Owners of E30 M3s, the first model to wear that iconic designation were reacting to the cover that profiled a story about the soon-to-be-released-third-generation M3. “The Real M3 Shows Up In Geneva,” it said. “A real M3 has four cylinders,” they fired back, even if no one was in earshot.

Never mind that the new M3 coupe packs a 333-horsepower jewel of an engine in a package that will crank out sub-five second 0-60mph runs all day and out-corner its predecessor, an automotive masterpiece that Car and Driver magazine called “the best-handling car in America.” That’s not the point. The point is that newer M3s, in the E30 owners’ perspective, lack the gritty character and all-out-racer spirit of their much beloved cars. Lest you think these ardent loyalists are being unduly critical of the newest M3, many of them label the second-generation model, with its decidedly understated styling, the 332is.

What gives these owners such zeal? A lot of it has to do with the reason their car was built. “It was a special car built in a special time for a special purpose,” says Filippo Morelli, a New Jersey Chapter member, “real” M3 owner, and host of the E30 M3 Special Interest Group, an internet spiritual home that claims more than 600 congregants. “Such events occur only a few times in the life of a company.”

A Genuine Race Car For The Street

That special purpose Morelli refers to was preparing the E30 3 Series two-door sedan – but back then this model wasn’t called a coupe – to race in the German and European touring car series, that side of the Atlantic’s moral equivalent of NASCAR, where manufacturers duked it out for technology, image, and sales supremacy. The rules stipulated that a carmaker had to build a minimum of 5,000 examples in twelve months of the exact car it wanted to race and offer them for public sale. That amounted to selling detuned, road-going race cars, minus the roll cage, sponsor decals, and a few other racing pieces. Similar regulations in the 1960s produced some spectacular – not to mention historically significant and highly collectable – cars, such as the Ferrari 250 GTO and 250 LM and the Europe-only BMW 3.0CSL.

The goal was to be ready to race for the 1987 season. BMW’s high-performance subsidiary, then called BMW Motorsport GmbH (German legal shorthand for business with limited liability) went into action in late 1983. Thomas Ammerschlager, formerly of the Zakspeed race team and Audi, assumed command of the project in 1985. Called the M3, the result was nothing short of a complete make-over of a standard 3 Series. Giving the new car instant credibility was the fact that every modification was done with one purpose in mind: racing.

Wider fenders, front air dam, a new roof and rear window, a raised (plastic) trunk lid and large rear wing cleaned-up the E30’s aerodynamics, made room for a proper roll cage, accommodated wider racing wheels and tires, and gave the M3 a decidedly serious look. In fact, the hood is the only body panel the M3 shares with the 3 Series. Major suspension, brake and steering modifications made the M3 a genuine apex-strafer.

A team led by Werner Frowein – under the watchful eye of BMW’s legendary engine designer Paul Rosche – provided power by capping a cast-iron four-cylinder Formula 2 engine block with a sixteen-valve twin-cam aluminum cylinder head – one made from an M1 head by literally chopping off two cylinders. Other tweaks included a competition oil sump, special pistons, and a new version of BMW’s Motronics engine-management system. Large for a four-banger, the 2.3 litre S14 engine produced 200 horsepower in European trim. A later version increased horsepower to 215.

An Instant Hit

The M3 debuted as a prototype at the1985 Frankfurt Auto Show. Despite concern on the part of some BMW executives that its design was too aggressive, Motorsport had firm orders for the initial batch of 5,000 before the show closed ten days later. Those customers had to be patient; M3s were not delivered in Europe until autumn of 1986. Then came the unexpected announcement that, after considerable arm-wrestling between BMW of North America and the powers in Munich, a limited supply of M3s would make their way to the US.

About 5,300 E30 M3s were sold here between 1987 and 1992. Throughout the production run, the mechanical specifications of US cars remained virtually unchanged; our catalyzed and federalized version of the S14 engine produced 192 horsepower and 170 ft-lb of torque, good enough for a top speed of 147 mph and a 0-60mph time of 6.9 seconds. EPA certification red tape denied us the pleasures of the close-ratio five-speed manual gearbox; we had to make do with a competent but less sporty Getrag overdrive five-speed transmission.

Eventually 17,184 E30 M3’s were produced between Sept.1986 and Dec 1990. Six special versions were built, the most desirable being the Sport Evolution with an enlarged 2.5 litre, 238 horsepower engine and trademark adjustable front aerodynamic splitter and rear wing “Gurney flap.” Sadly, none of those limited-edition models – and none of the 786 enticingly gorgeous M3 convertibles – were ever officially imported here.

BMW Motorsport prepared about 100 M3s for factory and private racing and rally teams. Countless other road-going versions have been pressed into competition duty around the world. The E30 M3 more than achieved its primary mission; it became the most successful touring car racer in history, winning the World (driver’s title) and European, German, British, Italian, French, Belgian, and Dutch touring car championships – as well as countless other national and regional racing, rally and hillclimb series.

“Boy Racer” Raises Hackles

US auto journalists raved about the M3, Car and Driver, in its November 1987 issue, observed, “The M3 leaps through the corners like a cat, its feisty engine spinning and splitting until you snatch another gear or the rev limiter grabs it by the tail. Excellent controls help you keep the frenzy in check; the steering is supple and superbly accurate, the shifter has just the right amount of notchiness, and the massive disc brakes – vented in front and equipped with a standard anti-lock system – are always on duty, lap after lap.”

In a February 1988 road test, Road & Track said, “This is what driving is all about. The engine, when revved hard, shoots the car from turn to turn….This is as close most owners will come to participatory motorsports, and this is what this car was designed to do.” And AutoWeek summed it up by saying, “The M3 is a hardball player.”

Most road testers commented on the four-cylinder engine’s buzzy nature, especially when compared to the traditionally silky-smooth BMW in-line sixes they were accustomed to. Then there is the “boy racer” comment, something that really gets M3 owners’ hackles up. Some journalists make this snide observation when they refer to the M3’s bodywork, insinuating that they fenders, spoiler, side skirts and wing are merely “eye candy” add-ons. For those who understand why the car appears the way it does, the comment is not only galling, it conclusively demonstrates the writer’s lack of perspective and grasp of automotive history. Many E30 M3 owners believe it would be more appropriate to apply the “boy racer” tag to the new M5 and M3.

What To Look For When The Urge Strikes

Although it is difficult to determine how many E30 M3s have survived in the US, it’s safe to say that most have found a good home where they are appreciated and looked after. Their sub-$20,000 price makes them a relative bargain for someone looking for a genuine performance car with an interesting history. With that in mind, we contacted Windy City Chapter’s Ben Thongsai, widely regarded as one of the top M3 go-to guys in the country, for guidance on what to look for when the urge to park a piece of BMW racing history in your garage strikes. He should know; he owns two and services several others.

“I love my M3s,” he says. “They’re a lot like my 2002, only much faster! They are very reliable.” Thongsai bought his first example with 19,000 miles. “It ran great,” he says, “and needed very little work.” He advises you to begin your evaluation by looking at the car’s maintenance history. Ask to see repair order. “Regular maintenance on an E30 M3 is important,” he adds. “Preventative maintenance is, too.”

Once you’re satisfied with the paperwork, it’s time for an inspection. Check the condition of the water pump (usually a 60,000 mile item) and the alternator mounting brackets (for cracks) and their bushing (for wear); check the brackets for the power-steering pump and the air-conditioning compressor, too. The original alternator ground strap had a tendency to break. If it is brown, it’s the original and should be replaced; a red strap is the upgraded part. Inspect the motor mounts and the sub-frame they attach to for wear and damage. Don’t be surprised if one or both wires for the electric cooling fan are broken; the good news is that’s a quick fix. Look for leaking or excess play in the steering rack, an M3-specific part.

The time-honored service manager’s retort – “They all do that” – can be applied to M3 intake manifold gaskets: They are prone to crack and cause a vacuum leak. The most noticeable symptom of cracked gaskets is a rough idle. Merely replacing them won’t solve the problem; eventually the new gaskets will crack, too. But fear not: Korman Autoworks offers a solution. Visit their website at www.kormanfast.com and read about their heavy-duty air accumulator support in the E30 M3 “induction” section.

The Timing Chain Issue

There are some trans-Atlantic difference of opinion among M3 experts about the longevity of the S14 engine’s timing chain. The good folks at Munich Legends, the UK’s leading E30 M3 authority, believe that the chain and its two sprockets should be replaced at 100,000 miles, based on failures they’ve seen. It’s a pricey operation – about $1,000 – but if a worn or stretched chain jumps a sprocket tooth, you can multiply that bill almost by six for new valves, cylinder head machining, and at least one piston – if you’re lucky.

The story in the US, however, is somewhat different. For whatever reason, chain failures are rare here. While no one debates the merits of replacing the chain on a 100,000 mile car if the engine is apart for other reasons, Thongsai and others don’t see a need to do it on a healthy car.

Listen and Save

Fortunately, in most cases there is an early warning to such an occurrence. Listen for the timing chain when you start the engine, especially when it’s cold. If the chain makes a racket – trust us, it’s hard not to hear it! – for a second or two and then quiets down, it’s probably good-to-go. A constant noise, the sooner the better. Although it may be folklore, many M3 owners advice against parking the car with its nose uphill; they say it allows oil to drain out of the chain tensioner, which then causes the chain to rattle.

While you’re listening, aim an ear in the direction of the clutch and gearbox at idle. If the chatter you hear goes away when you depress the clutch, “that’s just the normal Getrag transmission sound; don’t worry about it,” Thongsai. But if you hear a noise with the clutch pedal pushed in, it’s probably the throw-out bearing about to surrender.

Oddly enough, for a car designed to race, the original M3 suffers from inadequate front-brake cooling, especially in enthusiastic use like BMW CCA driving schools. That’s why many owners have replaced their crack-prone fog lights with brake-cooling ducts. Check for warped or scarred brake rotors and the calliper condition at all four corners.

On your walk around the car, Thongsai advises you to look for body damage or shoddy repair work. “The only body panel on the M3 that’s the same as the 3 Series is the hood. Replacements are expensive,” he notes. Also check for rust on the cowl at the bottom of the windshield, especially in the corners. Unfortunately, the paint on the upper surface of the rear wing tends to craze, especially on Cinnabar Red cars; bringing it back to life can be a $500 proposition. Also check the wing itself for signs of fatigue or cracking – they actually do generate downforce.

