I remember these very well… came very close to buying one but test drove a low mileage 1 year old 330i and but bought that instead…it was significantly better and I still have it 👍
@@MotechPerformance obviously you guys have more expertise than me, but I'm sure a 330i would be more reliable that a 320si? Surly the 330i would be the better buy for reliability and 90k isn't exactly a lot of miles.
I sold two of these in my “BMW salesman” days. One to a client that knew exactly what he’s buying, the other to a bloke who “liked the styling”. Both were seriously unhappy :)
@@000GunterGabriel000 drive this car harder and it is only a matter of time and luck, until the cylinder head cracks. The walls are made so thin, that any gain on performance they made here is overweighted by the negatives. Very weird and bad take on a special model.
@@000GunterGabriel000 Probably because it's a ostensibly sporty car that can't pull the skin off a rice pudding. Even when this was new 8.5 seconds 0-60 was a poor show when something as average as the same era 2 litre Accord would do the same 0-60.
@@crztank9298 Looking back at some of the power figures from supposedly lux/performance manufacturers from Germany during the 00's, I'm actually surprised at how far ahead Japan clearly was at that point. Just watched another video on the SLK350 and when Jay said it was only putting out 260 something HP I thought "That's odd the Japanese V6's of that period were closer to 300" - went and looked it up and sure enough... Then went and looked at the V8's for that period - same deal, the smaller capacity Toyota and Nissan V8's of the period were putting out significantly more power than the Germans! And of course more reliably too.
If you think about it BMW 16 years prior to the introduction of this was making the e30 320is for southern Europe which made 189HP and weighed nearly 400kg less than this
This is basicly the successor of the E30 and E36 318iS, which had 140hp from a 4 cylinder 16v engine and most importantly a limited slip differential, which was worth it. It was a homoligation model made with low cost/low effort. They needed to homoligate certain parts for their touring cars. And rules require to have those certain parts on a roadworthy stock car, which has to be selled in some numbers. So they slept them on this and called it a day. I think they havent seen a "business case" in a "poor mans M3", so they didnt put much into making this.
I currently have a 320si. Bought it absolutely because I'm a touring car fan, and a BMW enthusiast... Anyone buying one because they think it'll be an M3-lite, or a high performance car will be disappointed. It is a fun car to drive hard, but its not the fastest.
It's just really well balanced, I've never driven one but i can surley imagine with that power you can almost get into any corner full throttle without spinning ect, being a 4cyl and almost midengined and 50/50 weigh distribution and a saloon that's the toughest chassis of them it all makes perfect sence to why they went for a 4cyl than a 6 other than the 2.0l restriction
@@clubsport_46330 It's really more about the character of the engine than the chassis. I've had a number of 6 cyl BMW's from 2.0 to 3.5 litre and they are beautifully smooth. The N45B20S is not, and you have to work it hard, but it's great fun when you do, and the best bit is, you *can* work it hard, and not be doing twice the speed limit as you might be in more powerful cars. It feels like you are going so much quicker than you are, and realistically that makes it more usable fun.
@@matthewstokes707 exactly! I've mostly owned e46 330ci's and my first was a e36 318is and that thing was a beast! You could drive the shit out of it and not be doing stupid speeds and I've never been able to go full throttle on corners on anything else and expect the 320si to be the same... Which is great for the b roads I'd personally invest in some carbon fiber bits like front end and rear boot lid, some bmw performance brakes and squared setup with PS4's and stick somme bilstein b12/b16 and that thing would have anything with double its power on the b roads! And if you've got to work the engine then even better, the driver has to drive the car than all electronics and valvetronics doing all the work leaving something for the driver to extract 😂
@@clubsport_46330 Nice. I had an E36 328i Sport once, that was a fantastic car. When I got rid of it I looked at a 318is, but a lot of them seem to have been badly abused. I'm keeping my si as original as I can. It's plenty fast enough on the back roads for me... I just wish our roads in the UK didn't take such a toll on 18" wheels with low profile tyres! Already had to have one of my wheels welded up!
@@clubsport_46330 Exactly! people miss the point...its is called 'driving pleasure' not about big BHP and high speed. I also love the 944 Porsche...just a pleasurable car to drive. We are not all in the Ferrari or exotic league are we !
My friend bought one not even knowing that it was a homologation special. I didn't know it either, but I was curious about its stats so I jumped into internet. There I found out about the engine problems, and asked if the car had the engine rebuilt. My friend didn't know, and half year later we knew for sure which option it was as the engine literally shat itself.
First of all, thank you Jay for reviewing this car, it has a special place in my heart and so I want to step in to add a few details. The history of BMW 4cyl performance engines has been kind of overshadowed by its popular 6cyls, but it's actually very interesting. The S14 developed for the E30 M3 was an engine that was already old when it came out, in fact, bmw put it in the M3 while simultaneously developing its successor that should have been derived by the new M40 engine. So with the E30 we start to have 2 lines of 4cyl, a standard one (M40) and a performance oriented one (namely the M42 that powered the E30 318is). BMW developed a motorsport variant of the M42, it was codenamed S42 and it was used to compete on touring championships with 2L displacement limits in the 90s. The M42 (and S42) was carried on to the E36 generation in the 318is, where it evolved into the M44, the last iteration of this line of engines. Imagine that in north america they got the M42 and M44 into the base E36 318i, so they kinda got screwed with the M3 but got lucky with the base model. The E36 marked the end to the development of the performance line of 4 cyl engines... Or so it seemed. The 4 cyls that came after the M43 and M43 were codenamed N40 and N42 and were developed with a lot of new BMW technologies, like the aluminum block, double vanos, valvetronic, etc, with the N40 being the "cheaper version" and therefore not having valvetronic, but limited to 1.6L of displacement and used only in certain market on the E46 compact. The N40 and N42 received an update around the E90 launch, namely the N45 and N46, and here's the catch: due to the N45 not having valvetronic, it was able to rev higher, and thus it was chosen by BMW for the 2L displacement motorsport. I guess they did this 320si because the regular N45 was available only as 1.6L displacement. So all in all, this 320si is like the spiritual successor to the E36 318is. If there's a guy that knows a lot about BMW 4cyls, that's Bruno from BDS motorsport. He used to tune E36 M42 and M44 engines and then moved to the N45 in the E87 116i, you can even find a video here on yt of his tuned 116i. I remember in one of his lives he talked about the E90 320si engine and essentially said it was flawed because some components were made at motorsport levels, and others were recycled from BMW partsbin or just made cheaply compared to the racing version of the N45, backing up the idea that they made this car more because they needed to homologate the 2L N45 rather than to make a 318is successor. Very interesting anyway. Lastly, while it's true that the N43 (N46 successor) makes roughly the same power as the 2L N45, it's also true that it's nowhere near as rev happy and fun to drive as the latter.
Excellent summary and history lesson! I can only add that the competition version of the engine in the 320si was named P45 (which I'm sure you knew). When I think about it: It must have been here around the race engine versions got from being renamed to "S" to "P" instead?
@@mikaeljohnsson4982 as far as I can tell, the P nomenclature for racing engines came out around the E46 generation with the P54 and P60, but actually no idea about why that was the case.
@@seigma5340 Apparently there was even a P50B32 (based on S50B32) in the M3 GTR E36 (1997-2001), I just found out. This was perhaps the very first time the P-name was used. Maybe ... And the P-nomenclature apparently arose because BMW wanted to start distinguishing between production engines designed by BMW M and competition engines designed by BMW Motorsport.
Quite a bit of detailed info. I've driven the 318is before in e30 and e36 and I was underwhelmed. I've grown around japanese engines and brands and noone does a 4cyl like the japanese,namely Honda. Bmw just never matched those highs but I suppose the I6 took all the glory.
@@crztank9298 Even as a former owner of a delightful E36 318is Class II 1994 (yes, the homologation special!) - but that joy was as much the whole package - I do not object. I have actually driven all generations of the Civic Type R and - boy - I still remember when I in the first generation, for the first time, experienced the V-TEC do its thing at around 6000 rpm and that kick and fury upp to 8000! A very charismatic engine, indeed.
