crossed whole germany doing 560km in 3hours and 5 minutes! We were driving there constantly above 200km/h and it gave us 183 of average speed during whole distance. We were driving 3 different cars comming back home one by one on the same road conditions and it gave us average fuel consumption of 11,3 ltr / 100km... Can You beat this with any M20 engine? I doubt it...

D. Clay

11-29-2007, 05:38 AM

Honda does amazing things with engines. Almost every racing series they have entered their engines in they have dominated within just a few years. The 2.0 liter Civic si motor is rated 197 HP. However, the regular Civic 1.8 is rated at 140 HP and 128 torque. That's M42 numbers from 17 years ago without the E30. The only reason to buy a Civic is fuel economy and price.

sheepdog

11-29-2007, 02:19 PM

ya but doesnt hp per litre indicate an effiecient motor if it is a higher #? kindof like how BMW can get the same power out of a 4.4l, and it takes chevy (i dont have anything against chevy, just using them as an example) 6.3l to get the same power (sure the BMW engine cost WAY more.....but it shows you that it is more effeicient, it generates less heat but produces more power).

How does it it show it is more efficient. Yes, you get more Hp from a smaller cylinder. HOWEVER, it takes more fuel to do so. You are looking at volumetric efficiency, not overall or even fuel efficiency. That is only one measurement of an engines efficiency.

Couple great examples to counter...
Older Ford Explorer V8 = 20mpg
Older Toyota 4runner = 4 or 6, it still struggles to even get 14mpg

Newer Corvette - 400+hp - 28mpg
Newer Camry - 20mpg.

Chevy V8 has won numerous awards for overall efficiency.
It makes more power per amount of fuel than most other engines.

Yes, it is big volumetrically, but that is why it does what it does. Funny thing is that externally, it is rather small. Weight-wise, it is rather light. Pretty efficient package if you ask me.

eric ^__^

11-30-2007, 12:43 AM

BMW seems to win just as many awards for their motors as Honda

And it's probably for the best that BMW has such a great competitor.

gearheadE30

11-30-2007, 03:51 PM

sheepdog

11-30-2007, 08:50 PM

If only all of those great engines were wrapped in a lighter, stiffer-sprung, smaller vehicle. Surely a company like BMW could get by with a lower production small, light car with no electronics and the 255hp 3 liter NA six... (I think the number is n54, but all of the new numbers are confusing me)...Think a M2 or something (M1 is forever taken :) )

Bmw cares little about low production number cars. They want to appeal to the masses and compete with Toyota. More money in it.
They forgot where they came from. The ultimate driving machine is now just a catch phrase, not a statement about how the car drives. I am not saying they drive bad, but it is hard to see what makes a BMW special these days compared to equivalents.

twism

12-02-2007, 06:35 PM

I'll take the gymnast with no boobs. They can put themselves into positions I can barely imagine.

my ex :D:eek:

http://img217.imageshack.us/img217/3580/cvetims6.png

xsjado

12-03-2007, 09:00 AM

wow....the m42 hard at work.....lets see an m20 do that!hah!

91318isguy

12-28-2007, 02:01 PM

I just read most of the BF post. Wow, some real... let me think... unqualified people on that thread. I know P/W ratio is very important, and an impressive number is one that a buddy of mine told me a few months ago. He owned a Lancer Evo 8 (not a Lancer with OZ rims and a spoiler, a true super-sedan). He mentioned that with our stock motor (he has a 318is as well) and an Atlanta Downing S/C, the P/W ratio would be the same as his EVO 8 was. I tell you what, that thing was FAST. On the Dragon (US hwy 129 here in TN) sport bikes couldn't pass him, he'd pass them. His avg speed was 85 (never wrecked either).

Also, speaking of the age of our cars. I was chatting with an old neighbor that had a 2004 Celica GT-s and when I told them (his wife was with him, it's her car) how old it was their mouths just dropped. For 17, done right, it can be a VERY eye catching automobile.