A Stock M3? You Must Be Kidding

Given the nature of the E30 M3 and the enthusiasm of most owners, it should not come as a surprise that there are precious few completely stock examples left. From upgrading the interior panels to the cloth Motorsport-striped variety found in the Cecotto, Ravaglia, and Sport Evolution version to engine-management chips to major engine and chassis modifications, M3 drivers can’t seem to resist the urge to tinker. Thongsay likes the way the Conforti engine management chip makes the engine much less peaky, supplying more power to the mid and low rev ranges. “It gives the M3 some decent pull at 2,500rpm,” he says. Modifications done by competent M3 technicians using parts from reputable sources are usually not a problem, he adds. On the other hand, although it is suitable as a serious BMW CCA driving school car, he cautions against buying an M3 with an overly stiff suspension for your daily driver.” A suspension like that will be hard on you and the chassis, especially if you live in a place with lots of potholes,” he says. Of course, many modifications are as much a matter of taste as engineering.

Other red flags? Avoid cars that have been beaten to death at track events and not well cared for. Steer clear of an M3 modified by someone who selected parts from a catalog using “now-that-looks-cool” engineering. The owner should be able to give you a reasonable strategy for the changes. Of course, you’ll take a pass on cars with either a suspicious or no maintenance history. Roudel technical editor Mike Miller says, “A $15,000 M3 may just be a better buy than an $8,000 car because the more expensive car has been maintained better.”

The September 2000 issue of Classic & Sports Car magazine notes that E30 M3s are not expensive to maintain, but correcting problems caused by neglect care can be costly. “There’s only one way you can go wrong with an M3, and that’s to spend too much money on the wrong car,” the editors said. Speaking of maintenance, Thongsai quotes a price of “around $500″ for a major service including valve adjustment, spark plugs, distributor cap and rotor, coolant flush, new filters, and an oil change. He also recommends that you consult the M3 Special Interest Group website if you’re new to M3s (www.bimmers.com/m3/) to find someone in your area who can help you evaluate your intended purchase.

It’s All About Driving

Technical issues aside, buying an E30 M3 is a very emotional decision. “The best thing about this car is the incredible fun you have driving it; it’s a great feeling,” says Los Angeles Chapter member David Boen. England’s Autosport magazine described that feeling, observing, “an E30 M3 makes a trip to the corner store to buy milk seem like a lap around the Nüburgrin.” And a now-valuable poster distributed to German BMW dealers sums up the essence of the E30 M3 in a simple, but powerful message: 1436 Wins in 1628 Days. M3.

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Body, style and interior

There’s more than a touch of Q-car about the original M3 Aerodynamics features – front air dam, raked rear window, wing on the tail – distance it visually from a standard 3 series, but most people wouldn’t believe this unassuming saloon can hit nearly 150mph. As these cars grow older, one great virtue becoming clear; they suffer little corrosion. Although early ones weren’t quite as well rust-proofed, all M3s last incredibly well and any rot that develops is trivial. Accident damage accounts for the only significant bodyshell problems, as poor repairs trigger rust. Spotting the tell-tale signs of a shunt sometimes needs and practised eye – so it makes sense to have an expert assessment. The worst scenario is to buy; without realising it, an M3 with a twisted bodyshell or front chassis legs that are visibly out of line.

There are no problems over parts available because everything can still be obtained through BMW. Better still, the original M3 is the cheapest to run of all BMW Motorsport cars. The four-cylinder engine is simpler to maintain than BMW’s ‘six’, and so much of the running gear is pure 3 series. The car’s trickery lies not in masses of special components, but in the ingenious way that BMW contrived the design from mass-produced building blocks.

Technical and mechanics

Clever engineering created a little jewel of an engine for the M3. As found in all E30 M3s apart from the Evo III, the 2302cc four-cylinder unit shares its 93.4mm bore and 84mm stroke with BMW’s 3.5 litre ‘six’, which was used in four-valve form in the M1 and M635CSi. So it was created as essentially a four-cylinder derivative of an existing race-proven ‘six’, with a shortened version of the bigger unit’s four-valve head.

The incredible thing about this engine is its bullet-proof record, despite the ability to develop nearly 100bhp per litre and rev its heart out to 7000rpm. It’s generally cheaper to service than any BMW ‘six’ and just as robust. But the timing chain assembly must be replaced at 100,000 miles, even though this isn’t on the factory service schedule. Lots of M3 owners have learned this the hard way by having to fork out £4000 or more to rebuild an engine full of bent valves and damaged pistons. If this advice is ignored the timing chain will eventually fail without warning, sometimes when starting from cold. The chain tensioner relies purely on oil pressure, so chain backlash can occur when pressure is low and cause the chain to jump a tooth on the crankshaft sprocket. Using a relatively thick oil (10/40 Castrol GTW Magnatec is ideal) is important because the engine runs quite hot (about 100 deg C), causing the oil to ‘thin’ and encourage chain backlash. Any timing chain rattle indicates use of the wrong oil – even though it might be of high quality – not problem with chain.

Timing chain replacement sensibly goes hand-in-hand with a top-end overhaul (usually just valves and seals) and costs £2000-£2500, but the unit should then sail on for another 100,000 miles. First time round the clock there’s hardly any bore or crank wear, but some bottom-end work (crank bearings, oil pump and possibly pistons) becomes necessary at 200,000.

M3s run very rich when cold – the individual butterfly housings pour in a lot of fuel – and flood easily. Apart from the long-term effect of fuel getting into the oil and thinning it, the engine can also drop to two or three cylinders. Don’t blip the throttle: hold the revs at 2000rpm and it will slowly clear. If the car won’t start, the plugs will have to be taken out and cleaned. Hunting at low speeds is often caused by air leaks through the thick rubber block that cushions the inlet manifold. This block typically needs to be replaced every two years at a cost of about £250.

Misfires are often caused by cracks in the distributor cap or a burnt-out central electrode. On the four-branch exhaust manifold, check that each branch is secured to the block by all four studs, as these are prone to falling out or snapping off. The radiator construction, with a plastic header and metal core crimped together, can lead to leaks, indicated by white staining. There may also be signs of leaks around the water pump, which starts to develop play beyond 60,000miles. Alternator alignment changes as bushes perish and the belt can get thrown off the pulley at high revs. Optional air condition is very reliable but expensive to repair when it breaks. Check operation of the electric fan, which is single-speed before 1988 and two-speed thereafter, failures are quite common because wires can snap.

Market view

So much of the M3’s exquisite finesse as a driver’s car depends on mechanical integrity, above all on the chassis side, that it’s pointless buying a car that hasn’t been properly maintained. The good news is that most have, as the typical owner Is a knowledgeable enthusiast who’s not short of a bob or two. It’s not that an M3 is particularly expensive to maintain, but rectifying problems on a neglected one can lead to some hefty bills.

The moral, then, is to buy the best you can afford. That means spending £9500 minimum from a dealer of £8000 as private buy. Any less raises the likelihood of greater long-term expenditure on things such as suspension or gearbox synchros. As Barney Halse of Munich Legends, the principal source of wisdom for this Best Buy, says: “We won’t sell £7995 M3s, but we do repair a lot of them.” Remember, too, that £2500 needs to be set aside for timing chain renewal on any car approaching a six-figure mileage. History is important, but there are better credentials than a fully stamped service book – almost M3s were well looked after by BMW dealers in their early days. More telling is the recent pattern of maintenance and use: the better buys come from enthusiasts who sometimes choose to entrust their car to a specialist rather than a factory dealer.

Don’t be too fussy about which model to choose. One of the special editions or the ultimate 238bhp Evo Sport would be a desirable possession, but the best car to buy is the one in good condition at a fair price. Extra power and chassis tweak may be worth a few tenths of a second on the track, but a humble D-registered non-Evo is just as much fun. Long term collectability, however, favour one of the short-run derivatives. It’s necessary to be sure that an M3 will suit you. If your regard for BMWs is centred on silky-smooth, torquey six-cylinder engines, you’ll probably hate a rough, gruff little four-cylinder engines that delivers nothing much below 4000rpm. Neither is the M3 sensationally fast, because, above all, it’s a handling machine: a TVR might be better if you want a real grunt. Cabriolets are worth the most, typically fetching about £2000 more than an equivalent saloon. The purist might not like the loss of body rigidity, but there aren’t many open four-seaters to match a ragtop M3 for speed, style and handling – great for summer days out with the family or friends.

Buying in Germany, where most M3s were sold, may be an attractive idea if you know what you’re doing – especially at current exchange rates – but you could come a cropper. There are cautionary tales of £5500 M3s brought back from Germany that then need horrendous expenditure to put them right.

Conclusion

There’s only one way you can go wrong with an M3 and that’s to spend too much money on the wrong car. Bright paint and blacked-up tyres can make any tired old car look wonderful, and this happens with M3s too. A well-maintained example isn’t costly to run, but rectifying all the wear and tear on neglected cars does get expensive – and the robustness of BMWs means that some owners skimp on maintenance.

The ideal M3 is a cherished specimen, owned by an enthusiast and with good history. You’ll get a glorious driver’s car that’ll be spell-binding to hustle along your favourite roads.

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No four-seater road car anywhere makes the transition into a track day hero better thant he E30 M3. It is the pinnacle of the breed, and in spite of its age has yet to be surpassed. But to think of it only as a track car would be wrong, as its fluid dynamics work equally well on the road. Of all the exceptional cars to wear the legendary M Power logo, the original M3 is regarded by many as the greatest. It is raw, focused and fast, with scalpel sharp responses, intimate feedback and a chassis that does everything asked of it.

Designed with the express intention of winning touring car trophies, this is one of the few true M cars. That is was available so readily for sale had more to do homologation rules than anything else: BMW had to build 5000 examples, before it was allowed to compete. They did so with ease. In fact, they went on to sell 17,000; not bad for such a specialised device.

Yet, this car doesn’t come with a supercar price tag. Today a good example can be yours for around £10,000, although you will see plenty of cheaper ones on sale too (we’ll come to those later). Running costs are also remarkably reasonable, especially when you consider the age of the car, and the fact that it produces almost 100bhp per litre and is sure to have been constantly driven with enthusiasm and verve. Not only that, depreciation is now non existent provided the car is properly maintained. As long as you buy the right car, there really is nothing to lose.

The E30 M3 story began in September 1985 when the model was first shown at the Frankfurt motorshow, although it was a full year before it finally started to roll off the production line. Such was the demand from British customers that BMW GB began importing them almost immediately even though this four-pot screamer cost £5000 more than the previous 3 Series range-topping model, the 325i. In catalysed form it developed 195bhp, but it was also available without the cat, releasing and extra 5bhp.

