The first BMW M3 was made to meet Group A homologation standards, which meant that even hotter “evolution” cars could race as long as 500 were made. The Sport Evolution, BMW’s fastest E30-generation M3 “Evo,” had a bigger engine, a moveable rear wing, and other racing-specific upgrades. This French-market car is very rare—only 600 M3 Sport Evolutions were made, and none were sold brand new in North America. One of the most famous homologation specials of the 1980s was the first BMW M3, which was part of the E30 line. It took BMW 5,000 M3s that could be driven on the road to make them race-legal. The car was made to be a great race car for the Deutsche Tourenwagen Meisterschaft (DTM) and other FIA Group A touring car events. In the process, it made one of the most adored BMWs of all time: a hero that can’t be shaken, handles well, and burns rubber. Is there a better choice? Of course, a factory-built E30 M3 with even more speed. The fastest and last of three BMW M3 “Evos,” this 1990 M3 Sport Evolution has been put up for sale on Bring a Trailer, which is owned by Hearst Autos, the same company that owns Invoice Pricing. By making them, BMW was trying to stay ahead of the Group A-arms race. When it was made in 1982, the Group A formula was meant to make racecars more like regular cars than the Group 2 rules. At first, it did well, and other foreign series, like the World Rally Championship, the European Touring Car Championship (ETCC), and the DTM, were based on it. But racing homologation rules can be interpreted in creative ways, like a pirate’s code. Automobile companies quickly saw a huge regulatory hole the size of Crater Lake. If at least 500 of the original 5,000 “Evolution” cars were made, more personalized versions could be homologated. This was the start of the Evo era, which made cars for the DTM and ETCC like the Mercedes-Benz 190E 2.3-16, the Ford Sierra RS500 Cosworth, and the Volvo 240T. For example, Volvo made 505 cars but then took away many of the speed upgrades and sold them as regular 240s, which made other automakers very angry. There you go, a pirate’s code. In 1985, as sales of the 6-series began to drop, the first BMW M3 was supposed to take over Group A, which it did. The M3’s body was based on the normal E30 two-door, but it was longer, wider, lighter, and better at cutting through the air. It had a strong four-cylinder S14 engine that made 197 horsepower at high revs. It was paired with a close-ratio Getrag five-speed gearbox and a limited-slip rear differential. At that time, this was a lot of power for a 2.3-liter engine. In the past, bigger brakes, stronger anti-roll bars, harder springs, and re-valved shocks were enough. The M3 quickly won over 1400 podiums around the world. It won two DTM titles, two ETCC titles, and the 1987 Tour De Corse Rally, which was won by ProDrive, who would go on to become Subaru’s most successful team. In addition, it was very polite on the road. To keep up that level of performance, the car had to keep getting better. The first 5005 M3 Evolutions that were made in 1987 only had changes made to the cylinder head. There were also small changes in other areas. A hotter cam, smaller side glass, more aerodynamic spoilers, and a higher compression ratio were also added to the 501 Evolution 2s that were made in 1988. Due to rising racing costs, the ETCC broke up in late 1989. But in December of that year, BMW released the Sport Evolution, an even more competitive M3 Evo for the DTM. For this ultimate M3, the S14 six-cylinder engine was widened and stroked to 2.5 liters. It also got bigger valves, a faster cam, and other changes inside to make 238 horsepower. The side glass on the Sport Evolution was even thinner, and the shields were lighter. The gas tank was also smaller. Bumpers that are even more sleek were added, and fog lights were swapped out for brake cooling ducts. Now, there are three options for the rear spoiler: Monza, Normal, and Nürburgring (to get the most downforce). All 600 were built, and they were all red or black. Even though the M3 Evos aren’t the rarest E30 M3s, there weren’t any in the US. The factory E30 M3 that is the fastest is the Sport Evolution. However, convertibles and special versions named after racers Gianfranco Brancatelli and Johnny Cocetto are more challenging to find. That is pure joy, but it also opens up investment options and gives you something to brag about. This M3 Sport Evolution was built in France and brought to the US in 2018. Francois Bernardini, a BMW dealer in Corsica, first sold it. Soon after it was brought into the country, it received many repairs, like a new fuel tank, springs, bushings, gaskets, and seals. With only 48,000 kilometers (30,000 miles) on the clock, it may have needed all that cleaning after sitting for a while. No matter what the reason, it’s here and ready to go. You’ll need a lot of money, but this is the only chance you’ll ever get to buy an NE plus ultra E30 M3 with low miles. People have bid more than $180,000 on these very rare BMW cars in the past. May 5 is the last day of the sale.
