The birth of an icon:
BMW M3

This story starts with the Mercedes 190E.  AMG, at the time a separate company but now part of the Mercedes-Benz group, and some Mercedes engineers working in "secret" the 190E was prepared for racing.  Mercedes at the time were not so interested in motor sports so this was a side project not approved by management.  Of course rivalry amongst competitors is a good thing.  We'll come back to the 190E in a moment.

In 1984 when a new race series the DTM, Deutsche Tourenwagen Meisterschaft, was introduced the homologation rules were that each entry had to sell 5000 cars a year to participate.  BMW had the 635CSi and stuck some go faster stripes and a set of sticky tyres and sent it out to win.  And it did, winning DTM's first championship.  Year two wasn't quite the same story.  The 635 was too heavy and slow for the competition.  Back to Mercedes 190E, as by 1986 Mercedes had changed their mind and gave full support to the 190E programme.  The competition was now on, an official Mercedes to compete against!

Our story now introduces Eberhard Von Kuenheim, the then CEO of BMW.  He had a simple vision, win!  Eberhard introduced the "Ultimate Driving Machine" for which BMW became well know by.  Eberhard knew that BMW must win the new DTM series and for that they needed a road car to meet the rules.  The 635 was too heavy and all they had was the family run-around 3 series, specifically the E30.

The E30 had an engine from the 1960's.  It's engine bay was too small for a powerful engine from the current range.  Basically it was great for the school run and weekly shop but not for the Nürburgring!  BMW and it's motor sport division "M" decide that rather than try to make the E30 competitive through re-working it, they would throw logic out the window and make a race car and sell it to meet the homologation rules.  The BMW bean counters advised that this would lead to bankruptcy and no one would ever buy such a car.  Eberhard politely listened - probably - then ignored them.  The concept of the M3 was ready for the engineers.

The M division took a standard E30 3 series ripped it apart before setting about building a race car.  First the engine.  BMW were first class engine builders and their M division didn't disappoint in creating the 2.3 litre four cylinder S14 based on their very reliable and trusted M10 engine used over many years that even had a Formula 1 version!  This was paired to a dog leg gear box, where 1st left and down, with 2nd and 3rd is in line and 4th and 5th in line.  This is considered better for racing as changes between 2nd and 3rd are common and with a straight up-and-down movement would be faster and easier.

New brakes and suspension - obviously.  Even the wheels had an extra fixing, five rather than four, for better anchoring to the hub.  You're beginning to see not much was left of the road going E30.  It is said the only common parts were the bonnet, roof (including the sun roof!) and inner door panel.  The windscreen was tilted at a different angle for aerodynamic effect as was the rear screen and C pillar.  The boot lid was raised with a 1980's inspired spoiler.  No 1980's car was complete without a spoiler!  The concept became raeal and the M3 was born.

The E30 M3 went on to win 1436 races in it's three years racing.  In its trophy cabinet are the Australian Touring Car, the European Touring Car, the World Touring Car and of course for BMW the most important of all the DTM.  More than that, the bean counters were wrong.  The BMW E30 M3 is the granddaddy of road going race cars.  Over time the M3 and its siblings have become a iconic high-performance cars.  The M3 is probably one of the best recognised statements of what is it to be a BMW.

To finish this story, I found this quote about the M3 from Jochen Neerpasch, a BMW M motor sport legend:

"The M3 is the most successful touring car ever built. It is a car that has won countless races and championships, and it is a car that is loved by fans all over the world.  But the M3 is more than just a race car.  It is a car that embodies everything that BMW M stands for: performance, innovation, and passion."

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