Sales continued apace, but changes had to be made to stay ahead of the pack on the race track, so in May 1987 the first Evolution model was born. For these to be eligible to race, 500 had to be built. BMW made 505 of the cars that would become known as the Evo 1; seven officially came to the UK. None had cats, and modification were mainly aerodynamic, and included a deeper front spoiler (with brake ducts replacing the fog lights) and an extra plane added to the rear wing.

The wings were lightened as part of a number of weight saving measures that shaved 10kg off the second Evolution model, which went on sale in March 1988. The work that went on under the bonnet was more important, with new camshafts and pistons and a lightweight flywheel providing 220bhp. Only available in red, blue or silver, 501 of these 152mph missiles were sold, of which 51 came to the UK. During 1988 and ‘89 three special editions based on the Evo II were available, but of those only the Roberto Ravaglia edition was sold in the UK. The rest of Europe had the Johnny Cecotto and the Europameister to celebrate their touring car successes.

The best was saved until last. The Evolution III Sport, on sale between December ‘89 and March 1990, featured a larger, 2.5 litre unit that pumped out 238bhp. The blistered arched were extended to allow the racer to run with 18 inch slicks, and the angel of the wings could be adjusted with an Allen key. There were 600 and only 45 of these were official UK imports, all were either black or red.

There was also a convertible, but the removal of the roof reduced the shell’s rigidity, added 353lb and robbed the M3 of its incisive composure. They are therefore not in the spirit of the rest of the range; only poseurs need apply for these.

Also worth avoiding are cars that have been converted to right-hand drive. Birds of Uxbridge carried out about 70 conversions, and while it was a very professional job, the slower steering of the 325i and a reworked braking system blunted the M3’s responses. It isn’t difficult to get used to driving a left hooker, even with the dog-leg box – half an hour should do the trick.

Checking it out

As already noted, the E30 M3 wears its age well, but as with any car abuse and neglect will take their toll. There are a number of points to be aware of and some very rough cars to avoid. Buying a bargain high miler can be a false economy as the money required to bring it up to scratch often will ultimately equate to the cost of a good, low mileage example.

These cars rarely suffer from rust, so it’s easy to polish up a bad car and make it look good. In fact, if you do find rust it’s likely to be the result of accident damage, which has twisted the chassis out of alignment. The main areas where not does occur are at the base of the windscreen pillars and the bottom edge of the wheel arches. On the subject of repaired damage, look at the front of the car carefully, as most M3 smashes are frontal. Ensure the finish looks original and the fittings are standard BMW parts. Remember, if there is any doubt about a car, walk away.

Mechanically, the most important point to be aware of is the timing chain, which must be replaced at 100,000 miles. It’s an engine out job, so will cost around £2000, or a little more if you have the top-end overhauled simultaneously (this is recommended). Although not an inconsiderable sum, it will ensure the engine will survive the next 100,000 miles. If the assembly is not replaced, the chain will fail and the bill will be in excess of £4000. There is no way to tell when it is likely to go, as everything will work perfectly well right up to the point where it doesn’t work at all. This means a 110,000 miler with the work done can be worth more than a car that has 90,000 miles on the dial. Know exactly what you are buying.

Also the rubber inlet manifold block will need refreshing bi-annually on an average mileage car. This costs about £250 and will prevent air seeping through it and upsetting the idling speed. The only other engine related problems buyers might encounter are perished mounting bushes that will collapse, and cracked distributor caps that will make the engine misfire.

Both the gearbox and clutch are robust, but a rattling noise is a likely indicator of worn layshaft bearings. Check the box for crunching that signifies a worn syncro, particularly in second gear, while the clutch may have suffered if second gear has been used to pull away – surprisingly common with the dogleg box. Look out for signs of leaks, as a rebuild will cost about a grand. Very few cars have cats now, even if they started life with them because cat front boxes cost £600 more than the non-cat items. It’s perfectly legal to do this on pre ‘92 cars and, of course, it makes them quicker too. Diffs are typically strong, but listen for a whining in top gear on and off the throttle; this indicates worn bearings which will need to be replaced.

Look for dished brake disc both front and rear – they wear out fairly rapidly. Expect to have the pads replaced every time the car is serviced and the disc every alternate service. The suspension is by Boge Sport gas dampers, and it lasts around 70,000 to 80,000 miles. Older cars have often not had them replaced because being gas they won’t leak and fail the MoT. Avoid cars with stiffer suspension, as this not only ruins the road balance, it will also stress the chassis and could even cause it to crack round the strut mounting points. Tyre wear on the inside edge means the front wishbones need replacing. This happens because the bushes decay and crack, them play develops in the ball joints.

Interiors are solid and hard wearing all the electrical system are trouble-free; if there are problems here they should be glaringly obvious. That said, one thing to check is the sideways movement on the seats that can occur on all 3 Series models. Movement indicates that the frame has snapped at the base and will have to be welded back in place.

Second Opinion

Graham Hauton-foster, owner of M3 specialist, Stratos Motorsport, firmly believes there is no greater car for the road and track than the E30. An average track day driver can take the M3 on the track without needing to spend any money on the car and be one of the quickest out there. The only thing I recommend to my customers, is that they upgrade the hoses to Goodrich and the brake pads to either Mintex or Pagid items to remove the possibility of fade.

“Spend time ensuring you are buying a good car in the first place and you will have very little to worry about. Of course, these cars are addictive and the more circuit work you do in them, the more you’ll want to do. Pretty soon you’ll want to go faster and you’ll start spending money having the suspension upgraded and making little tweaks here and there. You really don’t need to, but you just won’t be able to help yourself.”

The Owner

Chris Wadsley brought his 2.5 Evo Sport two years ago. To be honest I did everything wrong when I bought my M3. I bought an imported car with a bodged respray that had absolutely no history, but I’ve been exceptionally lucky and I haven’t had a single problem with it.

Years ago I was an instructor with Club 89, which used a couple of E30 M3s for teaching and giving passenger rides. They moved onto E36 M3s, and I soon forgot just how good the E30 was. That was until 1997, when I was doing some instructing at Brands Hatch and an E30 owner asked me to show him the way round. Then, a week later I found myself behind the wheel of another E30 M3 at the Nurburgning and realised I had to buy one. Nothing could live with it round there, we were even overtaking 911s.

“It took me a while to find an Evo Sport and, as the car was mainly going to be used on the track, I wasn’t concerned that it looked a bit tatty. I got a very good deal. The car had about 90,000kms on the clock then. Now it has about 130,000, so we’ll soon have to change the timing chains. If we get time over the winter, we will refurbish it, too. Then again, I may be too busy driving it.”

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In the past, BMW has been particularly sly in realising the public’s desire for such cars. It developed the E30 M3 to compete as a production-based car in motorsports, tapping into a huge market for these road-going racking machines. This was also Enzo Ferrari’s philosophy; if the public see the cars winning at the weekend, they’ll want to buy them come Monday.

The M3 was destined for touring car racing, and hit the track more or less in standard production form. Becoming 1987 World and European Touring Car Champion, as well as taking numerous Rally victories, did sales no harm whatsoever. The M3 though, was not the first road car built by BMW originally intended for the track.

Just a decade before the first M3 was revealed to the world, BMW had developed a road-going 2002 Turbo with Group 5 racing clearly in mind. It was a direct descendant of the turbocharged 275bhp 2002 that won the 1969 European Touring Car Championship, and in producing this awesome revelation, BMW pioneered the world’s first turbo engine in a production car.

The 2002 Turbo generated huge interest from the press and public alike. Since it was deemed too dangerous for the road by some journalists (it was practically a race car), it must be seen as the predecessor to the milestone E30 M3. If it wasn’t for the unfortunately timed Middle East oil crisis which led to fuel rationing in Europe, we would have seen the production of many more than merely the 1672 BMW 2002 Turbo example.

Since ‘race cars for the road’ is just about our ideal PBMW, we simply had to get an E30 M3 and 2002 Turbo together to test and compare these living legends. The number of privately owned 2002 Turbo’s remaining in this country is believed to be in single fitures, so we are most grateful to Rory Aherne for introducing us to his classic thoroughbred. Our M3 was borrowed from the brilliant Munich Legends in Sussex, a company whose showroom is nothing short of a MW enthusiast’s wet dream.

With the two cars parked together, it’s a shame the 2002 Turbo wasn’t the success story the M3 became. The older car certainly shows roots of its humble 1960s design, but looks hard as nails with its fat arches with visible rivets and ground-scraping front spoiler. The decals are an exception to the usual rule that all stickers are bad. The M colours and retro ‘70s ‘turbo’ lettering has too many desirable connotations to be considered tacky.

However, the 2002’s previous owner may have thought so. “I’ve put the decals back on,” says Rory. “The last owner removed them after he kept on getting stopped by police who knew exactly what this car was capable of. That was 15 years ago, though.”

Beside the M3, the 2002 Turbo looks just as inviting as its more familiar stablemate. It’s tiny 13″ Revolution wheels, thin frame and aggressive looks beg you to hop inside and give that M3 bully a run for its money. The interior exudes classy ‘70s style with the black leather seats and red dashboard display, and has weathered well considering it’s had 30 years of use.

Just touching the throttle hints at the 2002’s potential for speed. It pulls away fantastically well for a car of such age and, once we get past the turbo lag, a world of fun opens up. “The car used to have the original KKK turbo,” explains Rory. “However, being so primitive, and without an intercooler, it was never going to last forever. The replacement turbo is an IHI item from Terry Dury Racing Cars.” We are told the turbo lag has been greatly reduced with the IHI turbo, something the 2002 Turbo certainly needs.

The Turbo has a claimed 0-60 time of 6.7sec, but apparently it’s exceptionally tricky to release the full power potential. With decent boost not felt until 4500rpm, you’ve got to work hard for real results. Easy enough for motoring journalists 30 years ago, but with a cherished ageing rarity. Rory was obviously less eager to play on his 2002 Turbo red line.

The M3 was another matter, though. Munich Legends’ trackday car is used to being driven to the limit, and at this limit it really is in a league of its own. Its stunning performance and handling capabilities cannot be put into words – it must be experience to be believed! On Turweston airstrip it was like releasing a prisoner of 25 years into the open again. The M3 really needs to be freed from the constraints of public road legislation to prove itself – Southend’s roundabouts could never do justice.

Armed with our Racelogic timing gear, we set out to discover the two cars’ acceleration times. The M3 has 12 years in its favour and 30 more horses under the bonnet, so predicting a winner was never going to be tricky. However, the kick you get in the 2002 Turbo as it nears the top end gives the impression it’s just as quick as its rival. For a 30 year old car to break the ten second barrier without really trying (Rory was sensibly reluctant to can the car), gave us good indication of how special this car must have been in the early ‘70s.

