BMW 318is Class II (E36) was one of the most interesting homologation specials of the E36 generation and a rare example of BMW M GmbH linking the four-door 3 Series Sedan directly with the requirements of touring-car racing. Built as a limited special edition in 1994, the Class II was based on the BMW 318is Sedan and was created to satisfy FIA Class 2 motorsport homologation requirements.
The Class II was not simply a more powerful version of the standard 318is. Its importance lay in the homologation process itself: the production car allowed technical developments required for competition to be approved while retaining the everyday usability of a four-door sedan.
318is – the sporting four-cylinder E36
The BMW 318is occupied a special position within the E36 range as a sporting four-cylinder alternative to the six-cylinder 320i and 325i. While the standard 318i used a two-valve-per-cylinder engine producing 113 hp, the 318is received the four-valve M42 engine with an output of 140 hp.
BMW Group Classic describes the 318is as one of the understated surprises of the E36 range. Its discreet model designation concealed considerably more sporting engineering than the regular 318i. The lightweight, high-revving M42 four-cylinder also provided an excellent technical starting point for motorsport.
FIA Class 2 homologation
BMW M GmbH developed the 318is Class II as a homologation model for FIA Class 2 touring-car competition. FIA homologation documentation already lists the BMW M42 as the standard basis for a Class II touring-car engine from 1993.
The Class 2 regulations required a strong technical relationship between the competition car and a series-production road model. A homologation vehicle was therefore important because the required production components and developments had to be officially approved through a sufficient number of road-going cars.
The Class II was consequently a classic homologation special: a fully road-legal production car whose existence was directly connected with BMW’s competition programme.
The 1.8-litre four-valve M42
The Class II retained the M42 four-cylinder engine of the standard BMW 318is. Displacement was 1,796 cc, and with four valves per cylinder the naturally aspirated engine produced 103 kW or 140 hp at 6,000 rpm.
The engine was not tuned to produce more power specifically for the homologation edition. Instead, the significance lay in the basic M42 architecture itself – a relatively light four-cylinder unit with twin overhead camshafts and four-valve technology that provided a strong basis for competition development.
BMW Group Classic lists a top speed of 213 km/h for the 318is Class II, identical to the official figure for the regular 318is Sedan.
Distinctive Class II details
The most obvious difference from a standard 318is was the large rear wing. It gave the four-door E36 a considerably more purposeful appearance and clearly hinted at the car’s homologation background.
According to BMW Group Classic, all 2,500 Class II cars were fitted with the same special equipment. The interior included a leather sports steering wheel, sports seats as standard and a dedicated plaque positioned by the glove compartment.
Despite these details, the overall appearance remained relatively discreet compared with more extreme homologation models. This contrast is one of the Class II’s most interesting characteristics: outwardly it remained close to a conventional four-door 3 Series, while its history was directly connected with competition.
A four-door homologation special
One of the defining characteristics of the Class II was its four-door body. The E36-generation 318is was available in both Coupé and Sedan form, but the homologation model was based on the more practical four-door version.
BMW Group Classic specifically notes that despite its motorsport background, the Class II remained fully suitable as an everyday and family car. It combined relatively economical running costs and four-door practicality with a sporting four-cylinder engine and equipment developed around BMW’s racing programme.
Only three months in production
Production of the BMW 318is Class II lasted for an exceptionally short period, from April until June 1994. Exactly 2,500 cars were built during those three months, and according to BMW Group Classic every example received the same Class II specification.
The original German-market price was DM 48,000, compared with DM 42,000 for the regular 318is Sedan. The homologation version therefore commanded a significant premium even though engine output remained unchanged.
A rare chapter in E36 motorsport history
The 318is Class II is less famous today than the E30 M3 homologation specials, but the basic principle was similar: a production road car created directly in response to competition regulations. Unlike the M3, however, the Class II did not develop into a separate high-performance model family, leaving it as a short-lived and relatively little-known branch of E36 history.
Its limited production of 2,500 cars, direct connection with BMW M GmbH and FIA Class 2 homologation give the model a distinctive place in the history of the 3 Series. It was a practical four-door E36 whose existence was nevertheless directly linked to BMW’s touring-car competition programme.
Model in the collection
The 1:43-scale BMW 318is Class II (E36) in my collection was produced by Minichamps. The miniature represents a 1994 car and therefore depicts the only, exceptionally short production period of the Class II.
The Minichamps model clearly reproduces the Class II’s most distinctive exterior feature – the unusually large rear wing fitted to the otherwise relatively discreet four-door E36 Sedan.
Technical data
Production: 04/1994–06/1994
Body style: four-door sedan
Special model developed by: BMW M GmbH
Engine: M42 1.8-litre naturally aspirated inline-four petrol engine
Displacement: 1,796 cc
Valve configuration: 4 valves per cylinder
Power output: 103 kW / 140 hp at 6,000 rpm
Drive: rear-wheel drive
Top speed: 213 km/h
Production total: 2,500 cars
Original German price: DM 48,000
Special feature: BMW M GmbH homologation model based on the four-door BMW 318is Sedan for FIA Class 2 competition
Photo of the real car. Photo: nakhon100 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0