Top Speed

[sp0286]

what is the Top speed of the 1998 323is

[Pirate_copy]

About 142mph i think mate :)

[Bmwracer]

Really now.... im happy.. yes i have a 99.

[Pirate_copy]

I am confused as some places say the 323is is a 2.5 M52 from 1998 which i thought it was and so 140-142 is correct

Can anyone confirm? If it is the 2.3 then it is 120mph

[MPT 328is]

It's a 2.5 liter. That was one of those that the badge # doesn't match the actual engine size.

[E36 Phantom]

Yeah, those things (like the 318 with the 1.9L) really drive me nuts. If you're going to use a logical naming system, make it uniform all the time!

It's the de-stroked version of the same M52 2.8L in the 328's.

[xxvr6corradoxx]

its all tru about the signs and liter its bull$hit..... i trapped 142 with my 1992 325i....

[v33_n0d3]

Weren't they electronically limited to 130mph?

[E36 Phantom]

its all tru about the signs and liter its bull$hit..... i trapped 142 with my 1992 325i....

In English please? :confused:

[Clarke]

Really now.... im happy.. yes i have a 99.
Sorry.99s will only do 103.:eeps:

[Pirate_copy]

Weren't they electronically limited to 130mph?

127 in the USA i thought buddy

if he got 140 it must have been chipped

[bobbobb]

whats the top speed of my 318tds when it works correctly?

[Pirate_copy]

About 109mph buddy :)

[bobbobb]

fast enough to get banned over here it will do me 85-90 really does me

[Pirate_copy]

Too right mate, top speed is useless over here!!

[xxvr6corradoxx]

yea its not chipped itss fully stock stock stock....... and yes i hit 142. it was with me and 2 of my friends. we were coming back from fishing and it was on I90 in illinois and i hit 142.....

[Pirate_copy]

Really??

[ianiac]

yea its not chipped itss fully stock stock stock....... and yes i hit 142. it was with me and 2 of my friends. we were coming back from fishing and it was on I90 in illinois and i hit 142.....

That was a smart idea.. Yeah there hardly ever cops there.. but come on.. 142 on I90..

[Conehead]

Yeah, those things (like the 318 with the 1.9L) really drive me nuts. If you're going to use a logical naming system, make it uniform all the time!

It's the de-stroked version of the same M52 2.8L in the 328's.


Well.....how do you think I feel...LOL..I have a 316 (compact), with an M44 1.9 litre engine. Confuses the sh1t out of everyone....LOL........:dunno:

Cone
XXX

[Conehead]

yea its not chipped itss fully stock stock stock....... and yes i hit 142. it was with me and 2 of my friends. we were coming back from fishing and it was on I90 in illinois and i hit 142.....


You should have had your licence suspended, car confiscated and bloody well locked up. Stupid, stupid behaviour on a public road.


Cone
XXX

[Pirate_copy]

With mates in the car too!!!!

I am not sure whether he is bragging or lying, either way it was a stupid f*cking thing to do

Doing 100mph in a 70mph is one thing but 142mph is reckless, stupid and just asking for trouble

Little tip, this is the wrong forum to be making claims like that on!!

[ianiac]

With mates in the car too!!!!

I am not sure whether he is bragging or lying, either way it was a stupid f*cking thing to do

Doing 100mph in a 70mph is one thing but 142mph is reckless, stupid and just asking for trouble

Little tip, this is the wrong forum to be making claims like that on!!

I90 is a 55mph.. lol usually ppl drive around 70-75 on it..

[PhilipWOT]

I have a 94 325is and I've gotten 150 mph even out of my car. That is with Dinan engine software, cold air intake, all sythetic fluids, NGK plugs, sh!tty american 93 octane gas, and I suspect a stiff tailwind. Beleive it or not the car felt like it still pulling but my stock suspension wasn't enjoying the speed as much as I was so I let off.

[Pirate_copy]

Not on the public roads though right!!