My friend had one, that carbon valve cover 😍 And interesting that they never fitted an oil temperature gauge in place of the mpg meter, considering how important this would be for the "fragile" engine
@@GoldenCroc should be pretty easy as they are normally integrated with the pressure sender or if separate just a threaded hole in the sump. Sounds to me more likely that they didn't want to redesign the instrument cluster just for a few thousand cars (cost)
I've owned two 320si, my current one is on 153,000 miles, original engine. The video sums the car up well, one other detail to add, they have hydraulic power steering, which does help with feel over the regular 320i electric steering. I have to agree with the downsides: poor fuel economy and mediocre straight line performance and some owners reporting serious cylinder liner issues. Despite all that I like them, they are different, have a genuine motorsport back story and thanks to so many of them being broken there are relatively few remaining. The upside to this reputation is that prices are very low; consider that IF the engine was bombproof and made more power they would probably be priced beyond my means as a daily driver. Besides, if you find one that has had steel liners and new cam chain they should be tough, I don't know of any crank, rod, piston or top end failures. The top end shares many similarities with the S54 M engine, with solid lifters (the same parts used) and actually has stronger rockers than the M part (they are used by a number of race teams in S54 engines). My commute to work has plenty of roundabouts, the grip is impressive and makes working the engine between 4k and 7k revs great fun. I feel that part of the secret to keeping the engine healthy is more regular oil changes and a very careful warm up process before giving it full throttle. I fitted a sump heating pad, so on colder UK mornings I plug the car in for a few hours before driving. As long as you accept the car for what it is, at a currently sensible purchase price in this crazy used car market you could be happy. www.racelife.co.uk/mycars
My uncle had an e90 330i with the same wheels that on this car. I couldn’t for the life of me figure out where they came from, until I saw this video. I never saw another e90 with these wheels. I had no idea this car even existed
Funny you said that, the only reason I know this exists is because a friend of mine imported a 2008 E90 320d MSPORT from the U.K with these wheels and we were trying to figure out what they were off of and thus we discovered the SI. Wheels are probably worth more than the car by now lol.
@@MrSteveo114 The wheels are on the car to this day with the new owner. Gutter rashed to the shit but still has the bmw motorsport label on them. They are a lovely looking wheels.
The wheels where also an BMW Performance dealer bought option. I think they cost around 3000,- euro's back in the day. They are BBS wheels with wider rears and painted in BMW Hyper silver which is a b*tch to repaint because of the BMW Motorsport decals underneath the clearcoat.
Can remember looking at these when new & frankly, I was disappointed. Despite being a homologation special it didn't feel different enough from a standard 320i, and felt no quicker than my then-current E46 320ci. With all the trick motorsport components, that engine should have been more like a Honda K20 or at least a Renault F4R. I seem to remember there were some serious reliability problems too
"there were some serious reliability problems too" - Yep, those magical cylinder liners Jay told us about were notorious for going bad and BMW's own solution was to just replace them with the standard liners from a 320i.
@@k-peezy2723 BMWs 00s was shocking in many ways. Would be even worse relatively if there wasnt so many other manufacturer having similar problems at the same time.
I think this is more akin to the E30 318is, than the M3. I had a black 1990 E30 318is, great car, wish I still had it as E30s are skyrocketing in value now!
Yes the M3 was a 2.3/2.5 for DTM-only regulations, whereas the 318iS was a 2 litre to fit BTCC and most other country’s Touring Car regs ie was the direct predecessor to the 320Si
I agree with all your comments, but I still have a long-standing fascination with these. The mods go even further. I believe the engine location is lower and further back than standard (happy to be corrected). It’s a very special car but sadly not one which is greater than the sum of its parts. Top gear did a good review at the time (VBH driving) which is worth a watch.
Noway!! My good friend had one of these last year. Trying to explain how well it drove to others was difficult. Such a gem of a car. Pity the oil pump failed on a track day. Miss it dearly. It's suspension is going into my 1 series coupe!
Always like the more obscure cars that appear on here. I also had a friend with one of these and was baffled by his love for a 320. Bit of research later and it told the tale you tell here .
I drive an E90 325i and I absolutely love it. Great arounder. I've actually owned 2 now lol. I use it to drive across Europe (I work in Croatia) regularly and also daily it. Perfect 👌
@@quokkapirquish6825 not too bad. No worse than anything else I've had in the past. I average anywhere between 32 and 35 mpg. Depends on what fuel and tyres you're using. I actually just did a 500 mile run on all season tyres (Michelin Crossclimate 2's) using E5 95 and averaged just over 32 mpg.
You can't compare it to a S2000's F20C when that engine uses VTEC, and that would not be allowed in WTCC Super2000 rules. I'm not sure it even allows variable cam timing. Then... For emissions reasons, you can't slap the 300+° duration cams from the race engine in the road going version. (If you did, peak power would probably shift to 8500rpm and be up to 230hp+)
Good and fair review of this. I remember when these came out and I always liked the subtle but enhanced look of these. Great job by the way Motech 👏👌 A 330i would have been most peoples preferred option but I still like these and they were a bit cheaper than a regular 320i 👍
Had this for a test drive back in the day. Even thou quite nimble and the engine being a little gem it was just slow. Took it to the autobahn and you were eaten alive there. Nothing wrong with taking the 6 cylinder cars back in the day. It just didn’t live up to its badge.
This was a great watch, that BMW look is just timeless. I have a less loved 135i n54 auto. Absolutely no one knows what it is, or cares and has no value. Isn't it strange how some cars become so sought after and legends and others just get ignored. I have 6 cars, and I have missed the mark on all of them. Love your content as always and maybe one day I might buy a seventh car. I look forward to more videos from you... take care.
Seen one or two back home in Portugal, they where cheaper than a normal 3 series due to the way the car tax works there, smaller engine, cheaper car, but not many people know what they are. I will take those rear seats out, roll cage, nice racing seats, high flow catalytic converter, better suspension, a racing air intake... Will make it wonderful...
I remember these costing BMW a fortune in warranty claims replacing the cracked aluminium cylinder liners. Not sure if they still suffer this fate. Interesting to see how this would compare back to back with an Alpina D3
@@richardharrold9736 BMW probably just replaced like for like which won't have made any difference then in the long run. BMW 4 cylinder engines were awful in general in the mid to late 2000s, they seem to have numerous mechanical and electrical issues which were hard to diagnose accurately back then hence why we avoided them in the trade
@@richardharrold9736 that's what I wasn't sure about but thought must be the case otherwise the values would still be in the doldrums like they once were.
I used to have one of these 7 years ago... problematic... main dealer couldn't fix engine issues. Had to redline it to get anything out of it performance wise. But a fun car to drive!
This car (in very good condition) costs in continental Europe around 15k euro. Uk market is always another world… Btw, About the car. I bought one last month. I’m long time Porsche collector and former gentleman driver. First: impossible to find a limited edition sport car with such a background at this price. Second: it’s a fantastic base for a mechanical upgrade thanks for the perfect engine position and weight. In fact The price is so low that you have enough budget to improve it! with 10k euro you can buy Ohlins/Kw coilover suspensions, 6F/4R pots big brake kit, new unrestricted intake and exhaust manifold, sport cams and other minor bits. You can easily arrive at 210/220 hp with a perfect balanced saloon car. I bet it will be a joy to drive in the real world. This car is for a super limited number of petrolhead only, addicted with twisty B roads and rare things. For the others, who care about 0-100 or to go fast on a straight line, the market is full of better choiche…
Thank you Jay for reviewing this car. I agree with the conclusion. It could have been so much more if BMW had only tried to squeeze out say 190-200 horsepower. Now it is obvious that they put all the gunpowder on the race car, the street car was an element to build from, nothing more. At least when it comes to the engine. I considered one but chose a 335i instead. With the right spec it looks the same while it has completely different resources. But here are some things I want to add / correct: * One more thing differs externally: All 320si have black exterior mirrors. * There was in fact a motorsport livery to get! (Depending on market perhaps.) Not the variant you show us but the stripes that shows the nationality of Andy Priaulx and Jörg Müller's race cars in WTCC 2006 you could actually get, alternatively the same stripes in BMW Motorsport's colors. But few first owners seem to have taken advantage of this. * I know that the suspension angles were more aggressive from the factory than for a regular 320i with sports suspension. As I remember it, the car impresses much more in curves than in straight stretches.
I previously owned a 56 plate E90 320i and loved it, when I bought it in 2009 I got a BMW magazine to learn about it and they mentioned the 320Si and I always intrigued by this model. The heady 7K+ redline seemed seductive (I was already used to my litre supersports motorbike which redlined at 11K+). Thanks for reviewing it.
I bought one of these a few years back from a dealership not knowing anything about it. From day one it chucked blue smoke out on start-up. Once I looked into this car I found so many people suffering from the dreaded cylinder liners. Two weeks later I took it back for a refund. I liked the car and it's subtle styling. It was underpowered but I'd have one now as a garage classic but they all seem to have been broken.
I have an E36 318iS and really think you should try one if you enjoyed this. It's got a similar type of engine, albeit a little less refined and very old tech by modern standards. They are ripe for tuning though, mine is putting out 180ish bhp with only an intake manifold, exhaust and a tune. With some decent suspension and fresh bushings it is argubaly more fun than the equivalent 323/328 and has a much keener front end due to the engine being mounted further back. Also has some touring car pedigree given that the S42 was (distantly) related to the road going M42 in the 318iS.
I owned so many BMWs but I’m now happy to say I’m an owner of one of these ultra rare gems, it’s alpine white like the livery bound car but unfortunately mine has a bit of a timing issue but I’m working on it
When a e30 320is produced 190hp in late 80s it just speaks how bad this is. I wish they would done this is the e46 instead when they raced with the 2l 6cyl. While a normal 320 is fun in e46. A high reving small 6cyl would been 😎
Yeah, the E46 WTCC engine without the racing restrictors would have been capable of revving to 12,000 RPM, and could have been bored out to over 2.3 litres - it could actually have made more power than the E92 M3, even as much as the M3 GTS, albeit at the cost of torque.
