BMW E30 M3 (M) First Drive Review
30 Sep 2016|54,528 views
There are good days at work, when we get to drive cars like the new MX-5 or the lovable MINI Coopers. There are some great days in office - days we get to drive cars like the new M2, a C 63 AMG, maybe even a spanking new Porsche.
And then there is today - I'm in Oberammergau in Munich, Germany, about to lay my unworthy hands on a classic E30 M3, a Bavarian icon with the highest of racing pedigrees.
First released 30 years ago, the E30 M3 has earned the most number of motorsport titles (ahead of the venerable Porsche 911), and is also the most successful touring car ever to have participated in racing.
Almost 30 years on, the E30 M3 is still a stunning vehicle that has certainly aged gracefully
This is an absolute automotive hero, and I cannot believe the day has arrived that I can actually sit in one, let alone drive it. And my destination? Oktoberfest, the Mecca of beer-worshippers across the world.
Amazing grace
Produced in 1986, the E30 M3 was designed as a race car, first and foremost. However, to take part in Group A racing (a production-based class), at least 5,000 homologated road-going models had to be produced.
And then there is today - I'm in Oberammergau in Munich, Germany, about to lay my unworthy hands on a classic E30 M3, a Bavarian icon with the highest of racing pedigrees.
First released 30 years ago, the E30 M3 has earned the most number of motorsport titles (ahead of the venerable Porsche 911), and is also the most successful touring car ever to have participated in racing.
This is an absolute automotive hero, and I cannot believe the day has arrived that I can actually sit in one, let alone drive it. And my destination? Oktoberfest, the Mecca of beer-worshippers across the world.
Amazing grace
Produced in 1986, the E30 M3 was designed as a race car, first and foremost. However, to take part in Group A racing (a production-based class), at least 5,000 homologated road-going models had to be produced.
 |
This particular car was built on 23rd Jan 1987, and it is as stock as you can get it - legendary S14 engine, 'dogleg' gearbox, Henna Red paint (paint code 052), and incredibly, just 27,795km on the clock. There are one-year old Uber Vezels that have covered more tarmac than this car.
29 years on, the E30 M3 has aged gracefully. It is still an absolute head turner. The box fender flares, the angular front and rear bumpers, the rear wing, even the 15-inch alloy wheels, all these still make for a stunning car to look at.
On the inside, the car manages to still feel relatively modern. Considered over-engineered for its time, the car has power windows, heated seats, power sunroof, even an electronic cassette player (yes, not particularly useful anymore but back in the day…).
 |
Buckle up
Sliding into the driver's seat, I realise a couple of things. One, the driving position is terrific. Two, it's a dogleg gearbox, meaning that the gears are sort of upside down. Three, I am sitting in an E30 M3.
The drive is all about one thing - sensation. You feel everything. Tactile, aural, visual, olfactory, every sensation you can think of, you will experience. It's amazing how direct and communicative the steering is. It is possible to distinctly make out the little variations in road surface and the slightest of undulations. Light yet talkative, it makes it easy and immensely fulfilling to carve through corners.
Shifting the five-speed box is also extremely satisfying. Just feeling the distinct clunk of a gear slotting into place is a sensation that is lacking in modern cars.
It may only have four cylinders, but a 7,300rpm red line means that the engine can (and wants to) rev like hell
The fabled four-cylinder 2.3-litre S14 engine, cobbled together from a M88 head (the engine from the bonkers 1M) with two cylinders lopped off and an M10 head, puts out 192bhp and 230Nm of torque.
Sliding into the driver's seat, I realise a couple of things. One, the driving position is terrific. Two, it's a dogleg gearbox, meaning that the gears are sort of upside down. Three, I am sitting in an E30 M3.
The drive is all about one thing - sensation. You feel everything. Tactile, aural, visual, olfactory, every sensation you can think of, you will experience. It's amazing how direct and communicative the steering is. It is possible to distinctly make out the little variations in road surface and the slightest of undulations. Light yet talkative, it makes it easy and immensely fulfilling to carve through corners.
