A Love Letter To The E30

One of my favourite jazzmen

    Jazz is everywhere. You could find it in a store, a cocktail party or even an elevator. Like an all-you-can-fit sock, it's suitable for everybody's lifestyle. It could play a direct or indirect role in our lives. However, the majority of people don't seem to notice the hidden beauty of jazz. Correct me if I'm wrong, but it seems as if this extraordinary music genre is more often perceived as background music rather than the ensemble of virtuosity that it represents.  Jazz requires just little bit of your time, where all you do is listen to the melody and try to break it down into small, easily digestible pieces. Being stuck on first impressions and prejudices prevents you from discovering its uniqueness , hidden from plain sight... just like the E30.

    

 

Simple and direct

The second generation of BMW's infamous 3 series, codenamed E30, was nothing short of a landmark for the company. For a start, the car came in 5 different body styles (Coupe, Touring (station-wagon), Sedan, Cabriolet and Baur (cabriolet/targa)) whereas all the other series had been getting 2 at most . The wagon (Touring) body was a company first; up until then, sedans, coupes and cabrios had been the only choices. Also, in 1985, the first iteration of x-drive made its appearance in the 325ix. Even if the rear-biased all-wheel-drive system is complex and rudimentary by today's standards, in the mid-80's, it was a novel system no less. Torque vectoring was what differentiated the 325ix from it's few competitors, as it was capable of sending from 10% to 100% of the power available to just one axle. If it was slipping, that is. With the abundant  use of aluminium in various places of the mechanism, the ix weighed in only 80 kg more than the rear-wheel drive version, quite impressive for such a heavy duty design. To top it off, the 325ix received fender flares, extra ground clearance and even more street-cred! Without further ado, lets find out what makes this 80's luxury sedan so special.

Versatility

A 325ix in its natural habitat

As I mentioned previously, the E30 can be adapted to anyone's lifestyle. The engine displacement varies from a 1,6L four pot to a 3,2L six-pot (exclusive to the South African market), some single cam and others twin cam. Unfortunately, you only had one choice if you wanted a diesel, the 324td; and x-drive could only be mated to the 2,5L M20 motor, which shouldn't be considered as an inconvenience. The M20 is an exceptional power plant, combining bulletproof reliability with decent power and torque. It shows to BM haters that the company didn't always build ticking time tombs as engines. But wait, there's more. The 5 body styles were enough to please anyone's tastes. Tourings were perfect as family cars, emergency and delivery vehicles. Coupes and Baurs were more appealing to the dudes, whereas Cabrios were mostly for the gals (because of them lacking the structural rigidity of a hard top, they were better suited for cruising; not performance driving). Of course, we shouldn't forget the M3, one of the winningest race cars of all time and the Holy Grail of M cars. If you wanted to build race car of any sort, this was the car for you. Though, because of this cult-like following, the M3 has ended up becoming another overhyped automobile, such as 440 Dodges and every air-cooled Porsche ever!

Reliability

M20B25 in its' full glory

Yes, I know it's as hard to believe as Bigfoot's existence but, in the not so distant past, BMW built reliable cars. In fact, most of 80's bimmers were so reliable that, today, buying a low mileage 325i, for example, is as pointless as buying a low mileage Supra!  The E30's maintenance mostly consists of the basics, such as spark plugs, fluid top-ups, fuel/air filter changes and the like. That is without taking into account the occasional repairs like belt and bearing replacements, the 24,000km valve adjustment for the M20 engines, etc.  The only two things that weren't thought out as well as the mechanical components were the car's electrics and it's body being notorious to rust. Top tip: if someone is selling a rust-free E30, it was either garaged all its life or the person is lying; finding one is like searching for truffles with no pig.

Driving Experience

Right off the bat, I'd like make a confession: I haven't ever driven an E30, the reason being my lack of driver's licence. It's matter of fact, I've only ever driven one car in my life, and that was Peugeot 2008. I am aware that it's exactly the opposite what someone would call an interesting car by any standards. But it was A car nonetheless. To understand E30's driving experience, I had to ask my buddy Vadim, who has owned a carbed 316, and currently drives a 325i and a 320is.

Alpina E30 = Excellent investment

To begin with, the engine is linear, flexible and durable. If you were to look at the dyno sheet of ANY E30, you'd see a slightly curved, consistent line. Even in the twin-cam models, such as the M3 or the 318is, it would be impossible to notice the car "climbing onto the cam", as they say. Just to give you another perspective, the way all E30s deliver their power is directly opposed to VTEC equipped Hondas, the latter being pretty gutless before 5k RPM, taking off after said mark. The silky smooth powerband, being a bimmer character trait, permits precise and predictable power inputs, which explains why they're so popular in rallying, track driving, drifting, etc. Oh, and you can rev out any engine, even the 1.6, and the car won't see it as a punishment. To the contrary, it'll ask for more!

As for the handling, Vadim described the E30 being as connected as an octopus because you discern the engineering dumped into its' design with the goal it being a solid automobile, not all wobbly like a Golf or a Mercedes of the time. It really feels as if the ensemble of the car's components are perfectly balanced, resulting to a harmonious driving experience. Two factors render this possible: an (almost) perfect weight distribution (52/48) and a curb weight in the region of 1,200/1,300 kg. A well known guy in the auto industry once said "Adding power makes you faster in the straights. Subtracting weight makes you faster everywhere". The man in question was called Colin Chapman.


Do you wanna know what's the icing on the cake? The sound! Like all animals, humans are attracted to certain sounds or melodies like a hummingbird's singing, Morgan Freeman's voice, a woman's melodic orgasm and, even better... a 325i at full chat! Yeah, yeah, there's was also the M3 but, in my opinion, it'll never sound as good as a 325i 'cause it's a four cylinder. The M20B25 engine, with a performance exhaust, intake and headers produces raspy, metallic, sometimes drony melody similar to that of race car. It sounds that raw! Still not convinced? Check out this video and try not to jizz all over your PC/ smartphone/ tablet/ S-Class/ whatever device that uses the internet:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h__XapY63Fw&t=9s


The Fizz

One thing is for sure: when a car makes you fizz, it's the one for you. The E30, in any guise, will make you fizz. You know what I mean! Like the time you heard this super duper awesome song and you felt a pleasurable stinging, driving around in an E30, a car filled with character, retroness and pizazz, will make you feel the same way. When I see Vadim going down the straight towards my house in his 325i, I start to snicker like a little girl! The distinctive purr of a BMW 6 cylinder penetrates my skin, producing this so-called fizz.  It doesn't end there though. It doesn't matter if you're driving or being driven, this 80's premium sedan offers a beautiful ambience. The airiness of the cabin, the surefooted chassis, the sound of the engine and the linearity of the power delivery are combined all together to create a mesmerizing experience. And that's why the E30 is such a special automobile.