Featured: Distilling Late-'80s Touring Car Styling Into A Modified BMW E30 3-Series

Distilling Late-’80s Touring Car Styling Into A Modified BMW E30 3-Series

By Alex Sobran
September 15, 2017

Photography by Ciprian Mihai

Before you balk, before your gut reactions take critical aim at its suspension or level claims against this E30’s drivability, hear its story. Know that it’s been saved, that it’s been cared for and shown a measure of love rarely given to a machine that was once destined to be driven into the ground and then recycled into a fridge. What was a tired automatic 318 is now this example of the buried potentials in even the most pedestrian of automobiles.

It may seem odd or just wrong to link this air-ride-and-inline-four-equipped BMW and its oversized wheels with motorsport, but if we map this style to its nascency it becomes clear where it evolved from: touring car racing. Just look at a late Group A M3s from the early ‘90s. You’ll see 18-inch BBS wheels tucking what little tire they wear far into the fender’s shadow, and it takes just a brief trip to YouTube to find footage filled with plumes of sparks trailing behind these curb-chewing cars as minor changes in track planarity quickly eliminate the sliver of space between their undercarriages and the tarmac.

“But that’s because large wheels increase responsiveness and lowering the car improves the center of gravity, this thing is just some hipster toy made for parking!” That argument is so tired and so easily defeated. To use the worn-out weapon of function being more important than form is a fallacy when talking about street cars that happen to not fall in line with your sensibilites. Of course if something made for racing or hot-lapping has superfluous pieces added to it or else some other tweaks that reduce its ability to reduce its lap times, that’s inherently stupid, I agree. But for a road car? As long as it isn’t at the sacrifice of safety, what’s being lost when performance isn’t the ultimate goal being built towards in the first place?

This 318, owned by Ciprian Mihai and daily-driven in and around Bucharest, should not be relegated to simply being a means to starting an internet argument though. What I think we should be celebrating about this car has nothing to do with which side of the fulcrum you fall on in regards to its style, but instead the fact that it’s an example of the universal desire we have to make our cars exactly as we want them to be. You don’t have to love the stance it takes when the air’s been removed from its suspension, but I hope that after a brief overview of what’s gone into this vintage Bimmer, you will be inspired by the thoroughness of the build and attendant time spent on hunting for parts that precedes the first night in the garage rummaging through tool drawers.

There’s more than just a bit that’s been added to this car, though those unfamiliar with the E30 chassis might not notice the more nuanced pieces like the dark Hella lights up front along with the swap to US-spec side marker lights on the bumper strips. Those are things you can do in a day though, and Ciprian certainly isn’t lazy enough to call it finished after a few minor mods, as evidenced by the fact that under the hood lies a different lump than it left with originally. It’s nothing crazy—a 1.8-liter M44B19 from the E36 generation that followed the E30—but I think that’s what makes it a bit more interesting in a way; the work is easier than putting in something really radical, but it’s still a good amount of effort, and I like how he hasn’t felt the need to chase power. It’s just an evolution of the humble motor that it started with.

The air suspension is not OEM of course, and the system is comprised of too many valves and hoses and tanks and compressors and pneumatics to list out. It’s not the ultra-stiff setup that would be found on the kinds of cars that inspired this build, but it achieves the look and allows the car to drive comfortably in the city center without worries of broken oil pans. Attached to this new setup is a set of BBS RC wheels that he’s taken a lot of care to make just right for his tastes, which involved copper-plating the hundreds of bolts that keep the wheel halves together for instance. Though the wheels and height are the most noticeable components to this car’s overall presence, it’s not like the other aesthetic aspects have been left untouched, and so inside the car you’ll find a rare set of BBS bucket seats, an Autotechnica wooden steering wheel sourced from Italy, and a minor but effective swap from the old interior paneling to black leather doors to better match the seats.

