BMW Basic digs into the archives to spotlight the often-forgotten BMW 3 Sequence Compact from the E36 era. The hosts even get to take a look at the one-off M3 hatchback, which is the actual star of this present.
America solely obtained the three-door 3 Sequence because the 318ti. Whereas it discovered success in Europe, Individuals weren’t fairly as eager on the car. Small hatchbacks have by no means been the preferred section within the nation, and even by mid-Nineteen Nineties requirements, the 138-horsepower (103-kilowatt) output was modest.
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BMW rectified the dearth of energy in Europe by providing the 323ti with a 2.5-liter inline-six making 168 hp (125 kW). Sadly, this mannequin by no means got here to America.
The M division noticed the efficiency potentialities from placing a extra highly effective engine within the three-door hatch, and the staff constructed a single one as a proof of idea in 1996. Beneath the hood, there was the S50B32 3.2-liter inline-six with BMW’s double VANOS variable valve timing system for each the consumption and exhaust sides. This mill was good for 316 horsepower (236 kilowatts or 321 metric horsepower).
Past the additional energy, the M staff up to date the inside by including single-piece, carbon-fiber sport seats. The steering wheel rim, gearshift, and handbrake obtained Alcantara protecting. There have been additionally quad exhaust pipes with a pair of shops popping out of every aspect of the rear.
The end result was a car that weighed 331 kilos (150 kilograms) lower than an E36 M3 coupe. It was additionally 9.0 inches (23 centimeters) shorter than the two-door, which created a extra nimble machine by placing much less mass behind the rear axle.
Sadly, the execs at BMW by no means gave the M3 Compact a inexperienced gentle for manufacturing. Nonetheless, it is good that the corporate is hanging onto the prototype somewhat than destroying the car to indicate what might have been.