@@papa_pt yep, P54B20, awesome engine, basically an M3 race engine with the bore reduced and the stroke shortened from 91 to 66 mm. Use a wide bore M3 block with the 2.0 crank and you're looking at 2354cc.
How many high revving I4s of the time were pushing north of 200 bhp? Not many. Renault didn't have one. Honda needed VTEC and a 9000 rpm redline for theirs. BMW did what was feasible with such a car. It made more sense to bet on the 335i and the M3 instead, both with much different engines. Maybe the mistake was using the 3 and not the 1 Series.
@@nightdriver7216 Nissan SR20DE (86mm square bore/stroke) made up to 197bhp at 7200rpm naturally aspirated in the Nissan approved Autech special editions of things like the S15 Silvia... Toyota 2ZZ was making 189bhp from 1796cc at the time... even the old 1587cc 4A-GE made up to 160bhp, thanks to 4 or 5 valves per cylinder at a time when BMW fours still mostly had 2... Rover got 158bhp from the naturally-aspirated 1.8 K-series, and Lotus tickled that up to 189bhp... the Yamaha tuned Mazda designed Ford Sigma engine made 153bhp from 1679cc... the Ford Focus ST170 engine is virtually identical to the N45 (same 88mm stroke, bore is 84.8mm to the N45's 85mm) and makes the same power at the same revs... the Cosworth C20XE made 154bhp at only 6000rpm for Vauxhall from square 86mm dimensions back in 1987, so BMW using a sixth more revs to get 10% more from roughly the same size engine twenty years later hardly impresses...
Seems like a car for collectors mostly these days, if one is being fair. Nothing wrong with that. In that market, the price when it was new, was incredibly low. What other homologation special was cheaper than the ordinary car? Never heard of one...
I know these can be fragile, but I do kind of like them. The style 216 alloys are sone of the best looking wheels that BMW have ever made (glad I have them on my 130 LE). There’s a chap on Pistonheads who is in his second and neither have blown up yet.
I had an e92 325i coupe auto (with the 320si wheels which are ace👌) and found it a bit slow. Can't imagine how lethargic this would feel for a motorsport inspired model. Also the liners in these engines notoriously destroy themselves. There are more of these available broken on the market than working.
I have one of these, 94,000miles and the engine is strong and pulls all the way to the limiter. Its in Carbon schwarz metallic black and I only paid £2800, She's had new discs and pads, new springs and a full service and she is perfect for the Cheshire country roads. I have an e92 Alpina D3 Bi Turbo also and the 320si holds up well in comparison.
I bought one of these when I was 19 back in 2009 with 30k and it was 14k my first foray into “quicker” rare car and hated it. Was expensive to service, fuel and wasn’t fast at all or engaging and 4000+ revs on the motorway was a pain! Kept it 18 months and bought a Z4M coupe and it cost almost exactly the same so run apart from tax and had twice the power… never looked back
At the time were a really nice car. A mate had one ex demo with a lot of optional spec and ran it for a good number of years. I dont think it blew up, rather it started suffering lots of electrical gremlins so got shot of it. Engine was nice, yes not that quick but revvy and made a nice noise - lots of character. I believe BMW actually hand finished the motors at Hams Hall. I looked at these a few years back and most were being sold for spare or repair, or being broken for parts so I guess they are becoming quite rare......any 6 cylinder variant, even a 325i is better though.
It's definitely close to a 'more than the sum of its parts' model - it makes little sense against the rest of the range, but it also did enough to perk the interest. I love the six cylinders and making a 330i look like this spec would be the more sensible way to do it, but I'd still miss the joy of looking at that cam cover.
During the golden era of BMW this car was the product of that period when BMW was the ultimate driving machine, I love old school stra8 six Bimmers with its signature smooth revving engines. This car looks stunning but l love the sound of the straight six in the e86, it sounds good accompanied with excellent induction noise and it can keep up with modern BMWs albeit not as fast 💨 as the turbo era. Old BMWs are very characterful to drive when compared to the computer aided car. Thanks JayEmm.
On curvy hillclimbs with many u-turns, they come alive! Only there they show the potential of the initial thought…. (Compared to 330i) 320si with a sprinkle of CSL fairy dust 🥳
I never heard of this one, but I had a same year 318i and thought it could of done with a turbocharger. So why BMW went to the expense of that engine and didn't just whack a blower on it is confusing! They could of got 240bhp easily and reliably with all those lovely noises to boot!
I had the 320i edition m sport 08reg. Same alloys & engine, but without the carbon fiber. I had it just over 2 years & spent more money then you can imagine just to keep it on the road. Lamda bank 1 & 2, Nox & o2 sensors. ABS sensors. reluctor rings. Had to change whole diff as bearings had gone. HP fuel pump was leaking fuel onto the exhaust manifold at one point. I-drive botton stopped working. Waterpump & theromstate made out of plastic, so that too. Coil packs burning out. There's more I just cant remember it all now. The car had like 60k miles on it & looked lovely. When the engine managment light wasnt on it drove lovely lol. Sulpherised cat was another , but that was due to the Nox sensor. My first & last BM trouble you. I know enough about cars to know it was all design flaws or where the cost cutter at BMW had swapped everything possible from metal to plastic. Now, many years later I have an 08 civic type r with close to 100k miles on it currently. This car has no way been looked after well & no where near the BMW had been. But yet after 2 years driving the civic only real issue was a seized caliper. It cost almost half what the BM cost to buy orignally to.
I watched the vid twice. NOw, that I recently bought an e90. Lucky Brit’s get to have homologation special and it’s the cheapest in the range just about. Personally I would prefer more performance, but a more peaky/tuned 2 litre would suffer more down low. I would consider re-sleeving the block to get more capacity say 2.2-2.3 litres ideally, assuming the block design allows it. Perhaps offset grinding a crank, or looking to see if there is a bmw crank from another engine that could be made to fit. 220hp, 50-75kg of weight saving and you could call it a 320(c)si….
I would much rather have a 6 cylinder personally. More reliable, faster, better to drive. BMW 4 cylinder engines apart from a couple of exceptions are pretty average at best.
Definitely.BMW sixes are the finest in the world,Honda for 4 cylinders and Mercedes for V8.Remember dropping my E36 325i off moons ago for a service and having a loaner 316i.Spartan trim and felt like a posh Escort in comparison
In my opinion the lower powered 316i, and 318i models are just for people buying the car for the badge. They are not really much better than a more mainstream car.
I remember Vicky’s review quite well. Also came close to buying one, but yeah, the nikasil lining on the aluminium block killed it. Just like the Cayenne S.
Bought one (in Le Mans blue) a year ago. £3900 with under 60k miles. Cheap because the market hates them due to the reliability issues. Done two track days. Yes, Clios whizz past you in a straight line, but the cornering power will make you grin like a lunatic. Roll on new trackday season!
Quite right to point out that diesel was the big thing back when this was launched (and still is, as far as I'm concerned). I could never understand why BMW bothered with a petrol 2-litre engine at all,. considering that the diesel options were as good if not better in performance terms (and would have offered better economy as well). Even the six-pot 2.2-litre motor of the E39-vintage 520i seemed pointless to me - unless ALL you wanted was a six-pot soundtrack. Fair enough - now I understand the reason for the four-pot 2-litre, but as you pointed out, if they were going to do this homologation-special motor they could at least have made it a bit more 'special'!
Back in 2009 I was in the market for an e90, I only wanted petrol and the 320si ticked many boxes having just sold my second Honda S2000! I thought a high revving engine was still the way to go! The si fell far short of the mark so I bought a 2 year old 325i for the lovely 6 cylinderness, it genuinely only managed 23 mpg but had a fair bit more power, it was a good choice, I loved that car, eventually part exchanged it for a Z4M…….that’s a whole different story!
I remember a few of these coming through the place I used to work as used/ex lease, they didn't sell as well as imagined, very basic spec and back then if it didn't have idrive and leather an e90 wouldn't sell. Nobody could see any heritage in it, it was a bodykit on a model nobody wanted.
@@satsumagt5284 There used to be options for chrome button or no chrome button. BMW stopped making the non-chrome button version. Because the driver's cupholders nearly always broke, when you bought the new one it had the chrome button and the EPC said to order a second cupholder cover with the button for the passenger side so that they matched.
