Original owner of '98 M3 sedan. The M3 was a classic the 1st day it came out. I've been taking care of mine for 23 years so far - the last 12 no daily driving. Unlike the majority (I guess) I have a moderate preference looks-wise for the sedan.. the lines and shaping is better.. hence why I bought it. Proud that I never put crappy aftermarket garbage on it. It does have coilovers and full Dinan spec and in 2000 I bought BMW/BBS RC040/RC041 staggered rims for it which are beautiful and like hens teeth now. Been waiting for the value to go up for years... so lame that the value hasn't been held the whole time. There's never been many on the road and it's the same beautiful car today that it was 5, 10, 23 years ago. Also lame that from say 2008 to 2016 or so no one really asked about it much and now I get offers all the time... it was the same beautiful car 10 years ago.
Awesome man, sounds like you're the epitome of the E36 M3 enthusiast. I agree that it's weird how time changes people's perspective. Maybe it's nostalgia, maybe it's the rarity of seeing a really nice example of an aging BMW, or a combo of both. I'm certainly in the camp that the E36 is under appreciated and hope that these cars continue to gain the recognition they deserve.
I am a die-hard e36 guy. This was a great video. But I truly believe the prices will shoot up to e30 m3/46 m3 prices in the next 5 years. It's slightly different because the e36 m3s were extremely cheap around 2010 (finding one for 3-4k was extremely easy) They have always been underrated cars but I truly believe that it was due to them being so cheap for so long.
I've got a 1999 with 52k miles on it (83,000 km as I'm in Canada). Fern green over black and bone stock with no modifications or accidents. Can't think of many cars I would trade it for as it's a lot of fun to drive in the summer.
wow your video has answered pretty much most of the questions I had regarding a potential e36 m3 im looking at and how its priced. All while being under 15 minutes. Thank you!
I’ve had 6. Currently have a 98 sedan cosmo and a turbo 97 coupe Estoril. I’ve had vanos fail in 1, front diff bolt fail in 2 and all of them needed cooling systems upgraded. I’d also add that it’s also good to do subframe reinforcement. Good video.
If you’re looking to have the car modified, although the ‘95 has the M50 instead of the M52 engine so lower torque, it also is the only US model year that does not have OBD-II diagnostics. What this means is that it is easier to do mods on the engine (exhaust, intake, ECU, etc.) without worrying about it tripping up things during an emissions test. Back in the day I had a ‘95 M3 coupe in Dakar yellow, followed by a ‘98 M3 sedan (also in Dakar yellow). The E36 M3, although not the fastest car, is probably one of the most perfectly balanced sports cars from the 90s, giving it phenomenal handling characteristics.
I’ve got just about all the 90’s BMWs I want with an E31,32, 2 34s and finally last month rounded it out with a Euro E36M3 sedan. It is every bit as fun, albeit a cheaper build, as all of them. The Euro cars are really starting to catch fire now that Americans are importing them at 25+ years of age. I’m glad I made the move when I did. They are all on fire in 2021, especially if clean and in unique colors.
Very nice job. The e36 M3 is so underrated. I bought a M3 in Dakar brand new in 1995. I should have never sold it. My penance was to buy another e36 M3 about 6-7 years ago but this time as a convertible. I've owned a lot of very cool cars but the e36 M3 is the only one I've ever bought twice.
I honestly think the E36 is drastically underrated too, even without having driven one. Dakar looks awesome on these cars and although it sucks that it's no longer yours to drive, you live and you learn! Glad you picked another E36 up, how does the convertible compare in your opinion?
WTF!!!! I was watching what I thought was a multi-million subscriber channel!! And you only have 895, underrated channel!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Very good info, e36 m3 owner myself, wonderful car. Came from a 335xi 6spd manual, and I love the e36 m3 so much more it's not even close. Getting very difficult to even find a manual coupe for sale in Canada. Buy one while you can and cherish it.
It's funny how 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.
Saw an E 36 M3 white with 190,000 miles it had black interior it was pretty nice it was just missing a bumper I wish I had the money in the bank to pull the trigger on it I would’ve bought it but I got a save for now love the videos man keep companies out you’ll get 100,000 subscribers in no time you’re very informative with your videos
Happy to help! I was already interested in how the E36 M3 market was doing so I figured it would be a good follow-up to the E46 video, glad you found it useful!
Very well put video! Extremely informative and well thought out. I got a boston green 1994 e36 325iS m-tech (automatic/manual) in near perfect condition and 85k miles on it. Lately ive been thinking of maybe selling it since i could use the money. Now I know to set the price at about 20-25k. I even have the original signed documents with the owners manual and every single recipe and checkup done to the car.
The Germans at the Nurbirgring are all setting the fast laps in the E36 M3, some are even running stock motors. I never even saw an E46 or newer M3 on the track when I went around there. From what I can see in E36 vs E46 M3 videos (on that track) the E46 struggles with understeer on the limit, has a slower corner entry and slower mid corner speed compared to the E36 which just lacks a bit of top end on the straights. There was one video where a modified E36 328i was beating the E46 M3 most of the way around until the straights near the end. I own an E46 330CD and used to own an E36 323i and although overall the handling is very similar on both cars I would say the E46 does suffer with very slight understeer when I push it really hard where I don't remember the E36 front end being anything other than planted in all conditions no matter how stupid I was in it. That said I've had both cars nearly launch me into ditches when the back has come around and I would say the 36 would have been the more dangerous of the two if they had the same engines. If I ever decide to get an M3 it will be an E36 because nobody talked about M3's before they came out and I don't remember anyone getting as excited about the E46's when they replaced them. Obviously if some crazy German starts setting the fastest laps in a modified E46 in the meantime then I might have to change my mind but if the platform was better people would have started doing it by now.
