With no shortage of reasons to celebrate—2016 being BMW’s 100th anniversary and all—the company has surprised us with another one. To commemorate the 30th anniversary of the car that made BMW M synonymous with high-performance and motorsports dominance, BMW is launching an exclusive special-edition “30 Jahre M3” this summer.
By 1986, BMW Motorsports GmbH had already released the E26 BMW M1 mid-engine supercar in 1978 and the E28 BMW M5 sedan in 1985. Both were acclaimed for their styling and performance. But in 1986, the company presented a car that would set the standard for high-performance cars on the street and especially on the track. That car—the E30 M3—transformed the best-selling BMW 3 Series from a reliable and great-performing entry-level luxury sports sedan into arguably the most acclaimed and envied high-performance sports car line of the last 30 years. The E30 M3 was comfortable as a family car and grocery-getter, but even more comfortable as the winningest touring race car of all time.
Since 1986, the M3 has evolved through five generations: the E30, E36, E46, E92, and F30, and has spun off the F32 M4 for good measure. Now in 2016, the F30 BMW M3 has been chosen to celebrate the entire line’s longevity at the top of the performance car food chain. Only 500 “30 Jahre M3s” will be produced. We don’t know right now how many will come to the U.S., but probably not many. Recall that only 30 of the “30 Jahre M5s” made it here.
The “30 Jahre M3” will only be available in Macao Blue metallic, a color that was first available as a special-order paint for the E30 M3. Accents are BMW Individual High Gloss Shadow Line, a black chrome tailpipe trim on the M sport exhaust system, and exclusive M gills in the front wings with the “30 Jahre M3” logo.
The basis for the special edition M3 is the F30 M3 with Competition Package. This option for a normal production M3 adds 19 horsepower for a total of 450 horsepower. It comes with the Adaptive M Suspension, new springs, struts, and stabilizers, and modified Comfort, Sport, and Sport+ modes. The Active M differential is also modified and the car comes with Dynamic Stability Control.
The “30 Jahre M3” rides on 20-inch M light-alloy 666 M star spoke wheels shod with 265/30R20 tires in the front and 285/30R20 in the back.
The “30 Jahre M3” is a tenth of a second quicker from zero to 60 than the normal M3, which means the special edition gets it done in 4 seconds flat, provided it has the optional seven-speed M double clutch transmission. With a six-speed manual, the time is 4.1 seconds.
Also from the Competition Package are the skeletal M sports seats and BMW M embroidered strips in the seat harnesses. The “30 Jahre M3” logo is in the front door sills and embroidered into the front headrests. A carbon fiber trim strip contains “30 Jahre M3 1/500” to denote the car’s exclusivity. New “30 Jahre M3” owners have the choice of full full leather Merino trim in bi-color Black/Fjord Blue or Black/Silverstone with color-matching contrast seams.
Pricing will be announced closer to the actual launch. It won't be cheap.
We hope that BMW continues to celebrate significant models with commemorative editions, even after it completes its 100-year celebrations., but only for cars that mark the truly high points of BMW history. For example, we don’t need a “30 Jahre 325es” even though that car made its debut in 1986. If any BMW deserves a commemorative edition—and many do—the M3 deserves to be at the top of the list.—Scott Blazey
[Photos courtesy of BMW AG.]
