Description
The odometer may read high, but this very genuine car is in superb condition…
The E30 M3 is one of the most iconic cars to come out of the 80s – a decade that saw a lot of fantastic machines. Most of these were produced for homologation purposes – to enable manufacturers to race them, a certain number of road-going examples had to be produced. The E30 M3 was exactly that – a homologation special produced so that BMW could race it on track (mainly the DTM series), and it went on to be one of the most successful race cars in history. It was also a runaway success with the car buying public, and BMW ended up producing over 17, 000 M3s in various incarnations during the production run.
In fact, each time BMW modified their race car for the season, they had to produce a specific number of road-going cars to match, and the production cars that followed carried the modifications with them – there was the original version, an Evolution I, an Evolution II and finally, the Evolution III, or Sport Evolution. The big difference in production terms was that no standard production car followed the Sport Evo as it had done with previous evolutions. It was effectively a very special edition car, with only 600 units made during the run from December 1989 to March 1990, during which time ‘standard’ E30 M3s continued to come off the production line in 215bhp guise (until production ceased in December 1990).
The Sport Evo wasn’t just special because of the numbers. Five years of intense competitive racing went into the R+D of this, the ultimate racer of its time, making the Sport Evo the very best E30 M3 BMW could make. They may only have had an inkling then of just how iconic this car would become.
Under the bonnet, things were very different. Visually, the changes were subtle – red plug caps, leads and throttle grommet hinted that things were not the same, but the engine had undergone some serious sharpening. The cylinder bore was increased to 95mm (from 84mm) and a long-stroke crank was added to boost displacement to 2, 467cc (from 2, 305). In addition, the valves were enlarged and a more aggressive cam was fitted. Special nozzles sprayed oil under the pistons to keep them cool. The end result was a power increase to 238 hp at 7, 000 rpm. A slightly modified 3. 15:1 final drive was fitted.
The Sport Evo version of the E30 M3 is the ultimate of the Ultimate Driving Machine.
Externally, body-wise, things were different visually – but the changes were much more than just cosmetic – they were functional too. The Sport Evolution had thinner glass, a lighter boot lid and bumpers, and brake cooling ducts in place of fog lights. In addition, it was fitted with a smaller fuel tank. The SE had unique adjustable front and boot spoilers, giving greater downforce, even wider front wings, and reprofiled grille slats with sealed gaps for better aerodynamics. The Sport Evolution also sits 10mm lower than the normal E30 M3. The Sport Evo came in two colour options only – Jet Black and Brilliant Red. The alloys are 7. 5×16-inch cross-spokes with the spokes painted Nogaro Silver.
The interior is a special place too, with SE only red safety belts strapping you into the Recaro Vader seats with their integrated headrests – another special SE-only feature, along with suede gear knob, handbrake and steering wheel.
This particular M3 is unusual by Sport Evo standards – most of them hardly saw any use. This car, however, has seen action, with some pretty cool people behind the wheel. Charlie Whiting is one of those relatively unsung heroes of F1 – working his way from lowly Brabham team spanner-monkey to the very top of the sport, following just a few steps behind his friend Bernie Ecclestone, who, it is said, persuaded Charlie to buy this Sport Evo. Charlie was responsible for many of F1’s greatest safety innovations and is credited with introducing several benchmark regulations that are widely said to have saved the lives of some of the sport’s greatest names – including Lewis Hamilton, Charles Leclerc and Romain Grosjean. It is said that a few F1 drivers have ‘had a go’ in this car, and we’ll bet they weren’t disappointed.
The history file is just what you’d want to see, loads of paperwork, a full set of MOTs, the service book full of stamps, original owner’s wallet and so on. The car looks and feels consistently genuine throughout every aspect, from the paperwork to the physical and mechanical condition. Our technical inspection has impressed everyone with the overall ‘honest’ feel of this car, and despite its high-ish mileage (which is technically below average @ just over 4. 5k miles per year) this is one Sport Evo we would recommend without hesitation, due to the overall feel, provenance, mechanical and physical condition, and its obviously traceable, transparent past. We’ve driven it, and it feels like a car with half its mileage – planted, responsive, without rattles and squeaks, and with lots of grunt. We’ve prepared a list of recommended works – just some refreshment and a few ongoing items that need attention, to make it mechanically on-the-button – so that this Sport Evo will be an absolute dream car for the next owner – a genuine Sport Evolution with a great back story, at a very accessible price. Its unlikely you’ll find this opportunity again.
For more information on this truly exceptional E30 M3 Sport Evolution, or to book a visit (strictly by appointment only please) contact our showroom team.
