Used BMW E36 M3 review

So performance is what you are after but your wallet isn't performing so well?. Don't worry there might just be a sports car out there for you after all.

Introducing the BMW E36 M3

The BMW E36 M3 entered the market in 1992 and stayed in production until 1999. It was initially powered by a 3L straight 6 motor that produced 210kws of power, making the M3 a truly exhilarating drive. From September 1995 the coupe and sedan versions of the M3 went under the knife and received an upgraded engine. A 3.2L straight 6 unit going by the name of S50B32 (More on this legendary engine later) producing 236kws. Among the other changes in 1995 were clear indicator lenses, new wheels and a 6 speed manual gearbox.

For the purpose of this article I will be focusing on the sedan 3.2L evo(1995+) version of the E36 M3. Being a performance vehicle most of your attention will be on well.....its performance when you are considering buying one. The heart of this vehicles performance is it`s legendary motor, so lets have a look at what makes this beast tick and what are some of the more common faults found on second hand M3's.

The motor in the evo version as I said before is a 3.2L straight 6 unit producing 236kw's and propels the M3 to 100Km/h in 5.2 seconds and on to a top speed of 250Km/h. It featured improvements over the previous 3.0l version including Dual Vanos operating on the exhaust camshaft as well as the inlet camshaft. Increased compression ratio to 11.3:1, reduced valve stem thickness and a higher rpm red-line. This engine has a bore of 86.4 mm and a stroke of 91.0 mm giving a displacement of 3201 cc. One of the key features of the S50B32 motor was it's maximum permissible speed of 7600 rpm, this gave the M3 a very "race" car type of feeling as one was encouraged to push the M3 hard thanks to this high rpm limit. Complementing this racy motor was an ultra slick and precise 6 speed manual gearbox that added to the overall driving experience of the car. The E36 M3 could at times be a very tail happy rear wheel drive machine, performing effortless power slides at the slightest command from its driver. I wouldn't recommend jumping straight into an M3 and trying to drive it on the limit as it does have a habit of punishing those who under estimate it`s abilities, but never the less the M3s handling characteristics are very predictable and you should be performing those power slides in no time.

Like beautiful woman, sports cars can be moody and high maintenance at times, but thankfully the engineers at BMW's M division knew this too and designed a no nonsense, reliable performance chariot for the masses. Some of the more commonly reported problems the M3 and its drive train experience are as follows:


Please note many of the faults in this list are due to normal maintenance issues as the vehicle ages and are not actual faults with the M3.

Rear shock mounts

Rear trailing arm bushes

Water pump, 1995-1997 models had a stock plastic impeller that failed routinely.

Transmission mounts

Shocks, the oem versions seemed to last +- 70 000km's before needing replacement.

Radiator hose fittings cracked as the vehicles aged so make sure the car in question is not losing any coolant on the drive way.

Thermostat housing

Vanos failures seem to be fairly common, again this may be remedied by proper maintenance. Many M3 enthusiasts insist in having there engine oil changed between 5000-10000km`s rather than the standard 15 000km's.

Faulty ignition cylinder, where the key just turns inside of the ignition barrel without engaging.

Other than that the E36 M3 is a fantastically reliable machine and should provide many km's of hassle free motoring IF correct maintenance procedures have been followed and the vehicle has not been driven by a complete hooligan day in and day out.

So you have made up your mind and you want one almost as badly as you want your next breath.

E36 M3's range in price from as little as R70 000 to R140 000 depending on mileage and condition. Buying one that is stock standard and 100 percent original is your best bet as it will be much easier to sell a standard M3 than a modified one, please bear that in mind if you ever do buy one. I will list a few examples below so that you can get an idea of what`s out there.

1997 BMW M3

Mileage: 150 000kms

100 percent original

Full house all the bells and whistles. Air-con, power-steering, leather seats, sunroof etc.

Price R125 000

1996 M3 

Mileage 190 000kms

100 percent original

Good condition

Full house

Price R95 000

Please note these are not vehicles I have for sale they are only examples of what one can expect to find when you start your search for your M3.

So to sum up the BMW E36 M3

It`s a hard-core every day sports car for the enthusiast on a budget, that will deliver pure driving joy and keep a smile planted on your face every time you drive it. Just remember, look after your M3 and it will look after you.