04-25-2004, 10:42 PM
Since motorsports is my forte I'll comment on the M3 classing.
Currently in SCCA the E36 M3 can only run in T2. In T2 there have been some competitive M3's in the past but they're at a pretty significant disadvantage against the Camaro Z28. T2 is a pretty weak class regionally anyway so you'd end up racing in pretty small fields.
You could also run an M3 in ITE but ITE is pretty much a region by region oddball class. You could be running against Integra Type-R's or Porsche 911's.
In NASA I believe the M3 fits in under the new GTS Challenge group. The concept is similar to Honda Challenge but this class is pretty much made for Porsches and BMWs. They operate on a power to weight ratio classing scale so you could pretty much put your car wherever you want to. I'm not so sure this formula will take off but its a place to race.
For my money if I were intent on racing BMW bling I'd build a mild E36 325 to play around in GTS Challenge and ITS or maybe an E36 318 ti to run in ITA and GTS Challenge. Spec E30 is also a good place to run.
As simply a track car the E36 M3 is a great deal, especially now that the bottom is falling out on prices. There are several cars that would be a cheaper starting point and have a lot of potential but I can't really say anything can beat the M3's combination of handling, power, value, and reliability.
Currently in SCCA the E36 M3 can only run in T2. In T2 there have been some competitive M3's in the past but they're at a pretty significant disadvantage against the Camaro Z28. T2 is a pretty weak class regionally anyway so you'd end up racing in pretty small fields.
You could also run an M3 in ITE but ITE is pretty much a region by region oddball class. You could be running against Integra Type-R's or Porsche 911's.
In NASA I believe the M3 fits in under the new GTS Challenge group. The concept is similar to Honda Challenge but this class is pretty much made for Porsches and BMWs. They operate on a power to weight ratio classing scale so you could pretty much put your car wherever you want to. I'm not so sure this formula will take off but its a place to race.
For my money if I were intent on racing BMW bling I'd build a mild E36 325 to play around in GTS Challenge and ITS or maybe an E36 318 ti to run in ITA and GTS Challenge. Spec E30 is also a good place to run.
As simply a track car the E36 M3 is a great deal, especially now that the bottom is falling out on prices. There are several cars that would be a cheaper starting point and have a lot of potential but I can't really say anything can beat the M3's combination of handling, power, value, and reliability.