M42 Forever.

vfstyles

01-02-2008, 12:52 PM

i had a chance to drive an 87 e30 eta and my 91 318is back to back when i first got my bimmer. i liked the overall feel of the 318 much more than the eta. the torque in the eta was undeniable, however the car didnt feel as nimble as the 318. So yeah, there is my totally objective opinion on 6cyl and 4cyl e30's. i think the e30 318is is a purist car and much cheaper than the m3.

alan1272

01-02-2008, 01:13 PM

a v6 bimmer- now that is something i would pay to see! i knew what you meant, though. ;)

slightly off topic, but that'll be £10 please.
http://www.e30zone.net/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=62058&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0

nobrakese36

01-07-2008, 12:41 AM

Little dicks equals m42 bash, just like super high trucks....

swiss318is

01-08-2008, 09:00 AM

its pretty funny to read the thread on BF! i mean.. i know that a 4 cyl 1,8l engine with no turbo is not the engine to win the 1/4 mile in 10s...! but dont forget! 130hp/1100kg or 260hp/2000kg is quite the same!or not? my car will have 180-190hp and 950-1000kg...!!!
as a big tire company said "fun is not a straight line"
and this thread shows again.. its not the quantitiy... its the quality!

IT IS A DIFFERENT DRIVING AND A DIFFERENT KIND OF FUN IN AN E30 318IS

E30nate

01-08-2008, 02:19 PM

i have owned every version of the e30, except the super eta and m3. i would way rather have my m42 over an eta or a m20b25 any day. the m42 revs quicker, is super nimble, and if just flat out fun to drive. my stock 318 with springs and shocks left my friends 325is like it was sitting still in the canyon here, and he has some computer work and exhaust done.

bmw318is1994

02-12-2008, 04:23 AM

I own an E36 318is and I love the car! I really want an E30 though...drool...I don't plan on getting rid of this 318 for anything at the moment. I enjoy it ya it's a little slow...but i'm usually riding around with a friend that is boosted and runs around 12-13 second quarter mile times. I am really starting to hate bf.c because of all the crap that is thrown around to the guys with 318's all because they own an 325 or higher. I'm glad I found this place...seems to be peaceful for a guy that owns a 318 :D!

swiss318is

02-12-2008, 05:13 AM

hehe... the stock 318is e30 isnt as slow as some guys are thinking!! ;-)

mrferg

02-12-2008, 02:11 PM

I've learned to not really care much about the opinions of BfC'rs. I mean afterall I switched from a 325is to a "lesser" 318i. :-)

rloewy

02-12-2008, 06:51 PM

I own a M42 E30 and an early 1.6L Miata for the exact reason. Fantastic lightweight chassis with good suspension and steering and a happy to rev engine.

There is a saying in the Miata world that "if you can not drive a 90HP car fast, 900 will not help you". Pretty much sums the situation perfectly.

Nick_318is

02-12-2008, 09:40 PM

You know what i see all these guys with power and should be faster cars but let me tell you the few times I have had my 318is on track it has surprised more then one person of being as capable as it is and that is something I really love about this car, it can be a tremendous sleeper.

Jami318is

02-14-2008, 02:18 AM

QUOTE=swiss318is;42642]hehe... the stock 318is e30 isnt as slow as some guys are thinking!! ;-)[/QUOTE]

Now I like this car! Dang she looks sweet!

MikeK

02-21-2008, 02:35 PM

my mtech1 e30 was a 6pot as well as my M50 e36, but i swear, this 4banger is much more fun.

swiss318is

02-21-2008, 03:52 PM

ayay... a bigger engine alone doesnt make cars faster...!!

velomech

02-22-2008, 01:03 AM

Thats hilarious, When I was at the dyno this evening a guy in a 92 535 e34 with a bunch of work done to it came in after me. I think his name was Hari. Nice guy.
He asked me if I ever hit bimmerforums. I said "No, It's full of assholes who think they know everything, They wouldnt know fast if it hit them in the head with a shovel.

I pulled 123 Hp out of my sisy little 318 e36, and he pulled 188 out of his built to the hilt 3.5.

I know who would wax who on a autocross course OR in the GA mountains.

My e36 would kill em. Out turn em, out brake em....

