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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It’s hard to believe that it’s two years and four months since we ran the international launch of the E46 M3 as our cover splash. It was, is, and will remain to be, a hell of a car. But the hype surrounding the latest M car has subsided somewhat. Waiting lists are shortening, a mild facelift is imminent and used values are beginning to drop with some rapidity toward the realms of common sense (early cars are down to around £34, 000 now). It even got defeated quite heavily in this year’s Car of the Year assessment. The excitement has died down, but do the superlatives still apply?

To get a little perspective, we’ve visited the Independent Motor Company near Aldermaston in Berkshire to drive all three generation of M3. The showroom is brim full of M3s, but whereas last time I visited for an M3 comparison E30s dominated, it appears the E36 is now in the ascendancy.

I make no excuses for the fact that the E36 M3 isn’t my favourite M3. I’ve also stated before that the E30 Evo Sport is something of a darling. Until now, though, I’ve never driven all three generations back to back, head to head and indeed, toe to toe. Should be interesting.

I bag the E30 as we head cross-country for our photo location on Salisbury plain. This 85,000 kilometre example feels taut and eager. The dog-leg gearbox is firmly sprung for my slightly wimpy right arm but it amazes me just how quickly you acclimatise to driving this left-hook machine.

I love the suede steering wheel, and the ultra supportive race-inspired seats locate you superbly. Twist the key and the 2.5-litre four-pot explodes into a bass-heavy idle with a hint of popping and banging on the overrun as you blip the throttle. The racecar cues slowly infuse into your brain through every control interface. The zizzy vibrations, the blaring exhaust note, the feedback through the steering as your pace increases, the massive adjustable wing that dominates every glance in the mirror. This is a car that wants, needs to interact with the driver.

I love the size of the E30, it has almost perfect dimensions. There’s enough space in it to be practical, but compared to a modern car in this class it’s almost petite. Plus, its square corners allow you to place the car with great precision, giving you a feeling of space on all but the narrowest of byways.

The 238bhp engine is very strong – torquier than you’d think, but at its best as revs head past 4000rpm. Benchmark figures of 0-62mph in 6.3 seconds and 154mph flat out are nothing to write home about in this company, but the Evo Sport makes up for it when it comes to the twisty bits.

Despite looking hard enough to drag you down a back alley and nick you wallet, the E30 rides with impressive composure. Turn-in is direct and it just grips and grips. The tyres are utterly unprepared to give up the available traction, at either end, without a considerable fight. If oversteer’s your thing, the Evo Sport can oblige, but it seems happiest going round bends neutrally and very quickly. It certainly doesn’t feel like a chassis that’s 13 years old.

The E36 M3, here in 3.2 litre Evo guise, is seemingly the antithesis of the Evo Sport. Whereas the E30 trumpets its sporting heritage through wing, bulges and splitters, the E36 is sleek, elegant and understated. Where the E30’s interior appeals to the racer, the E36 caters for the executive with wood, leather and plenty of toys.

On paper, the E36 M3 is a big step forward in the performance stakes. There’s 321bhp to play with, enough for 0-62mph in a Porsche-rivalling 5.3 seconds, and a restricted top speed of 155mph. The BMW engineers claimed that without the limiter, 180mph was achievable. Even by the standards set by today’s loony saloons, this M3 is very, very quick.

Contemporary road-testers criticised the E36 for lacking torque low in the rev-range, but this fighting fit example seems to have loosened up nicely and feels strong everywhere. Of course, the Evo’s party piece really gets underway between 5000rpm and the redline, with stonking acceleration and a gorgeous howling accompaniment putting a mile-wide grin on you chops.

The gearchange of the six-speed gearbox is no match for most modern BMWs, feeling a bit notchy – the clutch, too, needs firm control. Perhaps the biggest complaint, though, is directed at the numb steering. It just can’t match the sensitivity of the E30s’.

That said, it does little to undermine your progress. The race-bred ‘floating’ brake disc after immense retardation and the chassis is extremely competent. There’s a bit of bodyroll, but traction out of bends is excellent. It just lacks the final ten per cent of involvement that elevates the E30 into the realms of mythology. What the E36 offers, in both M3 guises is a high level of refinement in the cabin that makes long distances a pleasure – a challenge to be relished. Personality-wise, the E36 is the GT to the E30’s GTi.

It is also very practical machine, with good accommodation, fuel economy and low-speed manners….sure, the suspension is firm, but not jarringly so. The E36’s looks also score here. They get knowing nods from the cognoscenti, but attract minimal attention from filthy tea-leaves. As reunions go, this stint with the E36 M3 has proved remarkably pleasurable.