Shifting the five-speed box is also extremely satisfying. Just feeling the distinct clunk of a gear slotting into place is a sensation that is lacking in modern cars.
The fabled four-cylinder 2.3-litre S14 engine, cobbled together from a M88 head (the engine from the bonkers 1M) with two cylinders lopped off and an M10 head, puts out 192bhp and 230Nm of torque.
Yes, those numbers may be out-matched by many modern cars, but because it was built for racing, the S14 engine lives on its 7,300rpm red line. And you feel the naturally aspirated lump working hard, controlled by your right foot pressing on a spring-mounted throttle pedal that offers up great tactile response.
The 'dogleg' gearbox speaks to the car's racing pedigree
The sound may not be as viciously intense as its modern brethren, but it is decidedly mechanical and boy is it still lovely and beautiful in its own way. Work the engine past 5,000rpm, and everything in the cabin rattles and vibrates to a manic intensity. The car feels alive, and you along with it.
This car demands so much more out of you as a driver. Beyond just having to shift manually, the E30 needs to be worked hard for it to truly display its prowess. And when driven hard, you do have to concentrate much more than its modern counterpart.
But that's part of the fun, part of the experience, and that's the reason a car like this is special. The feedback from every part of the car is joyously intense. You feel it coming alive in your hand, and you know that it is all your doing.
The sound may not be as viciously intense as its modern brethren, but it is decidedly mechanical and boy is it still lovely and beautiful in its own way. Work the engine past 5,000rpm, and everything in the cabin rattles and vibrates to a manic intensity. The car feels alive, and you along with it.
This car demands so much more out of you as a driver. Beyond just having to shift manually, the E30 needs to be worked hard for it to truly display its prowess. And when driven hard, you do have to concentrate much more than its modern counterpart.
But that's part of the fun, part of the experience, and that's the reason a car like this is special. The feedback from every part of the car is joyously intense. You feel it coming alive in your hand, and you know that it is all your doing.
 |
Every road a great road
Performance isn't measured only in how fast you can go. The problem with so many modern performance cars is that you can never exploit its full potential unless you take it to a track. Between 0-100km/h (i.e. usable real world speeds), the E30 is a gem of a car. It's exciting, talkative, and intoxicating all of the time. This is power and performance you can use, a sports car you can really exploit on the roads. With the E30, every road becomes a great road - that's its greatest magic.
On the back roads in the Munich countryside, the E30 M3 is an absolute revelation. Darting from apex to apex, the car is predictable and planted. The rev-happy engine begs you to dive into corners at 6,000rpm, offering up copious amounts of power and confidence. It is remarkable the way every moment of driving becomes a sheer joy.
And yet, the E30 M3 is an everyday sports car in the truest sense. It has enough power, but not too much so as to scare you. Put it in fifth and cruise along and it's docile and comfortable, and also surprisingly quiet. The suspension is firm yet forgiving, steering is light yet agile, and its understated design means you could trundle around fairly inconspicuously, unlike say a Ferrari or a Porsche.
With its predictable yet sharp handling, the M3 is a magnificent corner carver that makes you feel like a hero
Is the car everything I thought (and wanted) it would be? The lack of traction control could be an issue in the wet. You could argue it lacks power compared to modern cars, but that's absolute hogwash. And get it past about 130km/h on the Autobahn and you could argue the sensation of performance drops off distinctly (what with Tourans and Golfs speeding past on either side).
But this car is special because it has the capability to make you feel special even when you are going at 40km/h. It is a sensational piece of engineering that makes you feel alive.
This car is every motoring cliché. But there is a very simple reason for that - it is every bit as great as everyone says it is. It is absolutely unfaultable. This is why clichés exist. Cars like the E30 M3 represent a pinnacle of accomplishment, setting the bar for everything that follows.