Cheers and beers
Hodge

MikeK

02-22-2008, 11:44 AM

dcbrufan

02-27-2008, 10:53 AM

I used to look down on 4 cylinder BMW cars. After I bought an e36 318is (rather a last choice as I couldn't find any 320/325is).

I originally wanted to rip out that M42 and threw in a M3 engine. However, as time passes, I began to actually like the M42. It may not be as powerful as 6 bangers but its a fun car to drive.

The engine is not exactly weak though. MM created a 2.0L motor that could hit over 200HP over 200NM of torque. Remember that this is done w/o VANOS (Honda has VTEC while Toyota has VVTi). There is also Gizmo's M42 monster which easily puts 2/2.5L 6 bangers to shame.

Right now, I am working on spercharging my M42 (heading towards dual charging).

mad-machine

03-09-2008, 06:53 PM

You can tell by my signiture where my feelings lie.. and by my stance in that thread.

Yes, I am over here now.

DRIFTM42CANO

03-11-2008, 04:36 PM

i dont really care bout bf.c they always rip on us m42/44 guys but w/e bigger engine dont mean crap

m42 for life ive done amazing things with this car and the end the ending result is more gratifiying (i cant spell for shit)

im new here but this place has been more respectful then bf.c will ever be

m42 FTMFW!!

futron.sim

03-12-2008, 02:58 AM

Hi all. I am new to this forum. I decided on an E36 318IS after testing out 320i and 325i (it has a 2.8L M52 engine) sedan. I also did tested out a 318i runing the M40 motor with a unichip inside.

I have say that an 318IS is in no way inferior compared to a 320 or 325. Talking about power, the 318IS smokes the 320i with ease. Even the 318i with the unichip beats the 320 in terms of acceleration.... A SOHC 4 banger smokes a DOHC 6 banger...lol....

The 325i with the 2.8L M52 engine has lots of low end power but top end wise, I have to say I still prefer the M42 motor. If both goes head to head, the 6 banger will have an edge on the low end but at higher revs, the 318IS will have the advantage. The M42 just loves to rev.

Seriously, I have no idea why some pple out there looked down on the 4 bangers and claim they aren't real BMW engines. Whats the point of having 6 cylinders inside you car if its out run by a 4 cylinder? If they are so fascinated with having more cylinders, might as well throw in a M62 4L V8? Then they can go around bragging about it....

enildeR

03-25-2008, 04:24 PM

M42 FTW!

yeah, mazda made two types of 4-cylinders for the first gen protege's. One was a 16-valve SOHC, and the second being a 16-valve DOHC. The SOHC actually had more peak torque sooner, but lacked about 15hp. I advanced the timing by 15degrees, and I could actually keep up in initial acceleration, if not pull a little bit, with the DOHC guys. The SOHC also had a diff gearbox that had longer gears. it was actually a very strong engine that mazda made. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mazda_B_engine

The BPT was actually used in their rally cars and would withstand 2.1bar in stock trim. 2.2 was pushing it, and you couldn't do it for very long. It's a beefy, undersquare 4-cylinder.

.o(I still need to get my NA that I was building up back from my old machinist. :/)

Toda racing made a wicked BP NA engine. I still want to see someone slap a whipple on one. The miata SC kit was rather weak.

Anyways... Back to BMW stuffs. I love watching this vid:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=NE-V3TaNGss

hoevesruperd

03-25-2008, 05:45 PM

Anyways... Back to BMW stuffs. I love watching this vid:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=NE-V3TaNGss

one of my favorite videos on youtube! that S14 sound is beautiful

e30 4cyl

03-26-2008, 12:02 AM

Yeah, funny how the bf.c guys act like 4 cylinder cars are not bmw's, when the most successful car bmw ever made was a 4 cylinder-the real m3! :D

D. Clay

03-26-2008, 12:23 AM

Yeah, funny how the bf.c guys act like 4 cylinder cars are not bmw's, when the most successful car bmw ever made was a 4 cylinder-the real m3! :D
Not to mention the M42 derived racing engine. If it was available in a detuned version as a production model (not just an homologation special) it would rewrite the book.
When the Ferrari F40 came out I was showing an article about it to my wife. Her response was, "There's something wrong about a $250,000 car that doesn't have carpet or windows you can roll down." Imagine a 1 series with rubber mats, no sound proofing, solid mounts and a 225 HP S42. Where do I sign up?

haledj

03-26-2008, 12:39 AM

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BMW_Headquarters

BMW's headquarters in Germany is literally four cylinders, it was designed to pay homage to the engine that saved the company, the m10 four cylinder.

