The car came at me over a shallow left-sweeping crest. Reckon it was travelling at about 100mph, which was interesting on account of it being sideways at the time. Wonder how he’s going to handle the fast approaching hairpin? Oh, now that was impressive; a quick right-flick, drift into the turn broadside and then climb back on to the power as the pops and crackles subside. All four wheels jet-spray us with snow and gravel as the car weaves and bounds back into the cool green forest. A moment of glory that is a Lancia Delta Integrale at full cry on the RAC Rally.

No stranger to victory on the RAC, the Integrale delivered six Group A World Rally Championship titles between 1987 and 1992. With the likes of Kankkunen, Auriol and Biasion at the wheel, the tough little Lancia dominated rallying and spawned one of the world’s truly great sporting saloon cars.

And another moment never forgotten. Approaching Goodwood’s scary Madgwick corner at well over 90mph in a red M3 Evolution. Autocar’s then deputy road test editor at the wheel, me riding shotgun. We crest the ridge and the M3’s tail begins a progressive slide. Driver’s seen it coming because the car told him about it. A dusting of opposite lock, and the M3 settles and sets without a trace of bad manners. Balance – and driving – the like of which I’d never seen.

If the Integrale road car was evidence that racing improves the breed, then BMW Motorsport’s fabulous M3 was confirmation. Homologated for international Group A and N competition, the M3 has garnered a huge number of track victories since Roberto Ravaglia became World Touring Car Champion in 1987. The M3 takes an entirely different route, through, eschewing the turbocharger and four-wheel drive of the Integrale; predictably, M3s were thrashed by Integrales on anything other than tarmac. Fair enough, but elsewhere, the M3 proved a fantically capable racer. They have always figured in European championships and in 1988 and M3 took the British Touring Car Championship with Frank Sytner driving. You’ll know something is up when an M3 Evolution – launched in 1988 – fills your frame. The visual cues are dramatic, but they all serve a purpose. The larger rear window is more steeply raked than a standard 3-series, and the SMC-plastic bootlid and spoiler assembly sits 1.6in higher than the standard car’s. That helps airflow over the body and also generates a little downforce to combat aerodynamic lift at very high speeds. The steel wheelarch blisters are there so that a racing M3 can accept rims up to 10in wide.

Things are no less intense under the bonnet. When development started on the M3’s engine in the early ‘80s, it was decided that a ‘six’ would be too heavy for the balance needed for a racing BMW, so a ‘four’ was engineered using BMW’s six-cylinder engine as the starting point. By 1988, the M3’s massively durable 16-valver had evolved into a 220bhp 2302cc powerplant that will happily spin to its 7250rpm rev limit. In short, the power to back up the look.

Advertising its potential even more stridently than the M3, the Delta Integrale packs huge road presence. The bodyshell that is it based on may be 20 years old, but by the time the 16-valve HF Integrale appeared in 1989, its worked-out shape had reached Muscle Beach proportions; along with wider-wheels and tyres, the Integrale gained a swollen bonnet to accommodate the new engine.  And the changes in ‘89 went far beyond the cosmetic, too. As well a 200bhp 16-valve 1995cc turbocharged powerplant in place of the old eight-valver, the Integrale’s four-wheel drive system was retuned so that 53 per cent of the drive was sent to the rear wheels, as opposed to 44 per cent on the previous ‘Grale. That meant sharper response and less understeer on the limit. And stiffer suspension reduced body roll.

We are attracting attention. Spearing along the M27 at a legal pace, we watch as a police cruiser passes, slowing dramatically at the sight of our convoy, sullen faces looking long and hard. An M3 followed closely by an Integrale is plainly a moving violation looking for a place to happen. These two may be 10 years old, but they are still fantastically quick by any standard. An Integrale will reach 60mph in a shade over six seconds, with the BMW behind by a couple of tenths. Top speed for the BMW is just under 150mph with the ‘Grale managing 130mph. But those numbers don’t begin to tell the story; across country on sweeping A-roads and technically challenging B-roads, only a handful of modern cars will stay with this duo. And even fewer will be as entertaining along the way.

