8 Ways American E36 M3 Buyers Got Screwed Over

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To keep costs low BMW of America cut big corners with the E36 M3, resulting in a car that was slower, more basic and way less of an M3 than its European brother. Here are the main differences...
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Пікірлер: 1 900

@mario-yg8mx 5 жыл бұрын

Back in the day my 95' M3 had plenty of power, beautiful brakes, and tons of torque. It was a fast and brilliant handling car. Still haven't had as well a balanced car since.

@tonisukles858 7 жыл бұрын

So long story short the US spec M3 isn't an M3

@Kev27RS 7 жыл бұрын

Hahaha yes, kind of! :P

@Financmajster 7 жыл бұрын

yeah its a 328 with a bigger engine and an M badge

@Rin_Nya762 7 жыл бұрын

yup....

@1D0N 7 жыл бұрын

Yes, unless you're an owner of one. Since BMW named it 'M3', it is one, right...

@Euphorica 7 жыл бұрын

yes it is an m3

@Drives31forhalo 7 жыл бұрын

I dislike the headlight "cleaners", they usually don't clean shit and only leave the front of your car looking like it was crying.

@alexkersten1964 7 жыл бұрын

But they're SO DAMN COOL!

@1D0N 7 жыл бұрын

+Alex Kersten indeed. Just for looks alone. If you don't like their workings, just unplug the pumpmotor.

@sigmaoctantis_nz 7 жыл бұрын

looking like it was crying lmfao

@vomdeich1011 7 жыл бұрын

The engineer who spend two years of his life to develop and verify the cleaners will hate you

@andreim841 7 жыл бұрын

Actually they can be pretty handy during the winter when there's a lot of dirty slush getting airborne from the cars in front of you.

@justaguynamedmax8207 7 жыл бұрын

we were screwed most by not getting skylines.

@kylerchristy9821 7 жыл бұрын

excatly

@kohsman313 7 жыл бұрын

+Kyler Christy we didn't get the skyline because it was such a poor design an wasn't road worthy in the US

@thomasl9339 7 жыл бұрын

+justin kohsman we didn't get the skyline because it killed American cars at the time. This is coming from a guy whos daily and project are Chevys.

@justaguynamedmax8207 7 жыл бұрын

we didn't get the Skyline because it didn't conform to EPA emissions regulations. anyone with half a brain knows the Skyline is extremely road worthy and we'll built.

@kohsman313 7 жыл бұрын

+DrunkOffJugg lmao are you stupid? because it killed American cars at the time has nothing to do with it. regulations are why

@thooke222 5 жыл бұрын

Just came here to say that the engine is NOT pathetic. It just wasn't as good as it could have been for the US market. Still a great engine.

@sunray2818 4 жыл бұрын

I can't belive that a media as big as Car Throttle can just go straight clickbait and did not research anything like the past test of Car and Driver/Road & Track/Motor Trend who had all praised or at least understood the decision of BMW for US spec, which gave it much more low end torque and better acceleration.

@BESIMXCARS 7 жыл бұрын

I was so close to getting an E36 M3 buts its these very exact reasons why I didn't and went with a 350Z.

@CarThrottle 7 жыл бұрын

Why no S2K? :(

@BESIMXCARS 7 жыл бұрын

That was a VERY close contender and a hard decision. Big reason was cargo space, for when I go to visit my family (away at college) I can fit most of my stuff in the 350Z and drive it 800 miles. Other little things like apparently fuel economy is better in the Z due to lower gear ratios than the S2K, key word apparently. Luckily I am usually faster than the street class S2K I compete with at autocross :D

@kavan1773 7 жыл бұрын

+Car Throttle S2K costs more than the 350z on average.

@BESIMXCARS 7 жыл бұрын

This is partially true, I was looking at all at 10k range. AP2's run more for sure and 03-05 350Z's run pretty cheap. Early year S2k's and 06-08 350Z's are similarly priced (at least when I was looking) Unfortunately, the 350Z will continue to go down in value while I think the S2000 is going to go up soon.

@E30Eric 7 жыл бұрын

I had a US e36 M3 for a bit and I never lost a race to a 350z so I'm sorry for your loss.

@Happytylermovieproducction 7 жыл бұрын

You forgot about the rpm limit US - 6500 for 3.0 and 7000RPM for 3.2 EU - 7500 RPM for both 3.0 and 3.2

@pllumajsgarages9149 4 жыл бұрын

Cineraphael Adventure not true

@KaedeAnimation 3 жыл бұрын

Pllumaj’s Garages bullshit you can see the us version of the m3 gauge. US version don’t have 7500rpm like a European version. Because of this, I like the E46 M3 Better.

@epaminontas6972 3 жыл бұрын

@@KaedeAnimation us e36 m3 has 6800 rpm for 3.0 and 3.2. I would know because I have one

@Happytylermovieproducction 3 жыл бұрын

@@KaedeAnimation Whatever it is, American E36 are so bad that people would rather buy a SVT Mustang Instead. even worse, The MK3 Supra don't come with 1JZ and there are no Skyline in America. and 90s Japanese care are more expensive than a C4 Corvette ZR-1

@sampic_ 7 жыл бұрын

So basically the same with EU mustang?

@AbdoJouma 7 жыл бұрын

whats wrong with that ? unless you taking about the ecoboost...