I own a 2011 BMW 323i E90 LCI. I'm trading it in this week on a 2016 BMW 420d. It brings me to tears to sell this car as it's the car that saved my life. I've owned it for 9 years and I haven't had a single issue. The last of the small inline 6s I think are arguably the best motor's BMW ever made and I love it so much, however the low end torque is non existent. The way it handles and steers it just makes your jaw drop. Easily the best car I've ever owned. I'm only upgrading it as despite it's record of not having any problems, I am admittedly getting worried as it gets older and I don't want or neither really have the money to repair things when they will inevitably go wrong. I'm also getting a 4 Series as it's newer, has majority of the latest safety kit, is in my opinion one of the top looking cars BMW have produced and the 4 Series since driving one at launch has been my wife's favourite car and one of mine as well. Also this will mainly be my wife's car and she didn't want a 3 Series or a 5 Series, plus my wife only drives around town as she is a stay at home wife/mum and around town the 6 cylinder averages 12 litres per 100 urban, while the 420d urban averages 5.1 per 100. That will be saving me thousands of dollars per year. Also it has 75% more torque than my 323i and the same as a 435i and it didn't feel far off the big V8 Holden Commodores/Caprice's I owned which had 500NM+. I'll probably cry when I say goodbye to my 323i, however all good things must come to an end. Preferably I would of wanted a 430i, but here in Australia there is no new or used cars around and all the prices are up.
Two things: be careful about driving a diesel mostly around town. They dont like it. At all. Secondly, I see what you are getting at, but I must point out torque numbers dont mean anything for acceleration. Its power that do. Common mistake/misuse of wording though, for sure.
@@GoldenCroc I meant torque. Sorry I wrote this at 2am here in Melbourne and I'm dead tired. Also I will definitely drive it to where I work in the city a few times a month (I live in Rowville, which is the outer east of Melbourne) and it's 32km from my house to work. I'll also make sure to give it that big drive each month so the engine doesn't clog up like I've heard about the diesels in X5s. I'm hoping in 2 to 3 years to trade in the 420d on probably a G20 330i or maybe then the Inline 6 Mazda 6 will be on sale which will probably be worth a shout. I work in politics as an advisor to MPs so my job and wage depend on if we're in government or in opposition.
@@patrickbateman6885 You need to be above a certain speed for at least 15 minutes for DPF cleaning to be effective. That speed is higher than most city speed limits. Keep this in mind.
Had an E91 318 for a short time ,interior was a step back from the E46 they were going big for the fleet market obviously and some people will drive anything with the right badge…MOT time was a riot with the weird fast idle numbers that are a pass ,make sure they put in the right engine block N43 and not the older non GDI one …👍
The fact that Motec themselves doesn't want to do anything with the car and just use it as practice for detailing work says it all to me. This is definitely a bona fide poster example of how to take something good like the 320si namesake and turn it into a mockery.
Looks like a really fun car and it would certainly have tempted me out of my recently departed E90 318i, but it does feel a shame to be missing the 6, or at least a bit more pace. Currently happily driving an E91 325i manual and I'm not sure I'd be willing to make the switch...
It really would be a lot more special and more Motorsport based as a 320cs!! Considering a Honda can put out over 200 bhp from a 2litre, I would think at least 190 was doable for BMW. But with that a Carbon bonnet and boot And some lightweight seats would probably knock another 70kg of the weight. Also Carbon mirrors, maybe a splitter and a small wing for visuals! and function!!
I agree. The 170hp the 156jts made was considered good for a 'normal' na engine in 2006. However, BMW were managing to extract 100hp more from their 6cyl in those days, that alfa were. Surely they could have got another 30hp from this!
Yeah, it was a claimed 165. The carbon build up due to direct injection and poor oil return capability, was awful. After few years, some were making only 125-130hp 🤣. I've had 2 jts's. 1st was spritely enough. 2 was not so good, dynoed at 136hp 🙄.
I always like when companies do this, everyone wins, if you're in the market for a similar car, you might end up with something slightly nicer and then BMW have a better starting point for their race car. I don't know 170bhp should be 'decent' for this? It's probably a little bit heavy "just over 8" ok yeah still a bit heavy, that's ok though.
I had To E90’s one being a 320i both with the dreadful auto box that never quite knew which gear to be in, the 4 door still looks likes a Rep’s car and I much preferred my Audi 3.0 Quattro which had much better build quality. They straight 6 engine feels & sounds lovely but poor low down torque was disappointing and always plagued with oil leaks but I do have a liking for models that are unique and limited in numbers and this Si fits the bill.
Hi Jay firstly I would like to say what a great channel you have and enjoy watching your reviews 👏. I must say in order for you to compare this 320si with a s2000 and Golf R it is very unfair as they both have a completely different price tag, also to compare it with a citron 🤷♂️ have you compared the weight ratio? This is suppose to be for a gentlemen who does his 9-5 job and wife that drops kids off to school and then release all the frustration after work or dropping the kids off and turn into a animal and go back to the family life when ready. Issues with the engine is common with any cars if your not maintaining it with regular oil Service (it is a performance car) so does need extra care. In my opinion it was a unfair and unrealistic review. You did say its not a bad car but at the same time you gave it a good bashing.
The inline 6 from BMW (328i) is indeed great, but know that you'll be replacing the wholly trinity of gaskets:. Valve cover, oil pan and oil filter housing. The only relatively easy one is the OFH gaskets. I've had an e91 for 11 years and really still like it even with the aforementioned repairs.
My e90 328i will be my first and last BMW. I’m keeping it going now because the car market is stupid but when I get the chance at a new truck at MSRP this oil level sensor junk is out of here.
some proper sport seats and Mtech cloth interior would have gone some way to make it look special. Shame the marketing did not plug their heritage with the touring car history. With a few exceptions, BMW's racing success in modern tin top cars has been the 2 litre 4 cylinder not the M3 which often ended up competing against more powerful competitors with bigger engines. You should try to locate a e30 M320is euro car with the smaller M3 engine.
Seats arent too bad in my estimation. Same as was in the M3 of that generation, with inflatable bolsters etc. I like them. Though they may not look cool...
Oh yes, M-Tech cloth throughout the years was a much more special offering than hide, especially the E34 and E36 options. Heck, even the E46 cloth was better than nothing.
I considered one of these a few years ago, I knew what they were all about but the possible faults to be wary of put me off. I chose a Honda Accord Type S.
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I remember these very well… came very close to buying one but test drove a low mileage 1 year old 330i and but bought that instead…it was significantly better and I still have it 👍
Dodged a bullet there fella.
@@darkbassi5911 Not really this car has done 90+K and is fine
@@MotechPerformance obviously you guys have more expertise than me, but I'm sure a 330i would be more reliable that a 320si? Surly the 330i would be the better buy for reliability and 90k isn't exactly a lot of miles.
@@darkbassi5911 Its all down to how its looked after , warmed up , how often the old has been changed etc etc
@@MotechPerformance that’s for every car 🤣 it’s a well known thing that generally the 3L I6 are more reliable.
I sold two of these in my “BMW salesman” days. One to a client that knew exactly what he’s buying, the other to a bloke who “liked the styling”. Both were seriously unhappy :)
Why?
@@000GunterGabriel000 drive this car harder and it is only a matter of time and luck, until the cylinder head cracks. The walls are made so thin, that any gain on performance they made here is overweighted by the negatives.
Very weird and bad take on a special model.
@@000GunterGabriel000 Probably because it's a ostensibly sporty car that can't pull the skin off a rice pudding. Even when this was new 8.5 seconds 0-60 was a poor show when something as average as the same era 2 litre Accord would do the same 0-60.
@@Beer_Dad1975 same era k20 accord had 158 hp as standard too. Plum for the 2.4 and you had 189
@@crztank9298 Looking back at some of the power figures from supposedly lux/performance manufacturers from Germany during the 00's, I'm actually surprised at how far ahead Japan clearly was at that point. Just watched another video on the SLK350 and when Jay said it was only putting out 260 something HP I thought "That's odd the Japanese V6's of that period were closer to 300" - went and looked it up and sure enough... Then went and looked at the V8's for that period - same deal, the smaller capacity Toyota and Nissan V8's of the period were putting out significantly more power than the Germans! And of course more reliably too.
If you think about it BMW 16 years prior to the introduction of this was making the e30 320is for southern Europe which made 189HP and weighed nearly 400kg less than this
We should thank EU and some homologation requirements.
@@bluehead_info yep
@@bluehead_info That would be crash regulations all around the world
This is basicly the successor of the E30 and E36 318iS, which had 140hp from a 4 cylinder 16v engine and most importantly a limited slip differential, which was worth it. It was a homoligation model made with low cost/low effort. They needed to homoligate certain parts for their touring cars. And rules require to have those certain parts on a roadworthy stock car, which has to be selled in some numbers. So they slept them on this and called it a day. I think they havent seen a "business case" in a "poor mans M3", so they didnt put much into making this.
Yep, we had them in Portugal :)
I currently have a 320si. Bought it absolutely because I'm a touring car fan, and a BMW enthusiast... Anyone buying one because they think it'll be an M3-lite, or a high performance car will be disappointed. It is a fun car to drive hard, but its not the fastest.
It's just really well balanced, I've never driven one but i can surley imagine with that power you can almost get into any corner full throttle without spinning ect, being a 4cyl and almost midengined and 50/50 weigh distribution and a saloon that's the toughest chassis of them it all makes perfect sence to why they went for a 4cyl than a 6 other than the 2.0l restriction
@@clubsport_46330 It's really more about the character of the engine than the chassis. I've had a number of 6 cyl BMW's from 2.0 to 3.5 litre and they are beautifully smooth. The N45B20S is not, and you have to work it hard, but it's great fun when you do, and the best bit is, you *can* work it hard, and not be doing twice the speed limit as you might be in more powerful cars. It feels like you are going so much quicker than you are, and realistically that makes it more usable fun.
