Notes
The BMW E36 325is is a sports coupe variant of BMW's third-generation 3 Series, produced from 1992 to 1995 for the North American market. The "is" designation denoted the sportier coupe body style with enhanced equipment compared to standard sedan models. It features BMW's naturally aspirated M50 2.5-liter inline-six engine producing 189 horsepower (192 PS/141 kW) at 5,900 rpm and 181 lb-ft (245 Nm) of torque at 4,700 rpm, delivering power to the rear wheels through a 5-speed manual transmission as standard.
The E36 chassis represented a significant evolution in BMW engineering, offering improved handling dynamics, a more refined ride, and better overall balance compared to the outgoing E30 generation. With its naturally aspirated inline-six character, rear-wheel drive configuration, and relatively lightweight construction, the 325is offered an engaging driving experience that has made it popular in both street driving and amateur motorsport applications. The car achieved a top speed of 145 mph (233 km/h) and provided the classic BMW driving dynamics that defined the brand during the 1990s. The E36 325is was succeeded by the 328is in 1995, which featured a larger 2.8-liter version of BMW's inline-six engine.
OEM Specs
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Popular BMW E36 325is Mods by Level
From 8 documented buildsTrendsE36 325is track builds escalate from Hankook R-S4 tires and Cobra seats to Hoosier A6s and MCS 2WNR coilovers. Heavy builds frequently feature S52/S54 engine swaps and Bimmerworld V3 wings, often accompanied by full roll cages from TC Design Motorsports.
Heavy
6 buildsRace
2 buildsLap Times
| Time | Track | Car | Mod | Driver | Tire | Lap Date | Date Added | vs Predict | Pace |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3:39.0 | Thunderhill (Thunderschleife) | Race | 08 Sep, 2017 | 18 Jan, 2026 | -6.99s | +3.16% | |||
| 1:08.9 | Bondurant-Radford Racing School | Heavy | 30 Mar, 2024 | 02 Apr, 2024 | -1.96s | +2.73% | |||
| 1:58.4 | Buttonwillow Raceway (1CW) | Race | 19 Jun, 2016 | 18 Jan, 2026 | -3.23s | +2.66% | |||
| 1:52.1 | Chuckwalla Valley Raceway (CCW) | Heavy | 22 Feb, 2026 | 17 Mar, 2026 | -2.12s | +1.82% | |||
| 1:36.6 | Pueblo Motorsports Park | Heavy | 01 May, 2013 | 22 Jan, 2026 | -1.68s | +1.63% | |||
| 1:42.1 | Sonoma Raceway (Long Pre 2024) | Heavy | 10 Nov, 2014 | 17 Jan, 2026 | -1.74s | +1.59% | |||
| 1:44.7 | Sonoma Raceway (Long) | Heavy | 28 Feb, 2026 | 01 Apr, 2026 | -1.48s | +1.37% | |||
| 1:54.6 | High Plains Raceway (Full) | Heavy | 15 Jul, 2013 | 17 Jan, 2026 | -1.62s | +1.33% | |||
| 1:17.4 | Blackhawk Farms Raceway | Stock | 12 Sep, 2024 | 13 Sep, 2024 | -0.98s | +1.24% | |||
| 1:45.2 | Sonoma Raceway (Full) | Heavy | 03 Sep, 2014 | 14 Feb, 2026 | -1.28s | +1.15% | |||
| 2:14.4 New | Area 27 | Heavy | 20 Apr, 2026 | 20 Apr, 2026 | -1.52s | +1.10% | |||
| 1:41.2 | Inde Motorsports Ranch (Configuration 4 CW) | Heavy | 05 May, 2024 | 05 Jun, 2024 | -1.15s | +1.10% | |||
| 1:54.9 | Thunderhill (East 3 Mile w/ Bypass) | Heavy | 15 Apr, 2013 | 14 Feb, 2026 | -1.26s | +1.04% | |||
| 1:37.8 | Podium Club (CW) | Heavy | 17 Mar, 2024 | 14 May, 2024 | -1.04s | +1.01% | |||
| 1:38.6 | Podium Club (CW) | Heavy | 12 Nov, 2023 | 13 Jun, 2026 | -0.75s | +0.73% | |||
| 1:44.6 | Sonoma Raceway (Long) | Heavy | 11 Nov, 2014 | 17 Aug, 2021 | -0.56s | +0.52% | |||
| 1:48.8 | Sonoma Raceway (Long) | Race | 10 Mar, 2012 | 18 Jan, 2026 | -0.54s | +0.50% | |||
| 1:45.4 | Arizona Motorsports Park - AMP (CCW) | Heavy | 22 Apr, 2023 | 19 Mar, 2024 | -0.47s | +0.43% | |||
| 1:45.6 | Sonoma Raceway (Long Pre 2024) | Heavy | 08 Sep, 2014 | 18 Jan, 2026 | -0.43s | +0.39% | |||
| 1:53.9 | Buttonwillow Raceway (13CW) | Race | 12 Oct, 2015 | 10 Jul, 2021 | -0.4s | +0.34% | |||
| 53.0 | Wachauring | Race | 21 Apr, 2023 | 23 Jan, 2026 | +0.02s | -0.04% | |||
