[Jason]

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Petrolicious: There Are No Substitutes for a BMW E30 M3

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There are no substitutes for an E30 M3, and for Gabor Mester, no ordinary M3 would cut it. Gabor had his heart set on the specific M3 that started him down the path of BMW: a car that belonged to the parents of a childhood friend. Walking through his friend's garage one day and spotting this M3 instantly turned teenage Gabor into a car guy, who from that day forward took every possible opportunity to see and even wash the car. The dream of owning those '80s flares, boxy lines, and a screaming S14 came true after many years (and a bit of convincing) when the car was ready to be handed to the next generation of E30 appreciators. Now Gabor's E30 M3 love affair has been raging for seven years with no signs of stopping.

[bavarian19]

I can think of a laundry list of cars I would rather have than the E30 M3. Even a couple in BMW's history.

[Lorde]

Porsche 944S or S2. And it doesn't come with the fanboy premium.

[MSteve5036]

Originally Posted by bavarian19

I can think of a laundry list of cars I would rather have than the E30 M3. Even a couple in BMW's history.

Well then there is no way you are a TRUE enthusiast

[GOLFFRR]

Thats awesome. I can remember growing up my parents neighbor had a porsche boxster s that he would let me drive after I washed it and when I drove that I felt like a million bucks. Yes it wasn't the best porsche you could own but I loved that thing.

To this day one of my main goals is to have my very own porsche in my garage. Just waiting for the right one to get traded in

I love to hear stories about people obtaining their dream car and also having the background history of the car. really cool video

[bavarian19]

Originally Posted by MSteve5036

Well then there is no way you are a TRUE enthusiast

Call it what you will, but I think the e30 has become overhyped.

[positiveions]

Originally Posted by GOLFFRR

To this day one of my main goals is to have my very own porsche in my garage. Just waiting for the right one to get traded in

You and I Jimmy.
I wouldn't mind owning an E30 M3 though.

[Braap]

Originally Posted by bavarian19

Call it what you will, but I think the e30 has become overhyped.

Have you owned one? What experiences do you have to back up your claim?

[Never Convicted]

Originally Posted by MSteve5036

Well then there is no way you are a TRUE enthusiast

Damn right! I bet he doesn't even have his Enthusiast Certificate or secret decoder ring, like you do.

[BMWrules7]

Originally Posted by Jason

There are no substitutes for an E30 M3, and for Gabor Mester, no ordinary M3 would cut it. Gabor had his heart set on the specific M3 that started him down the path of BMW: a car that belonged to the parents of a childhood friend. Walking through his friend's garage one day and spotting this M3 instantly turned teenage Gabor into a car guy, who from that day forward took every possible opportunity to see and even wash the car. The dream of owning those '80s flares, boxy lines, and a screaming S14 came true after many years (and a bit of convincing) when the car was ready to be handed to the next generation of E30 appreciators. Now Gabor's E30 M3 love affair has been raging for seven years with no signs of stopping.

Great story!

[dan99]

Originally Posted by bavarian19

I can think of a laundry list of cars I would rather have than the E30 M3. Even a couple in BMW's history.

That wasn't the point of the video...

[OverDriven]

Originally Posted by Braap

Have you owned one? What experiences do you have to back up your claim?

It's pretty widely known that the E30 M3's performance numbers aren't exactly spectacular, and the current price is vastly inflated if you're going by what it can do on the road. That said, the E30 M3 is an historic collector's car and a nostalgic car for many, which is why it commands the premium. A lot of guys on this forum want to go fast, and have no real love for the history of the brand. There's nothing wrong with that, but I think that's where comments like Bavarian19's are coming from.

[bavarian19]

I haven't owned one, but have driven one. I'm not saying it isn't a real good car. I just don't believe it lives up to the amount of hype it has gotten recently.

[weixp386]

excellent video

[Braap]

Originally Posted by OverDriven

It's pretty widely known that the E30 M3's performance numbers aren't exactly spectacular, and the current price is vastly inflated if you're going by what it can do on the road. That said, the E30 M3 is an historic collector's car and a nostalgic car for many, which is why it commands the premium. A lot of guys on this forum want to go fast, and have no real love for the history of the brand. There's nothing wrong with that, but I think that's where comments like Bavarian19's are coming from.

Fair enough; its just a naive point if view is all. No harm no foul. ; )

[atopa2002]

Originally Posted by bavarian19

I haven't owned one, but have driven one. I'm not saying it isn't a real good car. I just don't believe it lives up to the amount of hype it has gotten recently.

It got the hype 23 years ago

[Jay-K]

always love petrolicious's vids.. showing how we can appreciate cars, not just any cars but our own cars with each having special stories behind..

[flatoutstud]

I've owned one for the last 18 years. As a daily driver it was underpowered and under torqued and I can see why some would not rank this car very high on their list. It is now a track/street car with a stock engine and only suspension, brakes, and tires modded. I love it when the Porsche, Vette, and newer M3 owners come up to me to find out why I'm passions them and I just say its all in the handling and braking. Amazing what 20 plus year old engineering can still do. Use it for what it was engineered to do and there is nothing else like it from BMW.

[TMR]

Ive owned a E30 M3. It is a great car but I would prefer a 1M. I drove a 1M for 10 months and loved it. But my all time favorite BMW is a E39 M5.

[noro]

Originally Posted by bavarian19

I can think of a laundry list of cars I would rather have than the E30 M3. Even a couple in BMW's history.

I can tell you that without owning one this is exactly the expected answer. After owning one for 7 years now, I am not exactly sure how to put that relationship into words. It stems beyond just "owning a cool car". Much of my hands on automotive knowledge comes from having this car. It's almost like attending an automotive college plus the satisfaction of competing (and at times winning) with cars such as the E36 M3, E46 M3 and E90 M3.

[kmarei]

Originally Posted by bavarian19

Call it what you will, but I think the e30 has become overhyped.

overhyped or not
you tell me another affordable sports car that appreciates in value
in the last year, the value of E30 M3s has gone up 27%

I've owned 2 (currently own one of those)
and I have owned 2 E92 M3s
it is slower, for sure, than the E92
but it is a lot more fun to drive
it's not about all our speed, otherwise we'd all be driving around in GTRs
I realized I have more fun driving this car at 60mph, than I do in the E92 at a lot more.
and the whole point of driving for me, is to have fun.

[manutdas11]

I am even more in love. I will not stop until I have you.