A veritable time capsule, this BMW 3 Series Sedan from the E30 era looks immaculate inside and out despite being built some 32 years ago. It might not be the more desirable M3 since it’s only a puny 316i, but it’s a remarkable car given how well it’s been maintained since 1990. Coming from the glory days of BMW design, it’s hard not to fall in love with this car even though it has fewer than 100 horsepower.
While YouTubers tend to prefer modern cars for conducting top-speed runs on the Autobahn, this is a rare exception as the video puts the spotlight on an old-timer. The 3 Series Sedan in pristine condition on Polish plates was pushed to the maximum on an unrestricted section of the German highway. It’s a relatively low-mileage example given its age, having racked up nearly 130,000 kilometers (almost 81,000 miles) in over three decades.
We get to see the second-generation 3 Series in its basic form doing a little over 200 km/h (124 mph), according to the speedometer. However, in reality, the GPS-verified velocity was about 184 km/h (114 mph) and the car received a bit of help from gravity since it was traveling on a slightly inclined road. For a vehicle built over 30 years ago, it didn’t seem to be overly loud compared to current cars and their more generous use of sound insulation.
The 316i with fuel injection replaced the standard model in 1987 and remained on sale until 1994 when the E30 was discontinued. Its naturally aspirated 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine produced 98 hp and 107 lb-ft (145 Nm), thus giving the M40 unit a healthy advantage over the old M10 engine rated at 89 hp and 103 lb-ft (140 Nm).
For a walkaround of the car, watch the video from the beginning (attached below). From the 14:42 mark, we can witness a 0 to 62 mph (100 km/h) sprint completed in 10.84 seconds. That’s not too shabby since there are plenty of new cars on sale today slower than that.
Source: Petrolhead Number One / YouTube
