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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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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Allow us to introduce Magnus, a 33 year-old graphic artist. He’s from Manhattan and that means two things. Firstly, he can have just one name like a Brazilian footballer – with Swedish ancestry – and secondly, Now York streets are pretty tough on a car.

When he bought his 1989 M3 about three years ago it was absolutely perfect, with 38000 miles on the clock and Group N suspension. Unfortunately, the latter proved too stiff and low for the cratered streets of NYC, so it was replaced with standard.

Another inevitability of Manhattan is that, sooner or later, you’re going to be caught in a fender-bender, True to form, Magnus got shunted up the arse. Now we all know what happens to a car in a body shop. It goes in damaged and come out modified.

Magnus was aware that purists like to see the M3 standard but couldn’t resist a little experimentation. So while it was in United Collision, he instructed the company to color-code the spoilers. In this instance they comprised of an Evo 3 rear wing and Evo front spoiler. The latter usually sports an E30 3 splitter but it was damaged in a car park and removed for our photos.

Having access to some powerful computers at work Magnus likes to test out his ideas on screen beforehand. He did this with the painted spoilers and also had a go at removing the door handles.

Liking what he saw, he had somebody realize his dream but the job wasn’t good. So the car was returned to United Collision where they welded in a new panel, filled it and painted the doors. Entry is facilitated by remote-controlled solenoids in each door, although he can also roll down the window with the same remote in case there’s a problem with the mechanism.

To be honest, it’s easy to overlook the handles. After all, they don’t exactly stand out. But that’s the point. Magnus wanted to be different but didn’t want to shout about it. Therefore the remaining exterior mods are equally subtle, including a xenon upgrade kit for the lights and silver stripes. The owner used to cut vinyl signs for Macy’s department store, so he did the striping himself.

Mechanically, the M3 benefits from an Evo 2 intake cam and a Borla exhaust. “The car’s only done 48000 miles,” Magnus told us. “I plan to do more engine work when I’ve used it more. In fact, I’m thinking about a 3.2 conversion, but it’s like buying new trainers: you wait until the old ones are worn out.”

For now he’s very happy with the four-pot. “The best thing about this car is it really likes to rev. Most people are unimpressed up to 4000rpm but after that it’s totally exhilarating,” Magnus continued.

Since presentation is important to the owner, he’s sandblasted the trademark cam cover and plenum chamber. The M Power logo was then polished before the parts lacquered for protection.

As we know, the suspension is standard are so are the brakes. The wheels look strangely familiar, and that’s because they’re 8×18s from the BMW 7-series but highly polished.

The interior boasts an Evo 3 suede steering wheel, gear knob and handbrake. It’s due more work in the future. In fact, Magnus clearly wants to let rip on the car but is holding back out of respect. In addition to the 3.2 transplant, he also plans to install a glass fibre toolbox in the boot “because when you own an E30 you need to carry tools,” Magnus assured us.

Visit Magnus’s E30 M3 forum.

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