BMW E36 Blog

I’ve found an impact safety test for the BMW E36 cars. The test was conducted on a BMW E36 316i sedan which was moving at a speed of 64 km/h (40 mph) when the impact happens. I have to admit that the E36 didn’t perform well as expected. Take a look at this photo:

The problem in the frontal impact test was in the chest injuries which were life-threatening. The steering wheel was pushed backwards by 8.8 inches which may cause very serious damage to the driver’s chest. In that test, the knee also has suffered some injuries as well. So, the main problems with the fontal test in E36 cars were in the chest and the right knee for the right-hand drivers. The driver’s neck was protected very well in that test.

In that impact test, the passenger was protected well. So, this is something good on the contrary of the above chest and knee injuries.

The side impact test for the E36 was ok as well, so this only leaves us with two main problems that I could see which are the chest serious (life threatening) injuries and the knee injuries. If you’re asking about the airbag and how it was supposed to protect the drivers chest, I think the problem was in the steering wheel moving towards the driver’s chest by 8.8 inches which is a very long distance in such situations. 

Anyway, if you’re like me, I hate talking about accidents, but I thought I needed to write this information here to remind you all to drive safe and to make sure that your Airbag(s) are in their best shape all the time (YES, all the time).

If you’re looking to read the full impact safety test report, please find it here.

BMW E36 Blog: The ultimate E36 information source.

The guys at BMW have never stopped amazing me. I used to have a BMW E30 before and every now and then, I was discovering some facts that made me say Wow! The BMW E36 is no difference. I’m feeling that every now and then, I discover something that makes me say wow too!. Today, I’ve discovered that the BMW E36 cars have come with an optional Parking Distance Control (Parking Sensors). It’s a rare option but what’s important is that it exists. Take a look at these photos which show how this toy is supposed to look on your BMW E36:

I think this option has came to life in 1995. Imagine that you’re parking your car and being able to know exactly when to stop. Before anyone asks, I’m very very good at parking, but I think that this option is really cool and makes you enjoy your car even more!

You can see the full diagram for such a system here in case you’d like to install one. I’m not sure whether it’s available but I think you can find it if you tried.

The one thing that I want you to notice is how creative BMW guys were in 1995. I’m not saying that they’re always that ones who invent new options and features, but they’re definitely one of the most important leaders in the car market. They just put the standards.

BMW E36 Blog: The ultimate E36 information source.

I wrote about Bluetooth Ready Headunits For Your BMW before and I suggested the Pioneer (DEH-P7900BT) and the Sony (MEX-BT2500) headunits to be used in your BMW cars. The only problem that I could see and didn’t like about these two types was the blue illumination which didn’t exactly fit into your BMW car illumination. I’ve received some comments about other types that are designed with the same purpose in mind. One of these is the Alpine iDA-X001. This headunit is designed for iPod users and integrates flawlessly with them. This headunit doesn’t have integrated CD-ROM. Only Radio + iPod connection to play and manipulate your songs inside your car. This is a really cool way to store and play your music. It has almost the same interface that you use to play music using your iPod. And best of all, it can work as a car phone kit at the same time by using the Alpine Car Bluetooth Adapter. If you are not impressed with all what I’ve just said, I’m sure you will be when I tell you that this receiver can illuminate in either Blue or Red colors which will make it look great in your BMW E36 console. I’ve prepared some photos for this Alpine headunit for you to check out. Please take a look and let me know what you think. Oh, yes, I just wanted to thank Alexander for the photos that he sent me.

BMW E36 Blog: The ultimate E36 information source.

This is a video of a race between BMW E36 M3 and Toyota Supra. It’s a real quick race and has a very exciting result. Which car do you expect to win this race? I know that you as BMW E36 owners would say that the M3 will spank the Toyota Supra, but my question is this . . . Are you sure?

Take a look:-

BMW E36 Blog: The Ultimate E36 Information Source.