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Nothing simple about the engine: it's a
wonderful 24-valve 3.2 litre unit out of the
M3; doing 100 hp/litre. It looks a bit like a
race engine; with its rank of fat induction
pipes, a throttle butterfly for each of the
six cylinders, 11.3-to-one compression and
wide-spaced twin camshafts. It's also capable
of being remarkably economical. It's a
five-speed gearbox here, but with this
engne's terrific torque spread in a car that
runs a shorter ratio than the M3, you don't
miss the extra one.
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There's a limited-slip differential behind,
but the only electronic traction assistance
is weather forecast on the radio. Stopping
gets electronic ABS,of course, and the front
discs are the e36 M3 fancy multi-pece
devices. They consist of a lightweight hub
piece onto which the iron disc is pinned so
as to give scope fo free radioal
heat-expansion of the discs. That's lighter
than a conventional design, but also means
there is less chance of the brake distorting
after fex violent red-hot stops. Source: Car
(08/98)
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