Thirty Years of the BMW 3 Series

Press Release

The Purebred Sports Car: the BMW M3

Connoisseurs and aficionados everywhere started to look ahead with a great feeling of anticipation in August 1985, when Germany’s car magazines spread the first news about the fastest-ever BMW 3 Series set to enter the market. And indeed, the facts and figures they reported clearly showed that this would be a genuine sports car far superior to its previous segment: Maximum output 200 bhp, top speed 230 km/h (143 mph) +, acceleration to 100 km/h in 6.7 seconds. The only drawback was that according to the same reports those connoisseurs and aficionados would have to wait until mid-1986 for the “most dynamic BMW 3 Series the world has ever seen�.

Project M3 had started only a few months earlier at BMW Motorsport GmbH: Seeking to build a competitive sports engine, the team had started a future-oriented development process based on BMW’s two-litre four-cylinder. Their first step was to increase engine capacity to 2.3 litres, at the same time following a strategy which had already made the team very successful for many years – and which is still successful today: four-valve technology. So within a very short time, the team created a power unit for the BMW 3 Series destined under its development designation S14 to hit the headlines in both motorsport and series production.

Unlike other high-performance cars, this dynamic 3 Series was not to be built in small numbers by hand, but rather as a large-volume project coming off the assembly line. Because the M3 planned to be built initially in a run of 5,000 units was to be a road-going car fully suited for everyday use.

Dynamic but Clean: Top Performance also with a Catalytic Converter.

But this was not the only challenge taken on by BMW’s engine specialists in spring 1985. For if the M3 was to be a future-oriented, trendsetting sports car, it was to meet this objective in as many respects as possible. Which, among other things, also meant the right kind of emission management: From the start the four-cylinder power unit was developed for perfect interaction with a fully controlled catalytic converter. Making this move, BMW was once again taking a bold step, with unleaded gasoline not necessarily having the reputation in the mid-80s of giving high-performance power units a long running life. And another factor was that catalytic converters added on to the engine literally blocked the power and performance of many cars. Still, the M3 clearly showed that this need not necessarily be the case, the most dynamic and powerful of all 3 Series developing an unmatched 143 kW or 195 bhp.

The BMW M3 made its first public appearance on the BMW stand at the Frankfurt Motor Show in autumn 1985, clearly standing out from the other 3 Series even without any special paintwork due to the big spoiler extending over the entire width of the car above the bootlid at the rear. And all round this show model, air dams bore clear testimony to the aerodynamic refinement of the 3 Series’ bodyshell. Yet a further feature was the introduction of the flared wheel arches destined to become so characteristic of the M3, the muscular extension of the car’s wings ending in a powerful, sweeping line below the edges of the fenders as such. So there could be no doubt about it – the BMW M3 looked fast even at a standstill.

High-Class Racing Technology for a Top Speed of 230 km/h or 143 mph Minimum.

However, testers and customers still had to wait at least half a year. The first pre-series cars were ready in spring 1986 and the M3 was presented to the press at an appropriate location – on the famous race track in Mugello, Italy. On the occasion car testers were impressed to see that the aerodynamic looks were not exaggerated, but were rather an understatement, BMW’s new power machine boasting thoroughbred racing technology within its muscular body. The axle kinematics, springs and dampers, for example, were all modified, the brake system featuring ABS as standard came with inner-vented disc brakes at the front and a high-pressure pump driven by the engine. This servo pump also fed power to the steering, enabling both systems – the brakes and the steering – to operate independently of underpressure in the engine.

Aerodynamic refinement of the car was also reflected by the excellent drag coefficient of 0.33. Lift forces on the front axle were approximately 50 per cent lower than on the other two-door 3 Series, with lift forces at the rear being reduced by an even more impressive two-thirds thanks to the large rear wing. For the driver, this meant a significant improvement of driving stability and even more precise steering behaviour at very high speeds, the M3 in standard trim reaching a top speed of 230 km/h or 143 mph with its catalytic power unit and 235 km/h or 146 mph without a catalyst.

At the same time the M3 was very economical in terms of fuel consumption, consuming well under 9.0 litres/100 km (31.4 mpg Imp) in the one-third mix consumption test applied at the time at a steady speed of 90 km/h (56 mph), 120 km/h (75 mph), and in city traffic. However, a car like this obviously came at an appropriate price, the price tag on the M3 in 1986 being DM 58,850 in the German market. By comparison, the next most expensive 3 Series was the 325i Convertible retailing in Germany at DM 46, 800.

Still, selling the required number of 5,000 units to customers was not the slightest problem. As early as in summer 1986, long before the start of deliveries, purchase contracts for the M3 were already being traded at a premium price in car magazines everywhere. And it did indeed take until 1987 for all 5,000 units of the first M3 to line up for a family photograph at BMW’s car park in Munich-Freimann before setting out to their destinations all over the world.

