- What happens when you're cruising through the good old
marketplace because rest in peace
to craigslist.
And you come across the car,
the car that was once the most influential car
to come out of the three little acronymed cars.
A car that decided to truly be different
because guess what,
(giggles)
it's okay to be a little different
every once in a while.
You don't have to be the same as everyone else.
Why is our roof leaking?
Anyway, it's okay to put hot sauce on,
you know,
french fries.
- Alright it's time for some fries!
Yeah yeah.
Ohh man.
- 'Cause if you don't judge,
it's okay to try iced coffee every once in a while,
even though you think it's overpriced.
And it's, it's not,
it's actually not okay
to ever put ketchup on noodles though,
so don't ever even think that that's okay.
I'm Alex, Alex dot FI on Instagram,
and today we're going to be talking about
a generation of car
that is an absolute banger of a car,
and although it loves water pumps more than
I love free food,
it's still fun, okay?
A car that was unique even within it's own manufacturer,
and helped pave the way for people to be okay
with BMW doing a little turbocharged kies
in three series, okay?
It is a bit sacred before, a little sacrilegious,
ladies and gentlemen,
we're gonna be talking about you wanting to own
an E90 to E92
BMW 3 Series.
(futuristic music)
(upbeat, rap music)
And if you're just jumping into this video,
Oh yeah baby,
Hello.
Don't forget to subscribe,
and if you're looking for aftermarket wheels, tires,
or suspension, be sure to hit us up
over at fitmentindustries.com
And if you're just watching this video,
I'm sorry, I haven't done anything to my face
because I lost my electric shaver.
But in service of wheels, tires, and suspension,
we have everything your little heart desires.
It's true, we have lots
for your newly acquired E92 or otherwise,
and with that being said,
let's take a look into those
beautiful little collage experiment from BMW.
Also, we have a new giveaway going on
with Flow Form, Michelin, and of course,
Function and Form, it's an absolute banger.
That's all I got for you.
What else do you want from me?
The year was 2006.
Google had purchased YouTube,
and Bo Burnham made a song about it.
And I was going to be
a big boy as a freshman in high school.
(giggles)
Pretty fly.
(fingers snapping)
It was awesome, I had the bangs and everything.
Pretty banging, all right?
They didn't block your Inscape as well,
so that was actually pretty nice
'cause you could go into the classrooms,
and then just play it while you're taking
your typing classes.
And in the automotive world, BMW is finally releasing
the next generation of 3 Series.
A sloping line across the hood
and to the back, with aggressive, angry headlights
that will give this 3 Series, finally,
an update to the now dated E46.
Now that's a little bit mean to say,
but the E46 was looking a little dated at the time,
and to be fair, BMW had been working on a new design,
all the way since mid-2002.
Honestly it blows my mind a little bit
how early these designs get frozen
and then they don't look bad four years later,
like have you seen yourself from four years ago?
Like even, like, the shirts
that you used to wear or hairstyle?
Like, if you've seen me, just two days ago?
The frozen design by Joji Nagashima and Mark M.,
we're gonna say 'cause I'm gonna butcher that last name,
used the iconic BMW styling to ensure the 3 Series
would remain the most popular selling BMW
because they're pretty much considered
the french fries of the car scene.
You just can't go wrong, okay?
Nearly always good, but they're not too expensive.
You can get fries for like three bucks now.
It's actually pretty nice.
The car immediately won World Car of the Year,
not only because of the design,
but because BMW's Norbert Reithofer
and Burkhard Goschel, G,
challenged the status quo to get this car to full production
in three months versus six once released.
It was actually pretty insane,
and it allowed BMW to blitz the competition
in an extremely fast way
that put the car out to market extremely fast.
That, paired with the production capabilities
in Germany and South Africa,
allowed the cars to be imported insanely quick,
and before you knew it,
the BMW E90 generation cars were everywhere.
Literally everywhere.
BMW did a good job with that car.
The car did insanely well,
and although it's not the oldest car in the book
by today's standards,
it's still a proper looking car
for being nearly 15 years old.
Now that it was designed in 2002,
that makes it 18.
And while people were picking up
the smaller motors or diesel variants,
there was a few that stood out,
most notably a 3 liter, turbo charged N54 and N55 in line 6,
and a 4 liter S65 V8 that would come in the M3.
We're gonna talk about that a little later, alright?