Good video but about the engines: the s50b30 (fl s50b32) were the names of the european version with power output of 286 AND 321 HP, the US engines was the s50b30US and s52b32.
Great analysis. Its funny. 21 years ago when I bought my Hellrot Vader M3, there was not a lot of love for the E36 on the forums. Folks said how ugly and underpowered it was. I liked it though coming from a VW Corrado SLC. Drove my '95 for 11 years and 105,000 miles. It was my daily driver. Eventually putting the stock M Motorsports suspension back on. Should have done that sooner. For what these cars are going for now, unless you are a collector/investment speculator, maybe you just love old metal, or just looking for a cool fun car to drive I'd buy something newer just for parts availability alone. In 2010 parts for my 15 year old M3 were getting hard to find and expensive. I wonder if my M3 is still on the road. I should search the VIN.
Blows my mind the price dealerships are selling these cars for. But when the owner traded the car in, they were probably given a third of the value the dealer trying to sell car for.
This is a dope video. Coming from an E36 M3 owner this is spot on. 102k fern green on sand beige daily driver and love every minute of it! Highly recommend the car to anyone considering it. Subscribed.... You should do this on E39 M5 (my other car...) :)
The M3 is currently my top option for new car that plan on buying soon, where I’m looking they average around 5400 in white. I also found an E46 M3 2002 for 6000 but not sure how the subframe is
From personal experience i bought my 97 E36 328is from first owner , super well kept , great maintenance history and its given me no issues , then I bought my 97 M3 sedan , lack of maintenance , it was very cheap and now im paying the price by fixing every piece of the car 🙃 save your $ and find yourself a clean e36 lol or if you’re mechanically inclined then you could just do the work yourself 🤟🏼
Make sure you check out the rear shock towers before buying. You need to pull up the carpet and inspect. They rot out frequently and if you don't catch it early like I did, its not cheap to fix. I bought my E36 M3 Sedan from the gang strike force. It was seized by them and resold. It's cosmos black on black. Has the luxury trim pkg. It's my baby now and I'll never let it go. lol
Thanks for adding those watch items Matt, definitely valuable perspective. Glad to hear you found an E36 and hope that you get to enjoy it for many years to come!
This channel is great I like these market analysis videos, kind of stuff I look at and think about all the time. I bought a 97 Estoril blue on dove grey 5spd coupe a year ago for $7k, I've been just burning money bringing it up to that probably $12-15k value on BAT. I'm OK having that much into it though since I bought it so cheap
Really appreciate it Chris! I think these market analysis videos are really useful in helping people understand what aspects affect the value of the car most, so I'm glad you enjoyed it. Sounds like you have a sick car, and you really can't beat that for $7k even if you have to spend some money improving it. That's honestly what I would do if I were looking for an E36 since the upfront cost is lower and it gives you a fun project to work on.
Great video, I like the e36 as much as e46, the 90s had great designs for any car i would say, every car back then cars were made to best looks and it used to ba dream cars for young boys, you would see pictures of cars in kids room on walls, and an era when cars were made solid.
Totally agree, these cars are BMW at their best in my opinion. I also grew up idolizing this era of automotive design and I think these M3s will still be respected decades from now!
The E 36 M3 that was selling for $6000 with the missing bumper was an alpine white and it had black awesome sport seats or premium seats and it was a five speed manual I really wish I could buy it but I need to save LOL I already have two BMWs
I found one he wants $3500 it has 180k miles it has new tie rods plus alignment,air flow sensor, throttle body and new vavle cover and extra set of wheels with brand new tires y'all think it's worth the $3500? Thanks
E36 M3 Evo saloon in England, where selling for 4, 8k 10yrs ago ie 4K in very good condition, 80/100k miles , 8k mint low mileage at 50/70k miles Now they are selling for 10k to 30k ..wow
Being that the e36 is neither especially big or super powerful, and considering how the standard of automotive technology has improved in the last 25 years, would it be unreasonable for an automaker to produce something similar to this today without the luxury badge? A four door BRZ with 260ish horsepower sounds about right. Too bad it was a joint venture with Subaru that can't afford to cut into WRX sales like that.
Great analysis. I have a Cosmos Black '97 M3/4/5 that I guess I will hang onto a little longer given the amount of money I have sunk into it this year. And by the way, I believe Mugello is pronounced with a soft "g" as opposed to the hard "g" you used. Think "jello" when saying Mugello. And I guess I have just become that guy by sharing...lol.
