When it was new, the BMW E30 3-Series was the whip of choice for yuppie-types everywhere. These days it has a different demographic: track day dudes and enthusiasts looking for a cheap, fun, easily-fixable and practical rear-drive performance car. Regular Car Reviews ponders if the E30 deserves its good reputation.
And guess what? They say yes, yes it does deserve all the acclaim that gets hoisted on it. It may not be "fixable with swear words" like a Mazda Miata is, but if you need a car that can also do car-things — you know, getting groceries and taking other people places — it's hard to argue with an E30.
Mr. Regular even calls it "classically perfect," and pretty much a prerequisite for anyone who is into cars.
The model tested in this video is a very nice and, if I do say so myself, somewhat atypical example of an E30 3-Series. It's a 318i sedan with a manual, which means it has the rev-tastic M42 four-cylinder engine. While it's not as potent as a 325i, or as awe-inspiring as an M3, it's still damned good.
Time attack, bro!