The BMW E30: God's Chariot

I had a friend who was interested in purchasing an E30 and being a BMW enthusiast, I encouraged him to purchase one second hand. We looked for examples on Offer Up. Found a potential candidate. Hopped in the car and met at an agreed. 

And it was off to a not so great start. The car's wrap is peeling. The interior is a nightmare. The tires are less than adequate for the chassis. To add even more concern to this potential purchase, the compounds are mismatched. If you’ve ever gone to purchase a second hand car, then you probably know that this is the epitome of a car you want to avoid. On top of that this BMW E30 has no maintenance records, most importantly, no indication of a timing belt replacement, which is a must for the M20 engine. It's not looking too good.

Despite these setbacks, my friend has me test drive the car because his skills with a manual aren't quite up to par. Prior to this potential purchase, I had moved E30’s around in the past but never got to really get behind the wheel and give it an honest go. I drove this car about two miles. Two miles. That's all it took for me to understand why these chassis’ are so sought after. 

The M20 engine sets the standards for all BMW inline sixes and that's for reason. In the case of the E30, the M20 is the star of the show. A stab of the throttle pedal pulls open the throttle cable and hits with, what feels like, a mountain of torque across nearly the entire rev range. Its sensational. I often question how BMW achieved this feat in the late 80s before highly efficient fuel injection systems of today. The symphony of mechanical valves clatter and pistons detonating fuel lets you know what's happening at all times. Other engines of the 80’s have a hard time relaying the same sensations. Sure a modern sports car can definitely deliver more power but none of the emotion that M20’s 6000 RPM redline provides.

 And the M20 just does not care. Do a pull. Drag the needle to redline. Shift to second. Do it again. Shift to third. do it again. Granted I wasn’t actually traveling that fast, I still had a massive grin ear to ear. You can do this all day long until you run out of gas or you're legally obliged to stop doing so due to this engines robust construction.

The E30 chassis is very dated. If you've ever driven anything built after the early 2000’s this is very apparent. Older, maliciously maintained, examples just rattle themselves away. Thanks to the subframe design you feel every detail of the E30 chassis no matter the speed it travels. Even vibrations from the A/C compressor clutch can be felt as it cycles on and off. In the corners you can almost feel the chassis twist in corners (definitely in convertibles!) through the sparsely insulated interior. This is largely due to the E30’s body and sparse insulation. The aluminum chassis is thin but this means it's lightweight.

The independent rear suspensions divorced spring and shock design is a staple of classic BMW's. The E30s suspension setup offers a rough feel but provides grip and stability during drifts. The front shocks are mounted directly into the steering knuckle making the steering rack relay every microscopic crater in the ground. Your average pedestrian driver would call this a nuisance but for this is what sets the E30 apart for enthusiast. 

All of these elements make the E30 BMW's rawest sports car to date. I never “talked" to a car until I drove an E30. You are simply one with this car and you don't have to drive like a hero to understand that. After talking to several E30 owners I now understand why these chassis' are so cherished. The work required to keep one of these Munich monsters chugging is worth it when you turn the key, put the car in gear, and set off to nearly any destination knowing that you're doing so in a small slice of heaven.

I truly believe that BMW will never create a driving experience like this ever again. It’s not their fault. Times are different now but I think it all goes without saying we could use a little more of the magic that the late eighties/ early 90s 3 Series provides. The E30, simply put, is perfect and is a textbook example of what an everyday sports car can be and should be. I still think about that terrible example in the gas station parking lot to this day and ask myself “Why did I just buy it?”