That Time BMW Built A Small Car - 1999 BMW 318ti Sport

[@aindanaomeimporto]

I love my 318ti compact. Best car ever, never had any problem with this car, super reliable

[@erikhughes7150]

I love my 318ti. I took all the stock components off. Threw the 5 speed manual in with a dual disc ceramic clutch. Dropped the M50 inline 6 and boosted it with a big turbo. M3 brakes and suspension and some nice M3 bumpers. Big 18 inch rims. She's putting out a solid 404 H.P to the rear. Fast as Hell. I give these C8 corvettes a run for their money. :)

[@erikhughes7150]

@@TheMINIac Yeah, not sure how that happened? Glitch on KZbin perhaps?

[@jush471]

sick bro, how much did that manual swap cost

[@erikhughes7150]

@@jush471 Well, I had the work done so it was a bit more than had I done it myself. It's a pretty easy job though from what my mechanic told me. Everything is ready for install as the body has holes already precut under the carpet. It comes that way from the factory because it was just cheaper to prep every single E36 to potentially be a manual car...so all you need are the pedals and other equipment. A good used Tranny can be found for under $1000. I paid $500.00 for a good used one. I think he charged me $4500 for the parts and labor which I was more than happy with as the work and tranny are superb. No issues and I work it pretty hard. I did pay an extra $700.00 for a dual disc clutch because of the power the engine makes. It's super grippy so it's kind of a pain in the ass but it's bullet proof with ZERO slip. I'm sure if you did the work yourself and bought all good used components you could do the tranny swap for about $2,500.

[@OleM-0891]

With that much power without rear multilink.must be good for straights only That will be dope on the e46 Compact cause its the best handling E46 beside the M3 off course Already one in America

[@DanielSoliveres]

In europe we had compacts with manual gearboxes and 6 cylinders from the factory...

[@Daddy_Dirk_Diggler]

I had this same car in white in high school (2009) bought it used with 50,000 miles. All my buddies made fun of me for it being a hatchback "grocery getter." After about a year all the electronics inside started failing. Ended up selling it for a truck. Didn't realize how few came to America. Wish I still had it.

[@konstantin88181]

1:34 its wheel base is the same length as normal size E36. It is only body that short.

[@jeancorrente95]

My uncle had a 318i I was in college back then he used to let me drive it around town when I visited my Aunt and Uncle. It was fun to drive.

[@Vurlo]

the wheelbase is the same as every other e36

[@Alecsx1]

idk, the compact has the rear subframe from the e30 so it s definitely different

[@Vurlo]

@@Alecsx1 all e36s have the same wheelbase

[@TheMINIac]

The e36.5 - the 318ti, did use the rear subframe from the e30 and was shorter in wheelbase slightly since it had to use a different driveshaft than the e36.

[@Alecsx1]

@@TheMINIac exactly

[@Vurlo]

@@TheMINIachow much shorter?

[@nesticle]

Had one of these for a couple years in the late 2000s before swapping it for an e36 325i. It was an absolute hoot in the corners compared to a regular e36 car because of the e30 rear suspension. It also handled long road trips quite well. I eventually went with a more powerful e36 BMW but I found that the 318ti felt more nimble and sporty than the 325i despite supposedly improved suspension.

[@JJ-M663]

The most important fact about this car is the weight! It came out at only 1200 kg or 2645 lbs compared to the 1300 kg or 2866 lbs of a normal E36 318 is coupe. Forget the automatic transmission this Compact needs a manual and it is very fun to drive and also very easy to maintain. Fixing up any E36 is an easy job and you can get pieces en mass.

[@davidtay3373]

Thanks for the trip down memory lane. My first "new car" was a 1995 318ti "Active" with a 5 spd. Bought it with new towards the end of 1995 when it was apparently the last car 5 speed Active package sitting in at a BMW showroom in NJ (and had it trucked down to my dealer in MD) with 36 miles on it. I kept it until around 110K miles before I traded it in for a 2008 Honda CR-V because ... well, kids. :) The 318ti was fun to drive during my ownership years, but also had its share of annoyances. For some reason, my 318ti had a recurring issue where the gearbox would pop out of 2nd gear when shifting from 1st repeatedly and after numerous complaints and trips to the dealer, they finally replaced the transmission -- and still happened sometimes. Second issue was the driver's side window regulator kept failing and the worst was when rolling up or down the driver's side window and it would fall off the track.

