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The BMW M3 series is a high- performance version of the BMW 3-series. The first model was based on the 1986 E30 3-series and was most notable as it was mainly marketed as a racing vehicle. BMW wanted to break into the touring car racing market to compete against the likes of Mercedes-Benz. The increase in demand led to the M3 being adapted into a road car. It had a number of upgrades over the standard 3-series including a more powerful and responsive engine, improved handling, better suspension, a more aerodynamic body and multiple interior and exterior accents with the tri-colour “M” emblem, which stood for Motorsport. The E30 M3 was the first model produced between 1986 and 1992. BMW engineers stripped the standard E30 3-series body to its BMW M3

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BMW had to build 5,000 M3s for retail sale in order to qualify for Touring Car competition.

not have been as successful on the track as its previous model, but it was highly praised for its handling and engine characteristics. In 2000 the next generation of M3 was emerging. Sticking with the 3.2-litre straight-6 engine, BMW managed to draw even more power out of the engine. Now the E46 M3 was producing 343bhp and coupled with its advanced suspension and electric driver aids it quickly became a modern day performance icon. In 2007 BMW released one of the sports cars of our time, the E92 M3. Sporting a massive 4-litre V8 engine, carbon fibre roof and onboard computer, this was the most powerful and advanced M3 model ever made.

core and went about creating the now renowned M3 model. Critics were amazed by the car’s behaviour on the road, blending everyday usability with an uncompromised driving experience. Only 5,000 E30 M3s were intended for production, but, by 1992, a total of 18,000 had been produced. The E30 M3 won more road races than any other model in history, considered by many as the world’s most successful road-race car. During the 1990s BMW began to update the M3 design, creating the E36 M3, fitting it first with a 3-litre 6-cylinder engine, which produced 286bhp and later replacing it with a more powerful 3.2-litre straight-6 engine producing 321bhp. It may