BMW 328i Touring (E36)

ENGINE 2793cc/6-cyl/DOHC POWER 193bhp@5300rpm TORQUE 206lb ft@3950rpm MAXIMUM SPEED 144mph 0-60MPH 7.2sec FUEL CONSUMPTION 26-31mpg TRANSMISSION RWD, five-speed manual MoT February 2020 ODOMETER 79,222 miles

The M52 straight six is smooth and powerful, starts instantly and idles smoothly with no rattles or smoke. It has a gorgeous growl, idling with jet engine smoothness and lifting to a powerful snarl, as the car accelerates quickly and easily. It’s stable at speed and the ride feels well controlled, although it is sprung and damped for comfort so the body rolls through corners more than might be expected, but this example does soak up the bumps well. The steering is heavy at parking speed and remains weighty at speed; it has a fairly short rack and is accurate with no play. The brakes are strong, stopping the BMW rapidly, although the pedal feel is a little wooden. The five-speed gearbox is slightly notchy going into second and fourth, but as the gears change well it feels more like the selector than the ‘box.

BODYWORK CHECK

The Cosmos Black paint polishes to a deep mirrorlike shine and is in excellent overall original condition, with just minor stone chips on the

bonnet and the tiniest mark on the rear passenger door. With no dents, dings or rust to be found on the car, its panels appear near-perfect. The 328 has M Sport side skirts and a 328 front bumper. It has a metal sliding sunroof and roof rails and the 16-inch alloy wheels are almost like new, with recent Dunlop SP Sport tyres.

HOW’S THE INTERIOR?

Open the door and this car still smells like the 1990s. The condition is excellent. The tan leather has aged into a light patina and looks superb with no wear, just light creasing. The carpets are as new, even in the boot, and the leather door cards are superb, as is the M Sport steering wheel. Polished burr walnut trim details adorn the dash and centre console and is in lovely condition with the exception of the gear knob. The spec is impressive with four electric windows, electric sunroof and mirrors, climatecontrolled air conditioning, Business RDS stereo and (if button count is a measure of quality) the best onboard computer ever.

UNDER THE BONNET

The bonnet lifts easily on new struts to reveal a spotless engine bay. It has been well maintained throughout its life. Most recently the car has had front and rear ball joints, brake discs and pads all around.

THE CCW VIEW

With just three owners from new, this well cared-for BMW is now extremely rare with this desirable body style and engine combination. With its high spec, straight-six engine and manual gearbox, this is a special car.

It is recent and rapid enough to easily fall into a daily driven classic role or tidy enough to be kept as a classic investment. Well-priced, too.