Car connoisseurs and enthusiasts thus clearly honoured the strengths and qualities of this sporting 3 Series, the readers of German car magazine “sport auto� choosing the M3 as their “Most Sporting Saloon of the Year�. And this was quite justified, considering what the M3 had to offer: It was the first BMW back in 1987 to feature electrically adjustable dampers with three different settings. Simply by turning a button on the handbrake lever, the driver was able to choose between the Sports, Normal and Comfort modes, control lamps in the instrument panel showing the setting currently in use.

For the Genuine Enthusiast: the Evolution and Convertible Models.

Proving its reliability and long-distance qualities under the toughest racing conditions on the track, the M3 was further upgraded in 1988, giving the customer the choice of two even more outstanding models: Introducing the M3 Evolution, BMW first launched a small, special series of even more powerful and dynamic cars. Distinguished by their even more opulent spoilers, these special versions of the M3 were powered by a 220 bhp engine. And again, there was also a catalyst version as of the end of 1989 developing maximum output of 215 bhp.

The second offering was for a very special group of customers seeking to enjoy the very best in open-air motoring: This was the M3 Convertible based on the 3 Series Convertible. With maximum engine output of 195 bhp, this very special model had a top speed of 228 km/h or 141 mph, making it by far the fastest open four-seater available in a small production series.

Precisely 17,900 M3s came off the production line in Munich by the end of 1992, including 786 Convertibles. Nobody had expected such overwhelming success – and so it was only obvious to continue this success story with the new 3 Series in the market since 1990.

The Six-Cylinder – the Second M3 Enters the Market.

This M3 was a completely new – and a completely different – car. The former model now no longer in production had been an uncompromising sports machine built consistently for racing requirements and requiring the driver to show active qualities himself in making the necessary concessions. What was now coming was an elegant and discreet Coupé powered by an ultra-muscular but refined six-cylinder. Maximum output of this four-valve power unit was 210 kW or 286 bhp, with VANOS camshaft management, BMW’s revolutionary new technology, offering the very best in power and performance.

The German abbreviation for Variable Cam Spread, VANOS is able to adjust the intake valve opening period and angle to both engine speed and load. The advantage is consistent, parallel optimisation of torque, output, and fuel economy all in one. And developing 320 Newton-metres or 236 lb-ft of torque at 3,600 rpm, the new power unit of the M3 was indeed the leader in the naturally aspirated engine market. For all practical purposes, the six-cylinder offered as much torque from just above idling speed as the former M3 power unit at its peak: 230 Newton-metres or 170 lb-ft.

The engine of the M3 was also No 1 worldwide in another respect, no other naturally aspirated power unit offering the same kind of specific output: 96 bhp per litre, plus equally high specific torque of 108 Newton-metres or 80 lb-ft per litre were truly outstanding figures. As a result, the Coupé accelerated to 100 km/h in just 6.0 seconds, reaching the end of its powerful, ongoing surge of acceleration only at the very high speed of 250 km/h or 155 mph. And this was not because the engine had no more power to go even further, but rather because the electronic system put an end to this ongoing thrust: The speed limit was imposed by BMW voluntarily.

In the meantime fuel consumption in the DIN combined cycle had reached a limit which would have made even a midrange car look good: Fuel consumption of the M3 in the combined cycle was 9.1 litres of premium fuel equal to 31.0 mpg Imp – naturally unleaded, since this supersports obviously came with a catalytic converter. As a result, the car not only achieved the emission standards imposed by law, but rather remained more than 50 per cent below the limit required.

The second M3 was soon inundated with praise and positive comments all over the place: The readers of German car magazine “sport auto� voted the M3 their “Car of the Year� no less than twice in a row, “Auto Plus� in France even choosing the M3 as their “Car of the Century�. And immediately after the M3's market launch in the USA, the motor journalists of “Automobile Magazine� chose the new star in the market as their “Car of the Year�, making the M3 the first import car ever to receive this title.

1994 BMW M3 Convertible

Open Temptation: the BMW M3 Convertible.

As elegant and beautiful as it was, the M3 still left a number of wishes open among some of its customers. To be precise, demand for a new M3 Convertible became louder all the time. However, BMW’s motorsport specialists now working under the name of M GmbH had expected this demand from the start, and had therefore conceived the new M3 as a Convertible from the beginning. So in 1994 the new, open-air M3 based on BMW’s four-seater Convertible saw the light of day for the first time – naturally with an electrical power roof.