@@matthewstokes707 exactly! I've mostly owned e46 330ci's and my first was a e36 318is and that thing was a beast! You could drive the shit out of it and not be doing stupid speeds and I've never been able to go full throttle on corners on anything else and expect the 320si to be the same... Which is great for the b roads
I'd personally invest in some carbon fiber bits like front end and rear boot lid, some bmw performance brakes and squared setup with PS4's and stick somme bilstein b12/b16 and that thing would have anything with double its power on the b roads!
And if you've got to work the engine then even better, the driver has to drive the car than all electronics and valvetronics doing all the work leaving something for the driver to extract 😂
@@clubsport_46330 Nice. I had an E36 328i Sport once, that was a fantastic car. When I got rid of it I looked at a 318is, but a lot of them seem to have been badly abused.
I'm keeping my si as original as I can. It's plenty fast enough on the back roads for me... I just wish our roads in the UK didn't take such a toll on 18" wheels with low profile tyres! Already had to have one of my wheels welded up!
@@clubsport_46330 Exactly! people miss the point...its is called 'driving pleasure' not about big BHP and high speed. I also love the 944 Porsche...just a pleasurable car to drive. We are not all in the Ferrari or exotic league are we !
My friend bought one not even knowing that it was a homologation special. I didn't know it either, but I was curious about its stats so I jumped into internet. There I found out about the engine problems, and asked if the car had the engine rebuilt. My friend didn't know, and half year later we knew for sure which option it was as the engine literally shat itself.
😬😬😬 That factory carbon fiber valve cover with its oil-stained hue.
First of all, thank you Jay for reviewing this car, it has a special place in my heart and so I want to step in to add a few details.
The history of BMW 4cyl performance engines has been kind of overshadowed by its popular 6cyls, but it's actually very interesting.
The S14 developed for the E30 M3 was an engine that was already old when it came out, in fact, bmw put it in the M3 while simultaneously developing its successor that should have been derived by the new M40 engine.
So with the E30 we start to have 2 lines of 4cyl, a standard one (M40) and a performance oriented one (namely the M42 that powered the E30 318is).
BMW developed a motorsport variant of the M42, it was codenamed S42 and it was used to compete on touring championships with 2L displacement limits in the 90s.
The M42 (and S42) was carried on to the E36 generation in the 318is, where it evolved into the M44, the last iteration of this line of engines. Imagine that in north america they got the M42 and M44 into the base E36 318i, so they kinda got screwed with the M3 but got lucky with the base model.
The E36 marked the end to the development of the performance line of 4 cyl engines... Or so it seemed.
The 4 cyls that came after the M43 and M43 were codenamed N40 and N42 and were developed with a lot of new BMW technologies, like the aluminum block, double vanos, valvetronic, etc, with the N40 being the "cheaper version" and therefore not having valvetronic, but limited to 1.6L of displacement and used only in certain market on the E46 compact.
The N40 and N42 received an update around the E90 launch, namely the N45 and N46, and here's the catch: due to the N45 not having valvetronic, it was able to rev higher, and thus it was chosen by BMW for the 2L displacement motorsport.
I guess they did this 320si because the regular N45 was available only as 1.6L displacement.
So all in all, this 320si is like the spiritual successor to the E36 318is.
If there's a guy that knows a lot about BMW 4cyls, that's Bruno from BDS motorsport. He used to tune E36 M42 and M44 engines and then moved to the N45 in the E87 116i, you can even find a video here on yt of his tuned 116i.
I remember in one of his lives he talked about the E90 320si engine and essentially said it was flawed because some components were made at motorsport levels, and others were recycled from BMW partsbin or just made cheaply compared to the racing version of the N45, backing up the idea that they made this car more because they needed to homologate the 2L N45 rather than to make a 318is successor. Very interesting anyway.
Lastly, while it's true that the N43 (N46 successor) makes roughly the same power as the 2L N45, it's also true that it's nowhere near as rev happy and fun to drive as the latter.
Excellent summary and history lesson! I can only add that the competition version of the engine in the 320si was named P45 (which I'm sure you knew). When I think about it: It must have been here around the race engine versions got from being renamed to "S" to "P" instead?
@@mikaeljohnsson4982 as far as I can tell, the P nomenclature for racing engines came out around the E46 generation with the P54 and P60, but actually no idea about why that was the case.
@@seigma5340 Apparently there was even a P50B32 (based on S50B32) in the M3 GTR E36 (1997-2001), I just found out. This was perhaps the very first time the P-name was used. Maybe ... And the P-nomenclature apparently arose because BMW wanted to start distinguishing between production engines designed by BMW M and competition engines designed by BMW Motorsport.
Quite a bit of detailed info. I've driven the 318is before in e30 and e36 and I was underwhelmed. I've grown around japanese engines and brands and noone does a 4cyl like the japanese,namely Honda. Bmw just never matched those highs but I suppose the I6 took all the glory.
@@crztank9298 Even as a former owner of a delightful E36 318is Class II 1994 (yes, the homologation special!) - but that joy was as much the whole package - I do not object. I have actually driven all generations of the Civic Type R and - boy - I still remember when I in the first generation, for the first time, experienced the V-TEC do its thing at around 6000 rpm and that kick and fury upp to 8000! A very charismatic engine, indeed.
My friend had one, that carbon valve cover 😍 And interesting that they never fitted an oil temperature gauge in place of the mpg meter, considering how important this would be for the "fragile" engine
Yep they could of used the E90 M2 oil temps
Probably no place to fit it on the block. And they didnt care to make one.
@@GoldenCroc should be pretty easy as they are normally integrated with the pressure sender or if separate just a threaded hole in the sump. Sounds to me more likely that they didn't want to redesign the instrument cluster just for a few thousand cars (cost)
@@energymc22 Probably played a part as well, I agree.
I call bullshit on it saving 10kg's of weight - maybe if the standard cover is quarter inch cast iron!
I love how I can just search for a car off the top of my head an 90% of the time, I'm greeted with a JayEmm review. Just perfection.
I've owned two 320si, my current one is on 153,000 miles, original engine. The video sums the car up well, one other detail to add, they have hydraulic power steering, which does help with feel over the regular 320i electric steering. I have to agree with the downsides: poor fuel economy and mediocre straight line performance and some owners reporting serious cylinder liner issues. Despite all that I like them, they are different, have a genuine motorsport back story and thanks to so many of them being broken there are relatively few remaining. The upside to this reputation is that prices are very low; consider that IF the engine was bombproof and made more power they would probably be priced beyond my means as a daily driver. Besides, if you find one that has had steel liners and new cam chain they should be tough, I don't know of any crank, rod, piston or top end failures. The top end shares many similarities with the S54 M engine, with solid lifters (the same parts used) and actually has stronger rockers than the M part (they are used by a number of race teams in S54 engines).
My commute to work has plenty of roundabouts, the grip is impressive and makes working the engine between 4k and 7k revs great fun. I feel that part of the secret to keeping the engine healthy is more regular oil changes and a very careful warm up process before giving it full throttle. I fitted a sump heating pad, so on colder UK mornings I plug the car in for a few hours before driving.
As long as you accept the car for what it is, at a currently sensible purchase price in this crazy used car market you could be happy. www.racelife.co.uk/mycars
My uncle had an e90 330i with the same wheels that on this car. I couldn’t for the life of me figure out where they came from, until I saw this video. I never saw another e90 with these wheels. I had no idea this car even existed
Funny you said that, the only reason I know this exists is because a friend of mine imported a 2008 E90 320d MSPORT from the U.K with these wheels and we were trying to figure out what they were off of and thus we discovered the SI. Wheels are probably worth more than the car by now lol.
@@MrSteveo114 The wheels are on the car to this day with the new owner. Gutter rashed to the shit but still has the bmw motorsport label on them. They are a lovely looking wheels.
The wheels where also an BMW Performance dealer bought option. I think they cost around 3000,- euro's back in the day. They are BBS wheels with wider rears and painted in BMW Hyper silver which is a b*tch to repaint because of the BMW Motorsport decals underneath the clearcoat.
Can remember looking at these when new & frankly, I was disappointed. Despite being a homologation special it didn't feel different enough from a standard 320i, and felt no quicker than my then-current E46 320ci. With all the trick motorsport components, that engine should have been more like a Honda K20 or at least a Renault F4R. I seem to remember there were some serious reliability problems too
Yeah, seems like a collector car mostly.
"there were some serious reliability problems too" - Yep, those magical cylinder liners Jay told us about were notorious for going bad and BMW's own solution was to just replace them with the standard liners from a 320i.
@@k-peezy2723 BMWs 00s was shocking in many ways. Would be even worse relatively if there wasnt so many other manufacturer having similar problems at the same time.
