A BMW E30 M3 Sport Evolution – probably one of the classic crown jewels of the legendary M-Division. Seeing one around is close to impossible as only 600 of such models were ever produced so the chances of driving one would be akin to being able to drive a Pagani Zonda; very few people are privileged enough.
Not many people understand the appeal of the E30 M3 but to those who do, this car is a dream. Everything from the engine to the suspension and the aerodynamics, although it may not seem like it, have been improved to further enhance its driving experience. Produced in 1989 to 1990, the E30 M3 Sport Evo features front and rear splitters that could be adjusted to your driving style and the circuit you were on. In 1989!! The guys over at Pistonheads.com ran a feature on it and it’s a must read for all BMW enthusiasts, here’s Oli S of Pistonheads:
“There has always been something audacious about the ambitions of BMW’s ultimate creations. Taking an everyday sports saloon like the 3 Series and pitching it price-wise against a Porsche 911, a car that has spent its whole life swatting away far more exotic machinery, may have sounded like a bad joke, but in 1989 BMW’s M3 wasn’t laughing.
In the seventies the 3.0 CSL had already squared up to the 911 Carrera RS 2.7, perhaps one of the finest of the breed, and come the late eighties it was time for the 3 Series to have a go. The M3 had proved highly effective both on road and track and to mark the end of an era the most potent, focused and of course expensive E30 M3 was rolled out – the Sport Evolution.
The slightly unnerving £35K price tag was 10 grand more than a standard M3 and with a few options north of £40K was possible. All for a car that had started its life back in 1981. This not only made the M3 more expensive than the 944 S2, but meant it was snapping at the heals of the brand new 964 Carrera 2 3.6.
The best way to look at the M3, and to understand it, is that BMW Motorsport designed its E30 race car first, then applied the changes necessary to the road car for homologation. This was not some spruced-up 318i, it was a serious attack on Group A racing, and as such 5,000 production examples had to be produced.
