THE BMW M3 - AN ICONIC BENCHMARK IN MOTORING PERFORMANCE.
The most powerful letter in the world - M. Thanks to BMW M Performance, the iconic ///M is recognised the world over and it is linked to some of the coolest performance cars ever created. It started off in the latter part of the 1980s when the E30 M3 was launched and since then the infamous M badge has appeared on a range of BMW models. These M-badged models are the top-of-the-range versions with the best engines, best suspension, and best components wrapped up in a package usually rated as the best in their respective segments. Over the years M cars have evolved with the times, eventually going from normally aspirated to turbocharged powerplants and from rear-wheel drive to all-wheel drive. The most popular model is undoubtedly the M3, a car that’s often regarded as the benchmark in performance. For as long as I can remember, when someone has built or modified their car, the question that usually follows is “How does it run against an M3?”. That’s saying something. That was back in the days of the E365 and E46 M3, but now that the M3 is turbocharged, anyone building a car with the hopes of it being able to tame an M3 needs to have a massive budget. That’s assuming the M3 in the fight is still stock. With choice mods, an M3 is a beast on the road, drag strip or racetrack. So when did the M3 story start? In 1986…
The E30 M3 arrived in 1986 and stuck around until 1991. The car was created to dominate the racetrack and was designed to meet homologation requirements for Group A Touring Car racing. This first version rocked a high-revving, naturally aspirated 2.3-litre inline-four (S14 engine) that produced 147 kW with 240 Nm of torque in the road-going version. It retained the boxy design of the E30, it featured wide fenders, and track-tuned suspension earned it legendary status. Special variants like the M3 Evo 1 and Evo 2 added power and weight-saving features, making it a true racing icon. We never got this in SA thanks to the political climate at the time, and so clever chaps here created the SA-only 333i. There are a few here now though, and they’re rarely spotted in the wild. We did get the follow-up model, the E36 M3 produced from 1992 - 1999. This was the version that set the standard of using an inline-six in the M3 with the S50 and the S52 engines. The most common one was rated at 210 kW with 320 Nm of torque.
My favourite M3 is the E46 version from 2002 - 2006, this one featured the now iconic S54 inline-six that was rated at 252 kW with 365 Nm of torque. It’s well-balanced with great handling, and it was available with a 6-speed manual or a sequential manual gearbox (SMG) with power going to the rears. The best example was the lightweight M3 CSL, a legendary car that now fetches way more money 2nd hand than it did when it was new - if you can find one for sale. In 2007, the E93 was released, and to try something new, it was given a 4.0-litre V8, the S65. It was bigger and heavier, but it looked rather good, especially with that ‘power bulge’ on the bonnet. This one was rated at 309 kW with 400 Nm of torque, still rear-wheel driven. It was popular, but it’s the model after that really impresses.
The F80 M3 produced from 2014-2020 has it all, the powerplant, the drivetrain and the styling. It ticks all the boxes, and also signalled the return to the inline-six, albeit with a pair of turbochargers in the mix. These were rated at 317 kW with 550 Nm of torque, which is a conservative figure, that’s what they make at the wheels at altitude, give or take a kilowatt or two. Being turbocharged means extra power was easily extracted from them, and so now there are loads of them around making silly power with unbelievable performance. The current BMW M3 is the G80, that one with the controversial oversized kidney grille up front that has admittedly grown on me. It’s a beast of a car that uses the S58 powerplant, a 3.0-litre inline-six with a pair of turbochargers, and if you have the budget, you can option it with power going to all four wheels. It’s rated at 390 kW with a powerful 650 Nm of torque. Again, easily tunable which means there are loads of 700 - 800 kW versions on the streets. Which is your favourite? And why?
Take a look at the YouTube video that briefly details the history of the iconic BMW M3 nameplate and the popular versions of the car dating back to its birth in 1986 when BMW needed a homologation special to be able to compete in top-tier motorsport right up to the latest large-nostrilled G80 in its all-wheel drive awesomeness: THE M3 STORY | BMW M
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