The E30 M3 is one of the many iconic BMWs built over the last few decades. The small, sporty M3 was BMW’s first M3 car built on the 3 Series platform and one that commands a pretty penny today as well. Based on the 1986 model year E30 3 Series, the first M3 was introduced with a 2.3 liter inline-four engine producing 192 horsepower. The engine design was based on various BMW genealogy – basic block layout from the M10 4 cylinder (found in the 2002 and 320 series) overbored and reinforced to similar specifications of the BMW M88 inline-6. When the E30 M3 was in its final years of top level competition, the 2.5 liter S14 engine in full race trim was capable of over 340 hp (250 kW) naturally aspirated.
The E30 M3, arguably a motoring icon of the sports car world, has a near perfect weight distribution with a slight bias towards the front-end, leaving the rear-end to drift out perfectly with a slight lean on the throttle. It cost $34,000 in 1988 — nearly $69,000 adjusted to today’s inflation. Even though the video below is in German only, it’s still exciting to see how the E30 M3 was introduced in late 80s. Old school commercial, but cool nonetheless.
