We all wish BMW would make the E30-chassis 3-series again. This car has everything you could want; it’s a great straight-six engine, a manual gear and a limited-slip differential in the back. Already, the price of the modern E30 M3 has gone up a lot. Take advantage of this chance to bid on an E30 model on Wednesday, February 28. It could be even more beautiful. Because BMW is such a well-known name, just hearing the word makes you think of your favorite car. It might be a stylish Z8 racer. The M5 may be the leather-lined ICBM. It’s the 738-hp XM hybrid car if you’re the talking warthog from Disney’s The Lion King. Most people, though, think that a three-series from the late 1980s or early 1990s is the best of the Bavarian cars. A company owned by Hearst Autos called Bring a Trailer is auctioning off this 1988 325 along with Invoice Pricing. It’s a stunningly unique version of the car that many die-hard BMW fans fell in love with first. At the time, the 325is was the most expensive car (except for the M3), though prices have since gone up. These 325is are very valuable, and since they have only driven 27K kilometers, they are likely to fetch a high price. After all, it’s the best that the nice people at Bayerische Motoren Werke could come up with: Rear-wheel drive. A manual gearbox. Steering that responds incredibly quickly. An inline-six engine that is perfectly balanced. The 2.5-liter M20 six’s 168 horsepower isn’t very impressive these days, but it took 7.1 seconds, just a few tenths of a second longer than the M3, to reach 60 mph. A lot of people liked the 325is at the time because it was fun to drive and looked good, too. This car was named one of “the Greatest Cars of the Eighties.” It really was a status symbol for the yuppies, and I wonder if the people who bought it knew how lucky they were. For its whole life, this one has lived in Washington and Montana. It has all the features you could want in a BMW. The 325 has small scoops on the front and back, and its original 14-inch basket-weave wheels are still on it. The inside is all business, with a beautiful three-spoke M-Tech 1 steering wheel and bolstered sports seats that were made just for the 325is. The faster BMWs used to be easy to control, but now you have to hold on to a steering wheel that’s thicker than a pool noodle because it feels like a simulator. The brake fluid has been drained, and the tires, battery, and wire parts are all brand new. Dry ice blasting was used to clean the bottom, and the past is clear. The timing belt on the M20 is ten years old, so it is time for a new one since it is an interference engine. Because this is a very rare example of a loved car that is almost in perfect shape, the person who wins the auction has to drive it to show it the respect it deserves. The E30 M3 is already here and can be put on a stand to keep it safe from the weather. “The Ultimate Driving Machine” is a slogan that the owner of this 325i should remember and experience, along with kindness and care. BMW doesn’t make cars like this 325is anymore. Even so, it’s not likely that people would be drawn to it these days. Let the other people in their X5s and X3s drive by on the highway. If you really love propeller cars, take the next exit and enjoy the winding country roads in your brand-new 325is. Even though it won’t be cheap, the experience of driving will be well worth the money. It will be held on February 28, and there will be no reserve price.