@kevincano3313 7 жыл бұрын

right? curious to see what are the differences between us mustangs and eu mustangs

@Nexville 7 жыл бұрын

EU and US Mustangs are the same, only UK models lose some HP because the exhaust had to be reworked because of RHD

@viera996multi 7 жыл бұрын

No, EU Mustangs have fog lights as day time running lights, bigger and uglier side mirrors and a little bit different body work. I've seen a video somewhere on YT with the two cars compared.

@Nexville 7 жыл бұрын

+Fabijan Kadi That has more to do with EU guidelines than with Ford trying to be cheap

@AkioWasRight 7 жыл бұрын

The lower horsepower might've been more than just cost cutting, they often detuned engines in the US to meet emissions regulation. Also, I don't know about the E36 in particular, but manufacturers sometimes lower output and add more cooling to deal with more extreme temperatures in the US. It gets pretty hot in the US South-West, well over 100 degrees fahrenheit on a normal summer day in places like Phoenix. Also, I think the plastic lenses might also be due to US regulation. It's not simple entering one car into different markets, you have to make changes to comply with different rules and regulations in each market.

@miataenjoyer2786 3 жыл бұрын

There’s also far less to go wrong on the US spec. You do have a few things, like the differential and cosmetics, but the engine doesn’t have as complex of VANOS, and there’s one less gear to cause a synchro problem.

@bliglum 7 жыл бұрын

Even American companies have neglected to offer sport models in America.. Like how Ford didn't offer the Focus RS in the states until just recently. And to be honest, they'll say "see, this is why" as I doubt the RS will sell very well... Because most Americans only care about Pickup trucks and SUV's!!!! Frigging gigantic, road hogging, gas guzzling, view blocking, pickup trucks.. And I'll tell you, 99% of the time, they aren't hauling anything. Useless.

@cpufreak101 7 жыл бұрын

Yep, fanboys demanded them, they brought them, they don't sell. Sure the Focus RS is good, but considering the Focus name in the US has always been linked to a basic economy car, to the average American it'd look like a way overpriced hatchback. As for SUV's, gas is cheap, just yesterday I seen it at $1.77 a gallon. There was a proven link between low gas prices and willingness to buy trucks/SUV's. and needless to say, they're really damn popular, in fact, trucks/SUV's make up 80% of all FCA new sales so far this year. They're so popular that they're forced to can the Dart and 200 not only due to poor sales, but they need the factory to make more trucks/SUV's to meet demand. Only reason companies are still trying at the moment is due to strengthening CAFE standards, it's going to be 56.5 average MPG for all new cars in 2025, a deadline quickly closing. Only salvation in sight is trucks/SUV's are not counted as much as smaller cars (about 3 trucks equal one)

@bliglum 7 жыл бұрын

ChiefShittingBull LOLOL!!! True! But I guess that negates my comment, because these trucks are hauling quite a load after all. I'd imagine the average American family these days weighs around 1,500-2,000lbs!

@MIRACLECHEEZ 7 жыл бұрын

Trucks are a stupid trend. I get having one for hauling your boat or whatever, but dailying a giant truck is hella dumb

@cpufreak101 7 жыл бұрын

metroboomin i looked into the History of it really, it all started back in the mid 90's, before then, trucks were exclusively used for utility purposes. then Dodge decided to make the '94 Ram a more comfortable vehicle by giving it a more car-like interior with amenities like heated seats, better materials, etc. on top of having a V8 be the base model engine, this had unexpectedly caused a lot more people to buy these, combined with the fact at the time there was a Gas Guzzler Incentive (for whatever reason) and it made the Pickup Truck loved by even non-utility users. and as you can imagine, the rest of the truck makers wanted a slice of the pie too, so they started making their interiors more luxurious. before this a Truck could easily go 10+ years without needing any changes. and today, they already made a facelift to the Silverado after 2 years. Honda is trying with the Ridgeline, but FWD and monocoque seems to win over next to nobody, not even it's intended market, which is people who drive trucks just for the style

@hunterbowman5150 7 жыл бұрын

i guess it depends on what part of the US.. in my town i rarely, and i am not exaggerating, rarely see full sized SUVs. I see more Ferraris and GTRs, i am serious, i pay attention to that shit, because i like to race people in my 1g dsm, and i am trying to look for a full sized SUV that looks nice cause i have to buy one in the future :( my gf doesn't like the compacts unfortunately... and even though my town has a decent amount of "country folk", I see a lot more sports cars then trucks... by a pretty wide margin.

@DutchMastermind 7 жыл бұрын

0:18 ''Yo listen up here's a story about a little guy that lives in a blue world and all day and all night and everything he sees is just blue like him inside and outside. I'm blue ba da ba dee da ba dye ba da ba dee da ba dye ba da ba dee ba ba dye I'm blue ba da ba dee da ba dye ba da ba dee da ba dye ba da ba dee ba ba dye''

@ryanrohauer5940 7 жыл бұрын

what...that...fuck

@erikasdebolskij5847 7 жыл бұрын

well you got the 'little guy' part right

@alexkersten1964 7 жыл бұрын

LOVE THAT SONG! Eiffel 65 FTW :D

@d0718 7 жыл бұрын

Shmee intensifies

@firerider669 7 жыл бұрын

+Alex Kersten you must try it's trap nation's remix then tell me!!

