Any potential buyers be warned.

[mark247 39]

OK, so it's not auto, but more motorsporty than most?

Looking in and seeing those seats, and rollcage? Seems sporty enough to me.

[kiwi535 538]

Lol, you know what i mean, i wouldnt really call a 318 auto with some basket weaves on it a motorsport, but with in reason, i dont have a problem people calling there cars motorsports.

I do

....its just like the tossers on trademe who put M5 or M3 in the key words in their ad for their 520 or 316.If you add a few bits to a commodore would you call it a club sport?

A motorsport is a motorsport,and must have ALL elements of the original item,not a decal and a badge.Half the value of a motorsport is the fact there were only a certain number.

[ED1RTY 2]

A motorsport is a motorsport,and must have ALL elements of the original item,not a decal and a badge.Half the value of a motorsport is the fact there were only a certain number.

This being the exact reason i started this thread.

[Silver Fox 43]

Yeah, getting back to the thread, I'm with you, Motorsport 325's came out of germany AFAIK, 325i Sport from the UK, and none from SA? I don't think it's genuine either Chris. Not with that name anyway, they may have produced an equivalent model, but not badged as M325i.

Edited October 29, 2007 by Silver Fox

[320guy 0]

Well yeah, if someone sticks the M badge on their 316 or 318 etc thats not right. But a car that has all/most the motorsport parts added to it, i would consider it motorsport, although not genuine.

[mark247 39]

Yeah, getting back to the thread, I'm with you, Motorsport 325's came out of germany AFAIK, 325i Sport from the UK, and none from SA? I don't think it's genuine either Chris.

Agreed, but it still looks bloody awesome. If it's true they didnt bring out M325i's out 4 door, its a real shame. It looks bloody pro.

[hotwire 352]

Well yeah, if someone sticks the M badge on their 316 or 318 etc thats not right. But a car that has all/most the motorsport parts added to it, i would consider it motorsport, although not genuine.

What quantifies all or most? - surely it is or it isnt to spec

[320guy 0]

What quantifies all or most? - surely it is or it isnt to spec

Well, depending what parts it has. But id say if had the lsd, recaro leathers or whatever. If it dosent have the tinted windows i wouldnt be that fussed.

[Guest Rick James]

only the NZ spec cars were ever called motorsports.

The UK market ones were known as Sports (it even says 325i Sport on the Vin plate)

The Icelandic ones were known as 325i M-Packet, the German ones 325i M-technic.

BUUUUUUT, you could never order these option packages (basically what they are - a set list of options) in a 4 door shell. End of story, no if buts or maybes.

The black headliner was never available in the 4 door shell, which on all of these previously listed cars, was part of the pack.

Now, there have been known to be very rare exceptions to the rule (a certain blue 4 door "sport" out of england springs to mind), but for all intents and purposes, the 4 door m-tec kit was only available on the 4 door 325iSE's

(SE, yet another set of options)

Even still more damning for this cat, is that all the SA cars were CKD (complete knock down) kits, with all the bits to assemble the car crated up and shipped over - the proof in the pudding of this? My 325iS Evo 1 comes up as a stock standard 325i with no options if you type in it's VIN into a BMW computer - still got all the iS fruit though doesn't it.

[wms 1]

The black headliner was never available in the 4 door shell, which on all of these previously listed cars, was part of the pack.

Black headliner was available in Germany

[rxsumo 33]

Even still more damning for this cat, is that all the SA cars were CKD (complete knock down) kits, with all the bits to assemble the car crated up and shipped over - the proof in the pudding of this? My 325iS Evo 1 comes up as a stock standard 325i with no options if you type in it's VIN into a BMW computer - still got all the iS fruit though doesn't it.

I suspect that the fact that your car doesn't appear "correct" on a VIN check is more likely to be the lack of information sharing between BMW SA and BMW AG on the actual specifications on the car.

My South African E12 M535i in no different.

To BMW AG, the car is known as an E28 model type 4702, 535i of South African origin.

The SA assembled cars run unique chassis numbering systems on locally made chassis plates.

When you run the chassis number through the VIN system you get no hits, however when you run the SA engine number, you get a hit.

The only item on the car that is E28 is the interior, yet once you start looking for parts all the part numbers come up as E28 ones, I suspect that is why most BMW parts guys run when they know the car is of South African origin, as chances are, the parts they order could be wrong.