Yeah, funny how the bf.c guys act like 4 cylinder cars are not bmw's, when the most successful car bmw ever made was a 4 cylinder-the real m3! :D

ApocolypseAutoEngineering

04-04-2008, 08:41 AM

This thread needs to continue. I've owned an m20 e34, an e30 m10/m20/m42, and an e36 m50 all with work done except the m42. To tell you the truth none of them, as fast as they were or as well as I made them handle, met up to the challenge of the nimble and agile e30 318is. Long live the M42!!!!:D

szed03

05-14-2008, 02:23 PM

My e36 318is is such a pleasure to drive out on track and at autox events. Friggin bullet proof engine that's so much cheaper to maintain than a 6cyl.

At the last San Diego autox, there was this silver e30 318 that was smokin fast. Suspension certainly wasn't anything crazy, running Victoracer r-comps and doing 88-89 second runs beating a bunch of 6cyl-mod and M-mod class cars. It was sick!

biglar

06-09-2008, 08:37 PM

yeah.... dont listen to the hate. My M42 feels lightning quick after driving my civic hatch (auto). lol

matthew-mayhem

06-10-2008, 01:09 AM

My M42 cruises at 205 mph and goes 0 to 60 in 2.8 seconds plus it can double as a submarine and was actually used by NASA as a lunar excursion vehicle. :p Thats why I bought it. :cool:

what? I thought i was the only one that NASA tested with?

BMWManiac

06-18-2008, 11:52 PM

I have a turbo 97 M3 and I LOVE putzing around in my, new to me, 91 318i!

bmw327

06-28-2008, 12:49 PM

Had some fun on the way to the lab yesterday. I was first car at the next to last light before the turn I take to get to work and there was about 3/4 mile of empty divided 4-lane beteen the two. Behind me pulls up a coworker buddy in his E36 328i (5spd) - a sweet car. The light goes green and I set off as rapidly as possible without abusing the machinery (no 5K clutch dumps for me; shifts at 6.2K). He pulls to the left in an attempt to pass and decides that he couldn't quite make it safely in the space we had, so he fell in behind. While walking through the lot, he told me that he probably could have made the pass, but he was surprised at how well my little white sedan pulled and that he would have had to really want it to do it. Some day I'll toss him the keys :).

The car is certainly no dragster, but it's not bad for its age and size.

xsjado

06-29-2008, 12:00 PM

google jgtc supra 4 cylinder...funny how that motor gets some amount of abuse like our beloved M42...but then it kicks back coz they still finish in top 5!!!!!balance control!!

henry123@ix.netcom.com

07-17-2008, 07:54 PM

Hi...I'm the original owner of a '92 E-36 318is that currently has accumulated 205+k wonderful miles. The car has seen coast to coast, minus XX degrees F. and plus XX degrees F, driven through blizzards, cyclones and many wonderful and sunny days!

Really like this engine. I'm also the former owner of a '72 tii and have a soft spot for bmw 4 pots. On two lane blacktop...weeks ago...turned 38.6mpg, and on Interstates routinely get 33-36mpg. And I do go rather quickly at that.

It's nice to be amongst those who "get it" when it comes to the M-42.

EN318isPDX

07-18-2008, 06:31 PM

hehe... the stock 318is e30 isnt as slow as some guys are thinking!! ;-)

People don't realize that M42's are freakin old! High tech but used and abused.. With alittle TLC an M42 can smoke most other imports. i'd guess M42's take twice the abuse from drivers than M20s. We need more enthusiasts! I think more M20 people should realize that torque < MPG.