The M3 nearly broke the seven second barrier on it’s way to 60 – we’ve sure it would have done if the track had been dry instead of flooded – and soared and past three figures in next to no time. Fifteen years after its birth, the original M3 still has the capabilities to take on the most modern street challengers. Not only that, it still turns heads and makes grown men go weak at the knees, knowing the wife would never allow it. However, for bachelors and those that wear the daddy pants, you could pick yourself up a bargain road-legal race car which is a little piece of history..

If you want to go a step futher, Rory is selling his 2002 Turbo. Performance with classic good looks and ultra exclusively are on offer, socall him on 07768 922050. Munich Legends is the place to go for M3s or any other work of genius BMW’s Munich factory produced. Contact the boys who know on 08125 740456.

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According to BMW, M is “the most powerful letter in the world.” But to us the M Department sounds more like something from a spy movie. The cars that have rolled out of the factory gates in the 29 years since BMW Motorsport was founded have more than a hint of James Bond about them. Cultured, stylish and discreet by sports car standards, yet with a fearsome hidden armoury. The M3 displays these traits to perfection. With the new model recently landed in the UK, we took the chance to gather together one of the most acclaimed sports car bloodlines of all.

But how did the M3 come about? The M Department was set up to go racing and had huge success though the ranks before turning to formula One, where it developed a turbocharged engine which powered Nelson Piquet in a Brabham BT52 to the world championship in 1983. Five years prior to that, the M Department had made its first attempt at building a road car, the M1 supercar. Others followed, and in 1986 the first M3 appeared. Rooted firmly in racing, it was an instant hit, and is still talked about in hushed tones among enthusiasts. Ten versions were built in all, including a few convertibles, which are now very collectable. Our car is the original article – a 200bhp 2.3 litre.

Changes came in 1993. A new M3 emerged and BMW’s Motorsport arm was renamed M as the bias moved away from racing. Unfortunately, many felt that shift was reflected in the E36 M3. Even so, the broader appeal sold more cars – 71, 279 altogether. This early model boasts 286bhp from its straight-six; later Evolution cars had 321bhp.

Which brings us to the present day and the all-new £38,500 M3. BMW obviously hopes to replicate the sales success of the last-generation machine, but has also intimated that the 343bhp road rocket will recapture the driving appeal of the E30. So how does the newcomer measure up against the ultimate benchmark? We went into action on a test track – coincidentally alongside the M3 motorway – to find out.

BMW M3 (E46)

Contrary to opinion, BMW’s M Department does not get it right every time. Although there have been plenty of highs, these were interspersed with a few lows. The M Roadster is a disappointment, but more importantly for the aspirations of the new M3, the last generation car was awarded a ‘could do better’ on its report card. However, the company has been on a roll lately. The M Coupé proved that the Germans do have a sense of fun, while the M5 is a super-saloon par excellence.

In common with its big brother, and in the finest spy hero traditions, the new M3 shows little hint of its potential. It’s smartly dressed, with extremely subtle muscular bulges. But the small alterations all add up. A blistered arch here, a minimal spoiler there, some extra chromework and coloured badges. Up close, the visual impact is like a slap in the face – helped in no small measure by the lurid yellow paintwork of our test car. This machine has presence – and performance. Externally, the four exhaust tailpipes tell their own story. Follow them back to the engine bay and you’ll find what has long been the M3’s heart – its engine. The last-generation model was often said to have the finest production engine in the world – but it’s been exceeded here. It’s fair to say that no manufacturer builds better powerplants than BMW, and this 3.2litre straight-six is the pinnacle of its achievements.

Although only 45cc bigger than the outgoing Evolution unit, and producing slightly superior power and torque, it feels more potent and purposeful. Elements of the M5 V8 are evident in the low-rev bass burble and ultra-flexible power delivery. It’s loud from the word go and the fantastic noise builds, covering every octave up to a scream. The 265Nm of torque makes itself felt early, but as you’d expect from a car capable of more than 8,000rpm, it’s at the top end where things really take off.

In the low gears, acceleration is genuinely uncomfortable and full throttle is an unnecessary indulgence with overtaking only a flex of the ankle away. Even in sixth gear, 50-70mph is despatched in seven seconds. Flat out, the M3 returned figures to match a Ferrari 550 Maranello, sprinting from a standstill to 60mph in 4.6seconds and from 30-70mph in 3.8.

And yet, if you can ignore the weighty clutch and heavy, although satisfying, six-speed gearbox, the 1,570kg M3 is docile to drive. It’s also a crushingly competent cruiser. Despite the firm ride and vocal engine, the well insulated cabin and flexible engine make long distance travel the effortless task you would expect from a car built to eat up autobahns at 155mph. more surprisingly, we averaged 21.7mpg during the course of 1,500 miles. The only area in which the new car has to prove itself is driver involvement, the sole chink in its predeccessor’s armour. Right from the word go it’s obvious that the latest model is a very different beast. Thanks to a much broader track, the M3 has vice-like grip and the balance and stability of a ballet dancer. Powering into, around and out of corners reveals a sparkling chassis and a great deal of finesse.

It is hugely talented and great fun, but, because of its weight and power, requires judicious use of the throttle – it’s not as fabulously exploitable as the original M3. The advanced traction control helps keep you on the straight and narrow, but if you do decide to experiment you’ll discover that this M3 is far more friendly and progressive than its snappy middle sibling, the E36. By its high standards, the E46’s steering isn’t great. Being direct and pleasingly meaty doesn’t compensate fully for the mediocre level of information trickling back from the tyres. In comparison, the E30 practically floods the driver with torrents of feedback. Arguably, however, the steering’s major pitfall is the wheel’s uncomfortably thick rim.

As for the interior, it’s more cockpit than cabin. There’s a real aircraft feel to the instruments and controls that surround the driver. The sensation is heightened by a comfortable driving position and superb seats. Leather covered and electrically operated as standard, you can even opt to have inflatable figure-hugging side bolsters. Take away the extra buttons and equipment and you’re left with a standard 3-Series Coupé interior. That means there’s room for four adults, and a boot large enough to take their luggage. It’s such practicality which puts the M3 in a different class from the Porsche 911.

That and the price, of course. Costing £38,500, the M3 is a relative bargain. This year’s UK allocation of 1,300 cars has been sold already, and we can’t imagine BMW having any difficulty shifting 1,800 units next year and beating the E36’s annual sales record. Especially not when the sequential gearbox and cabrio versions arrive. Without doubt, this is the most rounded and capable M3 yet.

BMW M3 (E36)

Say BMW M3 to most people with a smattering of motoring knowledge and this is the model that will spring to mind. And given the success of the E36, that’s hardly surprising – it defined the breed and was a radical departure from the first car, having little in common with the racing fraternity that had spawned the E30. The origins of this car can be traced back to BMW’s marketing department which managed to slot the M3 into a unique and highly desirable niche.

The second-generation M3 is a genuine coupé, and a practical one at that, rather than the two-door saloon shape of the original. It’s a less aggressive machine than its successor, having a leaner, more slender appearance. The rear spoiler with incorporated brake light was an option, but unquestionably the finest details are the twin-link mirrors – much envied and copied by the boy racer brigade. The privately owned car featured here is one of the early pre-Evolution models.

But, as with all the best presents, it’s the contents rather than the packaging which count. The E36 was the first M3 with a straight-six engine, and this incarnation has a 2,990cc capacity. When the car was launched in 1993, it achieved a specific output of 95.7bhp per litre, which was a world record for a production car engine. VANOSE valve timing allowed early access to 320Nm of torque, while you had to venture to 7,000rpm to access the 286bhp available. Such figures clearly indicate where the new M3 inherits its characteristics from.

Linked to the same six-speed manual gearbox as used in the latest car (although it feels notchier), the mid-Nineties version was extremely quick. The E36 lacks the thumping mid-range punch and flexibility of its replacement, and the figures confirm this as the in-gear times are around 10 per cent slower.

But wind the 3.0 litre unit up and it sings a clean, rasping song at high revs. There’s an extra surge of power as the needle swings past 5,000rpm and the valve timing does its work. In 5.4 seconds you’ll hit 60mph from a standing start. Under braking, the lighter kerbweight means the E36 stops in a slightly shorter distance, although the later car has more feel and better resistance. The 1,460kg weight also helped the E36 achieve 22.6mpg in our hands. The engine was undoubtedly the star of the show for second-generation M3s. It appealed to those who put driver involvement and chassis ability further down the wish list than image and power. Even so, the M3 was not a shoddy car to drive on a good road. Although it was the engine that captured the imagination, the E36 was capable rather than invigorating.

If the truth be told, the chassis wasn’t quite up to the task. While the better balance 328 was brilliant, it was overshadowed by an M3 that suffered from too much understeer and snappy behaviour near the limit. In that respect, it was a step backwards from the phenomenal E30.

Yet as with the car that eventually replaced it, the E36 is a fine all-rounder, with good noise insulation and a decent motorway ride. Away from smoother surfaces, though, the positiveness of the new model is missing – its parent feels more patchy and not as tautly controlled.

It’s easier to trace the links between the two interiors. In common with all M3s, the widely adjustable sport seats are truly supportive and the driving position easy to live with. The newer car feels darker and more enclosed, but the build quality and user-friendly dash and console layouts are similar. The same goes for the rear seats and boot space, making this the first practical everyday supercar.

And now it’s one of the most affordable. A good car with average mileage can be yours for less than £15,000. True, it’s expensive to run and insure, but reliability can be taken for granted.

BMW M3 (E30)

The original BMW E30 M3 was built to race – pure and simple. But it went beyond that and became the most successful touring car of all, with 80 titles to its name. Although a race to road car conversion had been seen before – the Audi Quattro is a notable example – the M3 fired the imagination of motorsport fans, and still does 11 years after its demise.

One of the first cars to have cosmetic surgery at the M Department, the M3 has bits bolted on all over. Jagged and angular, the body has a sense of purpose. This is no sculpted coupé, it’s a straightforward two-door racing. BMW put the wings and spoilers on the 3-Series because it wanted to go racing and had to make 5,000 cars to meet regulations. The fact that 17,184 examples drove through the factory gates between 1986-1990 demonstrates the E30’s cult appeal.

The body was designed to win races, but the 2.3 litre engine has a much more impressive claim to fame. It also saw action in the 1983 Brabham-BMW F1 car. The block was unmodified, but the use of a turbocharger allowed a few more horsepower to be extracted for Nelson Piquet to use – 1,300bhp to be precise.

