1998 BMW 328I SPORT
WHAT’S IT LIKE TO DRIVE?
The six-cylinder engine fires up to a restrained idle and as we started to probe the rev range there was no stuttering. There’s plenty of shove, and though this one’s has an auto, it feels as if it’s got just the same heave as a manual. In auto mode, the gearbox slips through the ratios without complaint while in sports mode throttle response sharpens and allows you to hold onto the revs for longer. You can also manually change gears, the system working as it should. The steering wheel does squeak, but this will be sorted before sale. There are no peculiar drivetrain noises and no strange suspension rattles. The brakes are sharp yet predictable, with good pedal feel.
BODYWORK CHECK
The Arctic Silver paintwork presents beautifully. We really searched for any serious blemishes and only found a few minor stonechips on the nose and a minor nick under the passenger’s side door mirror. All the shutlines are just as they should be. The refurbished alloy wheels look great and the Michelin Pilot Sport 3 tyres have plenty of tread. The car’s Motorsport adornments (side skirts and rear wing) present beautifully. We couldn’t find any rust and all the window rubbers are in fantastic condition. It’s probably one of the best we’ve seen on the open market.
HOW’S THE INTERIOR?
The only signs that this car is 20 years old are some minor scratches in the Burr walnut centre console and glovebox cover segments. All the other tangible items are free from discernible wear and the seats only have minor creasing. The first owner ticked a lot of options: black leather interior; heated deadlocks and washer jets; a graduated tinted screen; M-Sport Driver’s airbag; and an electric tilt/slide sunroof that works perfectly. The headlining is in perfect nick and all the dials light up as they should.
UNDER THE BONNET
Under the bonnet is concours ready. All the fluids are up to the maximum mark and it didn’t leak during our time with the car. There’s a lot of paperwork with this BMW, including the original bill of sale – a hefty £35,385. The original brochure is there and it’s received largely annual services as shown by the stamps in the book. The BBS RC 041/042 alloys were refurbished in 2017 and it had a new offside track rod end in 2016.
THE CCW VIEW
This really is a ready-to-go concours contender and that’s reflected in the price. This is a truly exceptional example of an E36 328i. Some might not see the value, especially with an automatic ‘box, but try to find a better one for cheaper than this. With truly mint E36 328is few and far between, it’s entirely conceivable that this could be viewed as inexpensive in just a few years’ time.