Absolutely, you've gotta enjoy the investment you've made! And thanks for correcting me on the pronunciation of Mugello, I prolly should have looked into that a little more before making the video but you live and you learn. Appreciate you watching!
its not a must but will change everything. get coilovers KWs are perfect save your money and you wont be disappointed. 2 find some S52 cams or get better ones if you want. lastly go and replace the intake for a RHD ITB. you wont be disappointed and youll have a more fun raw and sharp driving e36
These cost about the same where I live in Europe. Around $19K But these are way out of the average person's budget, since most people here earn no more than $700 a month. 😧
I have the opportunity to grab an e36 m3 that has over 250k milage. Owner says it's in fair condition. The car comes in red and is a standard coupe. Owner also says it's used as their daily. It has black interior and Vader seats. The price on the car is $5,500
I agree that the cars sold on BaT are typically more expensive than some of the cars listed on local classifieds, but I really like their platform due to the amount of information available to bidders which allows people all over the country to place a bid without ever seeing the car in person. Plus, BaT is really selective with the cars that make it to auction so that weeds out the M3s that need a lot of work and would typically sell for well below average. I definitely get what you're saying, but the public auction format is interesting.
Tire Kickers this isn’t a knock on BaT just rather that some of the conclusions made aren’t going to apply to say 80-90% of the e36 M3s out there. These are the top 20% of cars in terms of quality. So this is long winded way of saying, sorry 2XXk mile or drift missle e36 owners, your car isn’t BaT price worthy lol!
Incredibly detailed analysis per usual. Really informative with great graphics. A couple quibbles in general about your content, as I'd like to see you succeed in growing your channel. Splicing three second clips together of you talking with obvious cuts makes it looks you're too scripted. Just because Demuro does this constantly doesn't make it cool. Also, why aren't you using your name? Like "Hi everybody, this is (blank) from Tire Kickers." Just a couple thoughts from a sub.
This is the kind of feedback I really appreciate, so thank you Greg. I'm still working on my "style" so I've been experimenting to see what works best. I want to make sure the first part of the video is visually engaging so I don't lose attention, but I also don't want the editing to be distracting. I like your idea about introducing myself and then jumping right into the content so there's a more personal connection with the audience. I have some things I want to try out in my next analysis type video so thanks again for spending the time to help me improve!
power steering lines!!! all in all the E36 is the best car ive ever owned i just bought m y second one 328is Alpine wise III 1 owner. some old lady in Beverley hills
There's one mistake in the beginning of your video.. The 5 speed manual was only for the 3.0 liter version, but the later 3.2s had and have a six speed manual gearbox.
With most being under 20k its a great buy. I'm looking for a nice car to buy and this one is reaching the top of the list. My budget is 30k so that gives me alot of room to find a good one
1995 alpine white with turbo s52 motor, fully built, gt35r, 450hp/tq, work wheels, full coilovers, etc, 120k, motor rebuilt under 10k.. needs paint though. 18k CA clean title
hmm.. wasn't the American Market powered by the S50/S52 with 240hp and the European Version powered by the S50 engine producing 280hp? If so it is nowhere near the discrepancy mentioned in this video of 321 to 240. With 321hp being S54 territory.
Right off the bat I’m gonna correct one thing. BMW did not want to bring the e36 m3 here at first but not due to “disappointing” sales of the e30 m3 and e34 m5. They sold every unit of those cars that they made for the US market. They also sold the e28 m5 here and the e24 m6 and those sold out as well. So your info there is wrong. The main reason they didnt want to bring the e36 here is was due to not wanting or ability to get the s50 engine to pass emissions. The other thing was price. The e36 m3 in Europe was way more expensive than what we paid for the previous m cars so bmw felt the car was priced out of the US market. But anyways I’ll let you look into that on your own.
I have no doubt that you know your stuff, and I appreciate your willingness to keep the facts straight. From the research that I gathered for this video, several sources (namely BMW M Registry and Car Throttle) suggested that disappointing sales of previous M-generations contributed to BMW's not having plans to bring the E36 M3 to the states, however a letter-writing campaign led by the BMW Car Club of America helped persuade BMW of North America to reconsider. The US certainly received a watered down version of the E36 M3 when compared to the Euro market, so obviously there were price and emissions concerns at play, but I really just wanted to provide some quick context about the E36 before I talked about its value. Regardless of who's right, I believe the E36 is an under-appreciated car that deserves more praise than it gets.
Depending on your budget and how much work you are willing to do yourself/pay a shop to do, there are a couple options. If you want the absolute best M3, you can monitor the auctions on Bring a Trailer or keep an eye on what EAG has posted for sale on their site. If it were me, I'd look on Craigslist, Cargurus, or other similar sites to see what people around me are selling. What actually worked really well for me when I was looking for my E46 M3 was posting a "Want to Buy" ad with everything that I was looking for in my ideal car. I got a lot of responses from people who were just seeing what kind of interest I had in their car without having a formal ad put together.