So to the E46. Has  it lost its shine, is the halo slipping? Nah! Every time I drive one of these, especially a manual, I come away convinced that BMW has created one of the all-time great machines. Its breadth of ability is truly staggering. Comfy, cool, well priced and bloody quick. Most press demos come to us with only a couple of thousand miles on them. This lovely 21,000-miler felt considerably faster. Holding onto your license would be very hard work.

There are many more touches around the car, whether it’s the wing vents, the grey dials or the glow-in-the-dark M gear knob that underlines the fact you’re in something special. Although a twitch of the right foot and the corresponding aural explosion serves the same purpose.

Whether you like to drive clean and smooth or play the hairy-arsed lunatic, the E46 will oblige. We’ve said it before but it still seems incredible that this machine is 911-quick on the road yet is over 15 grand cheaper than the Porsche. It mightn’t quite have supercar road presence but it still turns heads wherever it goes.

One thing that makes human beings special is our ability to learn from mistakes and to improve ourselves. The great thing about this test is to see, hear and feel BMW learning from its mistakes, maximising its strengths and improving the finished product.

The first generation of M3 was all about winning races. Those chunky arches accommodated bigger race tyres, the bodywork on this Evo Sport was concerned with increased downforce and quicker lap times. The side effect, almost, was a sublime road car with enough creature comforts to appease the thrusting young executive and a chassis to impress Roberto Ravaglia.

With the E36, BMW made a conscious decision to broaden the appeal of the M car. The looks were toned down to such an extent that only the mirrors, wheels, and a subtle body kit differentiated it from lesser models. There was even a four-door version, surely an all-time great Q-car.

Inside, you got comfy seats, quality ergonomics loads of toys and typical BMW build. The car was more composed, easier to drive and more useable, more of the time. It also came in right-hand drive of course, making it the first choice for more than just die-hard enthusiasts prepared to tolerate left-hand drive. BMW also introduced a clutchless M3 for the first time with the 5MG.

All this added up to a very healthy balance sheet but there were murmurings of dissent. Some people felt the E36 had diluted the essence of the M3. So, with the E46 the company retained the best bits of the E36 but also managed to recapture some of the E30s sparkle.

The pumped bodywork and quad tailpipes instantly differentiate it from lesser Threes and the chassis now revels in the hooligan streak that the E36 had forsaken. It also packs one of the finest engines in any car on the planet. All for about 40 grand.

Of course, you need a lot less than 40grand for an M3 – even an ultra rare Evo Sport like this (only 600 were built and only 45 were officially imported into the UK – chassis numbers ran from AC79000 to AC79599) can be had for £12, 000. It is undoubtedly the finest, most focused and most desirable of the E30s. However, I think I’d be tempted to buy a cheaper Evo II and spend the difference on a roll-cage, brake upgrades and sticky rubber and turn it into a proper track car.

The E36 M3 Evo is currently sitting around the £15-£16,000 mark, depending on mileage and condition. Despite my hard heart, I warmed to the car during this test. It’s a phenomenally accomplished all-rounder, and at that money, a conspicuous bargain. Plus, as it was more commercially successful than the E30, there are plenty of good ones out there to be found. If you need to combine your petrohead ambition with practicality, this is the kiddy.

The fact that this comparison only underlines that the E46 M3 is the best M3 ever is probably no great surprise. What was a surprise, and a delight, was just how much the personalities of these cars differ, and how the product itself has evolved and impreoved. And that bodies very well indeed for the next M3. Can’t hardly wait.

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For BMW fans, touring car racing hits its peak back in 1991. All over Europe one car was dominant, irrespective of the rule difference of the individual countries, and that car just happens to be one of the best looking race cars ever built. The E30 M3 competition car, more than any other, proved the mantra that if a car looked right, it was right.

Some may argue that the winged Batmobile CSL had more drama in its lines, but for us the pure, focused, workmanlike E30 has it licked, with just enough aggression in tis stance and the toned muscle of the flared arches and the simple, yet effective, wings and spoilers. In the UK the late Will Hoy wrapped up the BTCC title, where the front rows of the gird were always the sole preserve of M3s.

The winning had begun almost as soon as it arrived back in 1987. Zakspeed won the German championship that year, while Wilfried Vogt bagged the European title, and the car conquered the championships in Holland, France, and Portugal too. This success coincided with the rise and rise of touring car racing, with massive crowds and millions watching on TV. The wins continued and in Europe in 1990 the 2.5 litre Sport Evolution ensured that the E30 stayed at the head of the field (in the UK cars were to be restricted to 2.0litres). In racing form these engines actually ran a slightly larger capacity than the road car, 2493cc as opposed to 2467cc, increasing performance especially in the mid-range. These were the best of the best and if you want to own one today, these are the cars to seek out. With all this success there were quite a few out there, around 350 competition E30 M3s had been sold, at a cost in 1991 of almost £150, 000 each. Of course, only a handful of those were works cars.

