1998 Bmw M3 Base Convertible 2-door 3.2l on 2040-cars

The E36 M3 was launched in 1992 at the prestigious Paris Auto Show. It succeeded the highly acclaimed road racecar, the E30 M3. The E36 coupe was fitted with 3.0 liter straight-six engine called: S50B30 with 286bhp. In 1996, the E36 M3 ‘s engine received a slight change in displacement to 3.2 liter, producing 321 hp, code: S50B32. It also had the larger brakes found in the M5 and a six-speed gearbox. The following year, BMW’s Sequential Manual Gearbox (SMG-1) became one of the optional features of the E36 M3. The upgraded models became known as Euro models since they were significantly different from the ones sold in North America. Then the 3.2 Euro models became more commonly known as M3 Evo.

For the US market BMW started to offer the e36 m3 with a less exotic naturally less expensive cylinder head, the company decided to part with the individual throttle body, and some other features of the European sibling, this change resulted in a significant drop in power to 240hp, however the US version e36 m3 was still a close match from a standstill thanks to it's more flexible torque curve @225ft-lb, and different gearing, the engine was designated as S50B30US.

In 1996 the US version of the e36 M3 received the same changes as the European model, with a slight change in displacement to 3.2l the new engine was designated S50B32US,/Evolution/. Power output stayed the same as the engine electronics were changed to OBD 2. The 1997-98 model year introduced the first ever sedan version of the M3 and the convertible entered the market in the same year. The sedan quickly became popular if not just for being the ultimate family sedan and fastest saloon at the time, given the fact that BMW stopped production on it's e34 M5 versions in 1995, but for having an excellent balance that was better than its coupe version as well. The performance of the sedan version was exactly the same as the coupe M3 being only about 30lbs heavier. Limited slip differential was standard on all BMW M3s.

For the happiness of the American BMW M3 enthusiasts BMW released A CSL version of the car called lightweight by many. The CSL (coupe sports lightweight) was around 200 lbs lighter and had almost all of its features removed including air conditioning, sunroof, sound deadening, leather seat and radio. However, the CSL had other features not seen in the M3, such as the extendable front splitter, lower x-brace, strut tower base and dual pick up oil pump. The e36 m3 CSL 2950 pounds "light" with an 1/4 mile time of 13.9sec @ 100mph. The acceleration of the car was not only the result of the reduced weight but its also sported a rear end with 3.23:1 instead of the normally supplied 3.15:1. It is also believed that the company pulled the best performing engines off the production line with a so called" higher end of design tolerance"

The E36 M3 today becoming an excellent value for the money, relatively easy to get more power from the engines and make them a good candidate for tracking, however as with most BMWs one should consider buying a car with good service history and care to avoid expensive repairs down the road. One of the weaknesses of the E36 is the plastic impeller water pump that should be replaced by newer versions with metallic impeller with aluminum housing. Noisy double vanos system could be expensive to repair. The 1995 OBD 1 models are more sought after and tend to hold their value better thanks to their more tuner friendly engine management.

Double VANOS: infinitely variable camshaft timing system unlike the previous version, this new double vanos system worked both on the intake and exhaust valves

The E36 M3 is truly an impressive machine with a very forgiving character, perfectly balanced with plenty of power on tap and even today it offers great performance that still cannot be matched by most manufacturers. The US version has the best fuel economy between all Motorsport cars.