Would you advise a 20 year old to try and settle for this car? (Not saying i could afford a $15k+ version of it but around $10k-12k i could handle in payments, but i need room for other amenities as well) I’m fortunate enough to be living under my dad but he’s moving in a year so that leaves me with having to find a place to live and getting a job that can support me. I work a $12/hr + tips job rn but that’ll only get me so far. I still have to figure out my career path as well, but I’m not a fan of school at all even though i am currently enrolled in community college. I also have the choice of buying my dad’s 17’ VW GLI w/ 37k miles and an APR stage 1 tune that makes 270hp and 300tq (hopefully it’ll be close to 50k miles when he moves so it’ll be a little cheaper, and he should sell it to me for less than market is asking) off of him. Plus he said he can keep the car under his insurance and i just pay him the annual premium instead of it being under my own name and it costing more to insure. I love that car and drive it as much as I can, but I’ve always been into Bmw. Just need some advice, most likely I’ll end up settling for my dad’s VW, but I’ve always dreamed of owning an m3
Sounds like you've put a lot of thought into this and I think you're heading in the right direction, but I'll add my perspective. I've been around BMW for close to 15 years between my dad's E39 540 and my own cars. Although they're incredibly fun to drive, they're certainly not the model of reliability. If you choose to go the M3 route you could find yourself having to replace wear items like suspension and steering components if they haven't been replaced already, which will get expensive quickly if you have a shop perform the work for you. I don't know all the details of your financial situation so it's possible you could make it happen, but from my perspective your dad's VW sounds like a solid option because it's newer and you already know the history. Plus you said you enjoy driving it so that's really all that matters. Although you may have to wait a little longer to fulfill the M3 dream, I think there will still be attainable examples out there for you to take advantage of in the future. As far as the career thing goes, don't worry about having it all figured out right now. I chose to get my degree in Mechanical Engineering because I love cars, but also because it gave me plenty of options outside of the automotive field. Anyway, you seem like a smart guy heading down the right path and I have no doubt you'll find the right M3 in the future.
Original owner of '98 M3 sedan. The M3 was a classic the 1st day it came out. I've been taking care of mine for 23 years so far - the last 12 no daily driving. Unlike the majority (I guess) I have a moderate preference looks-wise for the sedan.. the lines and shaping is better.. hence why I bought it. Proud that I never put crappy aftermarket garbage on it. It does have coilovers and full Dinan spec and in 2000 I bought BMW/BBS RC040/RC041 staggered rims for it which are beautiful and like hens teeth now. Been waiting for the value to go up for years... so lame that the value hasn't been held the whole time. There's never been many on the road and it's the same beautiful car today that it was 5, 10, 23 years ago. Also lame that from say 2008 to 2016 or so no one really asked about it much and now I get offers all the time... it was the same beautiful car 10 years ago.
Awesome man, sounds like you're the epitome of the E36 M3 enthusiast. I agree that it's weird how time changes people's perspective. Maybe it's nostalgia, maybe it's the rarity of seeing a really nice example of an aging BMW, or a combo of both. I'm certainly in the camp that the E36 is under appreciated and hope that these cars continue to gain the recognition they deserve.
I am a die-hard e36 guy. This was a great video. But I truly believe the prices will shoot up to e30 m3/46 m3 prices in the next 5 years. It's slightly different because the e36 m3s were extremely cheap around 2010 (finding one for 3-4k was extremely easy) They have always been underrated cars but I truly believe that it was due to them being so cheap for so long.
In couple more years, e36 will jump in price since all the drift boys are moving to e36 after trashing all the 240sx.
That’s why I’m buying as many of these old beemers I can get my hands on
Lmao u mean. Volvo 740 turbo is he new 240 . Look it up dummies. Why would a more expensive car be the new drift car . Lol makes 0 sense
@@adrianroman2520
Had an new s40 t4 in 1999.
Drove 250.000km with it,like i did stole it.
Only,,its frontwheel drive.
@@RedbadvanRijn-ft3vv its rwd here in the states.
@@RedbadvanRijn-ft3vv sorry it was a typo. Meant the volvos 740 turbos RWD are they drift cars to buy
I've got a 1999 with 52k miles on it (83,000 km as I'm in Canada). Fern green over black and bone stock with no modifications or accidents. Can't think of many cars I would trade it for as it's a lot of fun to drive in the summer.
Same. I have a 99 Dakar Yellow over black (w/ Vaders) with 46k miles on it. It's pristine and I LOVE it. Driving the car is such a pleasure.
Amazing analysis and lots of great information 🙏🏾
Really appreciate it, glad you found it useful!
wow your video has answered pretty much most of the questions I had regarding a potential e36 m3 im looking at and how its priced. All while being under 15 minutes. Thank you!
I’ve had 6. Currently have a 98 sedan cosmo and a turbo 97 coupe Estoril. I’ve had vanos fail in 1, front diff bolt fail in 2 and all of them needed cooling systems upgraded. I’d also add that it’s also good to do subframe reinforcement. Good video.
If you’re looking to have the car modified, although the ‘95 has the M50 instead of the M52 engine so lower torque, it also is the only US model year that does not have OBD-II diagnostics. What this means is that it is easier to do mods on the engine (exhaust, intake, ECU, etc.) without worrying about it tripping up things during an emissions test. Back in the day I had a ‘95 M3 coupe in Dakar yellow, followed by a ‘98 M3 sedan (also in Dakar yellow). The E36 M3, although not the fastest car, is probably one of the most perfectly balanced sports cars from the 90s, giving it phenomenal handling characteristics.
I’ve got just about all the 90’s BMWs I want with an E31,32, 2 34s and finally last month rounded it out with a Euro E36M3 sedan. It is every bit as fun, albeit a cheaper build, as all of them. The Euro cars are really starting to catch fire now that Americans are importing them at 25+ years of age. I’m glad I made the move when I did. They are all on fire in 2021, especially if clean and in unique colors.