It’s clear that the culmination of these parts and the work he’s done to add, swap, and modify them to his liking has left Ciprian with a car that he’s proud of, and he should be. Not necessarily for anything tangible or measurable, but instead for the simpler but more significant thing: that he’s built something on his own and for himself. That’s not always a good motivation, but when it comes to custom street cars it’s pretty much all there is to strive for.

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Peter J Smith
Peter J Smith
4 years ago

Very attractive. Restrained, with a subtle aggressiveness. The way a German sports saloon should look.

Kevin Reynolds
Kevin Reynolds
6 years ago

This is amazing!! Kudos for not going with everyone else and picking a 318 and an automatic. Love the white bbs on the red, and the stance! Definitely one to model after. Well done sir, well done.

Bohemianracer
Bohemianracer
7 years ago

Nice looking car, but an automatic transmission? Not for me. I need three pedals.

Wes Flack
Wes Flack
7 years ago

Bravo!
Any e30 that is preserved, raced or just driven should be commended. This is a beautiful example that has clearly been loved. The e30 is an unbelievably balanced chassis when cornering and accelerating at the same time. A truly sublime driver’s car, and perhaps the winningest chassis in the history of motorsports, still winning every weekend! The first gen Miata maybe could have won more races, but I am not sure if the tabulations have ever been done.

Piese Ursulet
Piese Ursulet
7 years ago

Guitar Slinger , you should stick with the guitars….

Vic
Vic
7 years ago
Reply to  Piese Ursulet

I have my doubts he even knows squat about guitars.

Nicolas Moss
Nicolas Moss
7 years ago

Nice article Alex. Its always nice to celebrate enthusiasm. Funny to see that the haters didn’t bother to actually read the print you provided in an effort to quell their aptly-foresaw ruffled feathers. Best laid plans…

Mayank Gupta
Mayank Gupta
7 years ago

The BBS’es would look better in black, but aside from that, I like it. Mild enough to look cool and not tasteless!

phil ford
phil ford
7 years ago

I can admire the effort and craft that went into these modifications, but it’s all Fashion and precious little Function. To each his own, but it was a much nicer car “before”.

Mark St Clair
Mark St Clair
7 years ago

Oh spare us please. There are other sites to handle this dross… and it’s a “slush box” to boot.

BimmerFile
BimmerFile
7 years ago
Reply to  Mark St Clair

Couldn’t agree more…

Alexandre Goncalves
Alexandre Goncalves
7 years ago

Sorry, but why!??!?

Jon Ulrich
Jon Ulrich
7 years ago

Not a fan of the look of this car but I did own a 318I coupe and loved the balanced handling and the smoothness of the ride. 90 mph for hours was no problem on the straight highways from Austin to El Paso. I also liked the tall green house and large glass area which made for great visibility. Mine was navy blue with tan interior. A fine little commuter

cheesemaster
cheesemaster
7 years ago

Another ridiculous ‘euro’ look with cut-away gas suspension, ridiculous negative camber and silly wheels with over stretched tyres so the rims protrude. Looks stupid and drives like crap.

GuitarSlinger
GuitarSlinger
7 years ago
Reply to  cheesemaster

Amen with a minor correction . Thats neither an 80’s ‘ Euro ‘ look nor ‘ touring ‘ styling as the author claims .. but instead is a somewhat mild version of take your pick ;

A) 80’s ” Miami Vice ” bad taste .. or

B) Japanese Bosozoku bad taste

But either way it is ridiculous verging on the absurd .. and why the hell would anyone chose to replicate vulgar 80’s styling ? Cause lets face it .. from music to art to cars right on down to the fashion trends of the era there’s not much to recommend when it comes to the vulgar Reagan /Thatcher 80’s .. in fact other than a very few exceptions .. nothing at all

😎

Vic
Vic
7 years ago
Reply to  cheesemaster

GuitarCenter, you literally have no clue what you’re talking about. This car isn’t remotely Bosozuko.

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