Anybody race an e36 BMW 318 Ti
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JoshS
New member
It's basically a longer, taller 4-cylinder Z3, which people have raced in ITA. Not sure I've seen a ti though.
I think it was a letter from me that got the thing classed in the first place (I have a thing for quirky hatchbacks), and I was going to build one, but was unable to find a suitable donor vehicle at the right price to turn into a race car. I race a Z3 1.9 now, which is basically the same thing (engine, drivetrain, suspension) in a different body shell. There were a number of Z3s raced in SSB, so I was able to find a "race ready" platform that I converted into an IT car (rather than building a car from scratch).
My general comments about the platform (either one):
On paper, it looked to be a decent place to start, but there is a lack of "off-the-shelf" aftermarket support for either the M44 motor (which all the Z3s and the '96+ 318tis have) or the M42 motor ('95 318ti). Any real power improvements will require a fair bit of custom work. Note: I have not investigated aftermarket ECUs, and am unlikely to do so - the cost/reward ratio doesn't seem to be worth it for me as I don't think the Z3 will ever get down to the times I'm seeing put down by other cars at my "home" track, even if I ship cubic dollars to somebody for a Motec and the countless dyno hours tuning would require. I've also got some issues with transmission ratios - HUGE gap between 2nd and 3rd gear which is prompting me to go fairly radical in final drive choice for decent performance gains at NHMS (which means I'll need to change gears for longer, higher-speed tracks). The 4-cyl BMWs are also on the heavier side at 2,600 lbs, so even if the power-to-weight ratio is there, it's tougher on tight tracks to toss the thing through the corners like the Hondas (or Miatas).
That said, on longer tracks, if you can get the power out of the platform, it could be a contender, but the tighter the tracks get, I think the more things get stacked against it.
If you like 4-cyl BMWs and like ITA, the E36 318i/is has the multi-link rear suspension (the 318ti/Z3 have the older E30 trailing arm setup in the rear), but I've only seen one of them here in the Northeast. If you want to run at the front of ITA, I'd look at a different platform.
Just my view from mid-pack..
cchandler
New member
I concur with Noam.
The cars are heavy (by at least 150 lbs), the 2d to 3d gearing is fustrating (especially on the uphill at NH), there is virtually no aftermarket support for the 318i/is, and as many will attest, there is very little power to be made from the M44. Also, like all the BMW's, every part is EXPENSIVE. All that being said, at least it's a Bimmer!!
The cars are heavy (by at least 150 lbs), the 2d to 3d gearing is fustrating (especially on the uphill at NH), there is virtually no aftermarket support for the 318i/is, and as many will attest, there is very little power to be made from the M44. Also, like all the BMW's, every part is EXPENSIVE. All that being said, at least it's a Bimmer!!
JoshS
New member
To avoid the 2nd-3rd spacing problem, why don't you use a shorter rear end and use 3rd-5th? That's what I do in my Z3 6-cyl.
..which is why I have a 4.27:1 diff waiting to be installed (must be small case, too, for the 4-cyl) - out of an E30 318i cabrio automatic - to replace the 3.64:1 that's in there now. The 4.27 will be good for NHMS, but I'll need to swap diffs for any longer track.
Z3_GoCar
New member
Used to be an Andy Chittum, sponsored by LeMans Karting in Fremont Ca. He started out with the M-42 I think and has swapped in a M50 now. I think last time I saw he'd run with NASA's natl's at Mid-O a couple of years back. I've seen him post on bimmerforums. He mentioned running a 4.10 when he had the M42.
James
James
JoshS
New member
Last edited:
Matt,
I had unarguably the most developed ITA Z3 in the country. I had left very few stones unturned. I hadn't gone through the (academic) exercise of a full standalone ECU because it just wasn't worth it. The engine is pretty much maximized from the factory. The best we could do was overcome driveline loss...for about a 15% gain. The rear suspension is horrid and it has the aero of a teardrop going in reverse. Brakes are great, it's super reliable (it's a BMW), and it's relatively small. I too feel that the rulebook is catagorically against the car. I've argued it before and I'll argue it again. I don't think (with all due respect) that the ITAC got it right with this car. I'll include the 318ti as it's virtually the same car. To even consider it go for the 318is as Christian said....much better rear set up....but it can't make weight, especially if the ITAC ever lowers the weight (unlikely). Now if you want a car for endurance only racing....it would be one of my first picks.
R
I had unarguably the most developed ITA Z3 in the country. I had left very few stones unturned. I hadn't gone through the (academic) exercise of a full standalone ECU because it just wasn't worth it. The engine is pretty much maximized from the factory. The best we could do was overcome driveline loss...for about a 15% gain. The rear suspension is horrid and it has the aero of a teardrop going in reverse. Brakes are great, it's super reliable (it's a BMW), and it's relatively small. I too feel that the rulebook is catagorically against the car. I've argued it before and I'll argue it again. I don't think (with all due respect) that the ITAC got it right with this car. I'll include the 318ti as it's virtually the same car. To even consider it go for the 318is as Christian said....much better rear set up....but it can't make weight, especially if the ITAC ever lowers the weight (unlikely). Now if you want a car for endurance only racing....it would be one of my first picks.
R