Great info. Quick reminder : Euro 3,2L engines were named S50B32.
Really good catch, realized I screwed that up after I posted the video. Glad you're keeping me in line!
Very nice job. The e36 M3 is so underrated. I bought a M3 in Dakar brand new in 1995. I should have never sold it. My penance was to buy another e36 M3 about 6-7 years ago but this time as a convertible. I've owned a lot of very cool cars but the e36 M3 is the only one I've ever bought twice.
I honestly think the E36 is drastically underrated too, even without having driven one. Dakar looks awesome on these cars and although it sucks that it's no longer yours to drive, you live and you learn! Glad you picked another E36 up, how does the convertible compare in your opinion?
WTF!!!! I was watching what I thought was a multi-million subscriber channel!! And you only have 895, underrated channel!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Very good info, e36 m3 owner myself, wonderful car. Came from a 335xi 6spd manual, and I love the e36 m3 so much more it's not even close. Getting very difficult to even find a manual coupe for sale in Canada. Buy one while you can and cherish it.
It's funny how 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.
This is the best analysis on the e36 on the internet dude. Im subscribed !!!!
Appreciate it, glad you liked it!
I have watched this video twice! Looking to purchase my first E36 tomorrow!!!! Black on black manual! Cant wait!
Saw an E 36 M3 white with 190,000 miles it had black interior it was pretty nice it was just missing a bumper I wish I had the money in the bank to pull the trigger on it I would’ve bought it but I got a save for now love the videos man keep companies out you’ll get 100,000 subscribers in no time you’re very informative with your videos
Nice video, I would also keep in mind vanos issues.
Bushings if not replaced will need too if you like a quiet car. Do not replace with anything but rubber unless you want noise.
Well said Ben!
Thank you for this video. After I saw you do the E46 video I was hoping you'd do this.
I'm currently looking for a E36 M3 myself. This is helpful.
Happy to help! I was already interested in how the E36 M3 market was doing so I figured it would be a good follow-up to the E46 video, glad you found it useful!
The build quality is as good as it gets.Looks great.drives great . love the e36
Right on Steve!
Very well put video! Extremely informative and well thought out. I got a boston green 1994 e36 325iS m-tech (automatic/manual) in near perfect condition and 85k miles on it. Lately ive been thinking of maybe selling it since i could use the money. Now I know to set the price at about 20-25k. I even have the original signed documents with the owners manual and every single recipe and checkup done to the car.
E36 m3 owner. Good info! Subscribed.
Great video and info! I own a 97 M3 and had a 99 M3 a few years back.. wish I would have keep that one too!
Thanks Pedro! I definitely feel like the E36 is under-appreciated and wouldn't mind having one to drive. Hope you enjoy your 97 M3 to the fullest!
The Germans at the Nurbirgring are all setting the fast laps in the E36 M3, some are even running stock motors. I never even saw an E46 or newer M3 on the track when I went around there. From what I can see in E36 vs E46 M3 videos (on that track) the E46 struggles with understeer on the limit, has a slower corner entry and slower mid corner speed compared to the E36 which just lacks a bit of top end on the straights. There was one video where a modified E36 328i was beating the E46 M3 most of the way around until the straights near the end.
I own an E46 330CD and used to own an E36 323i and although overall the handling is very similar on both cars I would say the E46 does suffer with very slight understeer when I push it really hard where I don't remember the E36 front end being anything other than planted in all conditions no matter how stupid I was in it. That said I've had both cars nearly launch me into ditches when the back has come around and I would say the 36 would have been the more dangerous of the two if they had the same engines. If I ever decide to get an M3 it will be an E36 because nobody talked about M3's before they came out and I don't remember anyone getting as excited about the E46's when they replaced them. Obviously if some crazy German starts setting the fastest laps in a modified E46 in the meantime then I might have to change my mind but if the platform was better people would have started doing it by now.
This was very well done Comprehensive accurate and pragmatic for non E36 experts.
Appreciate it James! Wanted to keep the info approachable while still providing value to anyone interested in the E36
I’m So Lucky To Have Found 4 M3 e36 And Got Some Good Deals On Them 2 coupes And 2 Convertibles I’m So Happy
Good video but about the engines: the s50b30 (fl s50b32) were the names of the european version with power output of 286 AND 321 HP, the US engines was the s50b30US and s52b32.
Thanks Christian, I screwed that up when making the video but I appreciate you keeping me in line!
quality channel keep putting out videos you will see the reward for you work soon man
very. nice review--great job. You just. got. a new subscriber. 👍😎
Really appreciate it, kinda cool you found this video as I've seen a lot of your content over the years!
@@TireKickers 👍🙏
Great analysis.
Its funny. 21 years ago when I bought my Hellrot Vader M3, there was not a lot of love for the E36 on the forums. Folks said how ugly and underpowered it was. I liked it though coming from a VW Corrado SLC. Drove my '95 for 11 years and 105,000 miles. It was my daily driver. Eventually putting the stock M Motorsports suspension back on. Should have done that sooner. For what these cars are going for now, unless you are a collector/investment speculator, maybe you just love old metal, or just looking for a cool fun car to drive I'd buy something newer just for parts availability alone. In 2010 parts for my 15 year old M3 were getting hard to find and expensive. I wonder if my M3 is still on the road. I should search the VIN.
