1988 | BMW M3

The Car That Started It All

There are cars that are fast. There are cars that are beautiful. And then there is the BMW M3 E30 – a car that combines both and, almost casually, wrote motorsport history. The 1988 M3 is not just any BMW – it’s the holy grail of the ///M family, the cornerstone that made every later M3 possible.

Born out of the necessity to create a road-legal base for DTM, the E30 M3 wasn’t simply built – it was sharpened, refined, perfected. The result? A driver’s masterpiece that still feels so direct, so precise, so honest today that you wonder why anyone ever stopped building analog cars.

Technology – DTM for the road
Under the hood beats the heart of an athlete: the legendary S14 four-cylinder with 2.3 liters of displacement. No turbo, no gimmicks – just pure, high-revving engineering. With 200 hp it may look modest on paper, but every single one begs to be used to the limit. And that sound – metallic, high-pitched, raw – like a swarm of angry hornets on speed.

Chassis? Firm yet not punishing. Steering? A scalpel. Gearbox? Short, crisp, addictive. Drive it once on a winding road and you’ll understand why this car became the benchmark – and why some modern M cars feel like a fitness club with Wi-Fi in comparison.

Condition – Collector’s dream
✅ 1988 – the golden era of motorsport
✅ Matching numbers – engine, gearbox, body, all original
✅ Full service history, every inspection documented
✅ Certified, provable mileage with complete ITV records

No tuning victim, no tired track toy. This is a collector-grade M3 with soul. Driven with respect, and it shows.

Design – The wide Bavarian
Flared fenders, subtle spoilers, DTM presence. No car says “I mean business” louder than the E30 M3. Its boxy lines, perfect proportions, and racing aura make it timeless. Inside: sports seats, three-spoke steering wheel, analog dials – just you, the engine, and the road.

Conclusion – The last true M3
This is not just a car. It’s a statement. A time machine to when BMW scared the competition. Whoever buys it isn’t just buying transport – they’re buying a legend.

Because one thing is clear:
Anyone can drive a Golf GTI.
An E30 M3? You have to earn it.