@clubmeringue 7 жыл бұрын

There's an E36 M3 that is regularly parked 1/4 mile from my house and I always stop to look at it cos it's such a beautiful car. The squareness of it is probably why I like it a lot more then the E46

@philippe5249 7 жыл бұрын

WE WANT THE TUKTUK VIDEO

@streetracer1600 7 жыл бұрын

true... i want it to be super long...

@Andrei-xi5tu 7 жыл бұрын

Should be at least an hour long

@KasamS 7 жыл бұрын

+Pixel dirt not gonna hapen

@DJzMax 7 жыл бұрын

still waiting for it....

@AHMED6858 7 жыл бұрын

+Kasam why?

@MrRandomcommentguy 7 жыл бұрын

I never saw the point of headlight washers. I have NEVER needed to wash my car's headlights while driving.

@kanalnamn 5 жыл бұрын

If driving in regions that use salt on the roads in winter, it's an absolute must.

@1D0N 7 жыл бұрын

Alex, if you're getting into options, there's more: no pdc, no smg (for better or worse), no lumbar support, extended leather, rear foglight(s), GSM carphone, factory alarm. Engine wise, don't forget double vs single vanos, tuned exhaust headers, larger valves, sintered conrods, 3.5" MAF, higher CR, larger injectors, hotter cams, dual pickup oilpump/sump, oil cooler, solid lifters. Lights: H1, later H7 headlights

@ryanm3021 7 жыл бұрын

even south africa got the 3.2l itb version

@threefive2072 3 жыл бұрын

Has anyone had the opportunity to actually drive both of these cars? I'd love to hear their take. A car is more than a set of figures.

@domtoretto3280 3 жыл бұрын

I have. The hate on the us spec is massively exaggerated by people who have never driven one or both. They see peak hp figures on paper and think that tells the story. Both are amazing drivers cars. The best of bmw. A us spec is as equally as fast below 100mph. And unless you run on a track with average speeds near or above that (most tracks avg spd is less) the difference real world between the two is much closer than the haters realize. Both have mod potential. The us spec is lighter and more reliable. You wouldnt be unhappy in either spec. On my local tracks the difference comes down to driver and tires and brakes. Similarly moddedd they have very similar lap times.

@threefive2072 3 жыл бұрын

@@domtoretto3280 man. thanks. based on the 0-60 times i wondered if this was the case, but didn't want to speculate along with everyone else. i have a US spec so of course i'm biased. i love the simplicity of the motor.

@threefive2072 3 жыл бұрын

@@domtoretto3280 can you elaborate on why the us spec is lighter? i've never heard about this ... the motor? the diff? thx.

@stonewalled9696 7 жыл бұрын

I love my "US" V. M3. Sure I wish it had more power but I felt the same way of my newer M3. It's an amazing GT car by today's standards and I wouldn't sell it. It's so easy to add 30-50hp so I don't get the big deal. The ZF trans is solid and bulletproof product. I've yet to have a single mechanical issue. 99/E36/Cab/Estroil Blue/50k

@ferrarienzokl 7 жыл бұрын

I am a US E36 M3 owner and I approve this message

@Lambertius 7 жыл бұрын

Weirdly enough, Australia got the the fastest E36 M3. The M3-R. It was the great grandfather of all the special edition M3s that followed weighing in at 1250kgs and pumping out 257kW (350bhp)!

@lexburen5932 4 жыл бұрын

Europe got a limited edition of the E36 M3 the CSL wich had 380 HP

@kenlee-97 4 жыл бұрын

@@lexburen5932 csl already at that time?

@FPSGHoST808 7 жыл бұрын

"People who drive M3s have no friends" -Jeremy Clarkson

@rikuperry2792 5 жыл бұрын

Jeremy has E46 M3 CSL, so maybe he knows

@vltruane 5 жыл бұрын

And we don’t care, haha!

@NickleJ 4 жыл бұрын

Can confirm.

@wojciechapuszek9814 4 жыл бұрын

M3 is best friend

@terrificspokesman7416 4 жыл бұрын

@@rikuperry2792 E36 is better and more reliable. I have owned both plus the E36 is better to drive.

@johnthomasmoulton8934 4 жыл бұрын

I have owned both Euro & the American version. (1995 /3.0/5 speed) I enjoyed them both and really do not feel one is better than the other.

@CarsOverPeople 3 жыл бұрын

Well the difference between a EU spec and a AM spec is much more noticeable in the updated models (1996 - 1999 I believe). 321hp /258tq, 6 spd vs 240hp/236tq, 5 spd.

@fun2drive107 6 жыл бұрын

Owned two M3 E36's and loved them. Owned my M3/4 for over 12 years and regret selling it....

@codermyers 7 жыл бұрын

Lots of ignorance and misconception here... The M3 was never designed to win drag races with muscle cars or Japanese turbo coupes. Everyone focuses on the peak HP rating, which is next to meaningless. The S52 US version had the same power as the S50 because they put a narrow-runner intake manifold on it to maximize torque instead of power. If you take the 95 3.0L intake manifold and put it on the 3.2, you're at 260ish. The aftermarket is very strong for this car, plenty of upgrades available if you must have more power. The top speed limiter is easily removed, as is the 6500 rev limiter, and the car will run out of gear at 160. With the 5 speed. The 6 speed has the same first 5 gear ratios, so why is that even a factor when you can double any posted speed limit in the country? However, power is not real strength of this car, or any M3. It's the way it handles curves. Anyone who owns an E36 M3 already knows that, and doesn't need to enter pissing contests about peak power ratings. Stop reducing my resale value with your hater videos CarThrottle... I don't hear anyone moaning about the 197 HP the US E30 M3 produced compared with the 235 of the EU version... /rant

@shreddermcscumbag9755 6 жыл бұрын

Coder Myers So is the difference in 0-60 time not as large as the video claims? Cause that is a pretty considerable aspect in a car.