Blows my mind the price dealerships are selling these cars for. But when the owner traded the car in, they were probably given a third of the value the dealer trying to sell car for.
cool break down and delivery. But small nitpick there is no euro S52. only OBDI euro S50B30 and OBDII euro S50B32
This is a dope video. Coming from an E36 M3 owner this is spot on. 102k fern green on sand beige daily driver and love every minute of it! Highly recommend the car to anyone considering it. Subscribed....
You should do this on E39 M5 (my other car...) :)
The M3 is currently my top option for new car that plan on buying soon, where I’m looking they average around 5400 in white. I also found an E46 M3 2002 for 6000 but not sure how the subframe is
From personal experience i bought my 97 E36 328is from first owner , super well kept , great maintenance history and its given me no issues , then I bought my 97 M3 sedan , lack of maintenance , it was very cheap and now im paying the price by fixing every piece of the car 🙃 save your $ and find yourself a clean e36 lol or if you’re mechanically inclined then you could just do the work yourself 🤟🏼
Make sure you check out the rear shock towers before buying. You need to pull up the carpet and inspect. They rot out frequently and if you don't catch it early like I did, its not cheap to fix. I bought my E36 M3 Sedan from the gang strike force. It was seized by them and resold. It's cosmos black on black. Has the luxury trim pkg. It's my baby now and I'll never let it go. lol
Thanks for adding those watch items Matt, definitely valuable perspective. Glad to hear you found an E36 and hope that you get to enjoy it for many years to come!
Nice work!
Love that that T-shirt
This channel is great I like these market analysis videos, kind of stuff I look at and think about all the time. I bought a 97 Estoril blue on dove grey 5spd coupe a year ago for $7k, I've been just burning money bringing it up to that probably $12-15k value on BAT. I'm OK having that much into it though since I bought it so cheap
Really appreciate it Chris! I think these market analysis videos are really useful in helping people understand what aspects affect the value of the car most, so I'm glad you enjoyed it. Sounds like you have a sick car, and you really can't beat that for $7k even if you have to spend some money improving it. That's honestly what I would do if I were looking for an E36 since the upfront cost is lower and it gives you a fun project to work on.
Great video, I like the e36 as much as e46, the 90s had great designs for any car i would say, every car back then cars were made to best looks and it used to ba dream cars for young boys, you would see pictures of cars in kids room on walls, and an era when cars were made solid.
Totally agree, these cars are BMW at their best in my opinion. I also grew up idolizing this era of automotive design and I think these M3s will still be respected decades from now!
The E 36 M3 that was selling for $6000 with the missing bumper was an alpine white and it had black awesome sport seats or premium seats and it was a five speed manual I really wish I could buy it but I need to save LOL I already have two BMWs
How about videos of the e36 convertibles? That will be dope
No
CMara 369 you don’t know shit what you talking about.
I think the convertible is the most rare e36, only 98 and 99s. They are undervalued.
Wow I didn’t know that! Looking at one right now. I don’t know which year but I hope it’s a 99
No mention of the oil pump nut or the ever classic glove box sag. 🤔
Good call, definitely sounds like problems that an aging BMW would have
There have DEFINITELY been cheaper M3’s than $6700.
Amazing video one of the best on youtube u just got a new subscriber can u please do a video on the E34 M5 please
Great work on the analysis. I owned a 97 M3 Sedan back in 97. I am looking for a clean blue or yellow coupe example for a V8 Swap.
Great video. Informative and entertaining. Lucky owner of a euro e36 3.2 evolution in estoril with black leather Vader’s and three pedals
That's awesome! Honestly sounds like a dream spec from my perspective, I'm jealous lol. Thanks for watching!
Solid car, just be proactive and upgrade all the coolant system plastic parts with aftermarket aluminum part and you will be good to go.
I bought one a couple months ago for $1,900, running and driving. Granted it was an auto with 218,XXX miles
That's an awesome deal, even with that mileage. How/where'd you find that?
Damn I got mine for $1,800 with 169,xxx miles but it was crashed from the rear driver side. Manual.
Us spec is a great car.
Absolutely, and it looks great too
Indeed, I absolutely love mine.
I found one he wants $3500 it has 180k miles it has new tie rods plus alignment,air flow sensor, throttle body and new vavle cover and extra set of wheels with brand new tires y'all think it's worth the $3500? Thanks
cool vid ik prices will go up
E36 M3 Evo saloon in England, where selling for 4, 8k 10yrs ago ie
4K in very good condition, 80/100k miles ,
8k mint low mileage at 50/70k miles
Now they are selling for 10k to 30k ..wow
what are your thoughts about an e36 1994 325i mtechnic frour door vanos?
And you were right. Doubled in price.
Amazing video. I’d love to see more content. I love the data you present. Keep it up!!! Sub
Being that the e36 is neither especially big or super powerful, and considering how the standard of automotive technology has improved in the last 25 years, would it be unreasonable for an automaker to produce something similar to this today without the luxury badge? A four door BRZ with 260ish horsepower sounds about right. Too bad it was a joint venture with Subaru that can't afford to cut into WRX sales like that.
