PollTime: E30 Edition

"K-Roll-PorscheTamer" (k-roll390)
02/15/2014 at 17:08 • Filed to: None

Edit 1: Added the model years for each one!(adding hp and tq numbers soon!)

Edit 2: Added hp numbers but I cannot find the tq numbers.

Edit 3: Added 325iX

Let's see what we all think is the best/favorite E30!

I'm gonna try a different method; this time, instead of asking what you all think the best looking and performing car is, I'm just gonna ask which you all prefer this time!

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Do you guys like this or both methods? What should I do next? Drop a comment below with your choice and what PollTime I should do next!

DISCUSSION (61)

Nerd-Vol > K-Roll-PorscheTamer
02/15/2014 at 17:10

I am just going to assume the M3 Evo III has the most hp. I go with that.

K-Roll-PorscheTamer > Nerd-Vol
02/15/2014 at 17:10

Should I add horsepower numbers?

Nerd-Vol > K-Roll-PorscheTamer
02/15/2014 at 17:11

HP and Torque, please!

Brian Silvestro > K-Roll-PorscheTamer
02/15/2014 at 17:11

I went with the 318is. Lightest chassis, and E36 M3 engines are constantly swapped into it with great results.

K-Roll-PorscheTamer > Nerd-Vol
02/15/2014 at 17:15

Working on it! :)

aquila121 > K-Roll-PorscheTamer
02/15/2014 at 17:24

Whatever gets turned into this .

avusblau > K-Roll-PorscheTamer
02/15/2014 at 17:38

one is missing 325ix...only one 4x4 (all body styles ex.cabrio)

edit M20 engine 2.5 l, 168-170 KM (US/EU)

DasWauto > Brian Silvestro
02/15/2014 at 17:40

I'd go with an earlier 325e or 318i for a swap because the 318is are airbag equipped (the ones sold in North America at least, IIRC) and therefor actually heavier.

Brian Silvestro > DasWauto
02/15/2014 at 17:41

Airbags!? What a waste of weight. Show how much I know about that.

Manuél Ferrari > Brian Silvestro
02/15/2014 at 17:51

My first car was a 318i. No s at the end though.

Brian Silvestro > Manuél Ferrari
02/15/2014 at 17:52

Lucky bastard. I'm sure it was still fun.

Manuél Ferrari > DasWauto
02/15/2014 at 17:52

Based on what I've been reading the 325e is one of the better ones to buy today and live with (even with no engine swap). Not super fast but has torque. And maintaining it is not as bad as some other models.

Manuél Ferrari > Brian Silvestro
02/15/2014 at 17:53

It was VERY slow. Which was perfect. Because I was 16 and never tried to race people at stoplights. I knew the average pickup truck would seriously kick my ass.

It handled like it was on rails. So once I got up to speed I never wanted to slow down. Which led to lots of tickets quickly... Cops would see me racing through the twisties.

Brian Silvestro > Manuél Ferrari
02/15/2014 at 17:54

Well it was so light so that makes perfect sense!

Manuél Ferrari > Brian Silvestro
02/15/2014 at 17:56

And the chassis was magic. It was a light car by today's standards but not the lightest car out there in its day. The suspension wasn't super complex. But everything came together wonderfully.

I read once that BMW themselves still can't figure out why the E30 handled so well. Decades of advancements in technology and they're still trying to figure out how to make one of their new cars handle as well as the E30.

Brian Silvestro > Manuél Ferrari
02/15/2014 at 18:04

It's on the list of cars I want but can't get because my father won't let me because it's not new. They seem like exceptional cars. Also, sexy.

Manuél Ferrari > Brian Silvestro
02/15/2014 at 18:08

well once you've graduated and started your career he won't be able to tell you what to get :D

Damn dat shifter. And decent price for 6MT. And it has a spare wheel/tire. Not all cars have that.

Brian Silvestro > Manuél Ferrari
02/15/2014 at 18:13

Actually, when I graduate my dad said he might buy me a car (lucky as fuck) so I'm going to listen to him... for now. And on the topic of your very detailed mid-engine supercar plan, I say just save up, maybe get rid of the M3 before it depreciates any longer, and either keep the Porsche or trade it in for a V8 Vantage. This way you'll have more to buy that dream Ferrari.

