Those fabulous arches are all steel and flared to allow the racing version to run big rubber, the rear windscreen is uniquely raked to help direct air towards the rear spoiler and both screens are bonded to the body rather than housed in old fashioned rubbers to improve aerodynamics which was probably like urinating on a bonfire given the cliff-face grille’s ability to scythe through the air. Much more than a tarted-up 325i Sport, the original E30 shares only the bonnet with its humbler siblings. £23k for an M3? Makes the new one seem cheap.Ī close look at the E30 M3 reveals just where that money went - and a drive confirms that it was worth it.
It dominated touring car championships here and abroad, fending off the attack of Sierra and Merc 190 Cosworths and was a commercial success too, developing a strong following worldwide, and particularly in Britain this despite coming in left-hand drive only and carrying a lofty £23k price tag that made it appear, on paper at least, dubious value in the face of Ford’s faster, cheaper and lairier Cossie. That first M3, based on the E30 saloon, was an unqualified success in every respect. Like so many of the greatest road cars, the M3 started off on the circuit, only finding its way onto autobahns because 5000 road cars were required to satisfy homologation requirements. Yet the moniker has come to stand for something quite different to the original E30 that BMW first revealed at the ’85 Frankfurt Motor Show. Here are three reasons why: the three greatest M3s of their generation, an E30 Sport Evo, an E36 Evo saloon and an E46 CSL, made-in-metal reminders of everything the M3 stands for. BMW is launching a new one and can’t afford to get it wrong. One letter and one number that combined are as globally recognisable as Schuey’s chin. The badge, the name, is universally understood. No confusion, just instant comprehension. The ultimate BMW M3 test: E30 Sport Evo v E36 Evo v E46 CSL
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