what does an e9 drive like......

[Guest]

Ok. I 'm curious as to what an e9 is like to drive. Assuming it is in decent shape with a tight suspension and decent drivetrain. I've driven lots of e30's of differing setup and some 02's ( love them ) and i'm looking for anyone's subjective opinion on how they would compare to the e9. Looking at possibly an e9 with a 3.5. HE HE....

[albawhore]

A friend had one in college, it feels more like a big car but they were venerable race cars in their day with many, many titles under their belts.

JB

[MichaelP]

Well, not like an 02.

An E9 has another thousand pounds over an 02, much of which involves coachwork and lots of layered steel. The E9 was built as a cruiser, so 'nimble' wouldn't be the first words that come to mind, though once you dial out the nose-heavy induced understeer and figure out its rhythm, it's a blast in its own right.

Here are some period Road & Track tests (and some others):

http://www.cscoupe.org/press/press.html

[Guest]

Ok. I 'm curious as to what an e9 is like to drive. Assuming it is in decent shape with a tight suspension and decent drivetrain. I've driven lots of e30's of differing setup and some 02's ( love them ) and i'm looking for anyone's subjective opinion on how they would compare to the e9. Looking at possibly an e9 with a 3.5. HE HE....

It drives like a 30 year old piece of German metal that is rusting with each push of the pedals and throw of the gear shifter.

But more seriously, it drives like a big BMW, not a small one, which means it handles well, but is not a tossable car. Plus, it has no b-pillar, so there is lots of body flex (unless there is a roll cage, which made the race cars handle a ton better).

I love to look at my CSL, but the'02 is more fun to drive anywhere except on the freeway. And the '02 doesn't rust with every push of the pedals and throw of the gear shifter.