THE E30 M3: BUILT TO RACE, LOVED TO DRIVE

1986 · BMW · 6 min

The most successful touring car of all time began as a homologation special with a four-cylinder engine.

THE RULES

Touring-car rules required manufacturers to sell a road-going version of the cars they raced. BMW needed 5,000 road cars to homologate its Group A racer.

THE MACHINE

Rather than a big six, BMW chose a high-revving 2.3-litre four-cylinder and muscular flared arches. The result was a car honed for racing that, unusually, was superb on the road too.

It went on to win more touring-car races than any other car in history.

Timeline

1986 — THE BEGINNING: E30 M3 launch.
1987 — VICTORY: Touring car title wins begin.
1991 — THE LEGEND: Production ends with a racing legacy.