E36 M3 or is it??

jozi

Is there anyway to tell a E36 M3 from a normal 3XXis with an M badge stuck on.
I can tell a genuine E30 & E46 M3 from badged up 3series (i think so at least) but not the E36.
I suppose i could hear from the engine but with heaphones on and a car standing still you dont get much wiser.
If anyone would care to point out how to spot one it would be much appreciated.
Thanks,

Jozi

StRiKeR

breakes are different to start off with

Gatster

Exhaust - Most of the 318's that have 'M' badges have pea-shooter exhausts (standard) or baked bean cans ('modified'). M3's have twin tips (but so do later 328i's).
Seats - Coupes have the 'Vadar' seats (although Convertibles & Saloon have the standard BMW sports seats).

There are probably more (rubbing strips are wider on the M3's???)

kdevitt

Gatster wrote:

Exhaust - Most of the 318's that have 'M' badges have pea-shooter exhausts (standard) or baked bean cans ('modified'). M3's have twin tips (but so do later 328i's).
Seats - Coupes have the 'Vadar' seats (although Convertibles & Saloon have the standard BMW sports seats).

There are probably more (rubbing strips are wider on the M3's???)

Rubbing strips are the same as the standard sports kit - only difference is that the little badge beside the door says M3 instead of M. Vader seats are a usual giveaway, although quite a few people have them fitted to other coupes.

A good few E36's have twin exhausts, but the M3 will have a staggered setup if its on its original one - one pipe is slightly longer than the other. The twin exhausts on the 325 and 328 are more oval and a good deal smaller.

If you get a goo inside the car - the speedo will have red needles i think, and the MPG indicator isn't there - its oil temperature instead.

MercMad

The rubbing strips are actually different in thickness, also the front air intake, below the grill is different on an M3. The brake discs and mirrors are different and as mentioned the genuine item has two straight 2" tailpipes !

jozi

Thats all good ill remeber for when i next "think" i spot an M3, althou from the above im thinking ive not seen one yet! Are they rare?
Thanks loads for the replies

Jozi

Squirrel

Guy down the road from me has one, and it has the 2 round tail-pipes, I also think the bottom of the rear bumper around the pipes looks slightly different, I don't know, I don't recall seeing them on any other E36, and the badge on the door behind the wheel arch says M3

Gatster

Theres a few about, but not many, you probably see more E46 M3's. I'm getting one (it's looking more and more probable)...See here:

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=315905

kdevitt

MercMad wrote:

The rubbing strips are actually different in thickness, also the front air intake, below the grill is different on an M3. The brake discs and mirrors are different and as mentioned the genuine item has two straight 2" tailpipes !

Rubbing strips are the exact same on the M3 as the Mtec ones - as I said above the only difference is the little badge. Heres a picture from the parts catalogue so people can know what to look out for!

http://www.realoem.com/bmw/diagrams/h/x/19.png

The front bumper and grill can also be identical depending on how it was specced up - most people I know who had the slatted grilles replaced them with the mesh type (p/n 29 in the catalogue)

M3 front bumper catalogue section - http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do?model=BG92&mospid=47433&btnr=51_2758&hg=51&fg=15
328i front bumnper catalogue section -
http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do?model=BG12&mospid=47431&btnr=51_2758&hg=51&fg=15

Around the bumper is also the exact same as the Mtec bumper - just has a plastic diffuser with a space for a twin exhaust, but a 328i Sports will also have this.

Not too many real ones about, but they are becoming less rare over here as they become more affordable...

Seth Brundle

There are also mirror and some other things (paint & seats) which are unique to the M3 but with so many aftermarket places offering M3 kits it is almost impossible to tell.
The best way (if you can) is to read the tax disk. If the tax is over a grand then its an M3!

jozi

I'm going to keep my eyes open for some see can i spot real ones.
Never taught about checking tax disc, one still standing ones anyway

reddzer316

try going to cartell.ie and typing in the reg. it will give you make and model of the car.

colm_mcm

will it not just say 3 series?

kdevitt

If its anything like the current and past BMW's in our family that I've checked on Cartell, it will be manufacturer BMW , model OTHER

unkel

kbannon wrote:

The best way (if you can) is to read the tax disk

Indeed. It will give the engine capacity to the nearest cubic centimeter

No good if it ain't on Irish plates though...