[@SammyKurts-ku2ht]

I’m in edgemere sparrows point Maryland

[@eclipsetoys6551]

I love this car bought a 1998 new one with the M-spec stuff. I think there are less than 3k of those here through the production runs. All 99's were club sports, or M-spec. I still have mine, did paint and an engine rebuild but still is my baby love it

[@gro-pro]

I dont know man, its not short wheel based, lenght between wheels is the same as coups or sedan. I think you can manual swap it for less then 1000 dollars. But its cool that someone recognise and make a video about e36 compact, I have one and its not slow car its fun and snappy. cheers :)

[@sailingspark9748]

I had a 1996 in Calypso Rot. Sunroof, manual trans, sport package, and cold weather package. Due to the latter and it's build date of February 1996, it was among the very last non-M BMWs to have a factory limited slip. Other than opening up the intake so it sucks air from next to the radiator instead of having a long pipe that went up and over it to the passenger side, and a Supersprint exhaust, it made a few more HP than stock. It could do a donut or two thanks to the LSD. Where my car shined was the suspension. I dropped the stock 16" rims for for 17" Msport rims with 235/5/17s Star Specs, E46 330i brakes, and bilstein PSS9 coil overs with Metric Mechanic Swaybars, There was very little that could touch my car going around a corner or could out stop it. It was a great car but rust eventually took it's toll and off to the junk yard it went.

[@AndersonZiller]

I have one of these, but factory manual gear. This car is a lot of fun.

[@danykrmek]

I still have my mom's E36 316i compact that she bought new in July 1994 it got swapped with a m44b19 in 1998 it now has a m50b20 and I purchased not long ago a e36 323ti compact and they are so much fun to drive I love it!.

[@danykrmek]

Both manual

[@cigarjefe]

Nice piece of kit.

[@robertonavarro7713]

I think that's my car shown in this nice video. Well. bought our 318ti Sport new in 1998 in silver with all leather seats and sunroof. Still using it daily with true 70,500 miles on the odometer. Just had the engine serviced and tires replaced at Pacific BMW in Glendale, CA. Slow compared to its bigger brothers but still feels very solid with handling like a true sports coupe.,

[@FiestaBuckeye]

I had a 318ti new and I freaking loved it. Lost it in a flood in Cincinnati though.

[@billymoose]

The engine in these cars needs to rev before the power comes on. The intake manifold actually has two stages and changes as the RPM rise's With the auto trans in sport mode let it rev and it gets much more energetic. Probably much better with a manual for this reason. It seems wrong when you rev the auto trans up but that's where the power band is.

[@jeremyhansen5666]

Owned one, loved it

[@normajean2855]

I still got mine... manual..

[@bupoe4796]

It's like a BMW CRX.

[@nobodyfamous7496]

its a very good car but the only problem i have is the middle vent wont stay open so i used tape

[@ivarroligheten1698]

I use a strips. 🇳🇴🙂

[@vspencer9764]

I’ve got both the R50 and the Ti Compact (both manual) and I’ve got to admit I prefer my Ti and doubt I could ever part with it and it’s in a different league build quality, but then again it was a lot more expensive when new. It’s a shame the Bini didn’t get the M44 as its a peach of an engine.

[@alarak2159]

This also came as part of the E46 range - not sold in the US mind.

[@OriginalFallofMind]

Loved my ti. So shitty and rough. Did a Frankenstein m swap. So much fun. Corners, smoking stands by car lenghs while spinning through 3 gears. So much fun.

[@Xander1Sheridan]

i wanted a 318ti so bad.

[@aaapisto1014]

Im between this bmw 1,8 ti 140 hp ,with automatic gearbox but the 2001+ facelift model and Opel Astra 1.8 140 hp 2006 model with the classic automatic gearbox,not the semi automatic. Prices for both at 150,000 kms ,1st hand in a good condition is about 3,500-4,000 euros here im Greece. What you suggest my friends?

[@gibbygrimyer4749]

kinda funny how despite these Inline 4's generally making 140 hp or less, the transmission and diff allow it to hit 200+ km/h, although I will admit the acceleration is almost non-existent, it came with less torque than most modern hand-drills

[@doze_g]

I have a 1998 318ti, it's a work on progress idk what to do with it. I got it from an old lady, and was parked for 5 years. I got it for 900$. One day it overheated on me and the heater hose was gone, so I did a heater bypass. Now still overheats and idk what's wrong with it. I also don't have the money or knowledge to work on it that deep.

[@serajkrgle683]

Does the compact have the same driving experience as the sedan ?

[@gavinendsley]

As an M sport ti owner, that M sport wheel did not come with the M sport package. Someone had to have added it aftermarket. Another thing I want to point out, is that I believe there were only about 30 or so 1999 models that made it to the US. They're EXTREMELY rare. the 95-98 models are way more common.

[@jg614]

Euro spec cars at least came with that wheel factory. Just about all the cars here in NZ have that wheel factory fitted to the more common M44 engined msport models

[@gavinendsley]

@@jg614 Interesting! I thought the euro cars had the other 3 spoke air bag wheel they offered. People here in the US like to swap those into E36s because they're much more attractive looking. I prefer to have the hole at the bottom of the wheel to put my hand when I'm cruising on the highway, though.

[@baskitmedia6485]

Not that I don’t believe you but what says only 30 99’ m-sport’s came to the US? Interested because I recently purchased a 99 in very similar condition to the vehicle in this video in the same color and spec.