Performance isn't measured only in how fast you can go. The problem with so many modern performance cars is that you can never exploit its full potential unless you take it to a track. Between 0-100km/h (i.e. usable real world speeds), the E30 is a gem of a car. It's exciting, talkative, and intoxicating all of the time. This is power and performance you can use, a sports car you can really exploit on the roads. With the E30, every road becomes a great road - that's its greatest magic.
On the back roads in the Munich countryside, the E30 M3 is an absolute revelation. Darting from apex to apex, the car is predictable and planted. The rev-happy engine begs you to dive into corners at 6,000rpm, offering up copious amounts of power and confidence. It is remarkable the way every moment of driving becomes a sheer joy.
And yet, the E30 M3 is an everyday sports car in the truest sense. It has enough power, but not too much so as to scare you. Put it in fifth and cruise along and it's docile and comfortable, and also surprisingly quiet. The suspension is firm yet forgiving, steering is light yet agile, and its understated design means you could trundle around fairly inconspicuously, unlike say a Ferrari or a Porsche.
Is the car everything I thought (and wanted) it would be? The lack of traction control could be an issue in the wet. You could argue it lacks power compared to modern cars, but that's absolute hogwash. And get it past about 130km/h on the Autobahn and you could argue the sensation of performance drops off distinctly (what with Tourans and Golfs speeding past on either side).
But this car is special because it has the capability to make you feel special even when you are going at 40km/h. It is a sensational piece of engineering that makes you feel alive.
This car is every motoring cliché. But there is a very simple reason for that - it is every bit as great as everyone says it is. It is absolutely unfaultable. This is why clichés exist. Cars like the E30 M3 represent a pinnacle of accomplishment, setting the bar for everything that follows.
The gold standard
They say never meet your heroes, because you will only be disappointed. Today I met motoring royalty, and my only disappointment is having to get out of the car.
Even with the briefest of times spent driving the car, I am overwhelmed by its immense heritage, its heroic capability, and its intoxicating excitement.
The E30 M3 is a perfect amalgamation of engineering, excitement, performance and soul-stirring magic
This is the gold standard. This is what performance cars should be like - raw, visceral, exciting, but perhaps most importantly, usable every day. There are many great cars today, but nothing will illicit the same sense of yearning as the E30 M3.
They don't make cars like these anymore, and that's a real pity. And the truth is, they can't. In this number-chasing arms race that we now find ourselves in, the E30 M3 is that much more special because it marks an end of an era. It harkens back to a time when performance motoring was sensible and usable. A time where a sports car was something you could enjoy every day, all the time, not just a Nurburgring laptime-chasing weapon. A reminder that greatness can come in a modest little package.
So I lift my glass of Oktoberfest Bier and say a grand old "prost!" to the E30 M3. You were a joy to behold, a soul-stirring driving experience, a memory firmly etched in my heart. As the late great David Bowie sang, "We can be heroes, just for one day." And for just this one special day, the E30 M3 made me feel like an absolute hero.
They say never meet your heroes, because you will only be disappointed. Today I met motoring royalty, and my only disappointment is having to get out of the car.
Even with the briefest of times spent driving the car, I am overwhelmed by its immense heritage, its heroic capability, and its intoxicating excitement.
This is the gold standard. This is what performance cars should be like - raw, visceral, exciting, but perhaps most importantly, usable every day. There are many great cars today, but nothing will illicit the same sense of yearning as the E30 M3.
They don't make cars like these anymore, and that's a real pity. And the truth is, they can't. In this number-chasing arms race that we now find ourselves in, the E30 M3 is that much more special because it marks an end of an era. It harkens back to a time when performance motoring was sensible and usable. A time where a sports car was something you could enjoy every day, all the time, not just a Nurburgring laptime-chasing weapon. A reminder that greatness can come in a modest little package.
So I lift my glass of Oktoberfest Bier and say a grand old "prost!" to the E30 M3. You were a joy to behold, a soul-stirring driving experience, a memory firmly etched in my heart. As the late great David Bowie sang, "We can be heroes, just for one day." And for just this one special day, the E30 M3 made me feel like an absolute hero.