Exotic

On the road, you’d be forgiven for overlooking the engine’s exotic roots. After the rich and creamy straight-sixes of the later M3’s, the four-cylinder sounds about as racy and exciting as a wet weekend in Scarborough. It’s rough and lumpy at idle, and not much better at full chat. It does the job, though, pushing out 200bhp and 240Nm of torque, although you have to send the needle round to the higher section of the rev counter before anything meaningful starts to happen.

By present day standards, the 1,200kg machine is not particularly quick, returning acceleration times across the board that are matched by the current 325Ci – 0-60mph in 7.1 seconds and 50-70mph in fifth in around 9.5. But the oldest M3 feels much faster, thanks to its minimal sound-proofing, short gearing and raw manner. The gearbox is worth mentioning, too.  A five-speed unit, it’s notable for having a dog-leg first gear, then forward for second, back for third and so on. It’s surprisingly easy to get to grips with.

So is the car itself. Although the powerplants dominate proceedings in the newer pair, the older car is far better balanced and comes as refreshing change. Whereas power defines the new model, its grandfather has a chassis and engine that complement each other beautifully.

There’s enough grunt to be enjoyable, but the smiles widen at the first corner. The E30 has an extraordinary intimacy – the steering is light and trembles constantly with feedback, while the communicative chassis is extremely user-friendly. More importantly, you don’t need to be travelling at light speed to enjoy it. Up the pace and the front end will eventually push wide into understeer. But despite more modest grip, this is not a characteristic you’ll notice on public roads, where the older car feels vice-free.

Surprisingly for a machine with its roots planted so firmly in the racing world, the ride quality is rather good. The suspension is geared to providing the driver with information. So although the hard ride and noise means we would steer clear of long motorway journeys, the setup feels secure and compliant on B-roads. As you’d expect of a BMW, the interior has aged well, but the same can’t be said for the design. Time has now taken its toll on the brittle plastics and sharp-edged switchgear. More than those of the later cars, this is a cabin where the driver is the really important occupant – the suede-trimmed steering wheel feels superb and the driving position in the bucket seat is business-like. However, the upright body does at least mean passengers can get in and out without a struggle.

Ten versions of the E30 appeared – most of them limited editions – with later Evolution models having 220bhp and, finally 238bhp. All are superb and far more affordable now than in 1986 when the cost £22,750. Don’t expect luxuries, but for around £5,500 there’s nothing to touch the driving experience.

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Good things take time to happen, they say. Alan and Rachel know this well, as they’ve been together for seven contented years. They have settled down in a pretty town on the Cornish coast. But all the time, Alan has harboured a secret passion, and when he finally got to realise his dream he added a second love to his happy household and became a very contended man indeed.

Like most sentient males of the right age, our man fell hook line and sinker for the M3 when it burst on to road and track in 1986. And with each successive evolution his passion deepened. Logically, 1990’s Evo Sport transfixed him. And so it should. The M3 only existed to satisfy BMW’s Touring Car ambitions – the road cars beign as much a necessity to homologated the box-arched wonder as a service to Munich’s petrol-headed roadgoing customers.

1990’s Evo Sport was the ultimate expression of the concept. Squeezing Mercedes-beating ability out of the E30 involved a car that – even in road trim – had 238bhp on call, from a 2.5 litre version of the superb twin-cam four-pot engine. The aerodynamic, package was a development of the Evo 2’s, with both the front and rear spoilers being adjustable three ways to trim the car during practice.

Trainspotters will tell you that the front wings of this model are unique, being slightly wider than ever before, as BMW fancied shoehorning even wider wheels than before underneath them in race situations.

The Evo Sport was so utterly a homologation car that it was only produced between January and March 1990 and just 600 were made. It was a car to bow down before, and most of us did. That includes Alan. He might only have been 12 years old at the time, but he still wanted one.

Most of us harbour a deep-seated desire to own one of these cars, and toy occasionally with the idea of buying one as used values plummet. The editor and I periodically discuss chopping in our Tourings for decent, cheap M3s before realising that 30,000 miles a year are much less frenetically passed with a relaxed six murmuring away under the bonnet than a competition-bred four just begging to be flogged to the redline. And, as we need our driving licenses to stay in work in this business….

Not so Alan. “He doesn’t drink or smoke,” said his mate Marcus, along for the photo shoot. “But he has this vice. And when he wants something, he plans for it, works fo it, and get it. Me, I’ve got vices, a really boring Escort and an overdraft, dammit.” The plans were hatched more than three years ago. Despite saving for a house, Alan was also filling a jar with change. And looking for a good Evo Sport. Well, he, Rachel and, for that matter, Marcus, have good jobs with Cornwall Country Council – he and Marcus work together in the IT department – but this is not an area of the country awash with dot.com money. Cornwall is also, as we found out during the six-hour trek down there, pretty far from most of England.

With enough cash saved for an Evo Sport, Alan began the search for his car resigned to a series of huge treks across the nation to view potential candidates. In the event, this lovely red example turned up in Saltash, just 40 miles along the coast.

“I couldn’t believe my luck when I found,” Alan recalls. “It hadn’t been abused, and had all the documentation I needed.” In fact, it hadn’t been in the country all that long, having passed most of its life in the hands of a very Germanic chap in Luxembourg, who’d obviously not parked it on the nearest street corner.

It had been imported by the man he bought it from, who had kept it all of 18 months. “He’s got a really low boredom threshold,” laughs Alan. “He was just selling it to move on to an M Coupé.”

The man’s obviously mad, but his lunacy provided rich pickings for Alan. One very happy day Rachel drove him along the coast, watched him hand over £15,000 and then tried vainly to follow him back home. After three years of saving, he was behind the suede-covered wheel of what many would argue is the best driving experience ever to snarl its way out of the Munich factory. He thoroughly enjoyed the journey.

And so he should. The wheel, gear-knob and seats are unique to the model, and each adds a little extra piece of enjoyment to the – let’s face it – already gargantuan amount of fun on offer. The unabused chassis was at taut as the day it was assembled, thanks to meticulous maintenance. There are so few cars that can be placed as precisely, that turn in so deftly, and can be balance so beautifully through a bend with the right foot. The Evo Sports were pretty well speeeed too, so Alan’s car has the bonus of air conditioning.

And Alan lives in Cornwall, where chronically twisty roads were invented. “Mind you,” he says, “we also survive down here on tourism, so the roads are unusable for most of the summer season. By the time they’re clear, it’s all rain and mud. But you can always go to Dartmoor in the early morning.”

I’d choose Saturday morning, I reckon. Get up at five, throw a cup of tea and some toast down your neck, then motor over to Dartmoor. It’d be light by the time you got there. You’d have a good hour of slingshotting the Evo Sport along some of the trickiest roads in the nation before the local communities woke up and began lumbering stinkily around on manure-encrusted tractors. At which point you return home, your mind clear of the working week you’ve left behind, refreshed and ready to enjoy the weekend.

Because, of course, the Evo’s arrival in the household meant that then there were three. “Rachel’s been really understanding about it,” he says, looking suddenly serious. “Because it has become, to a certain extent, her and the car.” That’s not an easy circle to square, is it, unless you go through life utterly oblivious to other peoples’ feelings thankfully, Alan’s not that way inclined. “But she still takes precedence. I’d be stupid if she’s didn’t….wouldn’t I?” Poor chap, he’s obviously had to think this one through quite hard.

What about the future though? An E36 M3 Evo perhaps? After all, the newer car’s advantages are devastatingly obvious. How’s a 3.2 litre, 24 valve six providing 321bhp, laid to tarmac via a six-speed sequential gearbox? Oh, and the M5’s floating calliper brakes to rein it in?

Well you can have it because, funnily enough, like many die-hard E30 M3 drivers, it doesn’t fit Alan’s idea of what the M3 is all about. “Power, that’s the theme, isn’t it?” he says. “Sure, the E36 has a great chassis, but there’s still just one stunt to the handling, isn’t there? And where in Cornwall has the room to do tail slides everywhere? The E30 is all about the art of driving, which is going to keep my attention for much, much longer.”

So much longer, in fact, that he can’t envisage ever wanting another car. As time goes on, he’ll continue the good work he’s been doing since October, replacing the bits of the Evo that have perished a bit over the last 11 years. A BMW inspection revealed a list of faults running three pages long, although it mainly consisted of entries such as: ‘glove-box torch – missing’. There was the odd piece of rubber looking tired, he though, and he’d love to renew the steering wheel and gearknob, whose suede is getting rather shiny.

He shows me where a piece of foam, designed to keep air flow off the edge of the front grille at high speed, is getting tired, and wonders where he’s going to find that particular, model-specific part.

There’s also been some tuning work taking place on the quiet. Not the full-on 500bhp the 2.5litre factory Evo racers boasted, but a much smoother torque curve thanks to remapping of the ECU by Motronic specialist AmD. This procedure is all about mapping the fuelling and ignition curves to specific engine in the name of efficiency and the benefits can be felt on most Motronic cars, whether they’re 320i Tourings or M3 Sport Evos.

There’s a fine line between attention to detail and madness, and as yet Alan hasn’t crossed it. I asked – innocently enough, I thought – if he was going to show the car in concours competitions when all the remaining details had been sorted out. He looked faintly offended, which relieved me no end.

Of course, there’s always the worry that, once he’s got the car completely right, he’ll lose interest and have to sell it. It does happen, after all. But it sounds pretty unlikely. And what else goes and handles like the Evo Sport? I suspect it’s perfectly safe in his garage for a while yet. Of course, once he’s driven the E46 M3, maybe he’ll start saving again, and start a collection.

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The BMW M3 is a classic. First released in 1987 as a race homologation special for the European Touring Car Championship, the 16-valve, 240bhp road-going race car was one of the most desirable and relatively affordable sports cars of its generation. It placed exceptional handling and power within the grasps of the not-so sublimely rich. It was, and remains a legendary performance car.

Which is why, as we hurtled along Bruntingthorpe’s two mile runway with the speedo needle off the scale and the outside world zapping by ever faster, I couldn’t shake one thought out of my head. Why the hell would you throw away the engine and replace it with a V8 from a Range Rover?

“It’s what I had available at the time,” explained owner Wayne Greatrix, over a quiet coffee. “I used to run a Range Rover on track days. I lowered it nine-and-a-half inches on Leda suspension and had the engine professionally modified – and had a lot of fun on it. The traction out of the corners was amazing.”

He brought the Range Rover in 1992 and in 1997 took the engine out and had it worked by Birmingham based tuner Anthony Murray. The standard cams were replaced with 324 profile cams and the cylinder and valve heads were worked to free up breathing and venting. The compression ratio was also raised to 10.5:1.