@jonathanmoga5188 6 жыл бұрын

Shredder McScumbag they are identical 0-60 stock.

@jameswallace8608 5 жыл бұрын

Loooool dudes so salty

@vltruane 5 жыл бұрын

You’re absolutely right, I don’t understand the hate with the e36, it’s one of BMWs best chassis!

@shawkinguk 5 жыл бұрын

Excellent repost (Owner of two e36 m3s) These cars are special If you’ve driven one and know enough to tell ... y’all ready know

@malakius 7 жыл бұрын

Everything in the US gets dumbed down, or we don't get it at all.

@stantorren4400 5 жыл бұрын

Except the cars from murica

@Jmj__ 3 жыл бұрын

At least we got the manual E60 m5

@jonasbickford7417 7 жыл бұрын

yeah yeah, most people say is not a true M3, but I daily drive a 1999 E36 M3 Convertible. It's still an amazing car, and surprisingly very reliable. It has about 220,000 miles and hasn't had to many problems. It's quick for what it is. I easily have done 125 MPH down the Silver Strand in San Diego. The quickest I've gone 0-60 is 6.3 seconds, which is decent for me. I re-did the whole suspension and made the ride much much smoother for daily driving. They are great cars, if your not looking for a ridiculously fast M3. I love my car! And I have the Multi Spoke rims, like shown on some photos (OEM).

@michaelkozluk9619 4 жыл бұрын

How's your VANOS? I know it's been 2 years but I'm curious

@ejs93033 7 жыл бұрын

As weakened as the US M3 was, it was still by far the best car you could buy for the money.

@Euphorica 7 жыл бұрын

nailed it

@carsaregood911 7 жыл бұрын

Was it? What was the competition at the time?

@respectandlive_6283 7 жыл бұрын

+Imad S corvettes, mustangs, and camaros

@Euphorica 7 жыл бұрын

+Imad S scroll down to the article images www.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?664910-best-handling-car-of-the-mid-1990-s

@Pete0126 7 жыл бұрын

Closest competition was probably Rx7 or Supra.

@GeeGee2264 7 жыл бұрын

U.S.-spec S52 E36 M3's with basic bolt ons will run easily in the 13-second range in the 1/4 mile, so acceleration times can get close to stock euro cars, but at higher speeds, the euro would pull for sure. I wish mine was a screamer S50B32, but an S54 swap can always satisfy that need.

@mariuszanfir2298 7 жыл бұрын

The EU M3 was also the first car to feature the SMG.

@fabianborjon9428 3 жыл бұрын

People bash on the US Spec M3 but it won Best Handling Car over $30,000 in 1997 by Car and Driver, out performing the Acura NSX-T, Corvette, Dodge Viper GTS, Ferrari F355, Porsche Boxster and the Toyota Supra Turbo. Just goes to show, you don't need a lot of power for a great car.

@desktopevil 7 жыл бұрын

Reply and I'll buy a Miata

@CarThrottle 7 жыл бұрын

+desktopevil Please send pictures to teamct@carthrottle.com

@succ343 7 жыл бұрын

+Car Throttle lmao

@rivalrepairs 7 жыл бұрын

ha ha ha ha. either you have no integrity or you own an mx5. that sucks

@TAGSProle 7 жыл бұрын

An the game begins where is this mx5

@alexkersten1964 7 жыл бұрын

Reply.

@tdx7 7 жыл бұрын

137mph Jeez I drove my 2003 2 litre ford Mondeo at 136mph

@buckleyjteams 7 жыл бұрын

I got 145mph in my tin can mg zs 180 :-) and only give £800 for the thing lol

@EmilioMorillo 7 жыл бұрын

Ive hit 155 in my M3, US spec and bone stock

@mmarkk1990 7 жыл бұрын

My e46 320 DIESEL managed 139mph on the autobahn! Now I know its faster than an m3

@buckleyjteams 7 жыл бұрын

+mmarkk1990 lol diesels are king of torque i had a mondeo st tdci tuned to about 190bhp but had about 320ft/p of torque it pulled like a train not as fast 0-60 but 80-130 not meny normal cars could keep up :-)

@_AlejandroGonzalez_ 7 жыл бұрын

+mmarkk1990 diesels belong in trucks. I personally hate any car that has a diesel engine regardless of manufacturer.

@CecilyCampbell 7 жыл бұрын

Whoa, whoa, 137 is my favorite number!

@isaiahgaucin6573 7 жыл бұрын

We totally got screwed over but still it's a really desirable car at least for me. Two '92 E36's and one has an S50 swap. The other is getting one too. I personally love the S50 engine but the thing to do here is get an S52 and swap to an S50/M50 manifold and some have done a 6 speed swap from an E46 M3 in their E36 as well. More work but worth the fun!