There are good days at work, when we get to drive cars like the new MX-5 or the lovable MINI Coopers. There are some great days in office - days we get to drive cars like the new M2, a C 63 AMG, maybe even a spanking new Porsche.
And then there is today - I'm in Oberammergau in Munich, Germany, about to lay my unworthy hands on a classic E30 M3, a Bavarian icon with the highest of racing pedigrees.
First released 30 years ago, the E30 M3 has earned the most number of motorsport titles (ahead of the venerable Porsche 911), and is also the most successful touring car ever to have participated in racing.
This is an absolute automotive hero, and I cannot believe the day has arrived that I can actually sit in one, let alone drive it. And my destination? Oktoberfest, the Mecca of beer-worshippers across the world.
Amazing grace
Produced in 1986, the E30 M3 was designed as a race car, first and foremost. However, to take part in Group A racing (a production-based class), at least 5,000 homologated road-going models had to be produced.
And then there is today - I'm in Oberammergau in Munich, Germany, about to lay my unworthy hands on a classic E30 M3, a Bavarian icon with the highest of racing pedigrees.
First released 30 years ago, the E30 M3 has earned the most number of motorsport titles (ahead of the venerable Porsche 911), and is also the most successful touring car ever to have participated in racing.
This is an absolute automotive hero, and I cannot believe the day has arrived that I can actually sit in one, let alone drive it. And my destination? Oktoberfest, the Mecca of beer-worshippers across the world.
Amazing grace
Produced in 1986, the E30 M3 was designed as a race car, first and foremost. However, to take part in Group A racing (a production-based class), at least 5,000 homologated road-going models had to be produced.
This particular car was built on 23rd Jan 1987, and it is as stock as you can get it - legendary S14 engine, 'dogleg' gearbox, Henna Red paint (paint code 052), and incredibly, just 27,795km on the clock. There are one-year old Uber Vezels that have covered more tarmac than this car.
29 years on, the E30 M3 has aged gracefully. It is still an absolute head turner. The box fender flares, the angular front and rear bumpers, the rear wing, even the 15-inch alloy wheels, all these still make for a stunning car to look at.
On the inside, the car manages to still feel relatively modern. Considered over-engineered for its time, the car has power windows, heated seats, power sunroof, even an electronic cassette player (yes, not particularly useful anymore but back in the day…).
29 years on, the E30 M3 has aged gracefully. It is still an absolute head turner. The box fender flares, the angular front and rear bumpers, the rear wing, even the 15-inch alloy wheels, all these still make for a stunning car to look at.
On the inside, the car manages to still feel relatively modern. Considered over-engineered for its time, the car has power windows, heated seats, power sunroof, even an electronic cassette player (yes, not particularly useful anymore but back in the day…).
Buckle up
Sliding into the driver's seat, I realise a couple of things. One, the driving position is terrific. Two, it's a dogleg gearbox, meaning that the gears are sort of upside down. Three, I am sitting in an E30 M3.
The drive is all about one thing - sensation. You feel everything. Tactile, aural, visual, olfactory, every sensation you can think of, you will experience. It's amazing how direct and communicative the steering is. It is possible to distinctly make out the little variations in road surface and the slightest of undulations. Light yet talkative, it makes it easy and immensely fulfilling to carve through corners.
Shifting the five-speed box is also extremely satisfying. Just feeling the distinct clunk of a gear slotting into place is a sensation that is lacking in modern cars.
The fabled four-cylinder 2.3-litre S14 engine, cobbled together from a M88 head (the engine from the bonkers 1M) with two cylinders lopped off and an M10 head, puts out 192bhp and 230Nm of torque.
Sliding into the driver's seat, I realise a couple of things. One, the driving position is terrific. Two, it's a dogleg gearbox, meaning that the gears are sort of upside down. Three, I am sitting in an E30 M3.