The BMW’s door lets out a satisfying, multilayered thunk as it shuts behind me. Massively supportive seats firmly embrace, three-spoke steering wheel offering fine view of tach and speedo, heavily sprung gearlever offering up a dogleg first. The driving position is just about perfect. As the BMW begins to roll, the engine note starts out a bit lumpy, but soon smooths out to a metallic basso. At 400rpm in third the M3 goes very, very hard. At 5000rpm in third, when it feels like it can’t possibly have any revs left, it gives you another 2000. Amazing. Through high-speed corners, the BMW’s balance is uncanny, thoroughly adjustable on the throttle and completely reassuring. The car moves around, communicating, teasing. It’s a precise tool but without being clinical about it.

The Integrale is right there, covering every move the M3 makes. It’s a very different character, though. The Garrett T3 turbo uses a smaller turbine than the eight-valve Integrale for better response, less lag. There isn’t much lag, to be fair, but you still get that ‘turbo movement’ when the engine gets enough puff on to deliver an almighty shove. It’s not a particularly linear response, but while that trait can be pretty frightening in old 911 Turbos, the Integrale is so massively secure that it just isn’t a problem. Through slower corners, you’ll find yourself getting on the power incredibly early and, with that rear torque-bias, a little amusing oversteer is not out of the question. The steering is precise, with even sharper turn-in than the M3, and the Integrale can cover challenging ground at a stunning rate. But while the ‘Grale is demonstrably quicker point-to-point than the M3, it does feel slightly less involving.

Inside, the Integrale’s cabin is more chaotically laid out than the M’s but some of the earlier car’s foibles have been sorted. The tacho’, for example, starts at 3 o’clock so that the wheel rim doesn’t obscure the numbers. And like the M, the ‘Grale’s seats are wonderfully supportive. Which is a good thing because the amount of grip on tap from those 205/50VR15 tyres is simply huge.

The M3 and Integrale were only ever produced by the factory in left-hand drive. Don’t let that put you off; lhd doesn’t get in the way of a truly great driving experience. And with good examples of each going for less than £10,000, they approach affordability. Not bad for a car that will go sideways through a forest at 100mph. Or one that will get you through Madgwick in quite some style.

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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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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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An almost unbeatable combination of rearwheel drive handling, balance and power, combined with BMW reliability, makes the E30 M3 appeal across the spectrum of enthusiastic drivers – from the near-penniless to multi-millionaires – that’s how good the chassis dynamics of this homologation special are.

Always left-hand drive and hideously expensive new in Britain, few could be found in the UK until specialists like Munich Legends started importing them – mostly from Germany and Italy – a few years ago. ‘Now even the Germans come here to buy them,’ laughs Tony Halse of Munich Legends. They say we’ve taken all the best ones. We’ve sold them all over the world, to Chile, Venezuela, New Zealand. People buy them for what’s possibly the greatest handling chassis ever, like a Caterham with a lid.

‘The engine is a gruff, four cylinder screamer, at its best between 4000 to 7000rpm, you have to row it along, so don’t buy one if you prefer to be lazy. The quick rack and great feel make it safe for mere mortals to drive quickly, it’s very forgiving. Lots of owners use them every day as well as for tracks day. They’re boringly reliable.’

Racing heritage gives extra kudos to owning an M3; so prolific was its success, it’s claimed to be the most successful competition car of all time. In DTM (German touring car) race-spec, a 2.5 litre M3 produced 350bhp at 10,000rpm, giving a top speed of 186mph and 0-62mph in 4.6 seconds.

Later M3s have not shared the motorsport heritage and have far less enthusiast appeal and do not retain their value as E30 M3s do. Convertible E30 M3s are misfits too; scuttle shake impairs the handling purity and though desirable and rare, they are not as good convertibles as the cheaper 325i Motorsport cabrios.

Care when buying is vital: don’t be blinded by the cars’ undoubted ability. Tony Halse has lost count of the number of times he’s heard the mantra: ‘Oh my God, I wished I’d bought a good one in the first place.’ Like most modern classics, the cost of getting a scruffy car into really good condition is far greater than buying a top car in the first place.

Body/Chassis

The M3 bodyshell was built for racing, and is stiff but light. It’s well able to take normal stresses but you need to check it carefully for damage from accidents, excessively hard use or rust that will weaken the structure.

Rust in external panelwork is unusual, except at the bottom of the windscreen frame where corrosion can begin around the bonded screen if the bonding fails or the screen is carelessly replaced: it then proceeds to rot out the panel below the windscreen. To replace costs anywhere between £3-400 as the windscreen is bonded in and has to be removed, although the panel itself only costs £34. Other rot often begins with store chips on door scrapes.

