The ‘E36’ BMW M3 has always been overlooked by enthusiasts of the go-faster 3 Series. Lacking the homologation credibility of the earlier E30, and with its successor, the E46, regularly topping the charts as the connoisseur’s M3 of choice, the 1992-1999 E36 remains in something of a no-man’s land.
Frankly, I struggle to see why. The E36 has always appealed to me as a handsome, well proportioned design, and the added performance garnish of the M3 remains tastefully executed, a world apart from the ‘chintzy aggression’ of the latest variant.
At the heart of any M car is the engine, and the E36 M3 hardly disappointed in this area. The first six-cylinder M3, the 3.0-litre ‘S50B50’ motor produced 282bhp at 7,000rpm. Helping achieve that level of power was a cocktail of nerdy enhancements over the regular M50 engine, including individual throttle bodies, VANOS variable camshaft timing, a 10.8:1 compression ratio and a freer-flowing exhaust.
More was to come. In 1995, the Evolution version was launched, its bigger ‘S50B32’ 3.2-litre inline ‘six’ touting an altogether more delicious 320bhp, plus VANOS on both the intake and exhaust cams. Zero to sixty miles per hour was completed in a mere 5.5 seconds, a figure which remains impressive to this day.
So the E36 had the power, and the sophisticated Z-axle multi-link rear suspension, complete with retuned springs and dampers, fostered a dynamic composure and character of the type that would go on to define successive M3s. Power-on oversteer was there for the taking, and the handling balance was spot-on. Contemporary reports highlighted a lack of feel and connection through the steering, though.
I really think the E36’s controversy is the result of a misunderstanding of what the model represents. Sure, it wasn’t a hyper-focused, stripped-out, motorsport-inspired machine along the lines of the E30, but its greater luxury, power and overall solidity paved the way for the M3’s future identity. Buyers of high-performance cars in the 1990s wanted more from their motor than simply dynamic majesty - a raw, single-minded approach would not have enjoyed the same degree of sales success.
As I said at the beginning, the E36 remains, to an extent, stuck in a no-man’s land. Perhaps it is the later E46’s greater all-round polish, its honing of the previous car’s mechanicals, coupled to its admittedly more aggressive visual demeanour, which see it viewed more favourably among enthusiasts. Yet the balance of sports car-baiting performance and everyday 3 Series usability, which has come to define all modern M3s, very much began with the E36.
It set the template going forward, and I think its time in the spotlight has arrived. It’s certainly a thing that makes me go ‘Mmmm’.
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