The drive is all about one thing - sensation. You feel everything. Tactile, aural, visual, olfactory, every sensation you can think of, you will experience. It's amazing how direct and communicative the steering is. It is possible to distinctly make out the little variations in road surface and the slightest of undulations. Light yet talkative, it makes it easy and immensely fulfilling to carve through corners.
Shifting the five-speed box is also extremely satisfying. Just feeling the distinct clunk of a gear slotting into place is a sensation that is lacking in modern cars.
The fabled four-cylinder 2.3-litre S14 engine, cobbled together from a M88 head (the engine from the bonkers 1M) with two cylinders lopped off and an M10 head, puts out 192bhp and 230Nm of torque.
Yes, those numbers may be out-matched by many modern cars, but because it was built for racing, the S14 engine lives on its 7,300rpm red line. And you feel the naturally aspirated lump working hard, controlled by your right foot pressing on a spring-mounted throttle pedal that offers up great tactile response.
The sound may not be as viciously intense as its modern brethren, but it is decidedly mechanical and boy is it still lovely and beautiful in its own way. Work the engine past 5,000rpm, and everything in the cabin rattles and vibrates to a manic intensity. The car feels alive, and you along with it.
This car demands so much more out of you as a driver. Beyond just having to shift manually, the E30 needs to be worked hard for it to truly display its prowess. And when driven hard, you do have to concentrate much more than its modern counterpart.
But that's part of the fun, part of the experience, and that's the reason a car like this is special. The feedback from every part of the car is joyously intense. You feel it coming alive in your hand, and you know that it is all your doing.
The sound may not be as viciously intense as its modern brethren, but it is decidedly mechanical and boy is it still lovely and beautiful in its own way. Work the engine past 5,000rpm, and everything in the cabin rattles and vibrates to a manic intensity. The car feels alive, and you along with it.
This car demands so much more out of you as a driver. Beyond just having to shift manually, the E30 needs to be worked hard for it to truly display its prowess. And when driven hard, you do have to concentrate much more than its modern counterpart.
But that's part of the fun, part of the experience, and that's the reason a car like this is special. The feedback from every part of the car is joyously intense. You feel it coming alive in your hand, and you know that it is all your doing.
Every road a great road
Performance isn't measured only in how fast you can go. The problem with so many modern performance cars is that you can never exploit its full potential unless you take it to a track. Between 0-100km/h (i.e. usable real world speeds), the E30 is a gem of a car. It's exciting, talkative, and intoxicating all of the time. This is power and performance you can use, a sports car you can really exploit on the roads. With the E30, every road becomes a great road - that's its greatest magic.
On the back roads in the Munich countryside, the E30 M3 is an absolute revelation. Darting from apex to apex, the car is predictable and planted. The rev-happy engine begs you to dive into corners at 6,000rpm, offering up copious amounts of power and confidence. It is remarkable the way every moment of driving becomes a sheer joy.
And yet, the E30 M3 is an everyday sports car in the truest sense. It has enough power, but not too much so as to scare you. Put it in fifth and cruise along and it's docile and comfortable, and also surprisingly quiet. The suspension is firm yet forgiving, steering is light yet agile, and its understated design means you could trundle around fairly inconspicuously, unlike say a Ferrari or a Porsche.
Is the car everything I thought (and wanted) it would be? The lack of traction control could be an issue in the wet. You could argue it lacks power compared to modern cars, but that's absolute hogwash. And get it past about 130km/h on the Autobahn and you could argue the sensation of performance drops off distinctly (what with Tourans and Golfs speeding past on either side).
But this car is special because it has the capability to make you feel special even when you are going at 40km/h. It is a sensational piece of engineering that makes you feel alive.
This car is every motoring cliché. But there is a very simple reason for that - it is every bit as great as everyone says it is. It is absolutely unfaultable. This is why clichés exist. Cars like the E30 M3 represent a pinnacle of accomplishment, setting the bar for everything that follows.