Look down each side of the car and across the roof for evidence of creases or ripples from accident damage, dents or differing paint textures. Wheelarches should have sharp swage lines, which are difficult to recreate once bent. Under the front, broken or missing undertray panels may just have fallen off, but it’s more likely they’ve been broken in a crash: look for signs of creasing in the front chassis legs and evidence that a new front panel has been welded on. Bonnet fit can also be a good indication and excessive wind noise on road test may be an indication that does fit has been compromised.

Check under the bonnet behind the suspension turrets for any rippling and also for cracks resulting from excessive track use, especially if harder suspension is fitted. Cracks can also appear in the front sub-frame around its mountings: check these from under the car. Barney Halse of Munich Legends says that this is a common failing and says it is better to repair and reinforce the sub-frame, eliminating the problem, than to replace it. These repairs cost around £__.

At the back, inspect the inside of the boot floor and inner wheelarches for buckling or crash repairs. Some cars have an extra long-distance fuel tank mounted inside the boot: take a look at the tool box in the nearside inner wing (which holds the jack and wheelbrace) and the one in the bootlid (screwdrivers and spanners). The bootlid is injection-moulded plastic, but condensation inside It suggests damp is getting in, damaged rear light lenses can lead to a wet boot, as can blocked sunroof drains, which run down the rear inner wheelarches.

Sills rarely rust unless they have been crudely replaced, but check from underneath where they step up to the floors. Look for areas of missing or different underseal across the floorpan and the chassis legs.

‘Fake’ Sport Evos are not unknown, so check chassis numbers when buying. Look out for a plaque on the centre console, engine code 25-45L VIN prefix WBSAK07 and serial numbers AC79000 to 79599.

Engine

The M3’s twin-overhead camshaft, 16-valve, fuel-injected power unit is an impressive piece of kit, producing close to the benchmark 300bhp per litre. Consequently, it’s not worth trying to extract more power; you’re likely to spend a lot of money with little effect other than to make it less flexible. Power outputs rose during production but the only really noticeable difference came with the increased torque, and therefore greater flexibility of the larger-capacity Sport Evo.

Regular maintenance should give the engine a long, trouble free life – but it’s essential that the timing chain and the crankshaft sprocket are replaced at 100,000 miles, a £2000 job when done professionally because the parts alone come to £780. If the owner claims it’s been done, demand to see the bill and make sure it’s big. With the tensioner and head gasket replaced at the same time – and ideally the valve-stem oil seals – the engine should be good for the next 100,000 miles.

Clattering noise when cold on tickover suggests timing chain problems – but it can be 2 side effect of using the wrong grade of oil. “Exotic synthetics are not ideal for the engine,” says Tony Halse. “We find Castrol Magnatec 10W 40 suits it best.” Oil leaks from sump and chain tensioner are common and will require attention if excessive.

Misfiring when hot is often caused by perished intake blocks adjacent to the cylinder head. These cost £53 each, plus around £120 labour. Also inspect the condition of the three breather hoses, at front, rear and centre of the plenum chamber at the top of the engine.

Genuine BMW exhaust systems are expensive, so check the manifold carefully from below for blowing or missing nuts and inspect each end of the silencers for corrosion. Munich Legends often fit Supersprint systems. A front box is £881 from BMW, with a complete system around £__65. Barney Haise advises avoiding stainless steel as the harsh engine leads to it cracking. Expect to pay £1300 for a Sport Evo system as there is no aftermarket at present, although Barney hopes to soon offer a pattern one for around £900.

If air conditioning is fitted, check its mounting brackets under the manifold for cracks. Check the radiator for leaks cooking the engine would be a costly mistake because a full rebuild costs more than £4000.

Transmission

‘If the M3 has an Achilles heel, it’s the gearbox,’ says Munich Legends’ BMW trained engineer Mick Hope. ‘The bearings get noisy and the synchros wear, especially if the is regularly abused on the track. Noisy differentials are also likely to be an indication of track abuse.’ Gearbox mountings and propshaft rubber drive couplings also take a pounding on the track. The mountings and coupling perish with age; once replaced they should last well. Costs involved are coupling £65, gearbox mounting £10 and labour £60.