[PhilipWOT]

:rofl: Of course not, it was with a professional driver on a closed course!

[Pirate_copy]

That is how i always test mine mate

Only difference is that I am the professional driver :rofl:

[PhilipWOT]

Well I regard myself as a professional driver as well, and being that I-16 in Georgia has guard rails on both sides I consider it my closed course!

[SCANDINAVIAN13]

Pirate gets the flooded ECU comments, I get RTFM...

Top speeds based on factory settings are listed in the owners manual.
All of you who kept it around will know your top speed from reading the er...manual.

[Pirate_copy]

What the hell happened to this forum

All of a sudden people think it is cool to brag about driving at over 140mph on public roads!

You dont deserve a license!!

[PhilipWOT]

Don't get me wrong. I'm not bragging by any means. Someone asked about top speed and I just threw my 2 cents in. And besides- what enthusiast hasn't topped their car out on the highway to see what it will do?

[Pirate_copy]

Me!

I do it on a racetrack where it is LEGAL

If you do drive like a lunatic, thats your prerogative but you will do well not to talk about on here as many of us will give you a hard time

We have at least 2 policeman on here as well as people like me who love our cars and so dont want people driving at stupid speeds on the road giving us a bad name OR crashing into us and destroying our cars or worse, killing us or our family/friends!!

Let me guess though...you can handle the speed so that would never happen right!

Well you maybe a fantastic driver, but you can never underestimate the stupidity of other drivers on the road and if someone pulls in front of you or something crosses you path at 155 mph, bad things will happen, no matter how good you are

[SCANDINAVIAN13]

And besides- what enthusiast hasn't topped their car out on the highway to see what it will do?
Me

This is what tracks are for.

[PhilipWOT]

I dont disagree with you that its dangerous, but the highway that i chose is absloutely dead straight and flat for dozens of miles. I did it once in clear weather at 4a.m. when there wasn't another car in sight. But ultimately you guys are right, it's a stupid dangerous thing to do, and i dont recommend it to others, but it will happen regardless. It's the nature of being a young reckless guy.

[v33_n0d3]

Nevermind the stupidity, all speedo's are a bit optimistic on the higher end. My car shows about 140 at the most but it doesn't go that fast. An M-coupe might show 168 MPH or so while the car is traveling 155 governed. Only way to really tell is a GPS tracking system.

I'm sure you guys know what a Hayabusa is. I've seen a 'busa bury the speedo past 220MPH, but the GPS recorded 183. Like I said... optimistic. :thumbup:

[320what?]

I It's the nature of being a young reckless guy.

Never understood this kind of logic. :dunno:

[platinum325]

:soapbox:Here we go again!:tsk:

[Pirate_copy]

:soapbox:Here we go again!:tsk:

Lets not argue again mate. We are past that now

[platinum325]

I'm not trying to argue, i'm just saying......

[1PokerLion]

I didnt realise the roads were so great over here in Spain. Being used to the A5 and M42 in the midlands its a pleasure here to be able to drive 200 miles through the middle of nowhere in many directions :-) Fantastic..

Of course driving speeds always relevant to conditions. There are many times where the limit will be 30mph and it would be wreckless to drive over 10mph due to various possible circumstances when at other times being limited to 80mph is just daft.. Common sense is the thing of course and we seem to be 'allowed' less and less of that as individuals in some of our great Countries innit ;-)

Id hate to be in the States with their speed limits, would feel like im only getting half my car for the money or something hehe

[nowack500]

Just for interest sake, what are the speed limits in the UK and USA?? Over here (South Africa) its 120 Km/h which is about 74Mph. Oh and my 328i is governed at 230Km/h or 142Mph

[MPT 328is]

I found this on the web:


Speed limits in the United States are set by each state. Speed limits are usually:

25***8211;30 mph (40***8211;50 km/h) on residential streets
35***8211;45 mph (55***8211;70 km/h) on urban arterial roads
50***8211;65 mph (80***8211;105 km/h) on major highways inside cities
45***8211;65 mph (70***8211;105 km/h) on rural two-lane roads
55***8211;70 mph (90***8211;110 km/h) on rural expressways
65***8211;75 mph (105***8211;120 km/h) on rural Interstate highways
The highest limits are usually found in the inland West and the lowest limits are usually found in the Northeast, and some limits fall outside these ranges. For example, some two-lane rural roads in Texas have 75 mph (120 km/h) speed limits, and there are two stretches of Interstate in West Texas with a daytime 80 mph (130 km/h) speed limit for passenger vehicles. In contrast, the highest speed limit posted on Interstates in Hawaii is 60 mph (95 km/h).

[PhilipWOT]

For the guy who asked about the 323i:
My friend Jon (who happens to be the parts manager at my dealership) has a 1998 323is with the 2.5l M50TU with a few mods and he got it up to 150 on the Spartanburg track.
Here's a basic mod list:
Dinan CF CAI
Dinan S3 chip
Dinan Big-bore throttle body
Euro 3.5" HFM
LSD (Not sure which one, taller gearing than stock I think)

[j99smith]

Just for interest sake, what are the speed limits in the UK and USA?? Over here (South Africa) its 120 Km/h which is about 74Mph. Oh and my 328i is governed at 230Km/h or 142Mph

In New Zealand the speed limit is 50kph in towns and 100kph on the open road. And you lose your license at 140kph.

My friend Jon (who happens to be the parts manager at my dealership) has a 1998 323is with the 2.5l M50TU with a few mods and he got it up to 150 on the Spartanburg track.

Sorry to be picky but do you mean a M52 323i or an M50 325?

[E36 Phantom]

Just for interest sake, what are the speed limits in the UK and USA?? Over here (South Africa) its 120 Km/h which is about 74Mph. Oh and my 328i is governed at 230Km/h or 142Mph
Limits across the US vary greatly. In California:

-All residential & business districts = 25MPH
-Small roads in cities = 35MPH
-Med roads = 40MPH
-Some intracity highways & most bridges in the Bay = 55MPH
-Freeways = 65 MPH
-5 in the Central Valley = 70MPH (5 runs North/South through CA, in the middle of CA through the middle of nowhere its 70)
There are no roads that I know of in CA that are posted above 70.



Sorry to be picky but do you mean a M52 323i or an M50 325?

He'd be referring to an M52B25. There's no such thing as a 1998 M50 325, they were dropped for 96.

[PhilipWOT]

In New Zealand the speed limit is 50kph in towns and 100kph on the open road. And you lose your license at 140kph.



Sorry to be picky but do you mean a M52 323i or an M50 325?

Yes, I meant M52. Good catch.

[jasonf860]

It should be noted that our cars are mechanically limited to 160 mph top speed with the stock gearing. No amount of HP mods are going to make you go any faster. This does not take into account drag, rolling friction, etc. just what the drive train is capable of. Think of it as if you had the wheels off the ground. The engine could theoretically spin the wheels to 160 mph and no more. Take into account the rest of the nonsense, and I'd bet the car would be LUCKY to get much past 140. This is where your HP mods would help as the more HP you have, the closer to the 160mph top speed you will get.

[PatrickG328]

In case anyone is curious I put together a little primer on exactly how to determine your cars theoretical topspeed. You'll need to know four things.

1)Your tire size: ( As in 225/50 16 etc)
2)Your final drive ratio
3)Your transmissions top gear ratio
4)Engine red line.

I'll use my car as an example. It's a '97 328i. Because it has the sport package the tire size is 225/50 16. The final drive ratio is 3.45:1. It also has the 5-speed manual which has a 5th gear ratio of 1:1. I'll be using 6800 rpm as the engine speed as it has the Dinan s2 software/throttle body and cai)

Here's how you do it. First figure out the circumference of your tire. A tire is classified with three numbers. (My particular tire is in parenthesis)

1)Section width (225) in millimeters.
2)Aspect ratio (50) which is the percentage of that width and
3)Rim diameter (16) in inches

First determine the diameter of the tire. You do that by finding the sidewall height which is the section width times the aspect ratio (in my case 50% of 225). This givs you 112.5mms.