Off the lot, nearly all E90s to E92,
which is just the sedan, coupe, and convertible model
because they wanted to make it difficult,
and wanted you to remember E93, E92.
They're all pretty decent.
There is a facelift in the middle generation,
and that came with few different motor options as well.
The most notable non M would be the 335i
with the N54 turbo charge motor.
That's a little bit of a finicky conversation,
Though it will be ultimately updated
to a twin scroll N55 engine in 2009.
The E90 series would go on until 2011,
and the 91 until 2012, and 92 until 2013.
And the E93 until 2013 as well.
The E90 series was pretty much in every racing game
and real race you could possibly imagine.
Car driver loved this so much,
they rated it the top 10 best,
eight times in a row, from 2006 to 2013.
A little brown-noser that one.
I would probably say that in terms of
doing it that many times,
it's like they just took the list from last year
and they're like yes, yes, yes, yes, yes,
oh, yup, let's just put that BMW right up there,
okay, makes it easy.
Anyways, it won Japan's Import Car of the Year.
The car was really, actually, a proper banger.
If you go out and you look at the old articles,
there were a lot of people that absolutely loved that car.
The car was damn good, but no one really seems
to care about it that much anymore.
And the question is why?
Porque, okay?
Why does the E90 to E93 3 Series get overlooked right now?
And more so,
why does the M3 generation seem to get passed up on?
It's got a four liter V8 son!
It should love everybody.
One of the first times BMW ever did something like this,
with a 3 Series.
It had a lighter aluminum body panels,
it had linear power curve,
and it still looks like a drinks pop before going to bed.
I know it's heavier.
We're gonna get over that.
The E92 M3 had a carbon fiber roof, okay?
It came with an optional double clutch,
automatic fancy gear box, that was new to the game.
that allowed it to rev up to 8400 RPM.
There's nothing better than a V8
that can rev above 7000 RPM.
This one went to 84,
I mean, what else could you want?
That's a good point me.
Hey, thank you, alright?
The E92 M3 had pretty much every single recipe for success,
and even with all the technology,
it somehow found itself on a last page
of people's searches for a fun summer car.
And it makes me sad, even though I know people disagree.
So you want an E90 to E92 3 Series,
including, but not limited to, the good old M3.
Well sit down in your favorite ramp scene tune,
and grab your high pressure fuel pump,
'cause we're about to talk about what it's like
to own one of these angry, bimmers.
One of these guys that seem like people love,
and love to hate.
Like Nickelback.
If you're looking to just jump into a newer 3 Series,
the E90 to E92 is a great pickup.
The two biggest things you need to remember is this:
They can be expensive to keep alive,
and number two, they can be expensive to keep alive.
The E90 to E92 all suffer from the typical
BMW maintenance items,
and because of their typically comprehensive systems,
but no entirely limited to,
nothing is really a major red flag for ownership.
Just try to get one with low miles
that has had the damn fuel pump
and basic items taken care of,
and you're gonna have a pretty good, okay time.
But you're still buying a BMW,
so maintenance and all that sort of stuff
just has a higher price!
It's like going to a supper club,
versus going to Outback Steakhouse, okay?
There are people that would recommend
you keep an eye on your aluminum bolts
as you will need to find new ones
anytime work is done on the car
because they can't be reused.
And if you want to play a fun garage game, you know,
you could actually just use aluminum fasteners,
drop one in the engine bays
and try picking it up with a dandy magnet stick.
It ain't gonna work.
It ain't, it ain't gonna work.
It's a terrible game.
The game sucks (bleep).
Anyway, come back later and let me know how it does.
The cooling systems are sensitive,
and the cars have some weird quirks
like side mirrors going to far out and then clicking,
and it kinda sounds,
it's actually very uncomfortable watching
'cause it goes past and be like
(imitating sounds)
And that's actually,
it's actually kinda normal.
Justin Buice, Justin B., taught me that.
And Lars, our buddy that drives his M2 now,
he had a 335 that did that constantly.
By the way, Justin B-U-I-C-E,
is going to be a fantastic resource
if you guys are seriously looking at like
an E90 through E92.
I'm serious.
The Dude's an absolute champ.
He shares a ton of information on these cars,
and a lot of it is really good stuff.