[@gavinendsley]

@@baskitmedia6485 I have only ever seen 1 99 model for sale in the USA and it was not an M sport. I'm talking about 99 models in general. I can't find any information on how many ACTUALLY came to the US, just going by what I've seen so far

[@gavinendsley]

Update: It's nowhere near 30, but they are rare. Here are the numbers I found for ALL 318ti in the USA. 1995 - 7238 1996 - 7238 1997 - 4622 1998 - 3735 1999 - 656

[@jaypee6804]

Interesting video

[@Djm3773]

How much do these usually go for

[@Djm3773]

@@TheMINIacthank you very much

[@JRKhaled]

I got mine for $6800 here in Iraq Bought it last Friday Not perfect, still needs some maintenance and tinkering But maaan it's a hella fun to drive car

[@JRKhaled]

@@TheMINIac afaik there are only 3 compacts in Iraq but I'm not sure whether it's true or not It's a great find and I feel lucky to have it

[@ethyrice]

it’s funny you say 5:25 an “era gone by” because i would’ve said a “bygone era”

[@Carl_Donaldson]

Check out the latest 128ti, I’ve got one, it’s great.

[@Clip-farmed]

Laugh all you want man I’ll always have love for these. Some of my greatest memories come from my Ti. Bmws Miata. (I know I know the z3)

[@SteezusONsmokE]

What about the e87 and e81 there both BMW hatches?

[@raphaelbourreau9875]

If you can find a 323ti it's the sweet spot with the 6 cylinders

[@raphaelbourreau9875]

@@TheMINIac You may be right, this was not a gold era for BMW...but in any case there are only 15k in the world (in comparison, they made 77k E36 M3), so it's not common at all :)

[@BrooklynWindlow]

Where’s a good place to buy one of these i want one for my every day car SO badly

[@BrooklynWindlow]

@@TheMINIac managed to find a few on rn marketplace :)

[@kevinngomez5451]

I wanted this as my first car, never got it unfortunately

[@TheMINIac]

🤫 the owner of this car is someone I know personally.

[@CRS8392]

Very tail-happy and fun on wet i tried one 318i once. It was the grandmother of the 1 series. People loved to hate for no reason calling it "half bmw" "not real 3 series" etc etc but i like it, and also till 2 yrs ago they were dirt cheaper than coupes and sedans here in italy.

[@asianpink7430]

Where can I get a bmw 318ti 1996 model windshield from to buy? can someone please me

[@TheMINIac]

I want to say the windshield is the same for all e36 cars.

[@doncompton9453]

I considered buying that car in the nineties. The problem was that that car was so underpowered. No torque. I love hatchbacks like my JCW 3 door.But today's turbo 4 cyl's are dramatically more powerful and more economical than that old 1.8 ltr engine.

[@CRS8392]

not underpowered. Still not fast in the 318i configuration..there was also the 323i. For the 90s power was more than enough

[@tbeau6663]

E36 Compact??

[@TheMINIac]

Correct. They called it an E36.5 sometimes I think.

[@GabrielMartinez-jt1uv]

They added a small car

[@GabrielMartinez-jt1uv]

This is a 1998 gray Mr 318ti this is one of the most ugliest cars ever made and it was not exactly fast it is powered by a 1.9 l inline 4-cylinder engine and it only makes about 138 horsepower and this is a small car the 318ti came equipped with a sunroof is that this trim adds leather seats a sunroof and a radio and only 25,000 of these 318 TI's were built and they were available for the United States it uses a single exhaust pipe it has an m sport steering wheel it looks strange to look like it's a sport edition from a typical 3 series from the late 90s the gas cap is at the side of the car it was released in the 1995 model year and it was discontinued in 1999 that is an ashtray to dump all of your ashes it did came equipped with heated seats they did actually add heated seats to this car it has a AM FM radio with cassette player and also a climate control and it is a small car and it is equipped with a sunroof

[@TheMINIac]

@@GabrielMartinez-jt1uv the current 1-series and 2-series only exist because of MINI. The 318ti they built without having the MINI brand

[@Ale_za]

The most underpowered bmw e36 is the 318tds 1.7 turbo diesel engine with 90hp,only europe get that engine

[@kimberlysilenge734]

not really the lowest hp u forgot about the 316ti

[@femountain]

Automatic transmission on that car, what a shame.

[@TheMINIac]

Yea I know. It really slows it down.

[@gooferman609]

laughs in BMW Isetta

[@nomangriffen4999]

u cant find parts for which sucks

[@TheMINIac]

It uses some parts from the e30 and some from the e36.

[@gokushtv9013]

Lowest power was 316ti Bro , 102 hp

[@ivarroligheten1698]

We have. Now 260 000 km.

[@johnred6181]

Hey Lv your talk and walk through about the 318ti is this your car 🤔 if so hey dose your car have the splash shield under the engine 🧐the reason why I’m asking is because I hv a 318ti I took for service way back and they didn’t put the splash shield back and with out it the whole engine bay get dirty and dusty. 🫢☹️😢 is there any way you can give me the part number I’m been on the hunt for this part that the dealer online part stores don’t know what I’m looking for or talking about 🙄 and I’m at a lost anyways I you can I can send you image of what I’m looking under the engine if you some ? Appreciate it . Thk you John