Convert those mms to inches by dividing by 25.4. You now have 4.42913 inches. Because the height of a tire (or diameter) equals two sidewall heights plus the rim diameter, multiply the sidewall height by 2 and add 16. This gives you 24.858 inches total tire height.. (LOL..you could also use a tape measure)

Now get the circumference. To do that multiply the height (diameter) by PI(3.14159) and you come up with 78.095 inches.

Here's a formula to make it easier.

w=section width
a=aspect ratio
d=rim width

Circumerence in inches= PI((wa/1270)+d)

Now you know how much distance (in inches) your tire covers every time it goes one full revolution.

Next we'll determine how many revolutions your tire makes per minute at a given engine rpm. Lets say the engine is running at 6800 rpm. From the engine it goes through the transmission where that speed is reduced through a series of gears. In my case the transmission has a one to one 5th gear ratio so by the time the car is in fifth gear the transmission is spinning the same speed as the engine. From there it goes to the rear differential where it is reduced by another gear set. In my gase that ratio is 3.45:1. To find the number of times the tire is spinning per minute just divide the engine speed by the gear ratio. 6800/3.45 = 1971.014

Now determine how much ground is covered per minute. Multiply the result above by your tires circumference found earlier. 1971.014*78.095=153926.33 (inches covered per minute in top gear at 6800rpm)

Convert that to feet by dividing by 12=12827.194 (feet covered per minute)
Convert that to one hour by multiplying by 60=769631.64 (feet covered per hour)
Finally convert that to miles per hour by dividing by 5280 (number of feet in a mile)=769631.64/5280 = 145.76

I whittled down all of those steps into a simple formula.

x=final drive ratio
c=circumference of tire
r=engine rpm

Top Speed=rc/1056x (nice and simple :))

A final note. The result above is the physical limitation of the vehicle at a given rpm ASSUMING the engine has enough horsepower/torque to get the car to that rpm in the first place. You have to overcome wind resistance, ground friction etc. Therefore a Dinan modified 328i or an M3 can get there, but don't bet on a stock 318i doing it. Not only does the engine probably not have enough hp..but a stock vehicle has an electronic speed and rpm limiter built in (128mph and 6500 I believe but correct me if I'm wrong)

Hope this helps someone. Thanks. :)

[jasonf860]

PatrickG328- What model did your diff gear set come from?

[PatrickG328]

Jason, stock. Lol..don't tell me it's not a 3.45.. :)

[PhilipWOT]

In case anyone is curious I put together a little primer on exactly how to determine your cars theoretical topspeed. You'll need to know four things.

1)Your tire size: ( As in 225/50 16 etc)
2)Your final drive ratio
3)Your transmissions top gear ratio
4)Engine red line.

I'll use my car as an example. It's a '97 328i. Because it has the sport package the tire size is 225/50 16. The final drive ratio is 3.45:1. It also has the 5-speed manual which has a 5th gear ratio of 1:1. I'll be using 6800 rpm as the engine speed as it has the Dinan s2 software/throttle body and cai)

Here's how you do it. First figure out the circumference of your tire. A tire is classified with three numbers. (My particular tire is in parenthesis)

1)Section width (225) in millimeters.
2)Aspect ratio (50) which is the percentage of that width and
3)Rim diameter (16) in inches

First determine the diameter of the tire. You do that by finding the sidewall height which is the section width times the aspect ratio (in my case 50% of 225). This givs you 112.5mms.

Convert those mms to inches by dividing by 25.4. You now have 4.42913 inches. Because the height of a tire (or diameter) equals two sidewall heights plus the rim diameter, multiply the sidewall height by 2 and add 16. This gives you 24.858 inches total tire height.. (LOL..you could also use a tape measure)

Now get the circumference. To do that multiply the height (diameter) by PI(3.14159) and you come up with 78.095 inches.