The difference between my car and a German assembled car are minimal. If you compare cars for the RHD market, there were 400 cars built in '80 and '81 in Germany for the British market only, in the South African market it would seem there are few thousand cars built between '80 and late '84.

The British car was an E12 528 with the following options added:

3500 short stroke engine

5 speed C/R dogleg gearbox (overdrive 5 speed was an option)

LSD with oil cooler

Motorsport modified suspension with Bilstein shocks and bigger anti roll bars

Front and rear spoilers

14 x 6.5 BBS rims (optional 7.0 rim)

Recaro front seats

Motorsport leather steering Wheel (same as M1 wheel)

There were a few other non performance options like sunroof and headlight wipers as well.

The South African car was the same (from '82 - '84) except:

5 speed overdrive gearbox standard

TRX tyres on Metric rims

no front and rear spoilers, the SA cars ran driving/fog lights that wouldnt work with the front spoiler.

E28 Dash, console and interior trim

Sump guard

A number of "experts" have told me why my car isn't a Motorsport, because it doesn't have this or it doesnt have that, and in all cases they have been wrong (gearbox and bodykit excluded). Information on the net regarding M-Tech cars typically dont have the correct specs for the cars, probably because the Europeans and Americans who set up the sites don't really have the access to the information regarding the cars much like the parent company.

After all these cars were probably never intended to leave their "home" market.

[bmw.maniac 1]

When I first saw this car I thought it looked like a normal spec'd up SA 325i, with the M-Technik kit option.

[Nic325i 0]

only the NZ spec cars were ever called motorsports.

Now, there have been known to be very rare exceptions to the rule (a certain blue 4 door "sport" out of england springs to mind),

If this is the blue 4 door now floating around NZ with a 2.7 in it, it is not an official Sport either - last(?) time it was for sale I emailed BMW UK about it and got told it was simply a 325i.

Short answer seems to be no 4 door Sports/M325i's/M-Pakets etc

[jjs 64]

All this confusion IMHO errodes the desirability of a 325i M. I don't understand how something can be so "special" when all it is is a dealer add on kit.

A E30 M3 gets my wheels spinning as it is a true purebred. I can't see the wow factor in a 325i M (and yes I have driven one)

[jpp 0]

Check out this rare MOTORSPORT! Dang this one is REAL!

Who needs rear lowering springs when you got a spoiler that big~!

Edited October 29, 2007 by JP

[Mark 178]

My father owned a South African built black 325i sedan.... it looks very similar to the "Motorsport" in question except this car has an M-Technic kit and some ricey M badges (look at those horrible "M" roundels!!!)

Looking at the photos, isn't an M-Tech steering wheel supposed to have the M stripes along the bottom of the vertical spoke?

On another note, I'm sure I read somewhere that Recaro never actually made seats for BMW and that the "leather Recaro's" in these Bimmers are just BMW knockoffs. (this may or may not be true)

Regardless, my father sold his car about 5 years ago for the princely sum of $8500. So this car certainly isn't worth $13500!!!

[Braeden320 0]

Check out this rare MOTORSPORT! Dang this one is REAL!

Who needs rear lowering springs when you got a spoiler that big~!

Now that is a motorsport haha.

[Old_Skool_Bmw 0]

This being the exact reason i started this thread.

Agreed... Afterall you are paying the extra $$ for the history of the car.. If it's a Motorsport, M3 or any other FACTORY special addition...

You can put flared guards on an e30 and install an s14 engine but it will never be a genuine M3..

Just the same you can add interior, springs and badges etc to an e30 but it will never be a genuine Motorsport.

Just my 2c.

Laurence

[uhlsta 0]

Just wondering if this is genuine, i dunno about the front spolier/bumper on it??

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Motors/C....htm?key=226994

Edited October 29, 2007 by uhlsta

[bravo 35]

On another note, I'm sure I read somewhere that Recaro never actually made seats for BMW and that the "leather Recaro's" in these Bimmers are just BMW knockoffs. (this may or may not be true)

Close. There are recaro leather seats, but in some markets, the recaros were too expensive and BMW did their own version aswell - which is what you see in almost all nz cars that have the sport leather option.

[Andrew 30]

I mean who cares really

It is (and you can't argue with me)

An automagic 325 in black with Mtech2 and leather. Hardly special.

[Guest Rick James]

Close. There are recaro leather seats, but in some markets, the recaros were too expensive and BMW did their own version aswell - which is what you see in almost all nz cars that have the sport leather option.

Recaro were unable to keep up with demand.