Well, after my
1963 Porsche 356 drive, I reached out to a friend with a 1994 E30 325i to see if his BMW had many of the good vibes and sounds of the old Porsche with more modern performance. Because his E30 is a wagon, I brought along my CTS-V wagon for a drive on our local back roads.
Before our drive, the CTS-V wagon was "the one" I would never sell. But after a few hours with the E30, I realized that the E30 is more engaging than the CTS-V wagon in town and on twisties, even though it is slower. The BMW is the first car that tempts me to replace the wicked CTS-V.
No, the E30's brakes weren't as good as the Caddy's Brembos, and the I6 engine felt downright anemic next to the CTS-V's supercharged V8, but the BMW sounded twice as good and was coursing with delicious road feel that the Cadillac filtered out. At ~2800 pounds, the E30 was a lightweight treat, with much of the joy of an earlier Miata stretched into a wagon. The CTS-V is amazing, too, but it's sleepy in town, and I'd be doubling the speed limits on the back roads if I exploit its power and grip.
This is a pickle for me because the E30 I drove was extensively modified (2.5L I6 engine stroked and cammed to 2.8L, suspension modernized for weekend romps, full repaint), and it would be no small task to replicate this top-notch car. Yet, I don't think I'd want to accept any lesser 325i substitutes because this souped-up E30 sounded so good, drove so well, and yet was still borderline slow.
I think I'll continue exploring 1980s and 1990s driver's cars and see if there's anything with a similar soul to the E30 wagon that would fill the shoes of my AMG GT S instead of replacing my CTS-V. That way, the older, potentially less dependable car could be my weekend car rather than my daily.
(
More pictures and obscene details on the driving dynamic of the two wagons here.)
