The E36 generation 318ti was an odd little hatchback from BMW that combined the E30 generation rear semi-trailing arm suspension with a 1.8 liter non-turbo 4-banger. It was fun to drive and economical — like a sport compact car should be, but it wasn’t very fast. Today’s example has been given an injection of Ford V8 and sits on pretty big wheels. Find this 1995 BMW 318ti offered for $8000 in Calabasas, CA via craigslist. Tip from Rock On!
If you are not old enough to remember the sport compact car crazy of the early 1990s, let me tell you something funny. There was actually a time when front-drive compact imports were faster than domestic rear-drive pony cars. It was a strange time because on paper they shouldn’t have been fast…but the American cars were so terrible at traction and power per cubic inch that a stock ’96 Prelude SI with a 2.0 liter 4-banger could beat a ’94 Mustang with a 5.0 V8 to 60mph by 0.1 seconds. That didn’t last long as domestic car manufacturers figured out how to push more air through their gigantic air pumps, but if you want to re-live the 90s sport compact car scene, do it with this 1996 Honda Prelude SI offered for $5000 in Scottsdale, AZ via craigslist.
Watch out, he’s got VTEC was the battle cry of the sport compact scene back in the day. I still remember when a stock Prelude on sticky tires felt like, and was, a fast car…but probably because a 5.0 liter Ford Mustang only made 150 horsepower on a good day. Times change and the era […]