DasWauto > Manuél Ferrari
02/15/2014 at 18:18

They are good for a daily driver. It's no eco-mobile but mileage will be in the upper 20s with the right diff.

Maintenance shouldn't be any different from any other M20 (6-cylinder) powered e30 though. They're pretty simple to begin with; just keep up with the timing belt changes (the interval is relatively short at 60K miles, though 50K is recommended).

Manuél Ferrari > Brian Silvestro
02/15/2014 at 19:04

OMG how much will he spend on your car? Pretty sweet!

For now I'm just going to sell the E46 and wait things out for a bit. But I am mostly driving the Porsche to keep from putting too many miles on the E90. That should help keep the depreciation to a min

Brian Silvestro > Manuél Ferrari
02/15/2014 at 19:06

Good move there, the less miles the better. If you can find an R8 for a reasonable price, GO for that shit.

Manuél Ferrari > DasWauto
02/15/2014 at 19:10

Isn't it pretty awesome how BMW achieves that has milage in the 80s? I like sporty N/A cars so upper 20s is great to me even today.

For some reason I thought the 325e engine was based on a different design. I just looked up the history again and saw it's an M20 as you said. I hadn't read about it in a while.

I wonder if the lower revving nature lets it last more miles before needing a rebuild.

Manuél Ferrari > Brian Silvestro
02/15/2014 at 19:12

I saw TWO different R8s last night!

One by my old house and one by the new one. It was an R8 night!

Brian Silvestro > Manuél Ferrari
02/15/2014 at 19:15

You need to get rid of all your cars and get an R8.

DasWauto > Manuél Ferrari
02/15/2014 at 19:15

You'll need one of the tall ratio diffs for that mileage and you won't see that if you drive much in the city but yeah, it's pretty good for the time.

200,000 miles is possible for any M20, it's a pretty good engine. I don't know if the eta would last any longer because of the lower revs but it can't hurt.

Manuél Ferrari > Brian Silvestro
02/15/2014 at 19:25

but i can't

the poor porsche. it's done nothing wrong!

and the e90 is just so damn usable. i haven't even had it 2 years yet. i'll lose a lot of money whether i sell it now or in a year or two. if i have to sell then the least i can do is have a little more time with it

cars are like girlfriends. even if they're not perfect you miss them when they're gone!

Manuél Ferrari > DasWauto
02/15/2014 at 19:28

200K before a rebuild sounds pretty good for the M20. I bet the reason many didn't make it that long was because the owner didn't replace the belts on schedule. There were probably some people who bought them used and knew nothing about the car.

My old E30 was a 318i. That chain driven motor lasts forever. The engine had about 200K on it when I gave it to my uncle. He drove it well past 250K without needing to rebuild it. I don't know what caused him to get rid of it in the end. I think it was still running but he just sold it because the paint and interior had gotten so tired.

Brian Silvestro > Manuél Ferrari
02/15/2014 at 19:29

You can always get rid of them (after you've had a little more time with them), then get an E28/34/39 M5 or an E36 M3 sedan and an R8. If you got an E28 you'd be my hero. I've fallen in love with them for some reason.

Manuél Ferrari > Brian Silvestro
02/15/2014 at 19:36

The E28 does kick ass! It's light. And classic looking.

So many choices.

The new FP post reminded me about the future McLaren model. It's going to be a bit slower and cheaper than the 12C. Tasty...

Brian Silvestro > Manuél Ferrari
02/15/2014 at 19:37

I love the look of that car. You should get it.

Manuél Ferrari > Brian Silvestro
02/15/2014 at 19:40

but the new car is more expensive than a 12C

we don't know what the cheaper one will look like yet

i hope they change the design language a bit. spice things up and make it a bit different

Brian Silvestro > Manuél Ferrari
02/15/2014 at 19:42

Since this new one has the front from the more expensive P1 and the back from the less expensive 12C, the cheapest one should have the front of the more expensive 12C and a entirely new rear. Follow this McLaren logic?

