This Is Why The E30 BMW M3 Prices Are Skyrocketing

The E30 BMW M3 is one of the best examples of a car focused on pure driving sensation. There are no bells or whistles here, just a strong engine and a dialed-in chassis. This late-80s hero went on to set the standard for sports saloons, and it was the start of the supremely successful M3 line. Without the M3, the car scene could look very different. We’ll never truly know how many cars and drivers the little E30 inspired.

Now a classic car, appreciation for the E30 BMW M3 is only increasing. Consequently, values for these cars are also shooting upwards. Ten years ago, a very clean example would set you back around $25,000. In 2020, a low–mileage, spotless E30 M3 went for a record-breaking $250,000! That is obviously an extreme example, but it still stands that the average price of an E30 BMW M3 these days is around $70,000. Is it worth it? These values reflect the demand for the car. It’s a rare, excellently-engineered piece of automotive history. Above all that, it’s an absolute joy to drive.

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The E30 BMW M3 Is One Of The Best Driver’s Cars Of All Time

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BMW created the E30 M3 to compete in the German touring car championship, known as DTM. In order to enter their new car into the competition, they needed to produce 5,000 road-going examples, and thus the E30 M3 was born. The first units rolled off the production line in 1986, and they continued to do so until 1991, making just short of 18,000 cars in total.

As it was a homologation special, the E30 M3 had one thing in mind – driving fast. Its punchy S14 motor worked in tandem with a finely tuned chassis. Its fully-independent suspension (beefed up struts with shorter springs at the front and trailing arms at the rear) makes short work of anything you throw at it, while front and rear anti-roll bars help to keep it flat through corners.

To get the best out of the E30 BMW M3 you really have to wring its neck. Once you’re driving spiritedly, it all comes together. The rapid throttle response, the direct steering feel and the sublime balance. In the chaos of driving flat out, it all becomes calm as it dances through bends with ease and powers down the straights.

Timeless Styling Means The E30 BMW M3 Looks Better Than Most Modern Cars

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Though they look similar if you squint, the E30 BMW M3 shares very little with its standard E30 cousins. In fact, the only body panels that are transferable are the hood and the roof. Just looking at it is enough to get you excited. Even sitting still, it seems both potent and accomplished.

The iconic kidney–grilles between the round headlights almost look on the small side considering the current crop of BMWs. The front bumper and splitter are full of slits to allow air access to the engine bay. The more time that passes, the more handsome the square front end of the E30 seems. The wheel arches bulge out over the BBS wheels. Unlike many garish or attention-seeking widebody kits, the subtlety of the E30 M3s wider shoulders has a certain amount of elegance. Just because it’s a performance car doesn’t mean it has to shout all about it.

The flared side skirts and rear lip, along with the diminutive rear wing are all functional and aid aerodynamics. To underline how serious BMW were about the E30 M3, they set the rear window at a flatter angle and glued it and the front windshield in place (unlike on standard E30s). This was to remove the need for rubber strips to hold them in place, giving the car a smoother finish that help it to slip through the air even easier.

The S14 Engine Helped Make The E30 BMW M3 The Most Successful Touring Car Ever

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At the heart of the E30 BMW M3 lies the S14 motor. It’s a naturally aspirated 2.3-liter inline four-cylinder that makes 200 hp. BMW didn’t hold back, building this dual overhead cam motor with four valves per cylinder and individual throttle bodies, helping it to rev out to 7250 rpm. The power pushed through a five-speed manual transmission and a limited-slip differential to the rear wheels. Evolution models produced slightly more horsepower, but it was in motorsport that the potential of the S14 was really unleashed. In race trim, the same 2.3-liter engine (albeit in a much higher state of tune) produced 296 hp. Remember that’s from a naturally aspirated inline four made in the ’80s!

This fantastic motor helped the E30 BMW M3 to blow away its competition. It won the 24 Hours Nürburgring five times in six years and the Spa 24 Hours four times in five years. It was competing against and beating cars with both turbochargers and larger capacity engines. BMW developed an upgraded 2.5-liter version of the motor to stay ahead of the curve, and it put out an unbelievable 374 hp. At the end of the 1980s the E30 BMW M3 was absolutely dominant, winning multiple titles all around the world including the World Touring Car Championship.

Related: 10 Things You Need To Know Before Buying A Used BMW E92 M3

The E30 BMW M3 Is Worth Every Cent

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The E30 BMW M3 is getting more and more expensive, and yet it’s still worth it. For the same money you can get a new BMW M2 Competition. All that power and technology is tempting! But the E30 M3 is a true legend and the M2 wouldn’t exist without it. This E30 is so much more than just a car. The original M3 is a masterpiece of automotive historical significance, with proper motorsport credentials and a perennially beautiful design, and it’s worth whatever it costs.

Sources: BMW, Hagerty, Bring a Trailer