@SampleT3xT_ 7 жыл бұрын

i really wanna get a BMW E30 325i Dark green it's soo cool on my opinon

@Ceeceeedits 3 жыл бұрын

Cost like 500 in Germany lol

@SampleT3xT_ 3 жыл бұрын

@@Ceeceeedits Yeah i did. buy An E30 but its facelift and is 320i

@aqibumar2499 2 жыл бұрын

I got a machao blue one

@Ihateslowtube 7 жыл бұрын

Was the e46 gen any better? It's one of my favorite gens, and it seems like it was the last of the gens that still bordered on simple and light, following gens got heavier and too luxurious and complicated. Still comparatively great to many other cars, though.

@Verknechter 7 жыл бұрын

I have a highly modified S52B32 from a Alpina B3 in my E36 Compact in Germany. Lets have a drag race bro :P

@conspiracykill 4 жыл бұрын

😂🤣🤣🤣🤣 the headlight washer close up with sex music was Noice!

@markr5132 7 жыл бұрын

The real horse power difference in horse power was closer to 280HP because it was down rated for the insurance Co's, hence the .5 second difference in the 0-60 time

@MrEujoo 7 жыл бұрын

8 more reasons why i love the e30 more

@josepeixoto3384 7 жыл бұрын

240 hp not enough?what´s the speed limit where you live? is grass always greener at the cemetery? Almost all you say here does not matter (then why did I watch the ful 6 min? Hmmmmm..) josepeixoto

@joshbacon8241 2 жыл бұрын

Kid: “Mom, can we get an M3?” Mom: “We have an M3 at home.” M3 at home: _US-spec E36 M3_

@mario-yg8mx 3 жыл бұрын

When I bought my 95 used in 99' it was a damn quick and fun car to drive, the balance was beautiful, and plenty of power. Maybe you guys are complaining about todays standards? If BMW today could feel like the did back then, they'd have something. Too many gadgets these days. Electronic overload.

@davecom3 7 жыл бұрын

So in reality the US got the BMW 330 years before Europe got it? #optimism

@LimaUniformCharlieA 7 жыл бұрын

At least their steering wheel is on the correct side.

@RABAN5KI 7 жыл бұрын

Nope, it's on the right side.

@josh207 7 жыл бұрын

+RABAN5KI In this case, the right side is the wrong side

@koshermal 7 жыл бұрын

For their roads, yes.

@Natsukiyaa 7 жыл бұрын

Well it's only England in europe with left-traffic.

@koshermal 7 жыл бұрын

And NZ and Aus. And Uganda, apparently.

@hawad4251 7 жыл бұрын

Hey bro you forgot one big thing. At least its a big deal for me. Euro E36 M3's came with power rear or the option to get power rear windows in the coupes. US E36 M3's had manual only. You will never see 4 window switches on a e US Spec E36 M3 coupe.

@applebitefool 7 жыл бұрын

When I was shopping for my car I had the choice between a 96 US spec M3 that was in rough shape for 9000$ or a 92 325is Nv that was top notch and had hot cams for 4.5k. Got the 92, performed all the maintenance, put on some LTW's with a LSD and upgraded the entire suspension and bushings to M3 euro specs. The car rocks and sounds great but is somewhat lacking in the power department. I will probably supercharge it in the future and hopefully make 325-350whp.. I feel like if you are in North America this is a better investment since the regular e36 has the essentially the same block as the M3 which is still more expensive.

@meechg0stupid110 7 жыл бұрын

I still love my US m3 lol with the 5 speed i hit 60 in 5.7 seconds. And it's still an M3 :)

@macelius 7 жыл бұрын

Me too, cheaper to maintain, easier to turbo, there are some benefits to the US spec.

@Gravstein 7 жыл бұрын

What you got was a 330i with a M3 badge.

@Euphorica 7 жыл бұрын

+Gravstein what about all the m3 specific parts ? those are meaningless ? smh

@almighty9662 7 жыл бұрын

+Gravstein ahahahahahahahah yeaaaaa

@Gravstein 7 жыл бұрын

Euphorica What parts? the ZF 5 speed thats the same as euro spec 328i? Or the differential from 328i? or maby the S50B30/32 thats is based on the M50 with magic dust sprinkled over it? Sorry but you guys was given a lie! And that sucks. Same goes for the Nissan 240sx, you got the lame KA engine and not the SR or the CA.

@TopStoryArt 7 жыл бұрын

3:04 there is Color on youre Headlight Washer..:( :D

@soundseeker63 7 жыл бұрын

I knew about the engine downgrades, but not the 137mph limiter....wtf! My old E36 325i would do over 140 lol! Might as well have just bought a 325i and a turbo kit instead of an M3.

