1991 BMW 318is by Colin Wood
Photography Courtesy Cars & Bids
At first I thought this was the GRM 318is project car. Anyone interested in learning why the 318is from the final year of the E30 is as special as it is should check that out:
https://grassrootsmotorsports.com/project-cars/1991-bmw-318is/
(...Oh, that link is included in the article. Got it.)
I've owned mine for about three years now. It's my first E30, and the combination of the fabulous little M42B18 engine and the lighter chassis is fun, in the way an NA8 Miata is fun: a nimble, lightweight car without much torque but with an engine that just loves to rev and make fabulous noises. And the NA8 comparison is apt: the M42 is a 1.8L twincam four that puts out 133 bhp, almost exactly what my old 1996 Miata did, and with the similar zingy response.
The trunk is immense for the overall size of the car, and while it doesn't have the glorious high greenhouse of the Paul Bracq cars of the previous generation, the roof is still high and the windows still spacious, so it feels open and airy inside.
But mostly it's just pure fun to drive. We use ours for wine-country getaways and the 50-mile-each-way Costco run (see "trunk is immense," previous), which for us involves the northern Oregon Coast. Any day you get to see Haystack Rock twice is a good one.
Loads of fun, and a slightly different cut on what makes the E30 such a favorite. (We get notes asking if it's for sale about once a month.)
