# Roundel's "Real M3" article



## JST (Dec 19, 2001)

Good article in Roundel this month comparing the E30, E36 and E46 M3. Of course, the cars compared are far from stock (the E30 was supercharged, the E36 was Alan Taur's car, and the E46 was Jay Morris's (of Ground Control)), so it's impossible to draw any comparative conclusions about stock v. stock. But it made me want to drive an E30 all the more.


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## Jetfire (Jun 20, 2002)

JST said:


> Good article in Roundel this month comparing the E30, E36 and E46 M3. Of course, the cars compared are far from stock (the E30 was supercharged, the E36 was Alan Taur's car, and the E46 was Jay Morris's (of Ground Control)), so it's impossible to draw any comparative conclusions about stock v. stock. But it made me want to drive an E30 all the more.


 I read that article last night. Glad to see that even Roundel admits that "real M3s have four cylinders." :rofl:

Seriously though, I was actually a bit annoyed that they chose those particular cars for the article. A supercharged E30? An E36 with a Euro engine?!  Suspension mods are one thing, but these totally change the character of the car's performance. Still, the author's observations are more or less in line with my own. And made me want to drive my car even more.


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## JST (Dec 19, 2001)

Jetfire said:


> I read that article last night. Glad to see that even Roundel admits that "real M3s have four cylinders." :rofl:
> 
> Seriously though, I was actually a bit annoyed that they chose those particular cars for the article. A supercharged E30? An E36 with a Euro engine?! Suspension mods are one thing, but these totally change the character of the car's performance. Still, the author's observations are more or less in line with my own. And made me want to drive my car even more.


Yes, the modifications to the cars made any comparisons pretty useless. For example, the author complained about excessive understeer in the E36, but went on at some length about how Taur had fitted giant M Parallels with hugely staggered footprints to his car. It's hard to imagine that this rubber setup hasn't exacerbated the E36's understeer.

In contrast, the author praised the E46, but come on--that car is Ground Control's owner's personal ride. Of course it's going to have a well sorted suspension that dials out understeer.

And the presence of the Euro engine (which I think the author misidentifies as being a 3.0L 286 hp unit; I'm pretty sure Taur used the 321 hp 3.2L mill) does completely alter the E36.

But you're right. The bottom line observations (it's a big, big jump from E30 to E36, and a jump similar in kind but much smaller in degree from E36 to E46) mirror the common wisdom.


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## Jetfire (Jun 20, 2002)

JST said:


> Yes, the modifications to the cars made any comparisons pretty useless. For example, the author complained about excessive understeer in the E36, but went on at some length about how Taur had fitted giant M Parallels with hugely staggered footprints to his car. It's hard to imagine that this rubber setup hasn't exacerbated the E36's understeer.


Of all of Alan's (VERY EXTENSIVE) mods, I found this one the most questionable. The Parallels look great but he went through considerable trouble to make them fit, and the end result did not seem to help with the car's balance. And even the European Evo models did not have significantly wider rubber in back, so it's hard to justify them on the basis of increased horsepower alone.



> In contrast, the author praised the E46, but come on--that car is Ground Control's owner's personal ride. Of course it's going to have a well sorted suspension that dials out understeer.


Exactly. Had the car not been perfectly sorted out (to Jay Morris's preference, of course), I would have been very suspicious. Ground Control is a serious company and makes/sells some of the best setups available. In fact, GC is on my list of future E30 M3 mods.



> But you're right. The bottom line observations (it's a big, big jump from E30 to E36, and a jump similar in kind but much smaller in degree from E36 to E46) mirror the common wisdom.


Aside from being able to read one person's experience in back-to-back testing of these three generations, there really wasn't anything new offered in the article. The difference between E30 and E36 is well documented and well justified, and the E46 evolution is more or less in line with BMW's general philosophies. Still, the article was entertaining to read, if not somewhat short.


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## fatboym (Jul 10, 2003)

Which month was this? September?
I didn't get mine yet!


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## fatboym (Jul 10, 2003)

fatboym said:


> Which month was this? September?
> I didn't get mine yet!


Okay. . finally came in a week later.. .


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