Didn’t we use nearly the same title for an update on our Garage Rescue Miata?
Yes, yes we did.
But Ace Café’s schedule doesn’t just welcome Miatas on the last Monday of the month. The motorcycle-themed eatery also hosts BMWs the third Tuesday of the month. In fact, the sc…
I always assumed the M3 Lightweight was one of those cars you'll only see in a museum, but it's cool that at least one is at least being partially driven.
In reply to Colin Wood :
It was there. Just sitting there. No ropes, no "do not touch" sign. And the owner was happy to chat about it.
That's what I like about these kinds of events: You never know what will show up, and if you're there, then you can take it in.
Colin Wood said:I always assumed the M3 Lightweight was one of those cars you'll only see in a museum, but it's cool that at least one is at least being partially driven.
Paddocked next to one at a track event (believe it was Putnam) 4 or 5 years back. Young guy was beating the heck out of it and said it was a goal of his dad's so he carried the torch. Just amazing to watch such a rare car get modified and abused.
In reply to Olemiss540 :
That's an interesting topic: Is there a point where these rare, competition-ready cars should be retired from track duty and thus preserved? See also: Cobra R, Integra Type R, Viper ACR, Neon ACR and, before them, cars like the Shelby GT350, Yenko Stinger, etc., etc.
David S. Wallens said:In reply to Olemiss540 :
That's an interesting topic: Is there a point where these rare, competition-ready cars should be retired from track duty and thus preserved? See also: Cobra R, Integra Type R, Viper ACR, Neon ACR and, before them, cars like the Shelby GT350, Yenko Stinger, etc., etc.
That one is, and has always been, tough for me.
On one hand, I get sentimental about things and want things preserved. On the other...well, they were built to be DRIVEN.
I think of a friend of mine, a BMW guy actually. He's had a M coupe featured in BMW Performance mag and some other stuff with his 70s era 6 series (with ITBs etc). Anyway, here is with these rarer cars, but he just does what he wants. Nothing that radically changes them, but he mods more than I would feel comfortable with at times. But he loves it. Maybe Im too conservative with my cars.
Anyway, to your question - I dont know ha
In reply to hybridmomentspass :
It is a tough question to ask, and I can look back at my own past. I modded an EG Civic Si, Rabbit GTI, CRXs and more. Today, you'd want those cars to be stock or nearly so. Where does the switchover occur in our own minds? Or is there even one?
And sorta to tie this back to last night, I had several people stop to chat about the M3. I didn't hang around the car all evening, but as I didn't know anyone there, I did circle back to the car just to move around.
People seemed to dig that it's well preserved but modded just a touch. It's not cut up, it's not ratty. But the main mods--mainly the stance and suspension--give it some presence, too. I think one dude called it stock-plus.
Is that the sweet spot for cars that are kinda rare--not nearly Lightweight rare but still a bit special?
David S. Wallens said:And sorta to tie this back to last night, I had several people stop to chat about the M3. I didn't hang around the car all evening, but as I didn't know anyone there, I did circle back to the car just to move around.
People seemed to dig that it's well preserved but modded just a touch. It's not cut up, it's not ratty. But the main mods--mainly the stance and suspension--give it some presence, too. I think one dude called it stock-plus.
Is that the sweet spot for cars that are kinda rare--not nearly Lightweight rare but still a bit special?
I think the beauty is in the execution! If it's well done I think modifications that enhance the ownership experience are a road worth traveling. Now, I have also torn many a modification off once I realized how much they negatively impacted the fun/reliability/comfort of my intended use case.
In reply to Olemiss540 :
A related question: Just how many of us have de-modded our own mods as a car has gotten older/rarer/more valuable?
David S. Wallens said:In reply to Olemiss540 :
That's an interesting topic: Is there a point where these rare, competition-ready cars should be retired from track duty and thus preserved? See also: Cobra R, Integra Type R, Viper ACR, Neon ACR and, before them, cars like the Shelby GT350, Yenko Stinger, etc., etc.
I would absolutely LOVE to have a 718 GT4RS.
I do not think I would change my driving habits from my current Cayman. Daily in the summer, across country trips, trips to the Dragon from NH, canyons in S. CA...
I am a firm believer in driving. My whole collection will be driven as intended.
I passed up a $16k e30 m3 and bought a Tacoma instead. I hate myself.
Wow this forum argues a lot.
In reply to preach (fs) :
I am sure that we have also passed up E30 M3s for the same money.
"$16,000 for an E30 BMW? Are you crazy!?"
See also: I once turned down a 356 for about the same money.
I really, really need that time machine.
Junghole said:Wow this forum argues a lot.
We're just having some lively conversations. 
But as time goes on, cars that were once viewed as disposable become rare items. It's like we're watching history unfold.
I remember when the M3 LTW came out. And I know that in our files you'll find photos of ones all bashed-up. That was normal. Now, a clean, stock one takes your breath away.