The crank was upgraded to a cross-drilled, stainless steel JE unit which was then lightened and balance – and forged pistons replaced the originals. Under the original electronic fuel injection, the V8 struggled to make 300bhp so Wayne scapped it and opted for 48mm Dellorto carbs and downdraft tubes to squeeze more juice and air in to the engine.

The work extracted 362bhp from the engine, with a massive 440lb, ft torque which Wayne used to devastating effect during track days. He ran the modified and lowered Range Rover for a couple of years before a friend spotted an early M3 at a local salvage yard. Mechanically sound, the car had extensive panel damage – lots of little dents everywhere which looked like someone had set to the car with a baseball bat.

“I’d always wanted an M3 but never really had the money. It’s a classic shape, classic car – and this one just came up at the right time for the right money. It was in a right state though.”

He took it to a friend who specialised in body repairs and had the exterior restored to its former glory. He also had the leather interior reupholstered.

“I used it for general driving for a couple of years and really enjoyed it. The handling was superb and the engine was great – but I never took it on the track. I didn’t know that history so didn’t really want to risk it.”

As the M3 clocked close to 110, 000 miles, Wayne felt it was time to either replace or rebuild the engine.

“The belts tend to go around that time and not knowing that history, I wanted to do something about it. But at around £1500 to replace them, I got to thinking that it would be better to just replace the engine with my V8.”

Wayne had tired of the Range Rover on the track: a high centre of gravity meant the body roll was horrendous, particularly at speed, but he didn’t want to sell the engine having spent so much money developing it.

“It’s a very strong engine. Very, very torquey. To get that same level of performance out of the M3 engine. I’d have had to spend a packet. It didn’t make sense.”

As it turned out, the match was relatively straight forward, though minor under bonnet modifications had to be made to mount the aluminium engine. The Rover V8 is lighter than the M3 engine it replaced – but it’s around the same length so it slipped nicely in to the bay. The gear lever even slotted through the same hole that original did.

The M3 engine was cradle mounted but this was removed so that the Rover could be chassis mounted – for rigidity. Sump and engine mounts had to be designed and fabricated by DJM Motorspot to make the work possible. The stainless steel tubular exhaust headers had to be modified to fit by Milton Keynes based company Exhaust by Design – but the toughest part of the engine conversion was positioning the left-hand drive steering column around the engine. A larger Rad-Tech radiator was also installed which meant the brake servos had to be relocated.

Mating the Rover transmission to the BMW prop-shaft was simple; Wayne used a knuckle to link the two to transmit drive to the rear diff, though a shorter prop-shaft was needed to accommodate the knuckle.

With so much power being transmitted through the engine and gearbox, a heavy duty clutch was needed. Wayne found the ideal component from AP which was designed for the Lamborghini Countach. It has helped cut down on the number of gearboxes he is wearing through, and at £680 a throw (he’s blown three over the last 1000miles) any saving there is a welcome relief.

The original discs and callipers were replaced with AP racing components. Bigger 360mm front disc are clamped by four pot AP callipers, while the rear disc were left alone.

“I’ve never had problems with them over heating; it’s the front ones which seem to get all the work, so the rears didn’t need upgrading at all aside from new pads.”

Ride height was lowered by 40mm front and rear but Wayne retained the factory spring and damper settings with new fixed rate Bilsteins. He also upgraded the track control arm and anti-roll bar bushes to Group A touring car spec ones.

Power is transferred to the ground through 17 inch BBS rims – 8inch wide at the front and nine at the back – which are clad in Falken JRB rubber.

“I’ve used Falken tyres for 10years and never had a problem.”

Wayne says the engine and suspension work has transformed the performance of the M3. Where he felt himself wanting for power out of the Range Rover, the lighter body of the M3 almost feels as though it’s picked up and hurled down the road.

“It pulls like a train in every gear, and the torque is amazing. You can start off in fourth gear – but you can also be reaching to change for fifth at 150mph. It’s really incredible,” he said.

“The engine is slightly lighter than the M3 and it really pulls the weight – it’s as smooth as silk.”

Power to weight ratios are where the improvements really begin to show. By transplanting the worked Rover V8, Wayne has dramatically increased that ratio because he’s effectively chopped the vehicle’s weight in half. Where the Range Rover gave him around 170bhp per tonne, the M3 now delivers around 285bhp per tonne – for a fraction of the cost of tuning the original engine.

It also means the engine acts much differently now. Where the weight of the Range Rover would bog the car down down, the M3 launches itself with a hefty shunt in the back and a rorty, rip-snorty roar from under the bonnet.

“The first time out a Castle Combe was brilliant. It’s so quick in the dry that people can’t believe it’s an M3. In the wet, it’s a different story. It’s so twitchy that I don’t bother. You really need to get out and give it a good go in the dry.”

With his foot firmly planted during a brief test session at Bruntinghorpe, Wayne displayed just how impressive that power is. He fired the M3 around the shortened top part of the test track while snapper Harmer panned and clicked. With more than 350bhp under the right foot and masses of torque, the Rover could be prompted to stick its tail out when needed. Careful right foot contemplation was needed to hold it there, and Wayne seemed a bit worried about holding his car in a controlled four-wheel drift. We didn’t have time to test drive the car ourselves – Wayne had to get back to Birmingham to collect his kids from school.

Outwardly, the car appears to sit nicely on the road though it tends to push on through corners if not driven hard. Right foot control is where the secret to driving this car quickly lies. Overstep the mark and it’ll let you know. Learn to tame it, and it’d make any track seem a lot shorter. But that’s how this engine responds. Just look at its derivatives; early TVRs, the TR8, Marcos, Morgans….they all need to be mastered.

Wayne says the car probably owes him £18,000 all up – £10,000 for the car, parts and labour and £8000 for the engine work. But he sees it as money well spent. That said, he’s already contemplating new projects and would like to sell his M3 to help fund them.

He’d like to drop a 440bhp 4.5 litre Cerbera engine in to a 206′ shell to drive the rear wheels. It’ll be a ground up build and it will be built specifically for track days – it won’t have a scrap of non-functional interior trimming. First off though, he needs to track down an outfit which prepares the shells for rear-drive running gear. He’s promised to keep us posted.

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I’ve just come back from the BMW Car Club’s November track day at Bedford Autodrome and have reached a conclusion. The E30 M3 is probably the best car BMW has ever built. It’s not the biggest, the fastest nor the most elegant, but at the limit on the track you can experience firsthand what that engine sounds like doing its chuff at the red line and what it feels like to be thrown into bends at whatever speed without the driver fighting the wheel.

You see, the M3 was born for the circuit and I’d be surprised if there’s still a single example that hasn’t done a few fast laps at some point – could you say the same for the E36 version?

History

The M3 was launched in 1986 and it had little, if anything, common with the regular E30. The shell was different with boxy wings front and rear plus a revised add-on rear screen surround to rake it back for aerodynamics, a raised plastic bootlid and a boncled-in front screen. Only the doors and bonnet were shared.

Mechanically, the M3 was also totally different. Special Boge dampers, revised springs and suspension geometry plus thicker anti-roll bars with different mounting points, quicktrack, bigger E28 5-Series inspired brakes with five-stud wheels and hubs meant that nothing can be swapped over individually – it’s all or nothing.

The M3’s engine was the S14 16-valve 2.3 litre unit developed from the M63SCSi’s 24-valve. Based on the M10 engine, this unit used a 10.5:1 compression, steel crank, twin-chain-driven cams and Bosch Motronic engine management to deliver 200bhp. Sat behind this on European-market cars was a Getrag 265 close-ratio dogleg gearbox with direct-drive top, taken from the M535i, plus the 24-valve M5 and M635CSi. Power was fed to a special ZP limited-slip diff with 25 per cent lock up and a tall 3.25 ratio. USA model M3s used a standard pattern 260 gearbox based on the manual 735i unit with the conventional gate pattern, plus a 4.1 ratio diff was fitted.

In terms of standard trim, the early cars used 7X15 BBS alloy wheels while inside, standard Recaro seats were trimmed in the same houndstooth cloth that adorned basic cars like the 316 and 518i. The special instrument cluster used a 260kph (160mph) speedo, and 8000 rpm tacho and an oil temperature gauge where the econometer used to sit. An M-Tech 1 steering wheel, tinted glass and electric mirrors and windows, sunroof and onboard computer were fitted to UK cars.

The M3 was intended to be a volume car to pay for the racing, so they were built at the regular Munich factory in left-hand-drive. The M3 Convertible came along in May 1988 while the first M3 Evo was made between February and May 1987. With 505 built, the 215bhp Evo 1 had brake cooling ducts instead of foglamps, a differently cylinder head, lighter bootlid, deeper front air dam and a small lip under the rear spoiler.

This was followed by the Evo 2 in March 1968 and production finish in May. Numbering just 501 examples, the Evo 2 used different cams and an 11.5:1 compression to reach 220bhp. With remapped Motronic and a lighter flywheel it certainly felt better and the white cam cover and air duct with the Motorsport stripes made it look a bit white socks and shellsuit.

With the final drive ratio upped to 3.15, acceleration stayed the same but the top speed was increased from 146 to 152mph. Lightening of the plastic body parts and thinner glass (except the windscreen) saved 10kg in weight, while the wheels increased in size to 7.5X16. Oh, and it came in Macau Blue, Nogaro Silver and Misano Red only.

Finally we’ve got the Evo 3 Sport, of which 600 were built between December 1989 and March 1990. A long-stroke crank gave the Evo Sport a 2.5 litre engine, and special cams, bigger valves, oil-cooled pistons and sodium-filled vlaves added up to a whopping 238bhp.

Looking much like the Evo 2, the 3 was distinguished by slightly wider front arches, 10mm lower suspension and additional aerodynamic flaps under the front and rear boot spoilers. Add a rubber strip between the bonnet and wings and allegedly reprofiled grille vanes.

Inside, the steering wheel was replaced by a new suede-covered M-Tech 2 version and the new illuminated gearknob and handbrake grip were similarly trimmed. Evo Sport seats were now wraparound buckets with harness holes plus red webbed seat belts. To save weight, the map lights and grab handles were removed and the fuel tank replaced by the 62 litre standard E30 item. Add a plaque inside plus M3 logo sill kick plates and that was the Evo 3.

BUYING THEM

Buying an E30 M3 depends on what you want to do with it, so we spoke to Peter Walsh at PMW (07970 645599) about the pitfalls. You can buy a sound early one for about four grand, have a few laughs and providing you’ve looked after it, sell it on again a year later for the same.

