Used BMW M3 review: 1994-2000

In any era there are cars that, for one reason or another, stand out from the crowd. In the 1950s, for instance, the big finned ’59 Cadillac stood out for its extreme looks, the E-Type Jaguar became the iconic car of the ’60s for its timeless elegance and high performance, and the 1970s belonged to the awesome Bathurst winning Falcon GT HO.

They’re all life changing cars. A moment or two at the wheel and your life is changed forever, suddenly no other car is good enough.

It’s like that with the BMW M3. It may look like any other BMW 3-Series, but once you’ve experienced the turbine smooth power of the M3’s highly tuned six-cylinder engine and its superbly balanced chassis you quickly realise you’ve driven something very special.

In time the M3 will come to be regarded as one of the greatest sports sedans ever built, if it isn’t already by those in the know.

The M3 story began in 1987 when BMW launched the very first in the line. The E30 M3 was a barely disguised racer created to contest the one-off World Touring Car Championship for Group A cars.

Group A was a class based on production cars, and the rules demanded carmakers build a minimum number of cars before they could be raced. It spawned great road cars like the Ford Sierra Cosworth, the various Holden SS Group A models, and the M3.

The world series folded after just one year, and Group A was scrapped in the early 1990s, replaced here by the current Supercar V8 cars.

Thankfully BMW continued to build the M3, developing it from the original bare bones racer into a sophisticated all round sports sedan, one of the greatest to ever hit our roads.

Model watch

The E30 M3 was never sold here by BMW, it was built in left-hand drive form and sold only in its European home market.

Thankfully when the M3 became a regular model in the 3-Series line-up with the E36 model it found its way to Australia in 1994.

The M3 was based on the E36 3-Series two-door coupe, and for all the world looks like any other 3-Series coupe. If you want to identify it from the outside you need to look for the details.

Things like the smallish M3 badge on the boot lid, the distinctive alloy wheels, the twin exhaust outlets, and if you’ve got a keen eye the body kit. The problem is that many of these also found their way on to more modest Beemers so the boot lid badge is the surest way of picking the real thing from the wannabees.

At the heart of the M3 is a mighty straight six-cylinder engine. Three litres in capacity, with dual overhead camshafts, four valves per cylinder, fuel injection and a new variable camshaft timing system BMW dubbed VANOS, the B30 six was super smooth, pulled hard from low down in the rev range right to the top which was in excess of 7000 revs.

With the right foot buried deep in the carpet, and the rev counter nudging 7000 revs, the B30 six would produce a massive 210 kW, but it wasn’t just the staggering power it produced because it also produced an equally staggering 320 Nm of torque at 3600 revs.

When unleashed it would propel the 1460 kg coupe to 100 km/h in 6.4 seconds, and account for the standing 400-metre sprint in 14.5 seconds. Top speed is limited to 250 km/h, but you don’t need to be travelling that fast to appreciate the M3.

The VANOS system varied the camshaft timing to extract the most torque from the engine at low speed and the maximum power at the top end of the rev range. The result was smooth performance right through the rev range.

Helping the brilliant on-road experience was the slick five-speed manual gearbox, which was a delight to use.

If the engine provided the power it was the chassis that allowed it to be unleashed. With independent suspension at both ends, and sports tuning, it was brilliantly balanced.

Huge 235/40ZR17 tyres, on 17-inch alloys, generated enormous grip to keep the M3 glued to the black top, but the great thing was the M3 could be driven on the throttle.

Huge disc brakes ensured it also stopped with assurance, and ABS was standard for extra safe stopping power.

Inside it had beaut sports seats in cloth trim, there was central locking, a driver’s airbag, power windows, air-conditioning, and a trip computer among a long list of standard features.

In 1996 a major update saw the engine enlarged to 3.2 litres, power jumped to 236 kW and torque was boosted to 350 Nm. At the same time BMW added a six-speed manual gearbox – a six-speed sequential manual gearbox was also added in 1997 – along with dual airbags and cruise control.

In the shop

The performance of the M3 almost guarantees that it will be driven hard, on the road and sometimes on the track. Many have been used in events like the Grand Prix Rally in which they’re always competitive.

That should make anyone thinking of buying one wary, but the good news is that they stand up well to the occasional track outing.

Chris Lake says most M3s he sees through his Auto Deutsche workshop have copped a hard time, but have coped well.

He says clutches cop the most abuse and they tend to fail earlier as a result. The M3 has a dual mass flywheel, which can be expensive to repair if it gets overheated in the heat of the moment.

Other items that tend to need replacement more often are the front lower control arm castor bushes and the trailing arm bushes in the rear end.

According to Lake, oxygen sensors in the exhaust tend to have a fairly short life compared to sedans.

If regularly driven hard on the track the M3’s brake discs can warp and crack, which mean expensive replacements are needed.

M3s are generally well looked after by caring owners. Those that haven’t seen the track are the ones to look for, but even those that have been used for competition shouldn’t be dismissed.

Seek out specialist help once you’ve selected a car, get it checked by an expert who can tell when things aren’t right.

In a crash

With a responsive chassis, powerful brakes with ABS, and sports tyres it has a great primary safety package.

The first E36 M3 had a driver’s airbag only, but a passenger’s airbag was added in 1996.

The E36 3-Series rated above average in the recent used car safety survey.

Owners say

Dean Sheffield’s life changed when a neighbour offered him a ride in his new M3 in 1994. It took another six years, but he now owns one and says it is a brilliantly balanced car that can be appreciated on the road as a family car or the track as a fun machine. After owning it for four years, it still looks and drives like it has just been run in.

Look for

• silky smooth six cylinder engine

• sizzling performance

• great ride and handling

• good looking two-door coupe

• great road/race car for amateur club sport

The bottom line

One of the most exhilarating cars you’ll ever get to drive.