Plus the E46 shape is much nicer than the slab sided E9x series
@@Alan-wu3ry off al the generations i have owned, i prefered the e92.
Currently have an e46 325ci and an f30 330i
I think this is more akin to the E30 318is, than the M3. I had a black 1990 E30 318is, great car, wish I still had it as E30s are skyrocketing in value now!
Yes the M3 was a 2.3/2.5 for DTM-only regulations, whereas the 318iS was a 2 litre to fit BTCC and most other country’s Touring Car regs ie was the direct predecessor to the 320Si
I agree with all your comments, but I still have a long-standing fascination with these. The mods go even further. I believe the engine location is lower and further back than standard (happy to be corrected). It’s a very special car but sadly not one which is greater than the sum of its parts.
Top gear did a good review at the time (VBH driving) which is worth a watch.
You are correct :-)
Noway!! My good friend had one of these last year. Trying to explain how well it drove to others was difficult. Such a gem of a car. Pity the oil pump failed on a track day. Miss it dearly. It's suspension is going into my 1 series coupe!
Always like the more obscure cars that appear on here. I also had a friend with one of these and was baffled by his love for a 320. Bit of research later and it told the tale you tell here .
Caught between homologation requirements and their own M cars is my first thought.
I drive an E90 325i and I absolutely love it. Great arounder. I've actually owned 2 now lol. I use it to drive across Europe (I work in Croatia) regularly and also daily it. Perfect 👌
Terrible fuel economy though?
@@quokkapirquish6825 not too bad. No worse than anything else I've had in the past. I average anywhere between 32 and 35 mpg. Depends on what fuel and tyres you're using. I actually just did a 500 mile run on all season tyres (Michelin Crossclimate 2's) using E5 95 and averaged just over 32 mpg.
You can't compare it to a S2000's F20C when that engine uses VTEC, and that would not be allowed in WTCC Super2000 rules. I'm not sure it even allows variable cam timing. Then... For emissions reasons, you can't slap the 300+° duration cams from the race engine in the road going version. (If you did, peak power would probably shift to 8500rpm and be up to 230hp+)
Good and fair review of this. I remember when these came out and I always liked the subtle but enhanced look of these. Great job by the way Motech 👏👌
A 330i would have been most peoples preferred option but I still like these and they were a bit cheaper than a regular 320i 👍
🏆🏆
Has to be a straight six for me. I do love the simple yet elegant styling of that era though, and especially in that colour.....
Had this for a test drive back in the day. Even thou quite nimble and the engine being a little gem it was just slow. Took it to the autobahn and you were eaten alive there. Nothing wrong with taking the 6 cylinder cars back in the day. It just didn’t live up to its badge.
Yeah...I had no idea these existed. Glad you've made the video 'cause now I do!
This was a great watch, that BMW look is just timeless. I have a less loved 135i n54 auto. Absolutely no one knows what it is, or cares and has no value. Isn't it strange how some cars become so sought after and legends and others just get ignored. I have 6 cars, and I have missed the mark on all of them. Love your content as always and maybe one day I might buy a seventh car. I look forward to more videos from you... take care.
135i is awesome. Widow maker with tuning.
Auto was a questionable choice on that one
@@chrisogrady28 Might be, but its faster, if one cares about that. So thats one point on top of the general comfort benefit most people find.
Love the blue of this car. Thanks for showcasing this car I had no idea it existed. Nice video. Keep up the good work.
Seen one or two back home in Portugal, they where cheaper than a normal 3 series due to the way the car tax works there, smaller engine, cheaper car, but not many people know what they are. I will take those rear seats out, roll cage, nice racing seats, high flow catalytic converter, better suspension, a racing air intake... Will make it wonderful...
The looks are an issue as well, there's a difference between being subtle and being virtually indistinguishable from a 318d
Yep thanks BMW HAHA
Not a single word regarding legendary unrealiabilty of 320is engine and espensive repairs?
I remember these costing BMW a fortune in warranty claims replacing the cracked aluminium cylinder liners. Not sure if they still suffer this fate. Interesting to see how this would compare back to back with an Alpina D3
The only solution is to machine the block to accept ductile iron liners. The thin aluminium liners always crack.
@@richardharrold9736 BMW probably just replaced like for like which won't have made any difference then in the long run. BMW 4 cylinder engines were awful in general in the mid to late 2000s, they seem to have numerous mechanical and electrical issues which were hard to diagnose accurately back then hence why we avoided them in the trade
@@benzinapaul7416 which is why the aftermarket came up with a lasting solution.
@@richardharrold9736 that's what I wasn't sure about but thought must be the case otherwise the values would still be in the doldrums like they once were.
@@benzinapaul7416 I certainly wouldn't pay good money for one that hasn't had the block sleeved.
I used to have one of these 7 years ago... problematic... main dealer couldn't fix engine issues. Had to redline it to get anything out of it performance wise. But a fun car to drive!
I just could not bring myself to go for a Four pot over a Six, if I looked for a Petrol 3 Series again
Going for 6 is always the better option. If you can, sure. Drop by buddy. :)
This car (in very good condition) costs in continental Europe around 15k euro. Uk market is always another world… Btw, About the car. I bought one last month. I’m long time Porsche collector and former gentleman driver. First: impossible to find a limited edition sport car with such a background at this price. Second: it’s a fantastic base for a mechanical upgrade thanks for the perfect engine position and weight. In fact The price is so low that you have enough budget to improve it! with 10k euro you can buy Ohlins/Kw coilover suspensions, 6F/4R pots big brake kit, new unrestricted intake and exhaust manifold, sport cams and other minor bits. You can easily arrive at 210/220 hp with a perfect balanced saloon car. I bet it will be a joy to drive in the real world. This car is for a super limited number of petrolhead only, addicted with twisty B roads and rare things. For the others, who care about 0-100 or to go fast on a straight line, the market is full of better choiche…
So how is your 320si, any mods done yet? What the impression? Asking im one step begire buying one)))
For this to make any sense should at least rev to 8k, make more than 200HP, weigh in no more than 1200Kg and 330i brakes
1200kg is impossible though, unless it uses exotic material or is stripped to the shell. Seems a hard sell, back then.
I had no idea these even existed, I'm yet again better for another of Jay's videos 😀
Thank you Jay for reviewing this car. I agree with the conclusion. It could have been so much more if BMW had only tried to squeeze out say 190-200 horsepower. Now it is obvious that they put all the gunpowder on the race car, the street car was an element to build from, nothing more. At least when it comes to the engine. I considered one but chose a 335i instead. With the right spec it looks the same while it has completely different resources.
But here are some things I want to add / correct:
* One more thing differs externally: All 320si have black exterior mirrors.
* There was in fact a motorsport livery to get! (Depending on market perhaps.) Not the variant you show us but the stripes that shows the nationality of Andy Priaulx and Jörg Müller's race cars in WTCC 2006 you could actually get, alternatively the same stripes in BMW Motorsport's colors. But few first owners seem to have taken advantage of this.
* I know that the suspension angles were more aggressive from the factory than for a regular 320i with sports suspension. As I remember it, the car impresses much more in curves than in straight stretches.
I previously owned a 56 plate E90 320i and loved it, when I bought it in 2009 I got a BMW magazine to learn about it and they mentioned the 320Si and I always intrigued by this model. The heady 7K+ redline seemed seductive (I was already used to my litre supersports motorbike which redlined at 11K+).
Thanks for reviewing it.
I bought one of these a few years back from a dealership not knowing anything about it. From day one it chucked blue smoke out on start-up. Once I looked into this car I found so many people suffering from the dreaded cylinder liners. Two weeks later I took it back for a refund. I liked the car and it's subtle styling. It was underpowered but I'd have one now as a garage classic but they all seem to have been broken.
I have an E36 318iS and really think you should try one if you enjoyed this. It's got a similar type of engine, albeit a little less refined and very old tech by modern standards. They are ripe for tuning though, mine is putting out 180ish bhp with only an intake manifold, exhaust and a tune. With some decent suspension and fresh bushings it is argubaly more fun than the equivalent 323/328 and has a much keener front end due to the engine being mounted further back. Also has some touring car pedigree given that the S42 was (distantly) related to the road going M42 in the 318iS.
Plus more distinctive, reliable, interesting and has a strong engine that loves to rev, true unsung hero and handles 👌
I owned so many BMWs but I’m now happy to say I’m an owner of one of these ultra rare gems, it’s alpine white like the livery bound car but unfortunately mine has a bit of a timing issue but I’m working on it
best part of the 320si where the BBS wheels, I love them and I bought them for my 330i
When a e30 320is produced 190hp in late 80s it just speaks how bad this is.
I wish they would done this is the e46 instead when they raced with the 2l 6cyl. While a normal 320 is fun in e46. A high reving small 6cyl would been 😎
Yeah, the E46 WTCC engine without the racing restrictors would have been capable of revving to 12,000 RPM, and could have been bored out to over 2.3 litres - it could actually have made more power than the E92 M3, even as much as the M3 GTS, albeit at the cost of torque.
awesome, I had no idea BMW was racing a 2L 6 cyl back then
@@papa_pt yep, P54B20, awesome engine, basically an M3 race engine with the bore reduced and the stroke shortened from 91 to 66 mm. Use a wide bore M3 block with the 2.0 crank and you're looking at 2354cc.
