If you’re a true petrolhead chances are you know what an M3 is. A mix-mash of alphanumerics that signify nothing to the average joe but everything to a proper gear nut. BMW as we know and love today wouldn’t have earned the title of being the “Ultimate Driving Machine” if it wasn’t for the M3. Proper fanboys know a thing or two about how this particular sports car came to be.
But, for those who don’t, the BMW M3, especially the first-ever iteration; generation E30 was a true homologation special, unlike the marketing gigs you see today. The E30 M3 had nothing to do with a 3-series apart from a few body panels. BMW motorsports finest came in the form of this rather coveted piece of machinery.
Fans regardless of age drool over the E30 M3 like a 9-year old staring at ice-cream. This reputation or lust rather was the engineering marvel that BMW has forgotten lately; the controversial bit where a few would disagree.
Here’s us taking a look at the most famous and desirable BMW of them all, the E30 M3. Several examples have been sold with prices ranging from a mere $13,000 to just a hair over $256,000!
BMW E30 M3: A Brief
Mercedes was dominating the DTM (touring car championship) during the ‘90s and most of the German carmakers wanted a slice of the pie considering it was sort of a national sport. BMW was on a mission to overthrow the Merc’s 190E, which in itself was a very capable piece of automobile thanks in part to its famous Cosworth-sourced engine.
This proved a rather daunting task and BMW went to their Motorsport division to seek advice. The duo then set out to use the standard E30 3-series chassis and mate it to a straight-six from the E28 M5. However, designers were quick to find out the six-pot was in fact a heavy unit. Therefore, the team decided to go with the same unit with two cylinders lopped off. This gave rise to the now-famous BMW S14 engine.
Together with the M designers, BMW created the E30 M3 with every bit improved over the standard 3-series. The only exterior body panels the regular 3 Series and the M3 shared were the bonnet, roof panel, sunroof, and inner door panels. Another concern for the Bavarian marque was to comply with homologation rules.
In order to compete in the DTM, manufacturers had to build 5,000 production units. BMW’s marketing division wasn’t keen on this prospect and they thought it wouldn’t sell. Lo and behold, the E30 M3 flew off shelves and BMW made a heck of a lot more than just 5,000; a total of 17,970 E30 M3s were sold to be exact, out of which 5,300 came to the US.
BMW E30 M3: Not Your Average 3-series
The M3 was a proper race car for the road. There was little in terms of amenities and the normal creature comforts you’re used to in a 3-series were quite frankly non-existent. The interior was sparse by ‘90s standards but with a 192-horsepower motor, very few complained. However, certain legislations did allow a straight piped exhaust (without cats) and this helped bump horsepower to 197, although the US wasn’t entitled to this privilege.
The S14 equipped BMW E30 M3 was capable of reaching a top speed of 146 mph. A large part of the added performance was due to efficient aerodynamics. The front splitter, the rear apron, sill panels, as well as changes to the body near the C-pillar and the boot lid improved overall airflow.
The spoiler at the back was raised 40 mm for reduced lift aiding in better straight-line stability. The suspension inside the E30 M3 was heavily reworked over the standard 3 series. Differences include; 5-stud wheel hubs, offset control arm bushings in the front suspension, aluminum control arms, revised front strut tubes with bolt-on kingpins and swaybar, front wheel bearings, and brake caliper bolt spacing sourced from the E28 5 Series.
How Much Is A Classic BMW E30 M3 Worth Today
Most recently as per Classsic.com, an E30 M3 was sold for about $57,000. According to them, the average price for an E30 M3 in today’s market is around $60, 756. This however is subject to a variety of factors like the vehicle condition, miles driven, number of owners, and so on. There were two extremely rare collector spec M3s sold for over $150,000. If you happen to come across any of the spin-offs BMW made like the Evolution or Sport Evolution, chances are you’re looking at north of $250,000 minimum.
In the end, it depends on the sort of deal you get. If luck favors you, who knows maybe you’ll end up with a decent E30 M3 for under $40K. In the meantime, here’s RM Sotheby’s auctioning a 1988 BMW E30 M3. The listing’s fairly recent with the auction date set to March 24.
Sources: Motortrend, YouTube, BMW