In Road & Track's first test of the new 1984 318i, in its July 1983 issue, the first of the second-generation BMW E30 3 Series, the most startling thing about it was the price tag. At an as-tested $18,210, this 318i was more than double the price of a 1977 320i - and in general specification the newer car wasn't much different from the older one...at least in two-door form.
While again an evolutionary change, the BMW E30 styling offered significant aerodynamic benefits over the E21. The grille was now less radically angled and the headlights were almost flush with it. In contrast to the flat hood of the E21, the BMW E30 sloped gently and the car was otherwise more rounded and slick.
There wasn't much difference in size, either, with the BMW E30 wheelbase stretching a mere 0.3 inches from the E21's 100.9 to 101.2, and overall length actually dropping slightly. But what many buyers noticed first about the BMW E30 was how substantial and tight the car was. Knowing that the "Baby Mercedes" was on the way, the BMW E30 engineering team had redoubled their efforts on build quality and dependability, which were traditional Benz strengths.
With 101 horsepower from its 1.8-liter injected four, the 1984 318i two-door was an innocuous start for the BMW E30. But almost immediately following that car was the 325e, which featured a 2.7-liter version of the inline six-cylinder engine first introduced on the larger 528e sedan.
But its 121 horsepower were the most BMW E30 had offered to U.S. buyers since the 2002tii, and the car was decently quick, making it to 60 mph in 8.9 seconds and completing the quarter-mile in 16.6 seconds at 81.5 mph for Road & Track (the 318i did the same deeds in 11.6 and 18.3 seconds for the same magazine with a 74.0-mph trap speed in the quarter).
With a high compression ratio, but a low redline and economy-minded gearing, the "eta" 2.7, like all BMW E30 sixes, was smooth and elegantly torquey in the company's smallest car, but hardly sporting in character.
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