In spring 1995 M GmbH had a very different gift for the large number of M3 enthusiasts the world over: BMW’s sports specialists introduced a small series of very special models code-named the M3 GT, finished exclusively in British Racing Green, featuring special spoilers front and rear, and obviously offering even more power, 295 bhp now being the standard to beat.

Making its Debut with bi-VANOS: New 3.2-litre Power Unit Developing 321 bhp.

Even the best and highest standard is however always open to further improvement. So shortly after the expansion of the M3 model range with the introduction of the four-door Saloon, BMW AG announced on 20 July 1995 that the M3 was becoming even more dynamic and powerful: The new six-cylinder power unit now displacing 3.2 litres and featuring four valves per cylinder developed maximum output of 236 kW or 321 bhp at 7,400 rpm. And as in the past, engine output, torque, idling smoothness and exhaust emissions were all improved by the adjustable intake camshaft. A further new feature now also introduced was synchronised control of the exhaust camshaft allowing internal exhaust gas recirculation for a significant reduction of nitric oxides.

BMW added even more than this improvement of the engine, meeting the requests of many M3 customers by introducing a new transmission with six gears. And yet another, very special highlight was the introduction of compound brakes on the front wheels, the compound structure of the aluminium brake disc cover combined with the grey cast iron friction ring allowing the brake discs to expand under brake force without being distorted or changing their shape in the process.

Shifting Gears Even Faster: the SMG Sequential M Gearbox.

In 1997 BMW M GmbH became the first car maker in the world to offer the SMG Sequential M Gearbox, in this case, of course, in the BMW M3.

This very special transmission enables the driver to shift gears on one plane or level, with fully automatic operation of the clutch. The advantages are twofold: First, gearshift times are extremely short; second, SMG prevents the possibility of the driver making a mistake in shifting gears.

Seen somewhat sceptically at the beginning, the SMG Sequential M Gearbox soon became a genuine boom, almost every second M3 in this model generation being fitted with SMG transmission towards the end of the car's production life. And by that time this truly exceptional sports car had developed into a genuine best seller, coming off the production lines in Regensburg exactly 71, 242 times. From 1992 – 1999 this was indeed the silent star within the wide range of BMW models built in Regensburg – the Coupé, Convertible, and Saloon.

343 bhp Beneath its Powerdome: the Third-Generation M3.

The current M3 made its debut at the Geneva Motor Show in the year 2000. And indeed – just one look at the engine compartment lid indicates the power and performance this car has to offer: The hood extends up in the middle to form a striking powerdome, a lightly raised contour provided sufficient space for the engine of the M3. Displacing exactly 3,246 cc, the straight-six power unit develops an impressive 343 bhp (252 kW) at an engine speed of 7,900 rpm, with maximum torque of 365 Newton-metres (269 lb-ft) at 4,900 rpm.

The main objective in developing this engine for the M3 was however not to generate sheer torque, but rather to build up genuine thrust and “muscle� on the road. And this means in particular the engine’s fast-revving performance characteristics combined with the car’s relatively short final drive ratio. As a result, the M3 accelerates to 100 km/h in just 5.2 seconds and takes a mere 5.3 seconds to accelerate from 80–120 km/h (50–75 mph) in fourth gear.

A special switch – M Driving Dynamics Control – allows the driver furthermore to choose either a sporting or a more comfort-oriented engine response. This refined but truly outstanding power is then conveyed smoothly and without problems to the road by the six-speed manual gearbox supported for the first time in the M3 by the Variable M Differential Lock.

Meeting Even Greater Requirements: the Convertible and New SMG Transmission.

Hardly had the new M3 Coupé made its very successful start into the market when a second, perhaps even more attractive variant hit the headlines: The new M3 Convertible, an open four-seater sports model of the highest calibre, entered the market in spring 2001. While this open-air model is identical with the M3 Coupé up to its A-pillar, the M3 Convertible conveys an even more muscular, lower and wider look.

Even this, however, is by far not the end of the road of the M3 concept. Because only a few months later the next highlight came along, just as dynamic and performance-minded as the cars themselves: This is the new Sequential M Gearbox (SMG) now offering perfection of an even higher standard in its second-generation in the current M3: To shift to the gear desired, the driver is able to operate SMG within split-seconds by means of paddles on the steering wheel. And a further outstanding highlight of this second generation is the even shorter interruption of traction on the road when shifting gears, the fastest gearshift now taking a mere 80 milliseconds. Hardly anybody in the world is able to shift gears this quickly.

The BMW M3CSL, a very special limited edition model, finally offered ultimate bliss and happiness to aficionados of the letter “M� in the year 2003. This unique combination of intelligent lightweight technology and a power unit further boosted to 265 kW/360 bhp ensured a further increase in performance and truly unprecedented handling of the highest standard.