Here's a formula to make it easier.

w=section width
a=aspect ratio
d=rim width

Circumerence in inches= PI((wa/1270)+d)

Now you know how much distance (in inches) your tire covers every time it goes one full revolution.

Next we'll determine how many revolutions your tire makes per minute at a given engine rpm. Lets say the engine is running at 6800 rpm. From the engine it goes through the transmission where that speed is reduced through a series of gears. In my case the transmission has a one to one 5th gear ratio so by the time the car is in fifth gear the transmission is spinning the same speed as the engine. From there it goes to the rear differential where it is reduced by another gear set. In my gase that ratio is 3.45:1. To find the number of times the tire is spinning per minute just divide the engine speed by the gear ratio. 6800/3.45 = 1971.014

Now determine how much ground is covered per minute. Multiply the result above by your tires circumference found earlier. 1971.014*78.095=153926.33 (inches covered per minute in top gear at 6800rpm)

Convert that to feet by dividing by 12=12827.194 (feet covered per minute)
Convert that to one hour by multiplying by 60=769631.64 (feet covered per hour)
Finally convert that to miles per hour by dividing by 5280 (number of feet in a mile)=769631.64/5280 = 145.76

I whittled down all of those steps into a simple formula.

x=final drive ratio
c=circumference of tire
r=engine rpm

Top Speed=rc/1056x (nice and simple :))

A final note. The result above is the physical limitation of the vehicle at a given rpm ASSUMING the engine has enough horsepower/torque to get the car to that rpm in the first place. You have to overcome wind resistance, ground friction etc. Therefore a Dinan modified 328i or an M3 can get there, but don't bet on a stock 318i doing it. Not only does the engine probably not have enough hp..but a stock vehicle has an electronic speed and rpm limiter built in (128mph and 6500 I believe but correct me if I'm wrong)

Hope this helps someone. Thanks. :)


So you think my more-or-less stock M3 will make it to 160 with the speed limiter eliminated?

[jasonf860]

:rofl:

Nope, it's not a 3.45. It's a 2.97 since yours is a 5sp. It would be a 3.91 if it was an auto.

Here's the rundown for the 188 gearset for ALL E36 6cly (except Evo M3's which I'll explain later)

325i/is:
5Sp: 3.25:1
Auto: 3.91:1

328i/is:
5Sp: 2.93:1
Auto: 3.91:1

94/95 M3:
5 sp: 3.15:1
Auto: 3.23:1

96+ M3:
5sp: 3.23:1
Auto: 3.38:1

the Evo M3 used the larger 210 gearset. To swap one of these diffs into a normal E36 you need the whole subframe and trainling arms. Not really a cost wise choice as they are no stronger than the 188 gearset. For this reason, I don't know the ratio off hand.

[PatrickG328]

Thanks for the correction Jason. I went back to the source I found
http://www.unixnerd.demon.co.uk/bmw_e36.html

and realized I misread the sub note under the chart...I saw "96 onwards" and "retained 3.45 ratio". Heh. It is a 2.93

Well, good to know. :)

So, revising the formula that gives a theoretical TS of 171.6 @ 6800rpm. Wish I had the engine to get it there.

Now maybe if I had a supercharger....

[PatrickG328]

Philip..I have no idea whether your car would go 160, there's too many variables to consider. My gut instinct would be no..in stock form it wouldn't. Besides all that, even if it could, you couldn't pay me enough to take ANY thirteen year old car up to 160. There's a world of seat of the pants difference between 130 and 160. Don't get me wrong though..if you've been to 160 in your car, I'll give you the benefit of the doubt.

[jasonf860]

Don't forget guys, our speedo's are notorious for being inaccurate. Most E36 speedo's are off by about 10 MPH at 100 and only get worse from there. In reality, 140 on the speedo is actually more like 128 or so.