The E36 BMW M3 first went on sale in Europe 25 years ago. That would make the earliest M3s eligible for historic license plates in some states. Since the E36 M3's debut, BMW has produced M3s with more power and more contemporary designs, but that doesn't mean the second-generation M3 can't be fun, and—as a driver in Germany named Alex Hardt proved—very, very fast.
In this video, Hardt takes his track-prepped E36 M3 around the Nürburgring's Nordschleife from bridge to gantry (BTG) on April 25, 2017 in 7 minutes and 25 seconds. That's impressive and so is Hardt's relatively calm demeanor and style.
During days when the Nürburgring is open for touring, practically anyone can buy laps, which means there might be slower cars impeding a fast lap time. Hardt manages such vehicles quite nicely. Also, on touring days, the entire track is not available for fast laps. The total front straight cannot be driven at speed because of the entrance and exit, so drivers time themselves over only 11.9 miles of the 12.9-miles course, from the bridge to the gantry, as they say. When you look at lap times on the Nordschleife, you must determine whether a lap is BTG or not. 07:25 is a great BTG time for a BMW M3 from the 1990s, whereas 07:25 for a full unrestricted flying lap is Ferrari Enzo territory.
If you have a spare seven and a half minutes, ride along with Alex Hardt in his "vintage" M3 for a fast lap of the 'Ring. Don't worry about the buzzing sounds now and then; it's just a little tire rub.—Scott Blazey
[Photos and video courtesy of Alex Hardt.]
