BMW 3 Series E30 is the second generation of the third BMW series. These are passenger cars that replaced the BMW E21 in 1982. Their production lasted for 18 years and during this time the German company released an unprecedented variety of modifications up to that time: with different engines and body versions. They were also characterized by special Drive Shafts for BMW.

BMW 3 Series E30 Engines and transmission

BMW 3 series E30 under the hood had gasoline and diesel engines with 4 and 6 cylinders, different power and volume. The first engine was the BMW M10, which later became legendary.

The power plant was mounted longitudinally and connected to the gearbox: 4- or 5-speed mechanics or 3- or 4-speed automatic. The all-wheel drive modification divided the power into front and rear wheels in a ratio of 37% to 63%.

The BMW Driveshaft was powered by a chain. The front differential was mounted in the engine tray, then the half—axle went to the wheel to the left, to the right – to the intermediate shaft, and only then the right half-axle was turned on. In the rear part, a differential with a viscous coupling was installed, which was used to lock the differential in case of slipping on slippery surfaces. Thanks to this scheme, additional torque was transmitted to the non-biting wheel.

Body structure and interior design E30

Klaus Lute, the company’s chief designer at the time, who also designed the fifth series cars, worked on the appearance of the BMW E30. The body of the car is the embodiment of the ideas of passive safety: it is designed in such a way that only the front part of it is destroyed, keeping the area with passengers almost untouched in a collision at speeds up to 50 km / h.

The bumpers of the car were assembled with an emphasis on its protection in case of light collisions while parking at a speed not exceeding 4 km/h.