How many high revving I4s of the time were pushing north of 200 bhp? Not many. Renault didn't have one. Honda needed VTEC and a 9000 rpm redline for theirs.
BMW did what was feasible with such a car. It made more sense to bet on the 335i and the M3 instead, both with much different engines. Maybe the mistake was using the 3 and not the 1 Series.
@@nightdriver7216 Nissan SR20DE (86mm square bore/stroke) made up to 197bhp at 7200rpm naturally aspirated in the Nissan approved Autech special editions of things like the S15 Silvia... Toyota 2ZZ was making 189bhp from 1796cc at the time... even the old 1587cc 4A-GE made up to 160bhp, thanks to 4 or 5 valves per cylinder at a time when BMW fours still mostly had 2... Rover got 158bhp from the naturally-aspirated 1.8 K-series, and Lotus tickled that up to 189bhp... the Yamaha tuned Mazda designed Ford Sigma engine made 153bhp from 1679cc... the Ford Focus ST170 engine is virtually identical to the N45 (same 88mm stroke, bore is 84.8mm to the N45's 85mm) and makes the same power at the same revs... the Cosworth C20XE made 154bhp at only 6000rpm for Vauxhall from square 86mm dimensions back in 1987, so BMW using a sixth more revs to get 10% more from roughly the same size engine twenty years later hardly impresses...
BMW may be famous for I-6, but they win the races with I-4 and V-8s.
90s 24hr Le Mans in E36 318 and 320s. Z4 with the V8.
Seems like a car for collectors mostly these days, if one is being fair. Nothing wrong with that. In that market, the price when it was new, was incredibly low. What other homologation special was cheaper than the ordinary car? Never heard of one...
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I know these can be fragile, but I do kind of like them. The style 216 alloys are sone of the best looking wheels that BMW have ever made (glad I have them on my 130 LE).
There’s a chap on Pistonheads who is in his second and neither have blown up yet.
I had an e92 325i coupe auto (with the 320si wheels which are ace👌) and found it a bit slow. Can't imagine how lethargic this would feel for a motorsport inspired model. Also the liners in these engines notoriously destroy themselves. There are more of these available broken on the market than working.
I have one of these, 94,000miles and the engine is strong and pulls all the way to the limiter. Its in Carbon schwarz metallic black and I only paid £2800, She's had new discs and pads, new springs and a full service and she is perfect for the Cheshire country roads. I have an e92 Alpina D3 Bi Turbo also and the 320si holds up well in comparison.
I bought one of these when I was 19 back in 2009 with 30k and it was 14k my first foray into “quicker” rare car and hated it. Was expensive to service, fuel and wasn’t fast at all or engaging and 4000+ revs on the motorway was a pain! Kept it 18 months and bought a Z4M coupe and it cost almost exactly the same so run apart from tax and had twice the power… never looked back
The Z4M Coupe is quickly becoming a very sought after vehicle. E90, not so much.
Never knew that this model ever existed! Very cool.
At the time were a really nice car. A mate had one ex demo with a lot of optional spec and ran it for a good number of years. I dont think it blew up, rather it started suffering lots of electrical gremlins so got shot of it.
Engine was nice, yes not that quick but revvy and made a nice noise - lots of character. I believe BMW actually hand finished the motors at Hams Hall.
I looked at these a few years back and most were being sold for spare or repair, or being broken for parts so I guess they are becoming quite rare......any 6 cylinder variant, even a 325i is better though.
It's definitely close to a 'more than the sum of its parts' model - it makes little sense against the rest of the range, but it also did enough to perk the interest. I love the six cylinders and making a 330i look like this spec would be the more sensible way to do it, but I'd still miss the joy of looking at that cam cover.
During the golden era of BMW this car was the product of that period when BMW was the ultimate driving machine, I love old school stra8 six Bimmers with its signature smooth revving engines. This car looks stunning but l love the sound of the straight six in the e86, it sounds good accompanied with excellent induction noise and it can keep up with modern BMWs albeit not as fast 💨 as the turbo era. Old BMWs are very characterful to drive when compared to the computer aided car. Thanks JayEmm.
I drive a 323i which I’m trading in this for week for a 420d. It 110% isn’t as fast as a turbo BMW as it has absolutely no low end torque whatsoever.
If BMW managed to make a inline4 that was equivalent to the Honda F-20 and K-20, it would great. But sadly they couldn't
On curvy hillclimbs with many u-turns, they come alive!
Only there they show the potential of the initial thought…. (Compared to 330i)
320si with a sprinkle of CSL fairy dust 🥳
Thanks bud ..! Great Review 🏆 Its also up for sale too..
Despite what people may say about the Pre-LCI E90. With that paint and Msport, package makes this car look fantastic.
the S14 inline 4 in the E30 M3 was a cracking engine
I have a red 320si and i love it even though the fuel prices have rocketed. Sound over 5000rpms is awesome 👌
I never heard of this one, but I had a same year 318i and thought it could of done with a turbocharger. So why BMW went to the expense of that engine and didn't just whack a blower on it is confusing! They could of got 240bhp easily and reliably with all those lovely noises to boot!
I liked these when they came out, worked at a BMW main dealer at the time.
What a cool car! I don't think we have them in North America
First class road test and knowledge 👍
A head to head between this and the Altezza RS200 would be interesting.
I had the 320i edition m sport 08reg. Same alloys & engine, but without the carbon fiber. I had it just over 2 years & spent more money then you can imagine just to keep it on the road. Lamda bank 1 & 2, Nox & o2 sensors. ABS sensors. reluctor rings. Had to change whole diff as bearings had gone. HP fuel pump was leaking fuel onto the exhaust manifold at one point. I-drive botton stopped working. Waterpump & theromstate made out of plastic, so that too. Coil packs burning out. There's more I just cant remember it all now. The car had like 60k miles on it & looked lovely. When the engine managment light wasnt on it drove lovely lol. Sulpherised cat was another , but that was due to the Nox sensor. My first & last BM trouble you. I know enough about cars to know it was all design flaws or where the cost cutter at BMW had swapped everything possible from metal to plastic. Now, many years later I have an 08 civic type r with close to 100k miles on it currently. This car has no way been looked after well & no where near the BMW had been. But yet after 2 years driving the civic only real issue was a seized caliper. It cost almost half what the BM cost to buy orignally to.
I watched the vid twice. NOw, that I recently bought an e90.
Lucky Brit’s get to have homologation special and it’s the cheapest in the range just about.
Personally I would prefer more performance, but a more peaky/tuned 2 litre would suffer more down low. I would consider re-sleeving the block to get more capacity say 2.2-2.3 litres ideally, assuming the block design allows it. Perhaps offset grinding a crank, or looking to see if there is a bmw crank from another engine that could be made to fit.
220hp, 50-75kg of weight saving and you could call it a 320(c)si….
Completely agree about the BMW 6cyl engines. :) You started with it and I would do the same. Thumb up and keep going.
I would much rather have a 6 cylinder personally. More reliable, faster, better to drive. BMW 4 cylinder engines apart from a couple of exceptions are pretty average at best.
Definitely.BMW sixes are the finest in the world,Honda for 4 cylinders and Mercedes for V8.Remember dropping my E36 325i off moons ago for a service and having a loaner 316i.Spartan trim and felt like a posh Escort in comparison
I was going to move up the way car wise and test drove 318i not a patch on the car I had big disappointment
In my opinion the lower powered 316i, and 318i models are just for people buying the car for the badge. They are not really much better than a more mainstream car.
@@simonh870 i t hink your right, i was so flat
The 4 cylinder petrol engines in this generation of 3 series are notoriously unreliable as well.
I remember Vicky’s review quite well. Also came close to buying one, but yeah, the nikasil lining on the aluminium block killed it. Just like the Cayenne S.
Bought one (in Le Mans blue) a year ago. £3900 with under 60k miles. Cheap because the market hates them due to the reliability issues. Done two track days. Yes, Clios whizz past you in a straight line, but the cornering power will make you grin like a lunatic. Roll on new trackday season!
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You appear to have been round my neck of the woods for this. I recognise that aerodrome, some very good roads in that part of the county
Quite true, the e30 318is was considered by many to be the e30 3 series to go for back in the day too.
I aways wanted one of these. What put me off was the amount for sale with broken engines when they were only 4 or 5 year old.
Quite right to point out that diesel was the big thing back when this was launched (and still is, as far as I'm concerned). I could never understand why BMW bothered with a petrol 2-litre engine at all,. considering that the diesel options were as good if not better in performance terms (and would have offered better economy as well). Even the six-pot 2.2-litre motor of the E39-vintage 520i seemed pointless to me - unless ALL you wanted was a six-pot soundtrack.