I'm pretty firmly on the "drive 'em" side of the fence.
Nearly all of the cars listed can be reconstructed almost from scratch using some mix of new, NOS, and enthusiast-created replica parts. Even Honda, that temple of pragmatism, is dabbling in a factory authorized restoration program for the NA1 NSX. I could easily see the same thing happening soon for the ITR.
And honestly, when I see a CRX with a bunch of late 90's F&F modifications it brings a smile to my face. That was someone's passion and it's a snapshot of the era.
Gotta catch up on the GRM articles...that e46 M3 is suddenly relevant.
In reply to CrustyRedXpress :
Here's the TL;DR on the E46 M3: get one.
Really, it's the total package: the right size, great performance, subtle looks but you know something's up. I was impressed to see our car get that much attention last night. It's not nearly in the same league as the LTW, but people did ask about it. Look for more updates soon. I admit, I'm a tad behind.
Good point about period mods. Yeah, a fully decked-out '90s import does capture a period in time. How soon until we see that on BaT and Mecum? Now offered: Honda CRX with Wings West Predator Kit, Jackson Racing supercharger, 17-inch chrome wheels, giant tach, fire extinguisher mounted to the A-pillar.
You know you'd at least check it out. I totally would.
Pretty much never. They are better enjoyed in their natural habitat than in a museum. (my 2 cents)
I, also, am on the "drive 'em" side of things. Having said that, I only make mods that can be easily reversed in the future should I or someone who buys the car desire originality again.
P.S. I HATE museum/trailer queens
David S. Wallens said:I remember when the M3 LTW came out. And I know that in our files you'll find photos of ones all bashed-up. That was normal. Now, a clean, stock one takes your breath away.
Editorial Director, Grassroots Motorsports & Classic Motorsports
I don't know if I so much remember when the M3 LTW came out, but I DO remember the first time I saw them. En Masse too...
I was lucky enough to be treated Carte Blanche to the 1995 Grand Prix du Mardi Gras in New Orleans by promoter Tom Bowes (we had passes to go anywhere on the circuit__except the seats of the racecars). The several "stock car" classes had dozens of 3-Series on the track, many M3s that were white with Motorsports Division flags on the corners (no idea how many were actual lightweights, but they were prepped AND racing).
That event predated my involvement with BMWs by a few years (Bill Auberlen's too, as he was driving an RX7) but by the end of 2000 rolled around, I was comfortably planted in an M Rdstr. Once spring '01 rolled around, and the Indiana, Michigan & Ohio SCCA autocross groups were organizing their season opener/practice events, I met the original owner of an enthusiastically driven M3 LTW that was in the Fort Wayne club. The story went that he'd just gotten it back from being rebuilt, having rolled it into a cornfield that bordered one of the previous season's autocross sites. So yes, DRIVEN like it was supposed to be.
Now on the subject of "de-modding" a car, I did remove the Eurosport Twinscrew supercharger that I had put on my '99 M Rdstr (after cycling through a Vortech s/c). I'd installed it not long after moving to Florida in 2012, so it was a six (6) year old product by then, and only kept it on the car a few years. Oh, it drove magnificently, but in 2014 I bought the '99 M Coupe that I'd put one of the first Eurosport Twinscrews on for one of its previous owners in 2006 (I think this was the 3rd one running at the time). Lets face it, even I didn't need two twinscrew'd Ms!
Circling back to M3s, the Eurosport Twinscrew that's currently on my M Coupe was pilfered off a non-running__dropped a valve, destroying the block & head__'95 M3 that I bought for its go fast parts.
In reply to Randy_Forbes :
Cool story on the M3 LTW, and they're out there.
We wrote a piece a little while back about the M3 Lightweight story: As soon as the E36-Chassis M3 arrived, BMW took it racing
While a hot property now, it wasn't a big seller at the time.
What's the significance of a BMW m3 lightweight?
I saw one at Fontana ACS before and didn't know they were "special"
I dont care personally. If I had the money to own something semi-rare, I'd modify and drive the crap out of it. I might not if I had like a Ferrari 250 GTO but a Type R Honda or M3 Lightweight absolutely.
yupididit said:What's the significance of a BMW m3 lightweight?
I saw one at Fontana ACS before and didn't know they were "special"
Read this piece about the racing M3s. It explains how the M3 Lightweight came to be and what makes them so special.
Back in the mid to late 90s there was a lady in her 50s that I always saw commuting in a lightweight e36 M3. Everyday on my way to college, she would be driving the lightweight.
Nobody wanted them then.
On the same street there was an e30 M3 for sale for $7500. I could barely afford my mk2 GTI 16v but I wanted that red M3 bad.
In reply to Slippery :
Any chance you saw that LTW in the Bay Area?
You'll need to log in to post.
