The U.S. Spec E36 M3 Was The Low Budget Version

8 Ways American E36 M3 Buyers Got Completely Screwed Over

To keep costs low and to offer the E36 M3 for a price of only $35,800 in America, BMW cut big corners, resulting in a car that was slower, more basic and way less of an M3 than its European brother.

1. The US M3 engine was pathetic

You see, while the original displacements of both the US and European-spec S50 B30 engines were the same at 3.0 litres, the European versions featured individual throttle bodies and a continuously variable VANOS valve timing system. The American car, by contrast, was fitted with the more basic two-stage Vanos system found on the M50 engine, and didn’t get individual throttle bodies. The American engine’s compression ratio was also lower, all of which resulted in 240hp and 225lb ft compared to the European engine’s 286hp and 236lb ft.

Power figures in Europe were later raised to a mega 321hp with the introduction of the 3.2-litre S50 B32 engine, while the poor guys in America got screwed a second time, getting the same 240hp output as before despite getting a 3.2-litre version of the S52 engine. Torque was increased by 11lb ft, though, which is something at least.

5. US buyers never got the six-speed manual

When the E36 M3 first came out, both the European and US-spec cars featured a five-speed manual gearbox. However, in 1996, when both E36 versions were upgraded to 3.2 litres, the European M3 received a six-speed manual gearbox too, while the American cars were left in the dark ages with the same five speeder as before. Interestingly, though, and to suit the American driver, a five speed automatic gearbox was later offered on the US car, further cementing the fact this was no proper M3.

8. The headlight lenses were crappy plastic

Further cost-cutting measures for the US-market E36 M3 meant that the car’s headlight lenses were made out of plastic which were easily pitted by stone chips. They also featured a more simple reflector construction than the glass ellipsoid headlights fitted to European M3s. For that reason, it’s fairly common for owners of US cars to swap out the headlights with the European units.

Complete list (CarThrottle.com)