USA/Canadian M3s use a different Getrag gearbox from the 325i, which isn’t as well suited to the M3.

Suspension

‘You can tell so much about an M3 on the road,’ says Hope. Any odd behaviour from steering or suspension – jerkiness, clanks, in fact any feeling of insecurity – suggests problems that require closer inspection. Not all of it is expensive to rectify. Be wary of aftermarket handling kits as the standard set-up was extensively tested and is rarely bettered. Over hard suspension rarely improves handling and may damage the car’s structural integrity.

When checking underneath, squeeze steering rack gaiters if they’re full of oil, the rack needs a rebuild. Check the lower steering column rubber coupling as failure of this is dangerous. Inspect all bushes – especially those at the rear of the front lower wishbones, which cause rapid tyre wear and tramlining when they fail – and the anti-roll bar links. At the back, inspect the rear subframe’s front mountings ahead of each rear wheel. If the subframe is resting down on its mounting plate, the bushes have failed. The third mounting in this triangle is above the differential – inspect it too. Broken springs and leaking shock absorbers are not uncommon, but not too expensive to rectify. Expect to pay £56 each for standard front springs, £160 for a rear pair. Boge front dampers are £___ each, the rears are £94 each.

Brakes and Wheels

Juddering brakes means discs are warped and, if the discs are fairly new, may be an indication of track abuse. Genuine BMW wheels are expensive, £322 new for the standard M3 7X15 in alloy and more for Evo wheels, though aftermarket Hartge wheels are cheaper. Make sure the correct spare is undamaged and present; standard M3 alloys can be found secondhand but Evos are rare.

‘M3s are very sensitive to tyre choice,’ says Barney Halse. ‘Michelin and Pirelli don’t suit them – Bridgestone SO3s and Goodyear Eagle F1s are good.’

Electrics

Through generally reliable, BMW electrics are complex and a thorough check to ensure everything works is vital: you can easily spend £500 just having the electric engine fan replaced. The dashboard incorporates service indicator lights. An orange service light will specify whether a full service or just 7000mile oil and filter change is required; a single amber light suggests that the service indicator is faulty. The warning panel should flash ‘check’ when you switch on, going out once you touch the brakes. Check all gauges two buffer batteries maintain the service indicator when the main battery is disconnected, but if these corrode they will damage the circuit boards and affect other instrumentation. Even instrument and switch illumination can be expensive to put right.

Central locking is the greatest weakness of the electrical system and it can be very expensive to rectify. Electrical maladies linked to the doors often result from damp penetrating the multi-plug at t A-post. Check locks with the key too, as they are easily damaged.

The ECU (electronic engine management system) can give trouble; £400 for a rebuild and £940 new. Modified control chips are effective but can cause more trouble than they’re worth. Some disconnect the rev limiter so, if the engine revs above 7000rpm (don’t blow it up trying to check!) you can be sure it’s been modified.

Interior Trim

Though not cheap, M3 seat trim can be bought piecemeal, making replacement of odd damaged panels relatively economical. Sport Evo trim, which includes a suede steering wheel and red ‘full harness’ Recaro race seats, is the most desirable but costs £7000 to replace in its entirely.

Make sure that the seats tilt, recline, are secure and are uniform in shape, because their frames can fracture and are difficult to repair. Inspect carpets in the corners behind the front seats for signs that a roll cage has been fitted in the past.

Exterior Trim

Sport Evos have bigger front wheelarches, and a large, adjustable rear spoiler: ‘They make a huge difference,’ says owner and BMW Car Club M-Power registrar Richard Baxter. “It’s amazing how quickly the rear tyres wear out if you keep the spoiler fully extended.” Genuine BMW trim parts are all available, but are expensive. Early M3 cabrios have electro-hydraulic hoods (look inside for rams) which are not as efficient or reliable as later electro-mechanical ones. Rear screens go opaque and cost £400 to replace. Hoods can wear thin where they touch the metal frame. Make sure windows open and shut properly with the hood up and always open and close the hood fully, forcing it, however, will strip motors and gearboxes costing £300 each to replace.

Conclusion

Damage repairs are relatively common on M3s but it takes very careful inspection to assess whether they have been done properly. Try to find a well-maintained car, ideally with low mileage, though that is far from essential. Buy the best you can afford, maintain it properly and it will reward you with trouble free fun commuting and unbeatable track day delights.

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