Photo: Jalopnik
These days everyone is concerned about pollution, emissions, efficiency and all that Greenpeace stuff. They are important, don't think we underestimate that but from a gear head's perspective, they are the worst thing that happened ever, in this world.
That's why going back to the 80s and even further is always going to bring a smile on a true driver's face. No automatic gearboxes, no turbochargers, no electronically controlled dampers no iDrive and no nonsense about emissions would've troubled you back then.
It was the age of pure motoring pleasure and a moment when the Ultimate Driving Experience motto was invented. The one car that stands out the most is the E30 M3. With a more than impressive legacy in DTM Racing and a pedigree to die for, the original M3 was mind boggling.
Patrick George of Jalopnik, had the chance to test drive a 1988 model thanks to one of his readers and he was more than excited to do it. His review might've been influenced by the preconceived ideas he already had, before driving the car but nonetheless, he was more than impressed.
The 1988 model was fitted with the S14 2.3-liter, 4-cylinder engine that developed 195 HP, 230 Nm (177 lb-ft) of torque and had a redline very close to the 7,300 RPM limit. The chassis was the same as the one used in DTM Races and everything else is just history.
On the road, the car pushes you to the limit and not the other way around. You're always going to feel the rear end sliding and you'll keep striving to reach the absolute maximum limit of grip and performance the car is offering.
Acceleration to 100 km/h (62 mph) might not seem too fast on paper with 6.9 seconds but doing it yourself will feel like you're strapped to the hood of a Veyron while also shifting gears manually. Crazy!
And then there are the little things. This car was built 25 years ago and yet it has power windows, power locks, a trip computer, a diagnostic panel above the rearview mirror and a sunroof, things that some cars TODAY don't have.
The seats are comfortable enough but you will feel most of the bumps because of the suspension. But who cares anyway? The character this car has will keep you so focused on the road ahead, you won't even notice the cracks of the asphalt.
Bottom line, even by today's standards, the E30 M3 got 75 points from Jalopnik and that is plenty. Sure, we think it's worth more, but we might be considered bias.
Full test at Jalopnik
It was the age of pure motoring pleasure and a moment when the Ultimate Driving Experience motto was invented. The one car that stands out the most is the E30 M3. With a more than impressive legacy in DTM Racing and a pedigree to die for, the original M3 was mind boggling.
Patrick George of Jalopnik, had the chance to test drive a 1988 model thanks to one of his readers and he was more than excited to do it. His review might've been influenced by the preconceived ideas he already had, before driving the car but nonetheless, he was more than impressed.
The 1988 model was fitted with the S14 2.3-liter, 4-cylinder engine that developed 195 HP, 230 Nm (177 lb-ft) of torque and had a redline very close to the 7,300 RPM limit. The chassis was the same as the one used in DTM Races and everything else is just history.
On the road, the car pushes you to the limit and not the other way around. You're always going to feel the rear end sliding and you'll keep striving to reach the absolute maximum limit of grip and performance the car is offering.
Acceleration to 100 km/h (62 mph) might not seem too fast on paper with 6.9 seconds but doing it yourself will feel like you're strapped to the hood of a Veyron while also shifting gears manually. Crazy!
And then there are the little things. This car was built 25 years ago and yet it has power windows, power locks, a trip computer, a diagnostic panel above the rearview mirror and a sunroof, things that some cars TODAY don't have.
The seats are comfortable enough but you will feel most of the bumps because of the suspension. But who cares anyway? The character this car has will keep you so focused on the road ahead, you won't even notice the cracks of the asphalt.
Bottom line, even by today's standards, the E30 M3 got 75 points from Jalopnik and that is plenty. Sure, we think it's worth more, but we might be considered bias.
Full test at Jalopnik
Google News