Great analysis. I have a Cosmos Black '97 M3/4/5 that I guess I will hang onto a little longer given the amount of money I have sunk into it this year. And by the way, I believe Mugello is pronounced with a soft "g" as opposed to the hard "g" you used. Think "jello" when saying Mugello. And I guess I have just become that guy by sharing...lol.
Absolutely, you've gotta enjoy the investment you've made! And thanks for correcting me on the pronunciation of Mugello, I prolly should have looked into that a little more before making the video but you live and you learn. Appreciate you watching!
its not a must but will change everything. get coilovers KWs are perfect save your money and you wont be disappointed. 2 find some S52 cams or get better ones if you want. lastly go and replace the intake for a RHD ITB. you wont be disappointed and youll have a more fun raw and sharp driving e36
These cost about the same where I live in Europe. Around $19K
But these are way out of the average person's budget, since most people here earn no more than $700 a month. 😧
Beautiful, I’m debating a e36 or e46 model for m3. I love the e36, but for me e46 I have nostalgia. Is the bmw m3 e36 euro spec can I import it here?
I have the opportunity to grab an e36 m3 that has over 250k milage. Owner says it's in fair condition. The car comes in red and is a standard coupe. Owner also says it's used as their daily. It has black interior and Vader seats. The price on the car is $5,500
Very informative analysis! Would you be willing to do one on the E34 M5 at some point?
Appreciate it Anthony! Yes, I plan on doing the E34 and E39 in the near future. My goal for now is to finish up the M3s and then move to the M5s.
95 didn't have traction control I think. That's why it's reflecting in the price.
Thanks for the video! Looking at a local e36 m3 cab manual techno violet. Stock but 190k miles or so and rough.
Obviously BaT is a great data set, but it’s skewed heavily as BaT prices are very inflated compared to the normal prices
I agree that the cars sold on BaT are typically more expensive than some of the cars listed on local classifieds, but I really like their platform due to the amount of information available to bidders which allows people all over the country to place a bid without ever seeing the car in person. Plus, BaT is really selective with the cars that make it to auction so that weeds out the M3s that need a lot of work and would typically sell for well below average. I definitely get what you're saying, but the public auction format is interesting.
Tire Kickers this isn’t a knock on BaT just rather that some of the conclusions made aren’t going to apply to say 80-90% of the e36 M3s out there. These are the top 20% of cars in terms of quality. So this is long winded way of saying, sorry 2XXk mile or drift missle e36 owners, your car isn’t BaT price worthy lol!
Incredibly detailed analysis per usual. Really informative with great graphics. A couple quibbles in general about your content, as I'd like to see you succeed in growing your channel. Splicing three second clips together of you talking with obvious cuts makes it looks you're too scripted. Just because Demuro does this constantly doesn't make it cool. Also, why aren't you using your name? Like "Hi everybody, this is (blank) from Tire Kickers." Just a couple thoughts from a sub.
This is the kind of feedback I really appreciate, so thank you Greg. I'm still working on my "style" so I've been experimenting to see what works best. I want to make sure the first part of the video is visually engaging so I don't lose attention, but I also don't want the editing to be distracting. I like your idea about introducing myself and then jumping right into the content so there's a more personal connection with the audience. I have some things I want to try out in my next analysis type video so thanks again for spending the time to help me improve!
I agree, don't go too fast. But very informative video thanks 👍
What brand are the rear shock tower reinforcements?
power steering lines!!! all in all the E36 is the best car ive ever owned i just bought m y second one 328is Alpine wise III 1 owner. some old lady in Beverley hills
Estoril Blue with sand beige is pretty rare
No doubt, I only saw 1 E36 with the Sand Beige interior on BaT so I'm sure that paired with Estoril Blue is sick
There's one mistake in the beginning of your video.. The 5 speed manual was only for the 3.0 liter version, but the later 3.2s had and have a six speed manual gearbox.
Not for U.S. U.S. only got 5 speeds but can still handle a lot. Still would love to 6 speed swap my 98 m3
Please do this but with a regular e36 (not m3) please 👉👈
I wanna buy one but I don’t know where to look for one
How can I get one of those T-shirt
With most being under 20k its a great buy. I'm looking for a nice car to buy and this one is reaching the top of the list. My budget is 30k so that gives me alot of room to find a good one
1995 alpine white with turbo s52 motor, fully built, gt35r, 450hp/tq, work wheels, full coilovers, etc, 120k, motor rebuilt under 10k.. needs paint though. 18k CA clean title
I got 1998 m3 well taken care of blue everything stock & orinal
hmm.. wasn't the American Market powered by the S50/S52 with 240hp and the European Version powered by the S50 engine producing 280hp? If so it is nowhere near the discrepancy mentioned in this video of 321 to 240. With 321hp being S54 territory.
Euro s50b30 had 286-295 hp out of the 3.0l and then the euro s50b32 had 321hp out of the 3.2l. Itbs, higher redlines, better manifolds, etc.
Screw the e46 e36 is so much better efficient, about the drive then going fast. 6 months looking for a stock manual transmission. Still looking.
Please tell me where you bought that t shirt
Right off the bat I’m gonna correct one thing. BMW did not want to bring the e36 m3 here at first but not due to “disappointing” sales of the e30 m3 and e34 m5. They sold every unit of those cars that they made for the US market. They also sold the e28 m5 here and the e24 m6 and those sold out as well. So your info there is wrong. The main reason they didnt want to bring the e36 here is was due to not wanting or ability to get the s50 engine to pass emissions. The other thing was price. The e36 m3 in Europe was way more expensive than what we paid for the previous m cars so bmw felt the car was priced out of the US market. But anyways I’ll let you look into that on your own.
