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Written by Vijay Pattni
The E30 BMW M3 has a long and storied history, and one which you"re likely very familiar with. What we have here is the reason for the street E30 M3: a gaggle of Group A-spec E30s going nuts on a hillclimb.BMW built the original M3 to race in Group A, taking the stock E30 3-Series chassis and changing the axle kinematics, suspension and damping. The brakes were beefed up, the gearbox got that famous dog-leg arrangement - it"s easier for motorsport - and much weight was trimmed. So although the steel arches added excellent width to the E30"s stance, the bumpers, side skirts, boot lid and spoiler were all made from plastic. Even the C-pillar followed a slightly shallower angle than the standard car for better air flow.Then you get that fabulous engine. Early cars got a 2.3-litre four-cylinder engine with 200bhp, but that"s only a bit of the story. It was lightweight, used a modified cylinder head taken from the straight-six in the BMW M1, and was cranked to deal with 10,000rpm. Later units would get even more power and displacement, but really, what we need to talk about here is noise.Because forget the long and storied history. Forget the motorsport roots and weight saving measures and victories and myth and what-not. The E30 BMW M3 sounds nuts. Good nuts, but nuts.That a four-cylinder engine can make the hairs on the back of your neck stand up is no mean feat. Listening to it will make you feel instantly better and more able to tackle your day. The world can be a dark place at the best of times. Make it brighter by listening to these M3s going crazy on an Italian hillclimb.Video via BimmerpostShare this page: FacebookTwitterGoogle+WhatsAppMailtoCopy link
Date written: 6 Apr 2017
More of this article on the Top gear website
ID: 7337
The E30 BMW M3 has a long and storied history, and one which you"re likely very familiar with. What we have here is the reason for the street E30 M3: a gaggle of Group A-spec E30s going nuts on a hillclimb.BMW built the original M3 to race in Group A, taking the stock E30 3-Series chassis and changing the axle kinematics, suspension and damping. The brakes were beefed up, the gearbox got that famous dog-leg arrangement - it"s easier for motorsport - and much weight was trimmed. So although the steel arches added excellent width to the E30"s stance, the bumpers, side skirts, boot lid and spoiler were all made from plastic. Even the C-pillar followed a slightly shallower angle than the standard car for better air flow.Then you get that fabulous engine. Early cars got a 2.3-litre four-cylinder engine with 200bhp, but that"s only a bit of the story. It was lightweight, used a modified cylinder head taken from the straight-six in the BMW M1, and was cranked to deal with 10,000rpm. Later units would get even more power and displacement, but really, what we need to talk about here is noise.Because forget the long and storied history. Forget the motorsport roots and weight saving measures and victories and myth and what-not. The E30 BMW M3 sounds nuts. Good nuts, but nuts.That a four-cylinder engine can make the hairs on the back of your neck stand up is no mean feat. Listening to it will make you feel instantly better and more able to tackle your day. The world can be a dark place at the best of times. Make it brighter by listening to these M3s going crazy on an Italian hillclimb.Video via BimmerpostShare this page: FacebookTwitterGoogle+WhatsAppMailtoCopy link
Date written: 6 Apr 2017
More of this article on the Top gear website
ID: 7337