Performance isn't measured only in how fast you can go. The problem with so many modern performance cars is that you can never exploit its full potential unless you take it to a track. Between 0-100km/h (i.e. usable real world speeds), the E30 is a gem of a car. It's exciting, talkative, and intoxicating all of the time. This is power and performance you can use, a sports car you can really exploit on the roads. With the E30, every road becomes a great road - that's its greatest magic.
On the back roads in the Munich countryside, the E30 M3 is an absolute revelation. Darting from apex to apex, the car is predictable and planted. The rev-happy engine begs you to dive into corners at 6,000rpm, offering up copious amounts of power and confidence. It is remarkable the way every moment of driving becomes a sheer joy.
And yet, the E30 M3 is an everyday sports car in the truest sense. It has enough power, but not too much so as to scare you. Put it in fifth and cruise along and it's docile and comfortable, and also surprisingly quiet. The suspension is firm yet forgiving, steering is light yet agile, and its understated design means you could trundle around fairly inconspicuously, unlike say a Ferrari or a Porsche.
Is the car everything I thought (and wanted) it would be? The lack of traction control could be an issue in the wet. You could argue it lacks power compared to modern cars, but that's absolute hogwash. And get it past about 130km/h on the Autobahn and you could argue the sensation of performance drops off distinctly (what with Tourans and Golfs speeding past on either side).
But this car is special because it has the capability to make you feel special even when you are going at 40km/h. It is a sensational piece of engineering that makes you feel alive.
This car is every motoring cliché. But there is a very simple reason for that - it is every bit as great as everyone says it is. It is absolutely unfaultable. This is why clichés exist. Cars like the E30 M3 represent a pinnacle of accomplishment, setting the bar for everything that follows.
The gold standard
They say never meet your heroes, because you will only be disappointed. Today I met motoring royalty, and my only disappointment is having to get out of the car.
Even with the briefest of times spent driving the car, I am overwhelmed by its immense heritage, its heroic capability, and its intoxicating excitement.
This is the gold standard. This is what performance cars should be like - raw, visceral, exciting, but perhaps most importantly, usable every day. There are many great cars today, but nothing will illicit the same sense of yearning as the E30 M3.
They don't make cars like these anymore, and that's a real pity. And the truth is, they can't. In this number-chasing arms race that we now find ourselves in, the E30 M3 is that much more special because it marks an end of an era. It harkens back to a time when performance motoring was sensible and usable. A time where a sports car was something you could enjoy every day, all the time, not just a Nurburgring laptime-chasing weapon. A reminder that greatness can come in a modest little package.
So I lift my glass of Oktoberfest Bier and say a grand old "prost!" to the E30 M3. You were a joy to behold, a soul-stirring driving experience, a memory firmly etched in my heart. As the late great David Bowie sang, "We can be heroes, just for one day." And for just this one special day, the E30 M3 made me feel like an absolute hero.
They say never meet your heroes, because you will only be disappointed. Today I met motoring royalty, and my only disappointment is having to get out of the car.
Even with the briefest of times spent driving the car, I am overwhelmed by its immense heritage, its heroic capability, and its intoxicating excitement.
This is the gold standard. This is what performance cars should be like - raw, visceral, exciting, but perhaps most importantly, usable every day. There are many great cars today, but nothing will illicit the same sense of yearning as the E30 M3.
They don't make cars like these anymore, and that's a real pity. And the truth is, they can't. In this number-chasing arms race that we now find ourselves in, the E30 M3 is that much more special because it marks an end of an era. It harkens back to a time when performance motoring was sensible and usable. A time where a sports car was something you could enjoy every day, all the time, not just a Nurburgring laptime-chasing weapon. A reminder that greatness can come in a modest little package.
So I lift my glass of Oktoberfest Bier and say a grand old "prost!" to the E30 M3. You were a joy to behold, a soul-stirring driving experience, a memory firmly etched in my heart. As the late great David Bowie sang, "We can be heroes, just for one day." And for just this one special day, the E30 M3 made me feel like an absolute hero.
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