Why choose the E36? Well, the 3-series has always been the sharpest car to drive in its class. The E36, sitting on a wheelbase of 2,700mm, incorporates front lower control arms each with two ball joints, which contribute to a great steering response and feel. Thanks to the rear wheel drive and multi-link rear suspension set-up the car negotiates corners in a driver-orientated manner.

BMW cars have always been recognisable and this one is no different. Unmistakable features, such as the double headlights, kidney grilles and short front overhang are all present. The rather conservative lines of this 3rd generation 3-series perhaps do not follow the trend of modern curvy cars, but they do appeal to quite a big audience indeed.

Although it has to be said, that E46 has a prettier body and it's interior feels substantially more modern, if one is after a driver's car, a six cyl. E36 is strongly recommended over a similarly priced four cyl. E46.

The E36 employed the Z-axle multi-link rear suspension system (developed from the E31 8-series and proven in the Z1) that incorporated long links optimally arranged to maintain correct geometry to keep tyres in stable contact with the road. Once you own the 3-series you will quickly realise, that even though the car may look a bit dated now, once its suspension is sorted out and up to scratch, the E36 really is an enjoyable machine to operate. Mind you, pretty much the same suspension layout was carried out through the entire E46 3-series family, that's right up to year 2005. Surely this proves something.

The benefit list of the front-engine, rear-drive layout includes the fact, that the drivers position is not compromised by off-setting the clutch, brake and accelerator position, as in FWD cars with engine mounted crosswise. This allows for greater seat position adjustment enabling both tall and short drivers to find their optimum position behind the wheel. Choose the sport package seats (most commonly found in M3 saloon and cabrio, 328is, 318is and some compacts ) and you will find yourself in a very comfortable motorway cruiser.

Plenty of drivers around the globe have chosen the BMW E36 to be a base for their track day car projects which in itself proves the cars potential. The car can be set-up to be anywhere between a hardcore, rock-hard racer and a soft and smooth, yet rewarding to drive long distance companion. All thanks to the vast amount of different aftermarket suspension options available today.
        Of course there are better cars for the track that money can buy. However, if you are planning on using your car for everyday motoring pleasure, as well as occasionally taking it to a track for some high speed cornering fun, there is not a lot of competition within the same price bracket.

Before I decided to buy my E36, I considered other makes as I was a bit concerned with the cost and availability of upgrades for the Bavarian manufactured car. In my quest to find a reasonable alternative I came across a few rather strong issues playing against, what felt to me at the time was the main competitor for the E36, the Alfa Romeo 156 2.5 V6.
        The 156 thanks to its double wishbone suspension set-up and quick steering rack, is also a driver-orientated car. Unfortunately, what I discovered pushed me away from the Alfa Romeo experience for good. Neither the gorgeous looks, nor the sound of the 2.5 V6 Alfa motor, nor even the performance figures (close to 328i) were enough to convince me to drop the idea of the E36 coupe.
        The 156 doesn't seem to suffer from small problems like all other cars do. Instead, it develops all sorts of major ones. It is amazing how many posts you can find out there on various forums, where 156 owners describe their journey through motoring hell in the means of 3 cluch packs in 80k miles, 2 gearboxes in 100k miles, major cylinder head problems etc. On top of that, there have been many instances where conrods have popped out through the engine block in vehicles driven enthusiastically. This is not my idea of motoring pleasure...

If you are after a good handling car ownership experience, that is not accompanied by a substantial hole in your wallet, the E36 is definitely worth considering

You don't necessarily have to go for one of the M3 species in quest of everyday motoring pleasure. There is the 328i (or 328is) if you are concerned with the insurance and running costs of the BMW Motorsport department creation. In fact, plenty of drivers who are not concerned with power figures prefer to opt with the four cyl. 318is, that come equipped with most of the interior and exterior M-Tech extras, namely M3 saloon seats, M-tech exterior pack and sport suspension.

• The 3 series E36 was introduced at the end of 1990. The first available models were the 316i, 318i, 320i and 325i.
• The 316i was not available in the USA. The six cylinder models all had a new 24-valve engine, taken from the E34 5 Series.
• In 1991, the 325td (Turbo Diesel) was released in Europe and other countries.
• In 1992, the E36 Coupe was introduced. There were 3 models available; the 318is, 320i and 325i. The 318is featured a 16-valve, four-cylinder engine.
• In 1993, the E36 Convertible was finally released. The M40 four-cylinder was replaced with a new, M43 four-cylinder engine. The 316i Coupe and the 325tds Sedan were also released.
• In 1994, three E36 Compacts were introduced; the models 316i, 318ti, and the 318tds, with a four-cylinder diesel engine. The 316i and 318tds models were not available in the USA.
• In 1995, the Touring or Sport Wagon model was introduced. The Touring was available as the 318i, 320i, 328i, 318tds and 325tds models. Only the 320i and 328i models were imported to the USA.
• In 1996, a 318is Sedan was introduced, and finally, in 1997, a 316i Touring and a 323ti Compact were released. The E36 Convertible, the last of the model run, was discontinued in 1999.

The E36 M3 came in two main versions (excluding special editions like GT, LTW or GT2). Before the summer of 1995 the M3 was available with the 3.0L (S50B30) in-line six engine, developing 286bhp, mated with a 5 speed gear box . The Motorsport department improved the E36 in numerous areas. The M3, apart from the 0.5L displacement increase, received a continuously variable VANOS valve timing system for intake cam, completely revised intake manifold with individual throttle bodies, long-branch exhaust headers, limited slip differential as standard, various suspension improvements, brake system up-grade and more.

In 1995 the M3 was updated to a bigger 3.2L (S50B32) engine with double VANOS system (continuously variable on both intake and exhaust cams) producing 321bhp. It also received a six speed gearbox (5 speed SMG as an option), shorter ratio bigger case LSD, stiffer suspension with a castor increase, staggered wheel set-up and other refinements.