Manuél Ferrari > Brian Silvestro
02/15/2014 at 19:47

HAHA

Perfect

It should have the front of the 12C and the back of a Jag or something

Brian Silvestro > Manuél Ferrari
02/15/2014 at 19:54

I just want to see it to be honest. It's supposed to compete with the 911, so it'll be pretty affordable and probably better.

Manuél Ferrari > Brian Silvestro
02/15/2014 at 19:55

Me too. Can't wait

I read it will be priced to compete with high spec 911s. It will probably be at least $160K

Brian Silvestro > Manuél Ferrari
02/15/2014 at 19:58

Damn that's going to be fun. Before you know it, Ferrari and Lamborghini will start throwing their hats into the mix.

Manuél Ferrari > Brian Silvestro
02/15/2014 at 20:03

I don't think they can though

A cheaper Lambo would take away R8 sales

And Fiat would rather have an Alfa at that price range than a Ferrari

Which I am ok with. Bring us a 6C!!!

Brian Silvestro > Manuél Ferrari
02/15/2014 at 20:05

I forgot Lamborghini was Audi and Alfa was Ferrari! They seem to want to keep Alfa a more focused company (on the 4C exclusively) so maybe it'll be a Maserati. They do keep releasing new models after all.

Manuél Ferrari > Brian Silvestro
02/15/2014 at 20:06

But a bigger 4C would be awesome!!

Bridge the gap between the 4C and 8C

The 4C is too small for most people

Brian Silvestro > Manuél Ferrari
02/15/2014 at 20:07

But they know people are asking for it, and big companies hate people, so NO RUSTO, you can't have the only thing you want.

Manuél Ferrari > Brian Silvestro
02/15/2014 at 20:08

They hate us both!

Imagine if they made it with the head lights from the 8C and a stick

We'd both sell our souls for one

Brian Silvestro > Manuél Ferrari
02/15/2014 at 20:09

Yeah they can take some organs while they're at it. Dream car.

DasWauto > Manuél Ferrari
02/15/2014 at 21:07

Yup, a short belt service interval and an interference engine are not great for people who don't [know how to] take care of them properly.

Impressive. The M10 is a durable old engine. I hope mine makes it that far. It's at 140K miles or so right now.

Manuél Ferrari > DasWauto
02/15/2014 at 21:32

I'm sure yours will last a long time.

The M10 is a legendary engine. I can't believe the block was used as the basis for the turbo charged F1 engine. And the M10 was designed in the late 50s. Pretty awesome!

Manuél Ferrari > Brian Silvestro
02/15/2014 at 22:40

what do you think of matte blue?

http://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-sale/…

I like it. And it's a good price for a second gen Gallardo.

If it had the 6MT I would seriously be thinking of listing a kidney for sale right now

Brian Silvestro > Manuél Ferrari
02/15/2014 at 22:42

I saw this one yesterday! It's so damn sexy. Like ohmygawd sexy. If it had the 6MT I'd fly to Cali and force you to buy it.

Manuél Ferrari > Brian Silvestro
02/15/2014 at 22:52

Glad you like the color too. I know not all cars look good in matte colors. But doesn't matte just feel right for a Gallardo? Matte paint is very jet-fighter like. And no car looks more like a jet fighter than the second gen Gallardo. I think it looks more like a jet fighter than the hurricane does (I hate spelling the real name)

Haha if it was the 6MT you probably would fly out here to force me to buy it. You'd talk me into trading in both bimmers for it.

The funny thing is that if I could pull off a car in this price range right now but only if I traded in BOTH bimmers then this exact car would actually make the most sense. Reason is that while the gated shifter is cooler the loss of the bimmers would leave me with no car to deal with LA traffic in. Having E Gear would be useful in that situation...

gmctavish needs more space > K-Roll-PorscheTamer
02/15/2014 at 22:54

I have an '86 325, but I went with the 318is. My friend has one, and it's an utter joy to drive, most fun I've ever had in a car was the first time I drove that car. I'm trying to get her heaviness, the eta, to feel more like that car...

