BMW M3, forged in the heat of the track

The launch of the BMW M3 e30 in 1986 marked the beginning of the story of one of the models forged both on the road and on the track, but the brand’s success in racing had already begun in 1929 with victory in the Alpine Rally. The engineering experience gained on the world’s most demanding circuits, the most grueling races and the fiercest rivalries in motorsport has helped make BMW what it is today.

Thanks to all this experience, today we can drive cars that are more striking, precise and exciting. The arrival of the most powerful letter in the world, M, on the BMW M1 of 1978 made it possible for the saga of high-performance models to continue. The BMW that has most strengthened the philosophy of taking the track to the road has been the BMW M3 e30, which, quite fittingly, was born as a homologation model.

BMW M3 e30, 35 years of pure driving pleasure

The BMW M3 was developed in collaboration with the BMW Motorsport department and from its conception it was a car designed for the most passionate drivers. This model won the world, European, German and even Italian touring car championships, not to mention the Silverstone Tourist Trophy and the 1987 24 Hours of Spa.

Drivers such as Roberto Ravaglia, Johnny Cecotto and Emanuele Pirro made history, battling it out on track in the toughest fights. The BMW M3s went up against iconic models such as the Ford Sierra Cosworth. The M3s also competed in the 1987 World Rally Championship and the British Touring Car Championship.

The experience gained on the track made its way to the road, and in 1989 came the BMW M3 e30 Evo, which had 20 CV more power, a more prominent front splitter and a larger rear spoiler. In addition, the door panels were lighter, which made much higher performance possible. Next came the BMW M3 e30 Sport Evolution, which produced 374 CV, 78 CV more than the M3s that raced in 1987. In 1992, the legendary e30 evolved into the e36 body style. The Bavarian marque developed the BMW M3 e36 GTR, which had a wider rear axle and a spoiler that made all the difference. Like its predecessor, it won the ADAC GT Cup in Germany in 1993.

In 2010, the BMW M3 e46 arrived, and with it its racing version called BMW M3 e46 GTR, which was powered by a 4.0-litre V8 engine.

Nürburgring, its natural habitat

The Nürburgring is one of the most demanding circuits in the world, and the BMW M3s know it well: they have won the 24 Hours of Nürburgring on ten occasions. The most recent? In 2020. The Bavarian marque also set its sights on the 24 Hours of Le Mans, winning in 1999 with the BMW V12 LMR. It also competed in the GT2 class; one of these cars became an Art Car.

After 20 years, BMW returned to the Deutsche Tourenwagen Meisterschaft with Bruno Spengler behind the wheel. From that point on, BMW began competing with the BMW M4. Marco Wittmann became champion in 2014 and 2016. Today, the BMW M4 has found its place in the GT4 category. The new BMW M4 GT3 Endurance Racer will hit the track in 2022 and is being developed alongside the BMW M3 Competition and the BMW M4 Competition.