@Croak1 7 жыл бұрын

Just an FYI, Canada officially got the early Euro-spec version (though only 45 of them, for one model year) and as any Canadian will tell you, they're part of North America. :) On the plus side, the US-spec S50/S52 could handle forced induction a lot better, partly because of the lower compression, lower redline, a less complex VANOS and easier tuning, and there were no ITB issues to deal with. And as somebody mentioned, it was still the same excellent chassis, steering and suspension as the European version. My 3.0L '95 ran a Vortech, air-to-water cooled 12PSI supercharger and put down 390+ RWHP with nary a problem with the motor itself. I sold it with 198k miles on the clock in 2013, installed the supercharger in 2004 when it had 81k miles on it. Ironically, I only sold it because I was moving to Europe. At under 400WHP, I was on the "weak" end of the forced induction power compared to a lot of US E36 owners that had blowers or turbos. Plus reliability was better and service costs were MUCH lower compared to the Euro-spec motor, so there's that. We still had the same problems with the rest of the chassis (rust, subframe cracking, window failure, etc). All that said, on my '95 S50 US M3, I added: Glass Euro projector headlights Euro taillights with working rear fog lights Euro steering wheel Euro-spec electric wing windows Z4 6-speed conversion Euro-spec floating rotors (before moving to a 991 BBK kit)

@nieks.4586 7 жыл бұрын

When is The tuktuk video coming out???😂

@CarThrottle 7 жыл бұрын

+niek S. Very very soon!!

@IrishcarspottingYT 7 жыл бұрын

So they say

@MrMouse151 7 жыл бұрын

WHEN'S THE TUK TUK VIDEO COMING!!!!?!??!?!?!?

@CarThrottle 7 жыл бұрын

+M0U53Y Next week!

@donald_ts 7 жыл бұрын

LOL

@danielbak7427 7 жыл бұрын

+Car Throttle DUN DUN DDDUUUUUUUUNNNNN

@MrMouse151 7 жыл бұрын

Car Throttle

@chrisbennett5796 7 жыл бұрын

A bit more info on this. I'm in Australia where we got the Euro M3. I have a 3.2 Evo M3 and an old 328i manual coupé. I had the 238i for years but did so much work on it I couldn't bring myself to sell it when I bought the M3. The M3 is a great car but the 328i is no lemon. (Read the US M3 is even better). The M50/M52 (S50US/S52) engines are not crappy, they have great power delivery, handle tuning and last forever. Trust me, the 5 speed gearbox is a lot less trouble than the six speed and a much nicer gear change. One of the greatest things about the M3 is the handling. The suspension and steering setups are similar on both the Euro and US M3s. The Euro didn't come with floating rotors, it came with 2 piece rotors, which are not the same but do have some of the advantages of the floaters. Rotors are a disposable item and they are interchangeable between the cars. Only the Euro 3.2L had a bigger diff. The diff and gearboxes were the same on both Euro and US 3.0L cars (and the 328i) There are some other differences between the Euro and US M3s: The Euro has a much better quality leather interior and came with awesome Vader seats instead of small square headrests. The US car had traction control (to hard to fit on the Euros individual throttle bodies). Yes, Euro M3 is a better car but the US M3 is still great and more fun to drive than the performance numbers would suggest. (Based on my 1995 238i M-Tech).

@StephenWhite55 7 жыл бұрын

I agree that the cheaper engine was a bit sad, but you have to remember that the European engine alone, would have added over $10 Grand to the cost of the car, and the sales-numbers just weren't there. Keep in mind, the original-spec M3 engine only added 46 bhp (less than 20% more) and a measly 11 lb-ft of torque - I'd say we got a bargain! Also, I'm pretty sure that the American M3 got the six-speed in 1998 (last year of the E36) - better late than never...

@XxCBDAxX 7 жыл бұрын

Dont feel bad americans. Remember, Alex bought a lemon m3 :)

@Oliver0200 7 жыл бұрын

Americans don't buy BMWs anyway...jk

@Dominik-or3pw 7 жыл бұрын

+Oliver oh well. When I was in the US I saw quite a few ones on the street ;)

@ian7675 7 жыл бұрын

+Oliver Not surprised after watching this.

@pyite100 7 жыл бұрын

If it's a lemon, please send it to me. I want to import a Euro-spec E36 M3 some day... just 4 more years til you can do it without having to deal with the EPA and DoT. (actually the EPA is only 20 years but whatever!)

@sergiowolfpac 7 жыл бұрын

That's fucking trash. BMW is lucky they didn't try that crap now. It would be a social media shitstorm. But this is why you should never argue a brand vs another brand. You should always argue car vs car. They are all made different. While they had this piece of crap in the US, they also later came out with an E39 M5. A real beauty in the US

@1D0N 7 жыл бұрын

BMW didn't put a gun to anyone's head and forced them to buy.

@crassclark2343 7 жыл бұрын

+1D0N and?

@1D0N 7 жыл бұрын

+Crass Clark End what? End of story!

@sergiowolfpac 7 жыл бұрын

When they deliberately push out crap, with a badge knowing many people will buy it without truly checking all the details. That's borderline theft.

@Euphorica 7 жыл бұрын

+Sergio Ruelas except it's an amazing car

@Exotic_pet_company 2 жыл бұрын

I purchased one in 2000, the second owner turned it into a manual transmission , Real M3 or not it was definitely a fun car for a 17 year-old .

@RaeMachiavelli 7 жыл бұрын

Thank you for doing this, much love.

@Pete0126 7 жыл бұрын

Gotta cop one of the 45 Canadian models ;)

@johnsullivan937 7 жыл бұрын

ive still never understood why the US hates fun cars.

