Not to go too far off topic but I do want to comment to all of the non-US people out there who say they are getting a bum deal with their lesser power LG pack cars.
Yeah, I get it. We feel your disappointment and it's warranted. But we in the US have been on the other side of things in the recent past as well so we know how it feels to be given a lesser performing variant of a relatively affordable sports car in this very same performance segment than what was given to the European market at the time.
It was the BMW E36 M3.
Allow me to explain to the younger crowd and the non BMW enthusiasts who are unaware of this.
Back in 1995 when the E36 version of the M3 was released to the American market, the European market was already using the S50B30 motor for their M3's which produced 282hp for their 92-95 M3 model years. The US did NOT get this same euro spec motor in 95', we got the S50B30US version which produced 240hp. And it looks like Canada imported 45 M3's with the eruo spec S50 motor. US version is down 42 HP to the euro M3 for what appears to be no apparent reason. (If someone knows why, please comment)
Ok fine, BMW will make this right for the US market for subsequent model years. NOPE! Not only did we not get the 282hp motor that they were already using, we didn't get their next higher HP E36 motor either!
In 1995 for the European market, BMW replaced the S50B30 with the S50B32 for ONLY their market for their 95 to 99 M3 model years. Power increased from 282hp to 321hp
In the US and Canada, we didn't get a higher performing S50 motor that we thought we would for the 1996 model year. What did we get? A new US and Canada spec S52 motor. And how much 'more' power did this new S52 motor produce? None! It also produced 240hp like the previous S50 US spec'd motor. For the US M3 model, this S52 US North America motor continued on to the 1999 model year with the same spec'd motor, while in Europe they all got the 321hp motor.
81 more HP in a very capable 3,100 lb E36 chassis will be felt on the track and at the strip. Wonder how nice an already great car the E36 M3 would have been with 81 more HP.... Hmmm I don't know, maybe our European friends can tell us!
