A lot of people forget about the E36 BMW M3. This one isn’t alright. It is a Group A racing car for the road. It is built to be lighter with carbon fiber and is powered by a naturally aspirated straight-six engine with more than 300 horsepower. It is also very rare, as only a small amount was made. Fans in the United States think the second-generation BMW M3 is the most boring model in the line. The cars that came before and after it, like the 996-generation Porsche 911 and the NC-chassis Mazda MX-5, make it look bad in comparison. This ultra-E36, on the other hand, is an unapologetic find on Bring a Trailer (owned by Hearst Autos, which is like invoice price). It’s a 1995 M3 ACS3 CSL that was changed by German expert AC Schnitzer. More strength. Lose weight. The dashboard of a Group A touring car from that time was taken out. This modified E36 is as unrefined and basic as they come, just like the original four-cylinder E30 M3, which was a race car for the road. But its 3.0-liter inline-six engine makes 320 horsepower at 7000 rpm because of six separate throttle bodies and modified camshafts. That’s a big change from the E36 M3’s 240 horsepower. That model is sold in the US. This is even more true because this car is about 350 pounds lighter than a normal Euro M3 sedan, which weighs about 2800 pounds, because it is made of mostly carbon fiber. Think about a Toyota GR86 that doesn’t give in, with a hot inline-six engine that makes a third more horsepower naturally. AC Schnitzer isn’t as famous as Alpina, but it has just as deep roots. Schnitzer Motorsports, the parent business, was started in the 1960s, and Josef Schnitzer, one of the founders, won the German Championship in a 2002tii in 1966. The Schnitzer boys were still winning races in the 1970s. Josef’s brother, Herbert, started AC Schnitzer in 1987 as a roadside car tuning business. The AC comes from the license plate code for Aachen, which is west of Cologne and where the company was founded. In an ACS3 CSL, Schnitzer uses all of his racing car knowledge on public roads. The brakes were improved to get the most stopping power, and the Nürburgring was where the fully changeable suspension was tuned. The 18-inch wheels, which are lightweight, have Michelin Pilot Sport tires from the 225 series in the front and 265s in the back. A five-speed manual gearbox and a limited-slip rear differential send power to the back wheels. The inside is all carbon-Kevlar and microsuede, with a few twists. This car has power windows, a CD player, and dual-zone temperature control, even though the inside is all business. Here’s something even more fun: the car’s former owner had a custom child seat made because ACS3 CSLs used to have no back seat at all. This car is in New York right now. It has been to Hong Kong and the UK, and its total mileage is 30,000 miles. You’ve found it: the best E36 M3.
