A track-focused special called the E36-generation BMW M3 Lightweight was only sold in the US and small numbers. Extra horsepower, air conditioning, and a radio were things it didn’t have. It was helpful that it was 200 pounds lighter. This one has only 29,000 miles and is almost stock, except for a performance ECU. You have until September 27 to bid in the auction. When it comes to specials that focus on tracks, less is always more. Would you like to have more power for your weight, shorter stopping distances, and better agility? Adding more tires and engines is one way to defy physics, but losing weight and making something that likes dancing is much more fun. The same thing BMW did with the M3 Lightweight in 1995. Only 126 were made, and the 1995 BMW M3 Lightweight that is being sold on Bring a Trailer is one of them. All of them were finished in Alpine White and had the same engine as the standard M3 built to US standards. They were also all amazing to drive. You rarely come across one of the best BMWs that feels analog for sale, so now is your chance to drive one home. A lot of people were upset when the second-generation M3 came out in the US because it didn’t have as much power as the European model. Some full-power M3s were brought into Canada illegally by BMW Canada. However, they were priced between $10,000 and $15,000 more than the M3’s base price in the US, which is $36,620. The American car’s engine only made 240 horsepower instead of 286 horsepower without the smart BMW Motorsport individual throttle bodies. The US M3 also had a slightly softer suspension, and you could choose an automatic transmission instead of the six-speed manual transmission found on later Euro M3. Even though it was appealing to a less passionate buyer, the car was still fun to drive. The M3 is less light, though. By eliminating carpets, audio, and air conditioning and adding aluminum door skins, BMW was able to save 200 pounds on the E36 chassis. In addition to the stiffer Euro suspension, the cars came with extra bracing parts in the trunk that the owners could install themselves. They also had a lower 3:23.1 final-drive ratio, an adjustable front splitter, and a high-rise rear wing. With only a few small changes, the odometer shows 29,000 miles. An aftermarket ECU may slightly improve the performance of the 3.0-liter inline-six, but other than that, it is mostly stock. Due to some minor cosmetic flaws that have been found, it is not necessary to hide it in a garage. BMW seems to have lived up to its name as the “ultimate driving machine” thanks to cars like this one. Everything about it is different from the big, heavy modern M-cars, from the relatively mild naturally aspirated power to the slightly slow steering. But the engine is easy to control, the steering gives you clear feedback, and the car’s minimal body roll isn’t due to smart adaptive suspension, it just shows how the car really acts. Everything that most BMW fans have come to love about the M3 Lightweight is in this car. It’s a worthy replacement for the first-generation M3’s powerful four-cylinder engine because of this. The mass-market M3 wasn’t like them, which makes them even more different. September 27 is the last day of the auction.
