This BMW E30 Is A Spiritual Successor

“In my case, when I started looking for BMWs, I gravitated toward the 1991…the 1991 coupé is the last coupé they made in the E30…” says Delia Wolfe. “The 318IS is the ‘baby’ M3; it doesn’t put out as much horsepower or torque…but it was the spiritual successor, if you will, to the 2002.”

“It has everything you’d want in the 2002,” she says. Delia is the proud owner of a 1991 BMW 318IS, one of the last of the simple, mechanical, engineering-driven driver’s cars the Munich firm built its reputation on. “I found it down in Aptos, near Santa Cruz, somewhat sad and neglected—but I fell in love, because it reminded me about my 2002, and my Tii. And those cars were the cars I grew up on, those were the cars I loved first.”

Wolfe has been able to repair and restore her car—she’s a BMW mechanic, restorer, and expert—since 2008, with it remaining tied to commuting duties as well as just about anything else, from flinging it through a twisty road or embarking on a longer road trip.

“The E30 has its own cult following. People found that you could modify them with very little money, and that the cars were durable, and that there’s all kinds of places to exercise your passion,” she says. “There’s lowered and ‘stanced’ E30s, then you’ve got E30 spec racing, there’s a rally series…people run drift cars—every facet of racing seems to have a place for the E30.”

“When you choose a car, you should choose carefully,” Wolfe says. “If it’s not the right car for you, don’t keep it…[but] I have to admit, I have got a kind of a jaded view in favor of the E30.”

Drive Tastefully®

[MisterAki]

I'm so glad this video exists. It doesn't have to be an M3 to make it good.

[ItsMikeArre]

When petrolicious puts out a BMW video 😁 makes my day every time

[GearsandGasoline]

Those roads are gorgeous! You really capture the essence of them in this video, as always AWESOME videography dude!

[Mike-cvhv]

you have to respect and appreciate someone who is so passionate about their e30. restoring, maintaining and daily driving a 25 year old car is something special

[matthewbougaard]

keep the bmws coming we need more of them please e30 e28 e24 and e9

[mytmousemalibu]

In my honest opinion, the E30 is the best car BMW has ever made. It isn't the fastest or rarest, probably not the most collectible or iconic or beautiful. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder as they say and I love the looks of them. They are "my" generation of BMW, started the same year I did. Despite great cars like the Isetta, the M1, the 2002 and so many other iconic BMW's, I still say like many others, this is THE best car BMW made. They really are a true drivers car and one that the masses could buy. It was such a well rounded & balanced car, it had all the traits of a really, really good car! The E30 M3 was even better, the big flared fenders and M bodywork, magnificent little S14, love, love, love that car! Any E30 is great and the majority had the wonderful M20 in them. The early M10 I wasn't super fond of but it was a decent engine despite not having a lot of power. BMW did take it's greatest cars and put one of my least favorite engines in it, and the engine in the 318is in the video, the M42/M44 family. It did make more power than the old M10 but had a lot of problems. It was very common for the cylinder heads to crack on those engines amongst many other issues. I was a factory-trained, STEP grad and BMW Master tech for the better part of 10+ years before I went to aviation. I do miss it, at least the older cars. Before the days of all the fiber-optic buses and complex systems. I cut my teeth using the DIS, GT1 and even the MODIC testers on these cars! I'd bet you would get some funny looks in a BMW dealership service center today if you ask what a MODIC was!

[ge]

Im 14 and my dad got me into bmws, thanks dad. Youre awsome.

[leffler]

Since 1991, my daily driver has been the ’91 325i coupe, 5sp, black on black. I love her!

[jodk]

Bloody hell! i would never have guessed it had that many miles on it. Much respect to the owner, who clearly knows BMWs and knows a good car. The 318IS is a gem of a car, eventhough we usually prefer our E30s to have six sparkplugs.

[travisp]

My first car was a 1983 BMW 320i that I purchased used in 1993. Started saving up for a car when I was 14 and bought it when I turned 16. That was an awesome car to learn the basics of RWD vehicle handling. Sure, it wasn't fast but it was nimble and quick through the corners. Other than frequent repairs (we maintained our cars but there were some minor issues with the 320i) it was a blast to own. We kept the car in the family for 10 years and put 100K miles on it. Sadly, one week after we sold it locally, the kid who bought it got T-boned driving into the local Walmart but he walked away with no injuires. The car on the other hand, was totaled. At some point I will probably invest in an E30, but I am also a fan of the 635 CSi.

[GreenWhiteRevolution]

Had one. It was great and i sold it.
What a dump idea.

[hotbeanhours]

I love my E30, it's a 1991 325i convertible. Every time I get in it I just feel this strong aura off the car. I've driven this car more than 10 hours in a day and it starts and drives the same everyday. Just over 170, 000 miles and I plan to keep it moving.

[australianmade]

I love hearing people talk about cars and life. It's really relaxing for some reason.

[Rottensteam]

Amazing shots, amazing car and a person with character. Good job once again Petrolicious!

[izzelyy]

So beautifull. I have to go to america once in my life just for these back roads. We have epic roads here in France too, but not that large. :)
And if i had to spec a E30, it will be exactly the same at the one in this stunning video. Love the wheels.

[zoothief]

Perfect blend of car and owners story. Some petrolicious videos are too heavy on the owner and not enough car. This ones perfect.

[LaudaMaestro]

This is my favorite channel ever and I can't even see the cars. I remember most of the models very accurately and it is mesmerizing to listen to all those passionate enthusiasts, special stories and amazing engine sounds and then the perfect soundtracks complement it all. Bravo, really. Keep it going. It's nice to even just go to the list of videos on this channel and listen to the titles. So many awesome cars.

[there_is_nothing_here]

miles and over 20 years old and it still looks amazing

[honkitonkitom]

I have a brillant red 318is just like this one, running on Kreuzspeichen and with a M-Tech1 steering wheel, but without AC & electric roof. Currently resting at my grandmother's house because of too many cars and too little space. Watching this makes me want to get it on the weekend and drive it, because that's what it was made for.

[barracuda]

The quality of the interior is stunning...parts of it wouldn't look out of place in a modern BMW