The E90 BMW 3 Series took things up the notch and was the first new 3 Series of the 21st century. It debuted at the 2005 Geneva Motor Show, and within a year, managed to snatch the 'World Car of At circa-£25k it’s certainly not cheap, but at half the price of a similar E30 it seems like a pretty good deal. 2. Nissan 180SX. Another indirect rival to the M3 was the Nissan 180SX. If you Grrrmachine • 1988 325i Touring • 9 yr. ago • Edited 9 yr. ago. There are four main engine families for the E30: M10 (4-cyl) M20 (6-cyl) M40 (4-cyl) M42 (4-cyl) From these, there are a number of available displacements. All the 4-cyl engines are 1800cc, but the M10 and M40 also exist in a 1600cc flavour. The only 4-cyl worth having is the The BMW E30 convertible was a solidly built car. From the bodywork to the quality of materials in the interiors, it featured the best that BMW had to offer at the time. If you can find a car that’s been maintained well, you should clearly see the high levels of craftsmanship and timeless design elements. The interiors were finished in premium Aftermarket parts are even cheaper. The down side of BMW ownership is mechanic cost (hourly is high), dealership part cost (50-150% MORE than online), and local auto parts store availability (usually nill). Regular maintenance parts cost isn't really bad at all (brakes, timing belt, oil changes, etc). They are also pretty darn easy to work on. Transmission: Getrag 265 five-speed manual (six-speed after 1988) Years Active: 1987–1990. Unlike the 2002 or M1, the E30 M3 was flagged by BMW engineers as car with rally potential. Joining other brands like Renault and Peugeot, BMW entered the E30 M3 into its first rally race in the late ’80s. After successes in 1987 at the WTCC Corsa The BMW M30 engine powered several machines that the manufacturer produced between 1968 and 1995. The BMW 2500 and 2800 sedans from the BMW E3 series were the first cars to feature the engine. Eventually, the M30 engine would make its way onto the E9 series, E12 5-Series, E24 6-Series, and E23 7-Series, among other models. The only E30 that makes “a good first car” these days is a fully restored one, and even then it still doesn’t make a good first car (reasons for why are in the second paragraph). That kind of E30 now goes for $15k-20k+ (going by BAT prices here). Most of the sub 100k E30s you’re thinking about fall into that price range now Interior: Sparco Evo carbon fibre seats with five-point harnesses, master cut-off switch, oil temp warning light and Mitsubishi Evo speedo, full custom roll-cage. Built to perform rather than look good, this rough and ready, Mitsubishi Evo-powered BMW E30 rally car is the real deal. The good news is, the E30-generation 3-Series is still pretty cheap. It has a wonderful chassis and plenty of aftermarket support, meaning turning into a competitive car should be fairly easy. psNK.