Amir Pasha's E36 M3

Photography by Sam Rashty @samrashty

The bond between a car and its owner is a special connection that not all enthusiasts have truly experienced. Some of us will run into car builds that never seem to go right from the get go, leaving us with a bad taste in our mouths.

Having a positive connection with our cars and running into few headaches will most likely insure a positive relationship. Amir’s 6-year love affair with Leela (his E36 M3) will remind you why we all invest so much into our cars and what it’s all about.

The first thing I’d like to touch base on is how underrated the US Spec E36 M3 is. It is a common misconception that since this model is a stepped down version of the Euro Spec, that it is less of a car. However, this actually has led to a much more balanced chassis and to those who have driven both, the car is far more balanced with the US spec motor. Let’s also not forget that no other 3-series generation was considered a better handling car than its current gen Porsche.

The shear simplicity of the OBD1 95’ M3 is astonishingly ingenious when considering the performance output of this car. Prior to owning the E36, Amir actually owned three E46’s (01 330ci, and two 04 325ci’s) and it doesn’t look like he will be going back. After 6 years of ownership, with the odometer approaching 200k miles, it is hard to believe that Leela had another life before entering Amir’s.