There were very few original BMW (GB) supplied cars around as they were special order, but there are plenty of European imports of varying quality.

Body

The M3 is excellent body-wise but the scuttle can rot in the corners below the screen and, as with any E30 BMW, look in the boot and around the rear numberplate lights for dampness. Doors, arches, and bonnets don’t rot, but it’s not resistant to accident damage so look at all four grand cheapie to hammer around on track days then it’s not such an issue, as long as it’s straight.

Panels are plentiful new and used but don’t expect 20 quid repro wings. Non-working central locking is often down to a failed relay which is hidden inside the A-post behind the passenger’s speaker.

Interior

This isn’t really a problem as so many cars have been trimmed in leather from new or retrimmed. Original cloth is nice though, and it’s rare too. On cars with air con, ensure it works but if it doesn’t and you’re not bothered, it’s not a big job to take it out and refit a second-hand E30 heater unit. You’ll save weight too. Most cars have electric windows and some have electric sunroofs but when do these ever go wrong?

What can go faulty is the electronic heater valve which is shared with the regular E30. They’re cheap, but changing them is a chore. As with any BMW, the service indicator lights can play, but fitting a recon board from somewhere like Hartlake (01634 294115) is cheap and easy.

Engine

The M3’s S14 engine is a work of art. It’s small, light, revs like a food mixer and as well as knocking out at least 195bhp it makes nice noises too. Trouble is, because the M3 was designed to be enjoyed, many have been ‘enjoyed’ that little bit too much.

The timing chain problem have been exaggerated. They rarely break as they are a double-row chain and therefore very strong. The reputation came from the earlier M5 and M6 cars with the single-row chain, which at 100,000 hard-driven miles cold give trouble, but the M3 is better.

The tensioners tend to wear before the chain and these let the chains flap which wears the chain wheels too. Hartlake and PMW reckon that 100,000 miles is a good point to fit a new chain as a precaution and doing it earlier might mean that you can reuse the wheels. Buy a car with 160,000 miles that hasn’t been touched and it’ll need doing. At 100,000 miles, an M3 that’s had oil changes every 6000 miles with good oil should be OK. It’s rare to have a chain let go without warning and they get noisy first. As for the rest of the engine, providing it’s been serviced, the bottom end is fine and the head doesn’t crack.

Running problems are normally caused by air leaks or a dead idle air valve which shorts out a circuit in the ECU, resulting in an 1100rpm idle speed. Air flow meters rarely fail and are specific to the 2.3, but 2.5 units are the same as the M535i’s.

PMW recommend using oils of 10W/30 grade or thicker. Ordinary Mobil 1 and other 0W or 5W oils are too thin and can cause chain tensioner rattle resulting in a £2500 bill from some specialists when a reversion to something like Duckhams Hypergrade was all that was needed. PMW charges about £1200 for the chain job and that doesn’t involve cylinder head removal.

Blowing from the exhaust manifold is normally due to studs unwinding from the head and this is easily put right as arc nasty aftermarket exhausts. New catalysts are silly money but just remove a dead one and sleeve the exhaust. On a track day, add half-a-litre of extra oil or you’ll ruin the engine and PMW are supplying special sump baffles to prevent this. A failed electric fan will be due to the fan switch on the thermostat housing or the ballast resistor in the fan.

Transmission

There aren’t any real dramas here as the M3’s Getrag gearbox was designed to handle more power and torque than the S14 can give. That’s not to say it’s bullet-proof though, and running it low on oil plus serious abuse can kill them. But it takes a lot to ruin one and the first signs are rattling at idle caused by a worn layshaft and crunching into second down from third.

The rear oil seal can leak and many cars need the gear linkage rebuilding. Cure stiff gearchanges by running synthetic gear oil and as long as you don’t murder it, a noisy gearbox can be kept going for a long time.

Brakes, Steering, Suspension

It’s all different from the regular E30, but the M3’s suspension will wear out in the same fashion. Standard dampers are Boge gas and these last a long time plus they give great ride and handling. PMW look after a great number of M3’s that are used on track days and Bilstein shocks with Eibach springs are ideal combination.

They’re a straight swap for the Boge units and when combined with some lower and stiffer springs they become razor sharp on the track but aren’t too stiff for the road. Apart from dampers, the bits to check are the rear subframe mounts, front balljoints plus the front lower wishbone rear bushes.

These parts aren’t very pricey and by doing the work yourself you could return a wayward handling M3 to factory precision for £500. Check the power steering rack for leaks and the column coupling rubber disc for wear. New racks are pricey, but reconditioned ones can be supplied and fitted for around £280 with a year’s guarantee.

The M3 robbed the E28 parts bin for brakes as a lot of it is similar. Discs and pads are cheap enough from BMW and again, many cars have been modified with uprated parts plus braided hoses. Our recommendation? If you’re into track days then a set of expensive brakes is all very well, but for most uses you really can’t beat the genuine article in a BMW box.

If the M3 you’re looking at has got ABS then the light should come on with the ignition but go out when the engine is fired up. If it doesn’t come on then it’s an MoT fail. If it comes on above 60mph there’s problem and ABS parts aren’t cheap, although it’s normally a sensor. A non-working ABS pump is generally a dead relay caused by starting a car’s dead battery with a booster charger.

Running Them

If you’ve bought a nice historied M3 with stamps in the book then why not use a BMW dealer? Despite the mystery that surrounds them, they are a simple car mechanically compared to latest models.

Bridgegate BMW in Chesterfield is the only dealer we know of to come up with specific servicing deals for the M3 and looks after a number of them. What it can’t do, though, is fit aftermarket bits like Bilstein shocks or spiky cams and that’s where your independent specialist comes in handy.

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We have a feeling some special editions are more special than others. If you think a pinstripe, different wheel trims and a snappy name associated with a tropical isle make a car more desirable, think again. Ideally a truly special, special edition needs to be a homologated race car, featuring race-honed bodywork and a very short production run.

Something like these three M3s, in fact. They are among the rarest and most sought after models in BMW’s 3-Series range an E30 M3 Sport Evolution, and E36 M3 GT and, and E36 M3 GT2.

The E30 M3 Sport Evolution is considered the ultimate E30 and was built between December 1989 and March 1990. Only 600 examples were constructed in order to homologate various components for Group A racing. The most significant change for this model was the adoption of a 285bhp 2.5 litre engine which was claimed to blast the BMW to 60mph in 6.4 sec and on to a 154mph maximum. Other features of this end-of-the-line superstar are three-way adjustable Electronic Damping Control, revised interior, adjustable front and rear spoilers, and widened arches built to accept 18″ wheels for racing purposes.

This example is owned by Steve Webb, a car valeter from St. Albans and a man who’s no stranger to PBMW. Last month (2/02 p48-55) we used his other E30 M3 in a comprehensive ‘How to’ feature. But, as he told us, “When you’ve got an E30 M3, you want the best one, the fastest.”

It took a great deal of searching to find a descent Sport Evo. Some were being advertised for upwards of $15,000 but closer examination often revealed tatty bodywork, dodgy paint and threadbare interiors.

Eventually, this one turned up and, after some hard bargaining, the M3 because Steve’s rip-your-arm-off price of $10,000. Despite having covered 100,000 miles, the M3’s service schedule had been rigorously maintained and its overall condition was near faultless. Steve admitted to taking a week’s busman’s holiday valeting it into its showroom-like state.

“I haven’t really had the opportunity to drive this one much,” Steve revealed, “but the seats are much better and it pulls more strongly than the 2.3.” He hoped to equal BMW’s claimed acceleration times on the runway with our VBox timing gear. The cold, damp weather won’t help, though.

Much less is known about the E36 M3 GT. Homologated to comply with 1995 Le Mans regulations, apparently just 396 were made on BMW’s Individual production line – all painted British Racing green, yet only 50 were earmarked for the UK.

Based on the S30 B30-engined M3, BMW tuned it to 295bhp (up from 286bhp) to become the precursor to the 3.2 engine. It featured revised intake runners, dual intake oil pump and baffled sump, all of which were included in the later Evo spec. More aggressive cams and its own ECU software further distinguish the GT engine. The suspension turrets were held steady by a matt black M-Tech strut brace and the wheels were forged rather than cast.

No M3 badges could originally be found on a GT’s exterior, these were replaced with white BMW Motorsport International badges on its lightweight, aluminum doors and a stealthy, badge-free rump. Many owners have since retro-fitted M3 tags.

However, the GT could be easily distinguished by the Class II high-level rear wing which offered increased downforce over 80mph, though it ultimately knocked 5mph from the top speed. Likewise, the splitters up front could be extended up to 50mm to increase downforce while also feeding more air through to the brake ducts.

Stepping inside, Alcantara Mexico green leather trim lend an air of luxury. The GT is no stripped-out special, it still has all the luxury goodies expected in such a high-end product. Strangely, yet annoyingly, BMW decided to deck the dashboards of UK cars in wood, whereas European versions had carbon fibre trim. “BMW must’ve thought us Brits were like Lord Snooty, or something,” Barry Jones, the owner of his GT, remarked.

At the time of writing, Barry had owned the car just three months. He’d been searching for an M3 when the GT turned up on the Internet: “It was a bit more money than I wanted to spend,” he said, “but I cleared it with the missus and found the extra cash.” Fortunately, the ‘specialist’ he bought it from didn’t realise what he was dealing with, thinking it was a tarted-up boy racer M3 fitted with a bigger rear spoiler. Barry loves its unusual and unique colour scheme though.

After owning three E30s, Barry found the E36 to be in a different class altogether. “The car’s everything I thought it would be,” he commented, but also reckoned it’s quite well, but then you look at the speedo and realise it’s actually going very well!”

Some testers think BMW’s claim of 295bhp is a little pessimistic, so it will be interesting to see how well the GT fares against the clock.

Our final car is an even rare beast than the GT. Despite much research carried out by Barry, when investigating his own car, he’d never seen or heard of a GT2. Apparently, GT2 is the given title on the insurance policy covering the vehicle, but a more accurate name might be E36 M3 GT Evolution.

Whereas the original GT featured many parts which would eventually be seen on the 3.2 litre M3 Evo, the GT2 doesn’t follow a similar tuning progression. In fact, the GT2 seems to be a more commercial version of Barry’s GT.

Yes, it features the same aerodynamic parts as the GT, also coming from the Individual production line, but the Imola red paintwork and the lack of BMW Motorsport International decals have sanitised the package. From the conquering formula of the racing version of the E36, maybe the homologated GT2 was born out of necessity rather than want, as BMW updated its racer’s 3-Series bodyshell.