Brian Silvestro > Manuél Ferrari
02/15/2014 at 22:54

STOP trying to give me more reasons to convince you to buy it.... and I agree on the jet-fighter look 100%, it fits perfectly. The thing is, you can always buy a 6MT one and wrap it in a matte wrap.

Manuél Ferrari > Brian Silvestro
02/15/2014 at 23:01

haha we both have a disease. we're both on here all day. and we both think about cars we can't buy all day. and we both talk each other into future cars that we can maybe buy but probably shouldn't.

matte colored jet fighter car. mmm it's just so damn tasty. it could also be matte black or gray. this blue may be my favorite though.

i don't like the idea of having a wrap. i know they look ok. but the idea of it seems wrong. it just seems cheap.

here is a pre-refresh 6MT spider with a matte black wrap. it has the revised front end installed but nothing done to the rear. dunno what color it is under the wrap. i guess regular black? it's a nice car but only about $25K less than the matte blue 2nd gen car. for that price delta i'd rather get the refreshed car with the real paint and e-gear.

http://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-sale/…

Brian Silvestro > Manuél Ferrari
02/15/2014 at 23:06

Yeah it looks pretty nice, but you're right, a first-gen just looks so cheap and outdated compared to the new one. I'd regret buying that car so much if I saw a refreshed model. And yes, our disease is a problem. We produce like 100 comments a night just talking back and forth to each other.

You know what, screw it! Sell the Bimmers, buy the damn car! It's sex on wheels!

Manuél Ferrari > Brian Silvestro
02/15/2014 at 23:17

i can't believe this! you are endorsing an E Gear car!

don't worry i won't tell anybody. i don't want you to lose your jalop card. if i bought it i wouldn't create an oppo post saying "brian said it was OK to get this car even though it had flappy paddles". unless of course you were cool with that and not worried about getting your jalop card revoked ;D

i know we produce a lot of comments per day. gawker isn't making any money off us. we use up their storage space and bandwidth and never click on any ads.

Brian Silvestro > Manuél Ferrari
02/15/2014 at 23:21

I also have adblocker so I don't even see the ads. Also I'm looking at the prices, and for $8k you can have the white w/white and gold stripe Balboni Gallardo. 10/10 would buy that instead.

Manuél Ferrari > Brian Silvestro
02/15/2014 at 23:26

i don't have adblocker but don't even notice them. my mind skips right over them, haha

i would take the balboni if it didn't have the stripe. i just don't like that stripe. i like the plain black one on the spyder that i sent you the other day

and matte blue is still my (current) personal fav. then followed by the metallic dark blue, then a tie between white and gunmetal gray

Brian Silvestro > Manuél Ferrari
02/15/2014 at 23:29

You can probably remove the stripe! Problem solved! That matte blue is still my favorite, followed by white than gunmetal gray.

On the subject of women, that sucks. You should go for 21 year old women who don't know any better and love Lamborghinis!

Being in college is awesome. Ass for dayz yo.

Manuél Ferrari > Brian Silvestro
02/16/2014 at 03:00

Never thought of removing the stripe. Isn't it painted on?

Ok I'll find a 21 year old who loves cars. I'll need to find one that is into Porsches with a busted tail light and scratched bumper for now. Something bad happened tonight :(

Brian Silvestro > Manuél Ferrari
02/16/2014 at 11:42

OMG WHATwhat!?!?!??!?

Manuél Ferrari > Brian Silvestro
02/16/2014 at 16:13

i'll create a post to showcase my idiocy

Brian Silvestro > Manuél Ferrari
02/16/2014 at 16:14

I'm already sad/excited. But mostly sad.

Manuél Ferrari > Brian Silvestro
02/16/2014 at 16:25

post published

it could have been worse...

JJJenningsIII > K-Roll-PorscheTamer
02/19/2014 at 08:56

Obviously the majority of people are going to choose the Evo, as it has the most horsepower. Maybe a more relevant questions would be which would you want to DD and park outside.

You would have to be a mad man, or a millionaire, to expose an Evo 3 to the elements and rack up thousands of miles on.