At $22,990, Is This Secret-Packing 1997 BMW 318ti A Blatant Bargain?

While both the badge on the hatch and the description in the ad denote today's Nice Price or No Dice BMW compact as a four-cylinder car, a peek under the hood reveals it to rock six-cylinder M Power. Let's see what such a delightful deception should rightfully cost.

Ford introduced its first van, the Falcon-based forward-control Econoline, for the 1960 model year. The body style options expanded the following year with the addition of a unit-body pickup featuring a seven-foot bed. The cab-over design of the original Econoline resembled that of the Thames 400E commercial van, introduced in 1957 by Ford UK. The 1977 Ford Transit we discussed yesterday was the successor to the Thames and proved to be a huge success for Ford both in the UK and across Europe. Our Transit was a cab-and-pickup model and had been brought to the U.S. to become a Hollywood star. Now retired from the silver screen, it's offered for just $4,950 to star in a new owner's driveway. You all gave that prospect a four thumbs-up review, earning the Transit a solid 72% "Nice Price" win.

As made plain with the surprising advent of a German-made Ford on U.S. soil, things are different in the States than across the briny blue. That's abundantly clear when you consider the history of BMW's 3 Series Compact line. Introduced in 1994 as a down-market competitor to the likes of the Volkswagen Golf, the three-door Compact melded the front end of the newly minted E36 with a wholly unique design from the A-pillars back. A simplified semi-trailing arm rear suspension, derived from the earlier E30, reduced production costs and provided more space in the load area. As it was a cheaper route to a BMW badge in the driveway and initially offered more fuel-efficient four-cylinder power, the Compact proved substantially successful in the European market. Here in the States, however, where hatchbacks are looked down upon, and the car's cute, Quasimodo styling failed to find favor, it was a dud. When the model was updated for the 2001 model year, the U.S. was left off its dance card.

Today's 1997 318ti is one of the cars that found a buyer here in the States. In fact, according to the information provided in the ad, it has had eight owners so far in its life. That life must have been pretty eventful, too, as this E36 Compact has a few surprises up its sleeves.

Some of what's going on is telegraphed by the M Sport bumpers, sideview mirrors, and Style 22 double-spoke alloys, which give the car added aggression in the looks department. It's what's under the hood and in the cabin, however, that really gives away the game. Instead of the expected (and badge-promoting) 1.9-liter M44 four-cylinder with just 138 horsepower to its name, this Compact has had a 3152cc S52 straight six crammed between its strut towers. Out of the box, that has over 100 more ponies in its corral, plus 100 more pound-feet of torque. For the pedantic, that's 249 horses and 236 ft-lbs of twist from the six.

That extra oomph should really test the limits of the Compact's simple rear suspension, but how much fun would it be to proctor that test? Nothing is standing in the way of that fun, either, as the car is equipped with a ZF five-speed between the hot six and the terrified rear diff.

The car looks the part, too. According to the ad, it has 148,116 miles on the clock; however, those don't show in the Alpine White bodywork or the red and black leather and plastic of the interior. There are more mods in the cabin, where the seats, steering wheel, and shift knob have all been given the M Sport treatment. The red leather on the seats and door cards adds a nice splash of fun, while the wholly analog dash comes across as totally down to business. These cars can suffer from cracking in the plastics, but there's no sign of that here. 

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The only obvious sign of age is a somewhat wonky cover on the passenger-side airbag. Niceties in the car include power windows and a sunroof. Like all Compacts, the climate control is manual, which means there's one less thing that can go wrong. The title is clean, and the dealer has provided some helpful history in the ad, indicating the car has never been in an accident and was previously used as a corporate lease vehicle.

This is a pretty special and stealthy version of the E36 Compact. And while the badge on the hatch lies about its intentions and likely capabilities, the next owner will be in on the secrets it keeps. All it would take to be in the know on this clean and capable Bimmer is the plunking down of $22,990 in cold, hard cash. Or a check could do. It is offered by a dealer, after all, and they would likely accept many forms of payment, save for magic beans.

What's your take on this S52-packing 318ti and that $22,990 price tag? Does that seem fair once you know what lies beneath the car's surface? Or is this a Frankenstein car with an ugly monster of a price?

You decide!

Nice Price or No Dice:

Los Angeles, California, CarGurus, or go here if the ad disappears.

H/T to Josh Schaffer for the hookup!

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