BMW Celebrates 40 Years Of The 3 Series

I have an admission to make, and it may sounds a little like an alcoholic admitting to his addiction, but here goes.
I own a BMW. To be more specific, I've owned five and still own three.
But don't worry, sport fans; I'm not one of those sales reps buzzing up and down the motorways in a late-model 318, barging slower cars out of the overtaking lane while paying only lip service to the indicator stalk. I'm talking about the E21 and E30 models; I still have two E21 projects and an E30 awaiting my love. The earlier models were always great cars to own and drive, and now people are cottoning on to that; prices of even the unloved E21 are on the rise and it surely won't be long before the E36 joins them. And while I haven't driven any variant of the latest F30 yet, I can say that having spent some considerable time behind the wheel of an E90 320d a while back, BMW have not lost their knack of creating a great driver's chassis.
And to celebrate 40 years of the 3er, BMW have made this little tribute video to their sporting saloon that could. While it is a little mawkish in the way in-house promotional videos usually are, its well worth watching for the gorgeous footage of the E21 and E30. Enjoy.

- Amazosan

Wheels Day Week: Pro Street E21

Words & pictures: Amazosan

As a BMW E21 fan, I've been watching the buildup of this car on the E21.net forum with great interest; and after seeing the finished car up close, it was well worth the wait.
Don't think that this is just a car built for looks; it hides some serious intent. The engine is a 355ci small-block Chevy lump, backed up by a TH350 transmission; I'm not sure of the spec, but it sure looks built to boogie. The bulkhead was bashed back 8 inches to fit the mighty Mouse in the engine bay, and knowing an E21 bulkhead intimately (there's one hanging on my wall in storage), that is a big difference to standard.
It's 'back-halved' (i.e. the whole rear of the car has a scratch-built chassis), with a new rear floor to accommodate a widened transmission tunnel and boot-mounted fuel cell, with the roll cage tying into the front strut towers. Front struts themselves appear to be 323i items (larger diameter dampers than 316 items) while the rear end is a 9 inch Ford item, narrowed er, nine inches to 38 inches wide, with a Detroit locker differential and Strange halfshafts; its mounted on coilovers with custom-built ladder bars.
And I bet that it will fly down the 1/4 mile like a small Bavarian car with it's arse on fire.

- Amazosan

The car in the buildup stages:

The Magnificent Seven

BMW 1602 EV - Neue Klasse Elektrowagen

BMW is a company known for its performance cars, its racing cars, it's M cars. But its...electric cars? Talk about a best kept secret.
2012 marked the 40th anniversary of the first all-electric BMW. To celebrate the fact and to help promote the contemporary "Project i" cars, BMW put out a brief press release on its EV efforts, starting way back in 1972 at the Olympics games in Munich.
Although the Paul Bracq-designed E25 Turbo concept car was set to steal the show at the Games of the XX Olympiad, BMW also wanted one of their road cars to lead the opening ceremonies that year. But the Olympic committee wisely demanded that it be modified to prevent the athletes from inhaling the car's exhaust fumes. The would also have to serve as a means of transport for the Olympic organising committee members, and also act as a camera car for certain events.
BMW's answer was an electric one.
They began development of two examples of the electric 02; it also afforded them a chance to see if a electric power sytem was adequate to the demands of daily driving. In the 1602 EV, the M10 engine and four-speed manual transmission were replaced by a Bosch DC electric motor with maximum power of 32 kW (43.5 bhp). The motor fed into an intermediate transmission (basically a heavy-duty forward/reverse switch) and rear wheel drive was retained as on the standard petrol model. The electric motor itself weighed 85 kg, but it was nothing close to the 350 kg of the 12 lead-acid Varta batteries housed in the engine bay. With a top speed of 62mph and a mere 19 mile range which even with their limited Olympic use pushed the boundaries of their limits, probably explains BMW why built two cars. So while the car was never going to be a production reality with the battery technology available, let alone the fact that petrol was generally cheaper then electricity in the 70's, it did give BMW the courage to develop a second electric vehicle (based on an old 700 model) in 1975 to test a new charging system.
While BMW's development of the electric car has been rather sporadic over 40 years, it seems they're now serious with pushing the EV ideal forward; the i3 & i8 concepts are proof of that.
More pictures here.

A normal 2002, right? Until you notice the script on the doors and the lack of an exhaust pipe...

Alright, who said flux capacitor?

Vorwärts to go foward, rückwärts to go backwards...

L-R: 1602, E30, E1 concept cars from 1991, E36 saloon & coupé, Mini and E82 1-series coupé

Dog Patrol

Digging In The Crates: Martin Lundblad's Pro-Street BMW E21

The BMW E21 - a car saddled with the unfortunate moniker of 'The Forgotten BMW, overlooked for the longest time in favour of it's 2002 predecessor and E30 successor. Thankfully, things are looking more rosy nowadays, as values are rising (which pleases Mr Amazo no end, as he has three) and there are some cracking examples being built.
But back in 1998, the E21 was worth little more than junk value to most, which is why Martin Lundblad decided to get extreme with his example (his first car no less) rather than be forced to scrap it. Engine is a 350ci small-block and the rear is tubbed to fit fat rubber and a 9 inch Ford axle.
We know of another example being built in the pro-street style; it does suit the cars well and ensures the Forgotten BMW lingers in your memory long after its blown your doors off at the lights.

The Cutaway Diagram Files: BMW E21

The Magnificent Seven E21s

Mark Brown, head of the E21 register for the BMW Car Club in the UK and tireless flag-waver for The Forgotten BMW, persuaded Practical performance Car Magazine to create an E21 feature for an upcoming issue. It took place at Raydon airfield in Suffolk and despite the long drive to get there for most, we all didn't need to be asked twice...  

Photos courtesy of M3Gaz and Wizor on the E21.net forum.

A little stopover and some benchracing in a petrol station before the start.

This was as near as you could get before it would bite...
And yes it does race, very well too.

"It's getting hot in here..."[/Nelly]

Insert grassy knoll comment of your choice.

Perfect weather, perfect location. Felt a little sorry for the guys that wanted to come but were stuck in work.

"I'm ready for my closeup, director..."

E21 doff their caps for the camera.

Got stretch?

M50 engine. Bloody quick.

Don't be deceived by the Millennium Falcon demenour; another M50 transplant, another bloody quick car. So much so, it nommed one of it's driveshafts and still did a one wheel wheelspin out the exit when he went home!

Alpina-inspired replica is damn near perfect.

Cheese!

Photo opportunities were rife that day. Well, it was a photoshoot...
Incidentally, this is my one. A little weather-beaten compared to some of the cars that day, but still a lovely car.
And yes, I will be starting my E21meister page very soon...

"How do we get out? It's guarding the exit..."

Road & Track - E21 style.

Looking forward to the feature.