Don’t get us wrong, the GT2 is still a far more attractive proposition than a regular M3 Evo. Chris Hall, a Weapons Technician with the RAF, certainly enjoys his own little rocket. Like Steve and Barry, he’s owned the BMW for a matter of months and was able to buy it from a non-franchised dealer after the insurance company coughed up for his tree-wrapped E36 318i Coupe.

Believe it or not, Chris tells us his GT2 is actually cheaper to insure than the 318i a year ago. Go figure. Chris’s car was brought with E46 M3-style 18″ alloys, and very nice they look, too, although the original alloys might be preferable.

Now it was time to put the owners’ money where their mouths were, so to speak. None of our trio had ever pitted their cars against the clock, so were unsure of the winning combination of revs and clutch. Steve found that slipping the clutch a little on his E30 from the start is the way to achieve his quickest times. His second batch of four attempts garnered a set of figures at least half a second quicker across each of the major speed increments.

“I’ve been thinking about doing some track days, and that’s confirmed it!” Barry enthused after completing his first set of runs in the GT. For a guy who was supposed to be worried about the wear on his tyres, his burnout-style take off was an entertaining treat for onlookers. A little chirrup from the tyres is a good idea for quick times but, er….not quite that much, mat. At least he easily broke the 6sec barrier to 60mph.

Chris went for a completely different method in the GT2. Colloquially known as the granny-style, he dialled in no revs before deploying the clutch. This is mechanically sympathetic but also stopped him getting anywhere near BMW’s claimed acceleration figures. After letting his other half, Alison, join him on the second round, his confidence had grown. The data was downloaded on to our laptop, and Chris was delighted to see a 0-60 time on hundredth under six seconds. What did you do that was different, we asked him? “I don’t know. Maybe it was the extra little bit of weight…” he joked.

Regardless of the different style of take off, Chris’ figures from 70mph onwards revealed the extra muscle of the 3.2 engine over Barry’s uprated 3.0.

Personally, we’d be happy with any one of this rare threesome. As homologated vehicles, they clearly show BMW’s prowess on the track, while offering a taste of its ability on the road, So it seems we’ve been able to prove some special editions are definitely more special than others.

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You don’t need rose-tinted Ray-Bans to appreciate the original BMW M3. Its status among Thatcher’s city cats before they stepped up to that essential Porsche turbo has long evaporated but its subtler driving charms are proving to be vintage Bayerische. Like Madonna, its defiant character has only matured. A new breed of young enthusiasts, such as 30 year old Andrew Wells, are snapping up these homologation gems. His M3 yearnings started as a teenage, fuelled by reading about Roberto Ravaglia’s giant-killing antics in the dazzling. Warsteiner-sponsored works racers in the late 1980s. “I was a big touring car fan and had a thing about the M3,” says Wells, technical director of a software house. “Maybe it’s the perfectionist in me but I love German engineering.” That long-promised M3 baptism had to be with a mint example and for two years Wells searched for that meticulously built Bavarian prize: “I wanted a low production model, either an Evo II or preferably the last of the line Sport Evo. It had to be something different.”

Over the past five years Wells combed private ads and test drove a few, but none were good enough. Then, earlier this year, he heard, from a friend about an immaculate Misano Red Sport Evo discovered in a French BMW dealership: “An English enthusiast had spotted it in the showroom of Haas Hubert and imported it to the UK. He planned to keep it forever but marriage and a house purchase forced its sale. The mileage was 29,000km and the condition was dazzling.” New toys seldom quite satisfy that longing from youth but now, with hard-earned funds, the change to buy an out of production dream car in precious timewarp state was impossible to pass up. Wells felt the asking price of £22k wasn’t unreasonable: “With a limited production of 600, I could always see a demand and my search had already confirmed how rare really good cars were. When owners finally get one they rarely seem to sell.

“At first I thought the left-hand drive and gearbox would be a problem but you quickly adjust to it. The handling is so rewarding and the steering has fantastic feedback but, unlike my old RS Turbo, the performance is so refined. The boot is a good size and the engine doesn’t intrude but I love that exhaust rasp when it comes on song. Above all the M3 feels so usable. On one leisurely trip it gave 35mpg and even my parents come out in it. The biggest problem was getting it insured. Most companies always look at the low book price. An agreed value at £22,000 was a real struggle but eventually Asset Trust sorted out a limited mileage policy for £825. They were really helpful.” Wells uses the M3 every weekend and he’ll regularly head down to the coast or to his favourite road, a twisty section of the A26 between Uckfield and Crowborough where that race-bred chassis really excels: “I wouldn’t take it on the track because I’d never forgive myself if it got bent. But a friend who owns one, a Munich Legends-built Trackmeister, took me to an aerodrome test day and, even in the company of Mitsubishi Evos and Lotus Elises, the M3 was fantastically capable. I’d be tempted to buy another car just for track-day fun.”

The moment you set eyes on Wells’ mint Sport Evolution, it’s easy to understand the nostalgia for these individual, exquisitely crafted road racers. Against the brash Sierra RS Cosworth or brutish Audi Quattro, it has an understated compactness – fit and trim, mannered yet masterful, exclusive and brilliantly purposeful. The spoilers, skirts, signature cross-spoke wheels and bulging wings achieve a purposeful balance without being flash. Like the classic M Power monogram, the reworked 3-series shape makes a clear but discreet statement where its commonplace production brother looks dull and blandly familiar. Just sitting silent, that cheeky profile conjures up images of Soper, Sytner, Cecotto and Hoy outgunning all to champion glory.

The M3’s exclusivity and surefire classic status is down to its unique origin. Where most manufacturers take a production model and transform it for the track, BMW created a pure-bred racer and then set about building a limited series for the road. It’s those motor sport chromosomes that guarantee both the M3’s driving pleasure and its collectability. Think back and that elite group includes Bugatti Type 35, Alfa Monza and Ferrari GTO. Where driving entertainment is the benchmark, the M3 is right up there with all-time greats such as 911 2.7 RS. You discover its charms, can’t stop driving it and smugly don’t need anything else. Little wonder that ‘as new’ examples such as Wells’ Sport Evolution are now making top money.

Nostalgia is peculiarly English characteristic and we habitually spot future classics early. For years British M3 enthusiasts have been scouring its homeland for cherished, low-mileage cars and now, report Tony Halse of Munich Legends, the Germans are coming here to buy good M3s protesting that we’ve left only “worn out rubbish” on the Continent. But the M3’s appeal goes far deeper than the prestige of owning a low-production Evolution or special edition Johnny Cecotto or Roberto Ravaglia. These are fabulous drivers’ cars and you don’t need the ultimate spec 2.5 litre model to appreciate its beautifully balanced chassis, razor-sharp steering and sweet-singing twin-cam ‘four’.

“Anorak enthusiasts get all worked up about rare models and it drives me mad,” continues Halse. “Sure the last Evo Sports had a little more power and torque but on the open road few would tell the difference. Whether you’re driving an early D-reg £9000 car or an Evo Sport at £22,000, you get out at the end of a drive with the same big grin. On a 100-mile cross country run, both cars would still arrive bumper-to-bumper.”

Some enthusiasts are disappointed by the M3 experience because they haven’t analysed the car’s specification and true appeal: “I spend my life telling people if you want neck snapping accelerating and all that bullshit bar talk, then buy a TVR or a Porsche turbo. You buy an M3 because you are a driver in the true sense. I grew up in the ‘60s in the age of Lotus Cortinas when handling took precedence over grip. If you got out of shape there was a chance you could catch it. The M3 has some of that classic hooligan element but with a good level of modern refinement. Nimble, compact, easy to park, fits four people (just) and suits today’s motoring – any sorted M3 is just a wickedly good fun machine.”

Enthusiasts discover the M3’s dazzling charms from different directions. Historic racing supremo Willie Green rates it as the best car for amateurs to learn about control. Recently giving tuition in a Ferrari F40 around the Nürburgring he talked Robert McKenzie, the supercar’s owner, into an M3 after discovering the Ferrari’s true potential wasn’t realistic and McKenzie was searing himself in the process. The fun factor was missing but now, with a newly acquired Evo Sport, he goes out to play in the wet. “I love the car,” McKenzie explains. “It’s wonderfully forgiving and very flattering. When you get out after a good drive it makes you feel like you could have given Ravaglia a run.”

Launched at the ‘85 Frankfurt motorshow, it was almost a year before press and buyers could sample the M3’s exhilarating package. Even at £5000 more than the 325i, and in left-hand drive only, demand was instant for this homologation marvel. The M3 was the first car to be conceived, designed and developed by BMW Motorsport’s Garching factory but this specialist facility wasn’t big enough to make the required 5000, so the cars were batch-produced in the main Munich plant. Unlike the 3-series saloon, production started with teams assigned to engine and suspension which were taken on the main production line for final assembly. Although based on a two-door E30 bodyshell, only the bonnet is a common panel. Even the rake to the rear screen was revised to improve airflow toward the rear spoiler, giving extra downforce at racing speeds. Today tired early M3s are being snapped up for as little as £4k as buyers are scared off by stories of big bills for timing chain replacement, but they’re a perfect basis for a sorted track-day car. Cherished early M3s are creeping back to £10k.

Continual improvements demanded by the Motorsport division to keep pace with the Cosworth Mercs and Fords forced special editions of the road car which are now so appealing to connoisseurs. In early 1987 the first Evolition arrived, with improved aerodynamics including extended front spoiler, two-piece rear wing and lightweight boot lid. Next came the 1988 Evo II with a per cent power tweak to 220bhp thanks to special cams and pistons, raised compression and re-chipped management systems. Taller, wider BBS alloys and revised interiors marked out this second limited (500) series, but in early 1990 the last and ultimate development arrived. Mistakenly referred to as the Evolution III, it was officially promoted as the Sport Evolution. Available only in red or black, this series of 600 had a unique bored out, long-stroke 2.5 litre engine. The heavier power house necessitated weight trimming elsewhere with lightweight bumpers and thinner glass. Neat touches included rubber strips between bonnet and widened wings, red sparkplug caps and suede-covered steering wheel. Even the graphic on the gear knob illuminates the dog-leg first gate of the Getrag close-ratio give speed but less tasteful was the red webbing for the safety belts. Any of these special editions in top condition is highly sought-after with prices starting at £12,000 up to £20,000 for the best Evo Sports.

If you’ve never experience the original M3’s delicious scalpel-sharp turn-in, the sublime, seamless punch from its ever eager four-pot or revelled at its viceless chassis balance, it’s time to search out a cracking M3 before they are all worn out of snuck away as investments. You’ll kick yourself about the fun you missed.

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