Don Grice is a very lucky man and he knows it. This ex-works car is his and he can’t talk about it without a huge smile breaking out across his face, and who can blame him? Gleaming in the Oulton park sunshine in Marlboro colours, it looks at least as good as it did the first time it turned a wheel in the Dutch Touring Car Championship a dozen years ago. Back then it was raced with considerable success by Car Euser; in fact, he won the championship. At the end of that year he also raced the car at Donington in a round of the DTM, before the car competed in that series full time in 1992, piloted by Swedish driver, Peggan Andersson and running under the colours of Mobil.

Andersson competed in the two Grand Prix support races held in the UK in 1993 (Donington and Silverstone), before taking the car back to Sweden in 1994 to compete in the Nordic version of the championship. From there, according to Grice, the history of this car gets a little hazy. It went out to Macau to run for several years in the Macau Grand Prix support races and the South East Asia Touring Car Championship and there it was raced by various drives and in various liveries. In fact, by the time the car arrived back in the UK in 2000, it had been painted a horrible shade of turquoise and came complete with orange wheels. This is when Grice first saw the car. It was a dream for him to own of these cars, as it is for many of us, but it looked so poorly he rejected it at first. It was only some time later when looking at the car a second time in more detail that he realised the potential underneath. Despite all the racing over the years and the door handle rubbing with the other lunatics, the car was properly straight. It was soon evident that this car has escaped it all without serious chassis damage.

Grice bought it and immediately set about restoring it to its former glory and he knew just the man to do it. Grice himself had begun racing BMWs at about the time this car was competing at the highest level. Over the years he teamed up with Alex Elliot of Rondell Racing, a man equally passionate about E30s and with the skills and knowledge to be able to carry out a project such as this. The car was stripped back to the shell, resprayed and then carefully and lovingly put back together. The whole process took almost nine months, but the results make all that effort well worth it. The car is simply stunning.

Elliot used many new parts, most of which are still readily available from BMW Motorsport, though the engine and gearbox required nothing more than full servicing. The engine itself was built to sprint racing specification rather than the endurance spec that the long distance racers used. This means that Grice has 360bhp to play with and, in a car weighing in at around 960kg, it’s not going to hang about. The downside is that this engine will require more regular rebuilds, but Grice has thought of that and has another complete engine for back-up.

The detailing and the level of finish is superb, you could be forgiven into thinking that this was a brand new car that had spent the last decade in a museum. The dash is about the only road car item inside the cockpit and it has been liberally sprinkled with a multitude of dials. It all adds to the analogue feel of the cockpit, there is no laptop downloadable data to acquire here and no electronic gizmos to improve your lap times. The speed comes from the driver alone and his ability to interpret what he feels and what is happening to the car – it’s how it should be.

Grice is still competing today, but not in this car; it’s obvious that this is his pride and joy and he would be devastated if anything were to happen to it. He even admits to regularly popping out to the garage just to look at it – well, you would, wouldn’t you? That doesn’t stop him driving it on track days though and he drives it with relish. I ask him to do half-a-dozen laps for the camera and before I’ve finished the sentence he’s already climbing on board. Such is his enthusiasm he catches his mechanics on the hop, who rush around the car, frantically checking tyre pressures before Grice heads down the pit lane. A couple of minutes later a flash of white and orange charges up over Deer Leap and down the pit straight. The sight is mesmerising, as is the sound, it’s mainly raw induction roar, rasping high in the rev range and giving the noise meter man cause for concern. Fantastic!

It looks so different to the current crop of big touring car machines. It looks lithe, darty and conductive to close racing, an observation Grice confirms when he comes back into the pits. “It’s a real racing car,” he says, “and it needs to taken by the scruff of the neck and driven hard. Steering inputs are minimal compared to modern tourers and it is electric on turn-in. When driven this way it is a very positive car to drive and hugely satisfying.”

“The fact that it’s smaller than the E36 car that I race and the accuracy with which you can place it means you have more road to play with too. The steering is packed with feel and gives you a lot of confidence in the way the chassis behaves. But the best bit about it all Is that you’re driving a DTM car – it’s an awesome experience.”

And that is all without having spent much time getting the car set up. Grice is still a racer and that means most of his track time is spent making his race cars go faster and, for most of the day, the E30 sits under the awning doing nothing other than drawing admiring glances from anyone who happens to walk past. Grice is saving this car for later, he tells me it will be his track day car when he retires from racing. If you are bitten by the motor racing bug it is very hard to ever give up, but if anything may dissuade you from continuing, then the thought of a motorsport legend waiting for you may be just the carrot…

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