The 335 and the N55 motor are pretty common
to purchase and modify because of the community following,
and if you're unfamiliar with the N54 engine Miata,
there's a Miata right there, there's a Miata,
Miata with the sunflower wheels.
Nice.
But people either love or hate the N54 platform,
and you might be wondering why,
and that's a great question.
Transition, the N54 has some notable flaws,
high pressure fuel pump, leaky valve covers, okay?
Leaky injectors sometimes,
boost issues every once in a while,
and there has been issues with carbon buildup,
but, let's be honest.
All motors are gonna have issues,
and they aren't insane by any means.
It's just like the labor cost,
that's what's gonna get ya, alright?
The issues get amplified when you throw power at these cars,
with intakes, exhaust and tunes and all that good stuff.
You'll start throwing your car into limp mode, a lot.
Handling leaks more often, and of course people would say,
"Well you bought an N54, what do you expect?"
And that is true, but not true,
you're gonna wanna slap those people.
Don't slap them, we don't encourage violence.
I gotta talk to that guy about his Miata.
Not really, but when it comes down
to working within a variance on the N54 cars
and string that you play around with them,
you know that you're doing,
you know, okay work.
You just gotta be careful with them, alright?
Careful.
Go slow.
N54 owners can be finicky,
and if you're gonna buy one that's already modified,
you gotta be super careful who you're buying it from.
If you're looking for an E92 M3, on the other hand,
boy oh boy are there exciting things waiting for you, okay?
You get a carbon fiber roof, six speed manual exhaust,
and you are set baby.
There're individuals that will claim
that it feels a little heavy,
a little disconnected, a little doggish.
And in certain situation, that can be true for you,
especially if you're coming from a lighter,
more tight M3 from the previous generations,
but the M3 still isn't really a slouch.
It has a bigger body, bigger motor,
feels more domestic than Niro at times,
and that is why it kinda throws some Niro lovers off,
because it's a little bit more loosey-goosey.
BMW's ultimate answer to that was the M2
and then the M4 split in the newer generations
so that the M3 could go back to being its own thing.
Except it was a four door, which is weird,
but BMW does what BMW wants to do.
And if you're looking at getting an E90,
just remember your options for wheels, and tires,
and suspension are pretty much like
Rotiform and Rohana,
and like maybe two more,
and that's just because they've locked down
the look on those cars.
And sometimes the sizing can get a little weak.
Coilovers if you don't have the adaptive suspension.
You should stick to maybe some function and form
or maybe even BC coilovers and tires
will definitely want some decent ones.
If you're looking to pick up something that's like,
an XI or an all year round car,
you're definitely gonna wanna get some all seasons.
If you've got an M3, grab some Michelin Pilot Sport 4Ss.
The car deserves to have constant traction,
and when you dial in your suspension,
have a nice set of wheels,
you'll see why people love the BMW platform.
And people will love this generation the most
because you can pick some up for a pretty good deal.
You just gotta be careful 'cause if you pick the wrong one,
it's gonna hurt really bad.
The E90 to E93 generation was a little bit of a weird one.
They made a ton.
And they were modified a ton.
And they have a huge home in the automotive community.
But you don't hear them talked about
as much anymore as you used to,
especially the M3 variant of this specific generation.
They paved the way for the new generations of M cars,
and nearly everyone loves, besides the CS,
that one is over there on it's own island, okay?
It's got a little bit of a bubble butt,
and it can be picky with modification,
but they're also everywhere.
And if you're looking for a newer generation car
that has a decent interior, okay?
Sounds pretty decent, can be a little higher end
and still make you regret it every once in a while,
just like every strong relationship should be about,
with the occasional repair that makes you cry,
then get an E90.
Seriously, we'd be best friends.
Me and you, if you got an M3
because more, we need more of them, alright?
We need more of them.
So what do you think about the E90 3 Series, all of them?
Tell us which one is your favorite,
tell us whether you like N54 or despise the N54.
It's always a fun one when we get to see that.
Let us know of course,
and if you're looking for
aftermarket wheels, tires, or suspension,
be sure to hit us up over at fitmentindustries.com,
where we literally have everything.
I'm serious.
It pretty cool, okay?
And let us know what you want us to talk about next.
To the guy that's saying we need to do,
history about Ford Star,
I hear you, I see you,
I'm gonna need about seven
to 45 more of those.
Alright, I'm Alex, Fitment Industries.
We'll see you later.
Peace.