@Thunderstruck170 7 жыл бұрын

What do you define as a fun car? If by fun, you mean small and fast with a manual trans, then the reason why is because most Americans only see cars as another means of transport and nothing else. Most Americans also want something that is multipurpose so getting a small car that don't have usable back seats isn't what most people want. Sure we do have fun cars, I enjoy driving my 1995 mercury cougar with 200k miles on it. I also don't know where you live but cars depreciate pretty fast over in America. A 2004 mustang, manual, v8 will only cost around $8k, i'd say thats a fun car to drive.

@johnsullivan937 7 жыл бұрын

Thunderstruck170 you misunderstand what i meant. i know all that. i was just pointing out that us spec motors with imports suck.

@tylerrobbins9126 7 жыл бұрын

Lol thats not true

@crassclark2343 7 жыл бұрын

Idk, the z06, hellcats, viper, Camaro z/28, ZL1, SS1le, Mustang GT350, Boss 302, are all pretty dang fun cars

@looneybin3991 7 жыл бұрын

It's our government and car manufacturers that screws us with imports. Americans love fun cars. Just look at the stuff we do to cars. The only people who have us matched with crazy cars are the guys up in Finland an Sweeden. They are nuts.

@ThingsWithEngines 7 жыл бұрын

Dear Car Throttle, Where have all your old videos gone? I miss them. I think my favourites were 10 reasons why we'll miss the Land Rover Defender and 10 insane things you can do with a 4x4.

@RomanRandom7 6 жыл бұрын

Great Vid Mate! I'm Russian was born in Latvia, well... back then it was USSR, I live in North Carolina USA now and I knew about differences between Crappy US Spec S52 which is M52 LOL and Euro S50B32 and I still bought M3 E36 US Spec, have it for over 10 years now it's slowly becomes a Drift car, although it's detuned for US Sales back in the day, I still Love my E36 Classic! ;)

@mattkiss3 7 жыл бұрын

Well, honestly it isn't difficult to get rid of the 137mph governor on the Americanized e36 M3. While it is slower, it still has plenty of zip. I had a transplanted 98' M3 engine in a 94' 318is and that thing was a beast. It had upgraded cams, Koni Yellow racing suspension, along with many other mods and a true M3 cluster. Got that thing up to 160 before I nearly shit myself and couldn't push it further. Damn, I miss it!

@marcustaylor670 6 жыл бұрын

The type of Vanos system wouldn't make much difference to performance and as long as the cheaper throttle bodies were supplying enough fuel I'd imagine cam and ignition timing would be the main differences between the engines. You would only need to skim the head to raise compression a bit.

@RomanRandom7 6 жыл бұрын

You know it Bro! ;)

@psions555 7 жыл бұрын

oh god, the instrument cluster is awful too. Why don't they understand symbols like the rest of the world.

@1D0N 7 жыл бұрын

Yeah, typical american thing. Just looks wrong having text like "airbag", "parking brake", etc.

@Corkoth55 7 жыл бұрын

i think that's just like by law or something. my father's chrysler 300c has the (!)(P) and "BRAKE" for the light. presumably for all the markets.

@crassclark2343 7 жыл бұрын

Why can't the rest of the world just learn how to read?

@1D0N 7 жыл бұрын

+Crass Clark seriously? That's the best you got? Fail. Try again, now first think.

@karsecftw7424 7 жыл бұрын

+Crass Clark Well it's a car, not a fucken library. Why should we read it?

@lightning5273 Жыл бұрын

There were 2 versions of the E36 M3 engine you didn't mention. There's also the S52B32 3.2L.

@carswithkaro 7 жыл бұрын

Can't wait for the late model euro spec to hit the 25 year mark so I could begin looking for one, and importing it to the US. The differences really hold me back from buying a US m3

@mro9466 7 жыл бұрын

And now the joke is on us Europe, since America has the option of MT with the E60 M5 and F10 M5

@M3Conv 7 жыл бұрын

So basically....they are about the same?

@Joe-qs9fw 5 жыл бұрын

M3Conv no

@kjmerkel69 7 жыл бұрын

IIRC the plastic lens and reflector instead of projector lamps were due to DOT FMVSS regulations. Speaking of, the US also missed out on those nifty "city lights" in the high beams.

@icebear1935 7 жыл бұрын

Just swapped my US S50 for Euro S50b30, big difference in power, especially the vanos at higher rpms.

@FabienWhite 7 жыл бұрын

Joel Elder or Joel Edler? :D

@CarThrottle 7 жыл бұрын

+Fabien White Edler

@priteshpatel9140 7 жыл бұрын

@RDSAlphard 7 жыл бұрын

That's why people in US just do LS swap , getting thousand million horsepower , not 321 .

@brianach1817 7 жыл бұрын

My 1997 M3/4/5 with the Turner Stage 3+ (M50, Schrick cams, Porsche CFM, injectors etc. all motor) can easily keep up with an E46 M3. 290hp with 250 at the wheel, it's a screamer sleeper and is uber reliable. It's how you get un-screwed.

@Corkoth55 7 жыл бұрын

they do this on a lot of euro cars. my us spec mk4 golf didn't have headlight washers, rear fogs, glass lamp covers, the left and right parking lights when you pull to one side of the road, i had a 2.0, but not even nice GTIs got that here...

@ThrillhouseVanHurtin 7 жыл бұрын

As a free American I am triggered.

