BMW 3 Series (E30)

BMW E30
BMW E30
Overview
Manufacturer	BMW
Production	1982–1991
Body and chassis
Class	Entry-level luxury car / Compact executive car
Body style(s)	2-door coupé; 2-door convertible; 4-door sedan; 5-door station wagon
Platform	FR, [AWD]
Related	BMW M3;
Powertrain
Engine(s)	I4, I6; 1.6-3.2 L, 73-236 kW
Chronology
Predecessor	BMW E21
Successor	BMW E36

BMW E30 325es with "diving board" bumpers

The E30 automobile platform was the basis for the 1982 through 1991 BMW 3 Series entry-level luxury car / compact executive car. It was the successor of the BMW E21 in 1982 and was replaced by the BMW E36 in 1992. BMW continued to produce the cabriolet (convertible) E30 well into 1993. The M3 cabriolet was never officially offered for sale in North America; it was offered only for the European market.

The famous BMW M3 was first introduced on the E30 platform. A widened version of the E30 front suspension and the drivetrain from the E30 325i were used in the BMW Z1 roadster.

The E30 3-Series was produced in four body styles, a four door saloon, a two door coach, a five door estate (marketed as the "touring"), and a two door convertible. A Baur cabrio was also available. The 325ix was produced from 1988 to 1992, and featured all-wheel drive. It was available as a two-door (coach) or a four-door (sedan). The BMW M3 utilised a widened and heavily redesigned and restyled variation of the 2 door body style. The M3 shares few parts with other E30 models.

The primary distinctive feature of the BMW E30 models produced for the North American market in 1984-1987 are the elongated front/rear chrome bumpers. These bumpers are commonly known as "diving boards." In 1988, the chrome bumpers were shortened by revising the cover/fillers and shortening the shocks. In 1989 the chrome bumpers were finally replaced with shorter black plastic bumpers. The later model plastic bumper can fit onto a 1988 E30 without any modifications. This is not the case with E30s older than 88. The original chrome bumpers can be tucked in by draining the bumper shocks and compressing them to shorten the bumper. This, however, in the event of a collision, removes the ability of the shocks to absorb impacts and transfers the force directly to the chassis, which is more likely to cause serious damage even in low-speed scenarios.

The cars were powered by a range of inline 4 cylinder (BMW M10 , BMW M40 , & BMW M42) and inline 6 cylinder (BMW M20 and BMW M21) engines, with both petrol and diesel power. Power output for the engines ranges from 140 N·m (103 lbf·ft) torque for the 1.8 L (1766 cc) 4 cylinder engine, to 230 N·m (170 lbf·ft) torque from the 2.7 L (2693 cc) 6 cylinder petrol engine. The E30 BMW M3 was fitted with a 4 cylinder engine (BMW S14) producing more power, but less torque.

Engines

Following on from the E21 the E30 was fitted with M10 4cyl and M20 straight six engines. The 316 used a 1766 cc M10 fed by a carburettor and producing only 66 kW but this allowed BMW to offer a cheap entry level car in the range. The 318i used the same M10 but with Jetronic injection, pushing power to 77 kW/103 hp and improving economy. Finally the 320i (2.0 M20 with 92 kW/125 hp) and 323i (2.3 M20 with 111 kW/139 hp) completed the range.

Later a 2.5 version of the M20 boosted the power of the top model to 120 kW/168 hp.

In 1988 the E30 was revised. The revision contained two significant changes in the engine department. First the M20 straight six motors changed from Bosch Jetronic to Bosch Motronic, this boosted the 320i to 95 kW and the 325i to 125 kW/167 hp, all the while improving the economy, especially on the 320i. The M10 was replaced by the new belt-driven cam M40 which also incorporated Motronic injection. The new 318i now had 85 kW/114 hp and was noticeably smoother than the old 77 kW/103 hp version. The 316 was replaced by a 316i, which used a 1600 version of the M40 producing 75 kW/100 hp. Not quite as torquey as the 66 kW/88 hp 1800 M10 it replaced, it nevertheless offered superior performance. In some markets, like South Africa, the old M10 powered 316 continued a lot longer, gaining the new bumpers of the other models. In South Africa fans had to wait till 1991 for the 316 to make way for the 316i.

All Wheel Drive system

The all wheel drive system on the iX models uses three differentials to distribute power to the wheels. The center and rear differentials use viscous couplings to split torque. The front differential is open.

Special models

In addition to the famous M3 there were other special models of the E30. BMW South Africa's Motorsport division created the 333i in 1986 by fitting the 3.3 M30 "big six" of the 733i to a 2-door E30. The resulting 333i was a major success in saloon car racing in that country and is now a collectors item. These cars, built with help from Alpina in Austria, featured some interesting compromises like forcing the buyer to choose between air conditioning (vital in South Africa) or power steering. They were only built in small numbers in 1986. Later when it became clear that South Africa would not be getting the M3, the 325iS was created. Initially this was merely a 325i 2-door fitted with a bodykit and a close-ratio gearbox (improving acceleration at the expense of top speed and economy) but more changes where made to keep the car competitive in South African saloon car racing. Nevertheless, these cars were always sold to the public. This culminated in the 325iS Evo II of late 1991. By now several body panels were made of aluminum, preventing the car from being washed by automated car washes, and the M20 engine grew to 2.7 and now produced 155 kW.

The cabriolet version continued to be available to the end of 1993.

**E30 production totals**
1982	15,580
1983	218,201
1984	285,134
1985	297,886
1986	329,460
1987	316,075
1988	269,074
1989	257,307
1990	246,818
Total	2,235,535

External links

Official BMW 3 Series
Very complete E30 specifications - severall details of all versions
Template:Dmoz

Engines

All Wheel Drive system

Special models

Further reading

External links