| 2:02.2 | Thunderhill (East 3 Mile w/ Cyclone) | Race | 08 Jan, 2011 | 17 Aug, 2021 | +0.48s | -0.38% | |||
| 1:37.9 | Laguna Seca (Pre 2023) | Heavy | 27 Jul, 2014 | 18 Jan, 2026 | +0.78s | -0.77% | |||
| 1:08.7 | Wakefield Park Raceway | Heavy | 23 Aug, 2022 | 29 Sep, 2024 | +1.07s | -1.56% | |||
| 1:16.0 | Grand Bend Motorplex (Technical track) | Heavy | 08 May, 2013 | 05 Mar, 2022 | +1.2s | -1.58% | |||
| 1:24.2 | Summit Point Motorsports Park (Main) | Race | 16 Apr, 2025 | 09 May, 2025 | +1.43s | -1.69% | |||
| 2:07.9 | Utah Motorsports Campus (Outer Circuit) | Heavy | 22 Jun, 2013 | 18 Jan, 2026 | +2.47s | -1.88% | |||
| 1:24.7 | Summit Point Motorsports Park (Main) | Stock | 28 Apr, 2025 | 01 May, 2025 | +1.67s | -1.97% | |||
| 1:16.4 | New Jersey Motorsports Park-NJMP (Lightning) | Stock | 27 Oct, 2025 | 31 Oct, 2025 | +1.62s | -2.13% | |||
| 1:46.7 | Sydney Motorsport Park (GP Circuit) | Heavy | 16 Jul, 2023 | 28 Jul, 2024 | +2.33s | -2.17% | |||
| 1:44.6 | GingerMan Raceway (Extended Course 10B CW) | Race | 24 Jun, 2025 | 13 Mar, 2026 | +2.3s | -2.19% | |||
| 1:53.8 | Inde Motorsports Ranch (Configuration 5-CW) | Heavy | 04 May, 2024 | 05 Jun, 2024 | +2.71s | -2.32% | |||
| 2:12.9 | Watkins Glen International (Full Circuit w/ Loop) | Stock | 05 Oct, 2025 | 07 Oct, 2025 | +3.17s | -2.38% | |||
| 1:25.2 | Summit Point Motorsports Park (Main) | Race | 24 Jun, 2025 | 26 Jul, 2025 | +2.34s | -2.74% | |||
| 2:10.9 | Virginia International Raceway - VIR (Full Course) | Race | 22 Mar, 2025 | 09 May, 2025 | +3.77s | -2.87% | |||
| 1:06.7 | Sydney Motorsport Park (Amaroo South) | Heavy | 26 Sep, 2018 | 21 Aug, 2021 | +1.93s | -2.91% | |||
| 1:31.6 | New Jersey Motorsports Park-NJMP (Thunderbolt) | Race | 19 Aug, 2025 | 20 Aug, 2025 | +2.97s | -3.17% | |||
| 2:11.9 | Virginia International Raceway - VIR (Full Course) | Race | 22 May, 2025 | 26 Jul, 2025 | +4.87s | -3.67% | |||
| 2:06.5 | Thunderhill (East 3 Mile w/ Bypass) | Light | 05 May, 2017 | 18 Jan, 2026 | +4.81s | -3.77% | |||
| 1:10.1 | Wakefield Park Raceway | Race | 22 Dec, 2019 | 15 Feb, 2026 | +2.69s | -3.81% | |||
| 1:55.1 | Sonoma Raceway (Long) | Race | 29 Aug, 2021 | 26 Jun, 2026 | +4.48s | -3.91% | |||
| 2:10.0 | Thunderhill (East 3 Mile w/ Bypass) | Race | 17 Dec, 2019 | 29 Jan, 2025 | +6.08s | -4.72% | |||
| 1:18.4 | New Jersey Motorsports Park-NJMP (Lightning) | Race | 04 May, 2019 | 23 Sep, 2022 | — | ||||
| 2:00.4 | Auto Club Speedway (Road Course) | Race | 01 Jun, 2019 | 21 Feb, 2025 | +5.87s | -4.93% | |||
| 2:19.2 | Watkins Glen International (Full Circuit w/ Loop) | Race | 29 Aug, 2017 | 18 Jan, 2026 | +10.23s | -7.29% | |||
| 1:36.7 | Thunderhill (West) | Race | 04 May, 2017 | 18 Jan, 2026 | +7.56s | -8.07% | |||
| 1:53.6 | Laguna Seca (Pre 2023) | Race | 14 Jul, 2017 | 23 Jan, 2026 | +10s | -9.00% | |||
| 1:29.4 | Toronto Motorsports Park (CW) | Heavy | 21 Sep, 2025 | 21 Jan, 2026 | +8.56s | -9.66% | |||
| 2:08.0 | Sonoma Raceway (Long Pre 2024) | Race | 15 May, 2017 | 15 Jul, 2021 | — |
Top Modified E36 325is
| Year | Driver Name | Mod | Horsepower | Tire | Tire Size | Vs Predict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 (w/TrackAtt) | Justin Laps | Heavy | — | 200 Track Attack Pro (TAP) | — | -6.87s |
| 1993 | Andrew Morton | Heavy | 240 | 40 A6 | — | -5.76s |
| 1995 (50shades) | Anson Super Sports | Heavy | 282 | 200 CR-S (CR-1) | 275/35/17 | -5.4s |
| 1994 (w/R7) | Justin Laps | Heavy | 240 | 40 R7 | 245/40/17 | -5.13s |
| 1993 (Slevin) | Michael Slevin | Race | 192 | 200 Ventus RS3 | 205/60/15 | -4.94s |
| 1992 (w/A7/Andrew Morton) | Andrew Morton | Race | 430 | 40 A7 | 275/35/17 | -4.48s |
| 1992 | Hamradio OE3WMA | Race | — | — | — | -0.6s |
| 1995 (CharlesF/Slick) | Charles Ford | Race | 430 | 40 R7 | 245/40/17 | +1.01s |
| 1992 | Bo Schiller | Heavy | 430 | — | — | +1.74s |
| 1994 (w/AZENISRT) | DJ | Race | — | 200 AZENIS RT615K+ | — | +2.01s |