@feliperivad 7 жыл бұрын

and sadly, neither US or UK versions got blinkers

@stantorren4400 5 жыл бұрын

That’s a horrible joke also when will the meme die? I’m starting to hate the meme because I see bmw drivers all the time use them

@placeholdername3206 Жыл бұрын

The reason why it's so down on power is that the US M3 engines (3.0 and 3.2) are basically bored and stroked M50/M52 motors out of a regular 325/328 with very slightly better cams and a plastic cover that says M POWER. It's not just the motor either, the rear end on the US M3 is also a 325/328 instead of the 210mm M3 diff.

@Adrian_The_Great 7 жыл бұрын

I think the s52b32us or s50b30us are sweet engines aswell. I like my m50b25 and if that engine is that good, how good would a 3l or a 3.2l be? I guess they must be similar to an m54b30 in terms of performance. Which is quite good. I dont think they got screwed. Then there is the fact that s50 euro engines do not hold their power the way they should. Even you got a significant loss respect the original output. Go and guess what is causing that an repair it... Well maybe you could say the same about the m50b25/b30/b32. But the thing is that it is not that bad of an engine. And you can get a lot more out of them with just bolt ons.

@OaksCU1 7 жыл бұрын

You call this car a "lemon", was does that even mean?

@_crg_ 7 жыл бұрын

a car that is bad/in bad condition/sour cars/shit cars/car that flopped

@itsbrun5759 7 жыл бұрын

it means its unreliable

@OaksCU1 7 жыл бұрын

But why lemon? that word seems so random to describe a car in bad condition.

@Oliver0200 7 жыл бұрын

+Username maybe because lemons are sour

@astina7574 7 жыл бұрын

Rust.

@DuckDroid 7 жыл бұрын

haha. Poor Americans... wait. I am in Canada

@nightrider6976 7 жыл бұрын

even mexico got the euro spec e36 m3 but on very limited numbers

@aidanhinchliffe166 5 жыл бұрын

Got a BMW advert at the beginning 😂👌

@thedownshiftchannel 7 жыл бұрын

The USDM did get the LTW which with the euro parts could make the ultimate e36 M3! Although they are now such a high premium people likely wouldn't modify.

@Strikerz0r 7 жыл бұрын

Who cares? Americans can't drive a car with a manual gearbox anyway, so they might as well duct-tape some M3 badges on a 316.

@thooke222 5 жыл бұрын

Plenty of Americans can drive manuals... it's just viewed as "base" and not as nice as automatic by some. And yes, I will say Americans because that is what citizens of the USA are called. Not one other country in north, central, or south America has the name America in it.

@justarandomdude9346 5 жыл бұрын

Lol

@ahmedsardar6742 7 жыл бұрын

Fish

@t1mmy13 7 жыл бұрын

Cod

@supertrinigamer 7 жыл бұрын

Haddock

@_crg_ 7 жыл бұрын

bacon

@ahmedsardar6742 7 жыл бұрын

No bacon here

@lloydbanks2k6 7 жыл бұрын

+Tim k

@Leo-iq7um 6 жыл бұрын

Do they still make certain specs for m3 coming into the usa/Canada ie different headlights engine etc..

@aeroaa2 7 жыл бұрын

hey CT, didnt you guys have a video about best sounding v10 cars ? I cant seem to find it, was it deleted or am I mistaking myself ?

@hydorah 7 жыл бұрын

I'm bored of this guy

@alexkersten1964 7 жыл бұрын

So is his girlfriend...

@Nexville 7 жыл бұрын

+Alex Kersten FeelsBadMan

@joao1999g 7 жыл бұрын

+Alex Kersten He has no girlfriend ahah

@Pinoycaptain2012 7 жыл бұрын

+Alex Kersten Savage

@alexhughes1245 7 жыл бұрын

1st dislike.... Jk

@CKpro904 7 жыл бұрын

Another thing the U.S. Spec didn't get was a tilt wheel! I would have been fine if the wheel was positioned comfortably but unfortunately it sits much higher than I personally would like.

@VashSpiegel 7 жыл бұрын

Same could be said for the Ford Sierra v Merkur XR4Ti. Honestly though, just love being able to get a euro car on a poor income, without having to export one over the pond.

@mobyslick4912 7 жыл бұрын

Europeans are just trying to make it seem like they have better cars over there

@kroumkachev8434 7 жыл бұрын

if you drive an automatic m3, you're not a real bmw driver.

@cpufreak101 7 жыл бұрын

You're just 95% of all Americans instead then?

@Euphorica 7 жыл бұрын

every new car comes in an auto and manuals are hard to come by.

@danielcams7514 7 жыл бұрын

if you use your turn signal you are not a real BMW driver

@sonicCherryBell 7 жыл бұрын

If your car is not in the shop 10 days a month, you are not a real BMW driver.

@kroumkachev8434 7 жыл бұрын

Well Americans in general drive more autos I don't like them I find them drivel and boring so I'd rather buy a manual even if it means I get a e46 330ci zhp instead of an e36 m3

@youremostwelcome 7 жыл бұрын

Gotta admit though, the Americans got a manual transmission option on the V10 M5's... Pretty jealous that we missed out on that here in Aus. That was the main reason I went E92 M3 over the V10 M5.

@bulldetecting2230 3 жыл бұрын

These US market differences never make much sense to us Petrol heads. This M3 is a decent example and then there’s the E60/61 M5 on which BMW only gave the US market the option of a manual gearbox! How strange.