Typically when people go racing, they don’t use normal 3 Series BMW wagons. However, such cars are better than you think. In this new video from Misha Charoudin, he drives an E91 BMW 3 Series Touring, with a stock engine, stock transmission, and no fancy aero and it looks like a lot of fun.
The E90 chassis is a great one. It’s balanced, communicative, and light enough that it can be used as a track car with only a handful of modifications. For instance, remove some weight (rear seats, superfluous interior bits) and give it track-ready coilovers and you’ve got yourself one helluva fun little track car. And in this video, the humble E91 heads to not just any track but the Nürburgring.
Under the hood, this little E91 3 Series has a stock inline-six engine, a five-speed manual, and even a standard open differential. It’s a track car and it doesn’t even have a limited-slip diff, which seems like a recipe for disaster. Except it wasn’t. The lowly 3 Series wagon held up just fun, tackling the ‘Ring with ease. And remember, this isn’t an M3 or even a 335is. This is a standard E91 3 Series Touring and it’s shockingly good where handling matters most.
Admittedly, Charoudin’s team’s day ended abruptly, as they suffered a tire blowout toward the end of the race. Which is shame because they were doing well in their class up until that point. Each team had to use the same Hankook tire, so it’s not as if there was an issue with less competitive tires.
Still, despite the blow out and abrupt end to their day, it looked like they have fun in the E91 3 Series. Which goes to show that you don’t need an M car, nor do you need huge power, to have fun. A good chassis, a charismatic engine, good steering, and a proper set of tires is all you really need to have fun in a car. Upgrade the suspension and give it better brakes and you’ll have even more fun. So if you’re a 3 Series owner, especially any E90-generation 3 Series, and feel bad about not having an M3, don’t. If Misha Charoudin can race an E91 at the Nurburgring, then you can have some fun in your car too.