Yup! That's exactly right!
I have no doubt that you know your stuff, and I appreciate your willingness to keep the facts straight. From the research that I gathered for this video, several sources (namely BMW M Registry and Car Throttle) suggested that disappointing sales of previous M-generations contributed to BMW's not having plans to bring the E36 M3 to the states, however a letter-writing campaign led by the BMW Car Club of America helped persuade BMW of North America to reconsider. The US certainly received a watered down version of the E36 M3 when compared to the Euro market, so obviously there were price and emissions concerns at play, but I really just wanted to provide some quick context about the E36 before I talked about its value. Regardless of who's right, I believe the E36 is an under-appreciated car that deserves more praise than it gets.
is a blue one priced at 26k with 75k miles on it too expensive?
Let's not use BaT prices for CL price analysis, Bat prices are almost always a lot higher.
Sedan is the best looking one.
Where do I find a e36 m3 ???
Depending on your budget and how much work you are willing to do yourself/pay a shop to do, there are a couple options. If you want the absolute best M3, you can monitor the auctions on Bring a Trailer or keep an eye on what EAG has posted for sale on their site. If it were me, I'd look on Craigslist, Cargurus, or other similar sites to see what people around me are selling. What actually worked really well for me when I was looking for my E46 M3 was posting a "Want to Buy" ad with everything that I was looking for in my ideal car. I got a lot of responses from people who were just seeing what kind of interest I had in their car without having a formal ad put together.
Would you advise a 20 year old to try and settle for this car? (Not saying i could afford a $15k+ version of it but around $10k-12k i could handle in payments, but i need room for other amenities as well) I’m fortunate enough to be living under my dad but he’s moving in a year so that leaves me with having to find a place to live and getting a job that can support me. I work a $12/hr + tips job rn but that’ll only get me so far. I still have to figure out my career path as well, but I’m not a fan of school at all even though i am currently enrolled in community college. I also have the choice of buying my dad’s 17’ VW GLI w/ 37k miles and an APR stage 1 tune that makes 270hp and 300tq (hopefully it’ll be close to 50k miles when he moves so it’ll be a little cheaper, and he should sell it to me for less than market is asking) off of him. Plus he said he can keep the car under his insurance and i just pay him the annual premium instead of it being under my own name and it costing more to insure. I love that car and drive it as much as I can, but I’ve always been into Bmw. Just need some advice, most likely I’ll end up settling for my dad’s VW, but I’ve always dreamed of owning an m3
Sounds like you've put a lot of thought into this and I think you're heading in the right direction, but I'll add my perspective. I've been around BMW for close to 15 years between my dad's E39 540 and my own cars. Although they're incredibly fun to drive, they're certainly not the model of reliability. If you choose to go the M3 route you could find yourself having to replace wear items like suspension and steering components if they haven't been replaced already, which will get expensive quickly if you have a shop perform the work for you. I don't know all the details of your financial situation so it's possible you could make it happen, but from my perspective your dad's VW sounds like a solid option because it's newer and you already know the history. Plus you said you enjoy driving it so that's really all that matters. Although you may have to wait a little longer to fulfill the M3 dream, I think there will still be attainable examples out there for you to take advantage of in the future. As far as the career thing goes, don't worry about having it all figured out right now. I chose to get my degree in Mechanical Engineering because I love cars, but also because it gave me plenty of options outside of the automotive field. Anyway, you seem like a smart guy heading down the right path and I have no doubt you'll find the right M3 in the future.
sad that everyone forgets the compact..
No euro s52 7:06
1992-1995 s50b30 and s50b30us
1996-1999 s50b32 and s52b32
Really good catch, I screwed that up on accident. Glad you're keeping me in line!
Two years later, add $6-10K. Original owner of a 1995 M3, yes I wrote letters to BMW… You’re welcome..
I own a 1995 bmw m3 with onoy 22,450 miles avus blue 5 speed 2 doors .
I subscribed when it said 999 subscribers so am I the 1000th? =)))
It appears you were the 1000th, really appreciate it!!!
Well damn I shouldn’t had sold my 97 m3 😞 I miss my old car
i’m trying to get a bimmer e36
Awesome! These cars are sick and under-appreciated in my opinion, best of luck in your search!
Shift pins, rust, and bushings. That’s about all you missed. And these are for those buying a barely fair condition E36 M3.
Can I get that shirt in SMG?
Haha I’m not sure if anyone makes the SMG version of the shirt, might be something I should look in to 🤔
Great video. You got a email?? want to ask you some questions
Appreciate it! You can send your questions to thetirekickers@gmail.com
The prices of E36 M3 lightweights are completely irrational. No better engine, suspension, or chassis. It's literally just a trim package.
euro S50 Not euro s52
Dakar owner here! Anyone want my Borla exhaust?
Sick, Dakar looks awesome on the E36! I'm sure you'll get some interest for your exhaust, best of luck!
Might be interested. Where are you located?
e36 is overshadowed by e30? yes for sure. But by e46, just in US market.