Fair enough - now I understand the reason for the four-pot 2-litre, but as you pointed out, if they were going to do this homologation-special motor they could at least have made it a bit more 'special'!
Back in 2009 I was in the market for an e90, I only wanted petrol and the 320si ticked many boxes having just sold my second Honda S2000! I thought a high revving engine was still the way to go!
The si fell far short of the mark so I bought a 2 year old 325i for the lovely 6 cylinderness, it genuinely only managed 23 mpg but had a fair bit more power, it was a good choice, I loved that car, eventually part exchanged it for a Z4M…….that’s a whole different story!
I remember a few of these coming through the place I used to work as used/ex lease, they didn't sell as well as imagined, very basic spec and back then if it didn't have idrive and leather an e90 wouldn't sell. Nobody could see any heritage in it, it was a bodykit on a model nobody wanted.
James I love your wardrobe almost as much as your videos! 👍👍👍
Great review overall but you missed the biggy with these; the cylinder liners that disintegrated. The 320 si
One of the few E90's left that still has its original driver's cup holder! You can tell because it doesn't have a chrome button on it
Why would it be chrome then?
@@satsumagt5284 There used to be options for chrome button or no chrome button. BMW stopped making the non-chrome button version. Because the driver's cupholders nearly always broke, when you bought the new one it had the chrome button and the EPC said to order a second cupholder cover with the button for the passenger side so that they matched.
I own a 2011 BMW 323i E90 LCI. I'm trading it in this week on a 2016 BMW 420d. It brings me to tears to sell this car as it's the car that saved my life. I've owned it for 9 years and I haven't had a single issue. The last of the small inline 6s I think are arguably the best motor's BMW ever made and I love it so much, however the low end torque is non existent. The way it handles and steers it just makes your jaw drop. Easily the best car I've ever owned. I'm only upgrading it as despite it's record of not having any problems, I am admittedly getting worried as it gets older and I don't want or neither really have the money to repair things when they will inevitably go wrong. I'm also getting a 4 Series as it's newer, has majority of the latest safety kit, is in my opinion one of the top looking cars BMW have produced and the 4 Series since driving one at launch has been my wife's favourite car and one of mine as well. Also this will mainly be my wife's car and she didn't want a 3 Series or a 5 Series, plus my wife only drives around town as she is a stay at home wife/mum and around town the 6 cylinder averages 12 litres per 100 urban, while the 420d urban averages 5.1 per 100. That will be saving me thousands of dollars per year. Also it has 75% more torque than my 323i and the same as a 435i and it didn't feel far off the big V8 Holden Commodores/Caprice's I owned which had 500NM+. I'll probably cry when I say goodbye to my 323i, however all good things must come to an end. Preferably I would of wanted a 430i, but here in Australia there is no new or used cars around and all the prices are up.
TLDR
Two things: be careful about driving a diesel mostly around town. They dont like it. At all.
Secondly, I see what you are getting at, but I must point out torque numbers dont mean anything for acceleration. Its power that do. Common mistake/misuse of wording though, for sure.
@@GoldenCroc I meant torque. Sorry I wrote this at 2am here in Melbourne and I'm dead tired.
Also I will definitely drive it to where I work in the city a few times a month (I live in Rowville, which is the outer east of Melbourne) and it's 32km from my house to work. I'll also make sure to give it that big drive each month so the engine doesn't clog up like I've heard about the diesels in X5s. I'm hoping in 2 to 3 years to trade in the 420d on probably a G20 330i or maybe then the Inline 6 Mazda 6 will be on sale which will probably be worth a shout. I work in politics as an advisor to MPs so my job and wage depend on if we're in government or in opposition.
@@patrickbateman6885 You need to be above a certain speed for at least 15 minutes for DPF cleaning to be effective. That speed is higher than most city speed limits. Keep this in mind.
@@GoldenCroc I’ll make sure to do this. Thank you.
On the other hand, I love my E90 M3, such a fun car to drive.
Had an E91 318 for a short time ,interior was a step back from the E46 they were going big for the fleet market obviously and some people will drive anything with the right badge…MOT time was a riot with the weird fast idle numbers that are a pass ,make sure they put in the right engine block N43 and not the older non GDI one …👍
What a lovely thing. I think the wonderful 330ci eclipsed every other choice at that time, but still. Very nice.
The fact that Motec themselves doesn't want to do anything with the car and just use it as practice for detailing work says it all to me. This is definitely a bona fide poster example of how to take something good like the 320si namesake and turn it into a mockery.
I've seen one in person but knew what it was because of when Vicky reviewed one on fifth gear
Great review James 👏
Looks like a really fun car and it would certainly have tempted me out of my recently departed E90 318i, but it does feel a shame to be missing the 6, or at least a bit more pace. Currently happily driving an E91 325i manual and I'm not sure I'd be willing to make the switch...
Why is it that after every single one of your videos, I find myself going through the classifieds searching for the very model you've just reviewed?
its for sale haha
All BWM 2.0lt petrol engines aren't worth it when there is a 3lt available. There is barely any difference in fuel consumption.
Would love it if you bought a mk5 gti project for the channel or a project car that’s old!!
It really would be a lot more special and more Motorsport based as a 320cs!!
Considering a Honda can put out over 200 bhp from a 2litre, I would think at least 190 was doable for BMW. But with that a Carbon bonnet and boot And some lightweight seats would probably knock another 70kg of the weight. Also Carbon mirrors, maybe a splitter and a small wing for visuals! and function!!
I agree. The 170hp the 156jts made was considered good for a 'normal' na engine in 2006. However, BMW were managing to extract 100hp more from their 6cyl in those days, that alfa were. Surely they could have got another 30hp from this!
The jts made less than 150hp 😂😂😂
I have one my self
@@Ziad-ww6tw 165 actually
Lower power for longevity. Race cars don't do many miles and happy to have an engine rebuild.... road cars... not so much!
@@khalidacosta7133 true!
Yeah, it was a claimed 165. The carbon build up due to direct injection and poor oil return capability, was awful. After few years, some were making only 125-130hp 🤣. I've had 2 jts's. 1st was spritely enough. 2 was not so good, dynoed at 136hp 🙄.
I always like when companies do this, everyone wins, if you're in the market for a similar car, you might end up with something slightly nicer and then BMW have a better starting point for their race car. I don't know 170bhp should be 'decent' for this? It's probably a little bit heavy "just over 8" ok yeah still a bit heavy, that's ok though.
Thanks J!
I had To E90’s one being a 320i both with the dreadful auto box that never quite knew which gear to be in, the 4 door still looks likes a Rep’s car and I much preferred my Audi 3.0 Quattro which had much better build quality. They straight 6 engine feels & sounds lovely but poor low down torque was disappointing and always plagued with oil leaks but I do have a liking for models that are unique and limited in numbers and this Si fits the bill.
Isn’t the Audi 3L a v6?
@@anwaaraslam723 yes it was a V6
Hi Jay firstly I would like to say what a great channel you have and enjoy watching your reviews 👏. I must say in order for you to compare this 320si with a s2000 and Golf R it is very unfair as they both have a completely different price tag, also to compare it with a citron 🤷♂️ have you compared the weight ratio?
This is suppose to be for a gentlemen who does his 9-5 job and wife that drops kids off to school and then release all the frustration after work or dropping the kids off and turn into a animal and go back to the family life when ready. Issues with the engine is common with any cars if your not maintaining it with regular oil Service (it is a performance car) so does need extra care. In my opinion it was a unfair and unrealistic review. You did say its not a bad car but at the same time you gave it a good bashing.
The Florida Panthers jersey totally caught me off guard. James, when are you returning to America!? 😎
This year - when I don't know. Are you a FL resident?
Isn't this engine the one who goes bang with 70k or so miles??
I considered one of these second hand years ago but ended up getting a 325(3.0)se and fitted the alloys from the Si :-)
The inline 6 from BMW (328i) is indeed great, but know that you'll be replacing the wholly trinity of gaskets:. Valve cover, oil pan and oil filter housing. The only relatively easy one is the OFH gaskets. I've had an e91 for 11 years and really still like it even with the aforementioned repairs.
These 4 cylinders are worse, you need to do valve stem seals...
My e90 328i will be my first and last BMW. I’m keeping it going now because the car market is stupid but when I get the chance at a new truck at MSRP this oil level sensor junk is out of here.
some proper sport seats and Mtech cloth interior would have gone some way to make it look special. Shame the marketing did not plug their heritage with the touring car history. With a few exceptions, BMW's racing success in modern tin top cars has been the 2 litre 4 cylinder not the M3 which often ended up competing against more powerful competitors with bigger engines. You should try to locate a e30 M320is euro car with the smaller M3 engine.
Seats arent too bad in my estimation. Same as was in the M3 of that generation, with inflatable bolsters etc. I like them. Though they may not look cool...
Oh yes, M-Tech cloth throughout the years was a much more special offering than hide, especially the E34 and E36 options. Heck, even the E46 cloth was better than nothing.
I considered one of these a few years ago, I knew what they were all about but the possible faults to be wary of put me off. I chose a Honda Accord Type S.