E30. 1990 vs 2015. Hot lap.

[sugarwood]

Entire video is a fun watch, but at 11:00, they do a lap.

[Nickshu]

Cool, makes me want one. Back in the day a friend had a dark blue 325iX when the X had just come out. We used to take it out on a newly built 4 lane road at night (in an area where the road was built but the population growth was yet to follow) and do 0 to run out of road runs. Good times.

[sugarwood]

“It debuted with zero new tech, none of the gadgets or gimmicks that today’s BMW’s pride themselves on.
The 325i wasn’t even trying to be a luxury car. It was only expensive because it was so well built.”

I loved this line.
I think this is what "heated DVD cupholder” car buyers don’t understand when they see a classic Porsche, BMW, Audi, etc.
"Sucker could have gotten an Escalade for that kind of money!!"

[lgb240]

I imported mine 10 years ago (when they went for next to nothing) and absolutely love it.

[djantlive]

Classic lines. Unfortunately, very slow. Yet, it's fun to drive

[onewhippedpuppy]

One of the last real BMWs, and one of the last I would consider owning. E28 M5, E34 M5, E30 M3, or an E30 Touring. Anything newer, no thanks. That's when the accountants started doing the engineering.

[Nickshu]

“It debuted with zero new tech, none of the gadgets or gimmicks that today’s BMW’s pride themselves on.
The 325i wasn’t even trying to be a luxury car. It was only expensive because it was so well built.”

This is spot on. Reminds me of when non-car people see my Lotus up close. They just can't make any sense of it. Not that the Lotus is super well built (actually very delicate) but rather that it has absolutely no comforts. No sound insulation, aluminum floors, roll windows, no A/C.

We have lost sight of what a "sports car" is vs what a "luxury car" is.

[sugarwood]

Originally Posted by onewhippedpuppy

One of the last real BMWs, and one of the last I would consider owning. E28 M5, E34 M5, E30 M3, or an E30 Touring. Anything newer, no thanks. That's when the accountants started doing the engineering.

I think BMW 1-series fits the bill.

[slow&rusty]

The E30 Touring is an amazing car, this would certainly be the perfect balance between modern enough to drive daily yet practical. I think with 250hp underfoot would be all it needs, maybe there is an aftermarket turbo kit with 5-7psi to get it there, without sacrificing reliability.

[onewhippedpuppy]

Originally Posted by sugarwood

I think BMW 1-series fits the bill.

Nope, the build quality SUCKS. Modern BMWs use pathetically low standard materials and assembly quality just good enough to get past the warranty period. Fine if you can own one under warranty I suppose, as many are great driving cars.