The North American market received slightly 'toned down' versions of M3's. The main difference seen under the bonnet was the lack of the individual throttle bodies, instead a standard intake manifold was favoured. The exhaust manifolds were also standard. The 3 litre (S50B30US) was a tuned up version of the M50B25 (325i) engine and developed 240BHP.

The updated US M3, like its Euro counterpart the M3 EVO, featured a displacement increase to 3.2L. Unlike the Euro version, it was based on the M52, not the M50 engine, using the M52B28 (328i) as a base. It even had the same restrictive intake manifold. The S52B32 developed 240BHP, the same power as the 3.0L US M3, but offered improved torque figures, 320Nm @ 3800rpm up from 305Nm @ 4250rpm.

There are plenty of aftermarket solutions for M3 owners, although they might be a bit pricy. For non-M E36 owners there are plenty (and I mean plenty) of parts that can be swapped over from bigger enginned E36's including the two M3's. I am sure that upon doing quick research, you will be surprised how many used parts are available via various sources. Also, due to the amount of cars on the road, spare parts come at reasonable prices.
        Now, I don't mean go on e-bay to get the front M-tech replica bumper and £30 worth of other gadgetry in quest of calling your 316i an M3 lookalike. Let's be honest, you can get close, but unless it is an M3, it wont drive like one. And if it does, boy you've just spent too much, you might have opted with the M-Power in the first place. You can get very close in making your E36 look like an M3 though. This is a desirable idea as the E36 M3 looks simply stunning. Discreet and nothing too flashy. It does not shout 'challenge me' like the bulgy E46 M3, yet it is powerful enough to embarrass most of Japanese boy racers.
        If you decide to explore what the World Wide Web has to offer in terms of E36 mods, you will find people, that wanted just a bit more than BMW could offer by the means of the E36 range and went on to create some unique rides like 328i compact or M3 compact. There is a nice touring with complete exterior sport pack, an M3 engine, M3 suspension and M3 brakes. Now this is what you call an M3 lookalike.

A common place to start upgrading your E36 is the suspension, as more than likely, the shock absorbers and most of the bushes will be shot by now, simply due to the age of the car. There are quite a few options available in this department. Installation of poly-bushes is an upgrade I am sure everyone is familiar with. They are available from PowerFlex, SuperFlex and reasonably priced Flo-Flex, and offer a great improvement over the OEM parts.

You won't have any problems finding either an up-rated shock and spring set or a coilover kit that suits your needs. The latter will obviously give you more control over the amount of drop, but unless you go for a pricey option there is not much of an adjustment on them, apart from the ride height. More expensive coilover kits come with front camber plates, damper bound and/or re-bound adjustment which might be very useful for fine-tuning the car.
        You can opt with a slightly cheaper alternative and go for a set of Bilstein or Koni shockers that come with a set of matched springs. There are adjustable damper options available but in both of these kits the amount of drop is usually fixed.

However, if you decide to source shocks and then look for springs separately, you will be stunned how much choice there is. Be aware though, as random shocks mated with random springs might bring undesirable effects. The most commonly used springs, due to their build quality, come from Eibach or H&R.

As far as spring sourcing goes, the main debate seems to be about the difference between the Eibach's Pro-Kit and the H&R's Sport Kit. The simple fact of the matter is, that there isn't much difference between the two. The Pro-Kit is a little bit smoother around town, due to a slightly softer setting, but when the car is being driven enthusiastically, neither is better than the other, as proved in this article. Alternatively, you could opt with the stiffer Eibach's Sportline or H&R's Race kit, although the amount of drop might cause some rubbing issues with certain wheel sizes.

The next thing to help you climb up the ladder of improving your car's handling is the installation of anti roll bars. This is often an overlooked subject, but if you really want to feel what the E36 offers you in terms of road holding, forget 19 inch rims and get yourself set of adjustable anti-roll bars. You will not be disappointed.

The strut brace is also a useful option, but unless you are installing the bar purely for the looks, stick to a single piece (hinge-less) strut bar.

Apart from the above, the aftermarket suspension options stretch to single or double adjustable dampers, adjustable front camber plates, adjustable spacers for rear springs, adjustable rear camber arms, uprated rear top shock mounts and many, many more.

Once you've got aftermarket upgrades department investigated it's time to have a look what BMW AG offers you in the means of other interchangeable parts.

There is a common misconception about installing a factory (often second hand) M3 suspension onto a non-M E36. Although the complete kits are interchangeable, there isn't much point. Firstly, the factory M3 suspension will probably have had enough miles done to render it useless for spirited driving. Secondly, the standard M3 set-up, even though pretty good, still has room for improvement.
        The best option here is to stick to one of the aftermarket upgrades discussed earlier. You can go for aftermarket M3 front springs/dampers when uprating your non-M suspension, however they need to be installed together, as non-M shocks will not accept the M3 springs and vice versa. M3 springs are wound slightly smaller in diameter up the top due to different top strut mount positioning. On the M3 evo you can gain some negative camber by swapping over your top shock mounts (left to right and right to left).

The M3 front anti roll bar differs from the non-M version. It attaches to the shock absorbers (using fairly long drop links) whereas the standard non-M bar connects to the lower control arms. If the M3 spring/shock combo is used in non-M car, either the M3 or non-M aftermarket anti roll bar can be used. Stiffness is the preference here. Use of M3 front control arms forces the use of M3 front bar though.

Please stay tuned as the second part of the article will be published in a couple of weeks. Sign up to our mailing list to be notified about its release.

• Steering
• Brakes
• Drivetrain
• Powerplant
• Exhaust system

and also

• Common problems
• Before you buy