BTW, If I owned an M3, I might actually be tempted to make a visual change so it would be impossible to tell for certain that it was an M3

bazz26

unkel wrote:

Indeed. It will give the engine capacity to the nearest cubic centimeter

No good if it ain't on Irish plates though...

BTW, If I owned an M3, I might actually be tempted to make a visual change so it would be impossible to tell for certain that it was an M3

Good idea, reverse psychology - rebadge M3 as a 316i/318i

Cerdito

There's an E46 "M3" parked in the car park of my apartment complex. All the right styling, badges, interior etc.

Had a look at the tax disk, 1900cc (should be 3200cc) - FAKE!

Robbo

Cerdito wrote:

There's an E46 "M3" parked in the car park of my apartment complex. All the right styling, badges, interior etc.

Had a look at the tax disk, 1900cc (should be 3200cc) - FAKE!

Like so many Subaru 1.6 WRX's and the rare, yet devastatingly fast Mitsubishi Evo XV 1.3 that I see down this direction...

MercMad

But the bodyshell of an E46 M3 is totally different !

It has much wider bodyshell, flared arches and a chrome vent in the wing !

Eoin

Cerdito wrote:

There's an E46 "M3" parked in the car park of my apartment complex. All the right styling, badges, interior etc.

Had a look at the tax disk, 1900cc (should be 3200cc) - FAKE!

Does it have an ///M badge, or an ///M3 badge? I think the M badge on it's own just refers to the M-Tech kit on it; so if it has the wheels and bumpers etc, it isn't really a fake.

MercMad wrote:

But the bodyshell of an E46 M3 is totally different !

It has much wider bodyshell, flared arches and a chrome vent in the wing !

You can tell the difference, but some of the after-market kits are still pretty good at first glance. Example.

Cerdito

eoin_s wrote:

Does it have an ///M badge, or an ///M3 badge? I think the M badge on it's own just refers to the M-Tech kit on it; so if it has the wheels and bumpers etc, it isn't really a fake.

Yep, it has the "3" there alright, I'd be more forgiving if they had left it off, but they're clearly intent on spoofing to the max

Eoin

Cerdito wrote:

Yep, it has the "3" there alright, I'd be more forgiving if they had left it off, but they're clearly intent on spoofing to the max

Ah, no excuse then! I don't mind the M-Tech badge, if you have all the kit - I may put it on myself if I end up getting the kit, but the M3 badge is just silly.

jozi

Nice red E36 ///M3 badged 3 series in cavan the other day, didnt get a chance to look at tax disc she drove by once and pulled off the other time, nice sound from the car to (add-on exhaust?).
I've forgoten what to look for to spot the difference between a genuine E36 M3 and one which was done up.

Does the M3 mentioned above have the grills, bonnet bulge and 4 exhausts? Lot of money spent if it does and tax disc says its not a M3

EDIT: re-read first few replies, i think it may have been a proper M3 alright. And it was a chick driving it, i like her she got good taste

MercMad

You can tell the difference, but some of the after-market kits are still pretty good at first glance. Example.

Sorry but noe of thoise examples look like an M3 to me. Decent kits but you'd spot the fake at 100yards !

Eoin

MercMad wrote:

Sorry but noe of thoise examples look like an M3 to me. Decent kits but you'd spot the fake at 100yards !

I was probably just thinking of the M-tech kit, but some people do go the lengths of getting genuine M3 skirts for their cars, but that means a lot of bodywork to get them to fit.

kdevitt

For the E46 - the skirts from an M3 will fit straight on, the front wings need to be swapped, and the bonnet and bumper need to be swapped. Quite a few people do this. Good example here - http://www.bmwmstyle.co.uk/PopUpWindows/E46-M3Kit.htm

However, the rear quarter panels are different, and its unlikely anyone will go to the expense of changing them. Not wirth the expense unless you're driving a blown 330ci or something with M3 like performance, and even then it shouldn't have the M3 badge stuck on!

A good E36 M3 replica is far more difficult to spot.