BMW fans these days commonly lament the lost magic that used to prove the company's slogan "The Ultimate Driving Machine." In place of lightweight, nimble sports cars, BMW clearly focuses on straight-line acceleration from turbocharged torque-monster engines. Meanwhile, the styling of the new M3 and M4 has drawn serious criticism due to the grille design and the new 8 Series looks like a Kia-penned Ford Mustang while including overly complex (and heavy) components like adaptive sway bars. Perhaps, then, BMW executives would do themselves a favor to check out the newest YouTube video from the Hoonigan AutoFocus channel focusing on two impeccable M3 generations past, an S52-swapped E30 and quite possibly one of the cleanest E36 M3 examples on the planet.
A Non-Original Original M3 And Its Mass-Produced Successor
Esteban Larrañaga gives Hoonigan AutoFocus host Larry Chen an in-depth rundown of his silver E36 M3 and the S52-swapped E30, which received its nuts-and-bolts restoration at the hands of Masterclass Automotive. Apparently, the car actually received brand-new components straight down to the actual nuts and bolts, which were ordered from the BMW factory catalog along with the last two sets of interior carpeting available for the E30.
Two Matching Engines In Different Generation M3 Cars
Where the E30 M3 would have originally come equipped with an S14 inline-four producing an impressive-for-the-time range of 189 to 235 horsepower (from the first M3 ranging through to the most powerful Evo3 homologation specials), this car now receives motivation from an E36-generation S52 3.2-liter inline-six. That engine would have put out 240 horsepower when stock but with an upgraded intake and exhaust, lightweight pulleys, and more, it could be producing significantly more making it on par with the European-spec E6 M3 variants.
An Incredibly Clean E36 M3
Larrañaga himself owns one of the cleanest E36-generation M3s on the planet, a 1999 model year that presents immaculately from the exterior and engine bay to the interior leather and trim, including the famous "Vader" seats. The E36 M3 famously tends to get trashed in the hands of would-be racers, making this one's condition all the more impressive. It also employs the S52 inline-six, which would have been stock for this model.
Making A Hard Choice Between The Two
For an enthusiast, the choice between these two stellar M3 examples comes down to cost. A sorted E36 can be found fairly easily for well under $20,000 while the E30 build here could easily cost three or even five times that sum. But with its lower weight, matching power (or more), build quality, and the addition of an E46 six-speed stick shift (compared to the E36's five-speed), that money clearly goes into desirable improvements. The only question remains why Masterclass Automotive didn't drop the screaming, high-revving S54 engine instead of the S52.
Sources: youtube.com and bmw-m.com.