> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.verydriver.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # 40 Years of the BMW M3 - URL: https://www.verydriver.com/40-years-of-the-bmw-m3/ - Published: 2026-08-13T23:15:44.000Z - Updated: 2026-08-15T15:31:55.000Z - Author: Very Driver - Tags: Automotive Industry For four decades, the BMW M3 has set the standard for performance sedans. Six generations later, it remains one of the most respected names in the car world and has never lost the balance of racetrack performance and daily practicality. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/f9/94/f99452cd-a930-4f25-894c-20551819444a/content/images/2026/08/P90237121_highRes_the-bmw-m3-dtm-e30-0.jpg) BMW M3 Group A DTM Race Car (E30) Media: [BMW GROUP Newsroom](https://www.press.bmwgroup.com/global/photo/compilation/T0264110EN/30-years-of-the-bmw-m3-%E2%80%93-the-story-behind-the-legend?ref=verydriver.com) ## Born on the Track The M3 debuted in 1986 as the E30\. Its motorsport division set out to build a Group A touring car, the era's top production-based racing class. Group A rules required a manufacturer to sell at least 5,000 road-going units within 12 months for a car to be eligible to race, so BMW built the street M3 to meet that requirement. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/f9/94/f99452cd-a930-4f25-894c-20551819444a/content/images/2026/08/P0036742.JPG) 1987 BMW M3 (E30) Media: [BMW GROUP Newsroom](https://www.press.bmwgroup.com/global/photo/detail/P0036742/bmw-m3-e30-1987-05/2007?ref=verydriver.com) It paired a 2.3-liter four-cylinder, topped with a cylinder head from the M1's six, with a 1,200-kilogram body, good for 192 hp and 62 mph in 6.7 seconds. Flared arches, a deep front air dam, and a raised trunk with spoiler set it apart from an ordinary 3 Series. Under that bodywork sat a race-tuned suspension, quicker steering, and bigger brakes, all engineered for the track first. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/f9/94/f99452cd-a930-4f25-894c-20551819444a/content/images/2026/08/P90093403_highRes_dtm-1987-eric-van-de.jpg) Driver Eric van de Poele in the BMW M3 Group A (E30), DTM 1987, fourth race in Berlin. Media: [BMW GROUP Newsroom](https://www.verydriver.com/the-mclaren-788hs-closes-out-the-720s-supercar-series-with-777-horsepower/) The M3 dominated its first full season in 1987, winning the World, European, German, Italian, and Australian touring car titles, plus the Nürburgring and Spa 24-hour races. It remains one of the most successful race cars of its era, and every M3 since has been measured against it. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/f9/94/f99452cd-a930-4f25-894c-20551819444a/content/images/2026/08/P90149361_highRes_bmw-m3-sport-evoluti.jpg) BMW M3 Sport Evolution (E30) Media: [BMW GROUP Newsroom](https://www.press.bmwgroup.com/global/photo/detail/P90149358/the-new-bmw-m4-coupe-and-the-bmw-m3-sport-evolution-e30-05/2014?ref=verydriver.com) BMW kept pushing the E30 to stay competitive, first with the Evolution I in 1987, then the more aggressive Evolution II in 1988\. The peak came in 1990 with the Sport Evolution. The engine grew to 2.5 liters and 238 hp, while a deeper front splitter and an adjustable rear wing sharpened the aerodynamics. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/f9/94/f99452cd-a930-4f25-894c-20551819444a/content/images/2026/08/P90631032_highRes_bmw-debuts-exclusive.jpg) BMW M3 Sport Evolution (E30) Media: [BMW GROUP Newsroom](https://www.press.bmwgroup.com/global/photo/detail/P90149358/the-new-bmw-m4-coupe-and-the-bmw-m3-sport-evolution-e30-05/2014?ref=verydriver.com) Even after a number of storied victories, BMW wanted to race with a bigger engine and better aero. But the same homologation rules applied to upgrades. Any part BMW wanted to race had to be sold on a road car first. So they built 600 Sport Evolutions to make those parts race-legal. Today it stands as the most coveted E30 M3 ever made, a fitting close to the generation that started it all. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/f9/94/f99452cd-a930-4f25-894c-20551819444a/content/images/2026/08/P0036771-1.JPG) 1992 BMW M3 (E36) - Media [BMW GROUP Newsroom](https://www.press.bmwgroup.com/usa/photo/compilation/T0082328EN%5FUS/the-story-of-an-exception:-the-bmw-m3-is-25?ref=verydriver.com) In 1992, the E36 shifted the M3's focus from the track to the road. Its first straight-six, a 3.0-liter making 240 hp, delivered one of the highest specific outputs of any naturally aspirated production engine of its era. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/f9/94/f99452cd-a930-4f25-894c-20551819444a/content/images/2026/08/P0036789.JPG) 2000 BMW M3 (E46) - Media [BMW GROUP Newsroom](https://www.press.bmwgroup.com/global/photo/detail/P0036789/bmw-m3-e46-coup%C3%A9-2000-05/2007?ref=verydriver.com) The E46 that followed in 2000 pushed the formula to its peak, with a 3.2-liter six making 333 hp and a chassis balance few rivals have matched before or since. Many enthusiasts still call it the greatest M3 ever built. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/f9/94/f99452cd-a930-4f25-894c-20551819444a/content/images/2026/08/P90062142_highRes_the-2011-frozen-gray.jpg) 2011 Frozen Gray M3 Coupe (E92) Media [BMW GROUP Newsroom](https://www.press.bmwgroup.com/usa/photo/compilation/T0081738EN%5FUS/2011-bmw-frozen-gray-m3-coupes-claimed-in-twelve-minutes?ref=verydriver.com) ## V8 Era From 2007 to 2013, the E90, E92, and E93 traded the inline-six for a high-revving naturally aspirated 4.0-liter V8 making 414 hp, the only V8 ever fitted to an M3. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/f9/94/f99452cd-a930-4f25-894c-20551819444a/content/images/2026/08/P90062139_highRes_s65-4-0-liter-the-20.jpg) Enthusiasts still praise that S65 engine for its 8,400 rpm scream, and many consider it the best-sounding M3 engine ever, even as its appetite for rod bearing maintenance became just as famous. It gave the car a sound and presence unlike anything before or after it, and the sedan body style returned to the lineup for the first time since the E30. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/f9/94/f99452cd-a930-4f25-894c-20551819444a/content/images/2026/08/P90149348_highRes_the-bmw-m3-sport-evo.jpg) BMW M3 Sport Evolution (E30) and BMW M3 (F80) Media: [BMW GROUP Newsroom](https://www.press.bmwgroup.com/global/photo/detail/P90149358/the-new-bmw-m4-coupe-and-the-bmw-m3-sport-evolution-e30-05/2014?ref=verydriver.com) ## A New Kind of Power The fifth-generation M3 (F80) marked another shift in 2014\. A twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter straight-six replaced the naturally aspirated V8, trading top-end scream for a broad, muscular wall of torque available far lower in the rev range. It had sharper technology, carbon fiber construction that shaved around 80 kilograms off its predecessor, and enough everyday usability to make it a genuine daily driver. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/f9/94/f99452cd-a930-4f25-894c-20551819444a/content/images/2026/08/P90304842-the-new-bmw-m3-cs-05-2018-2250px.jpg) BMW M3 CS (F80) Media: [BMW GROUP Newsroom](https://www.press.bmwgroup.com/global/photo/detail/P90149358/the-new-bmw-m4-coupe-and-the-bmw-m3-sport-evolution-e30-05/2014?ref=verydriver.com) It also marked the moment BMW split the lineup, keeping the M3 name on the sedan while the coupe became the M4\. Fast, flexible, and endlessly tunable, the F80 became one of the most popular M3 generations ever made. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/f9/94/f99452cd-a930-4f25-894c-20551819444a/content/images/2026/08/P90399291_highRes_the-new-bmw-m3-compe.jpg) 2021 BMW M3 Competition Sedan (G80) Media: [BMW GROUP Newsroom](https://www.press.bmwgroup.com/usa/photo/compilation/T0317577EN%5FUS/the-new-2021-bmw-m3-sedan-and-m4-coupe?ref=verydriver.com) ## The Modern Benchmark The current M3 (G80) arrived in 2021 and stands as the most capable version yet. Its twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter six makes up to 503 hp in Competition xDrive form, more than any M3 before it. That power runs through M xDrive, an all-wheel-drive system that delivers maximum traction on demand or switches to pure rear-wheel drive at the push of a button, giving drivers both security and playfulness in one car. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/f9/94/f99452cd-a930-4f25-894c-20551819444a/content/images/2026/08/P90585763_highRes_the-first-ever-bmw-m.jpg) Media: [BMW GROUP Newsroom](https://www.press.bmwgroup.com/usa/photo/compilation/T0317577EN%5FUS/the-new-2021-bmw-m3-sedan-and-m4-coupe?ref=verydriver.com) This generation also delivered something enthusiasts had wanted for decades, a proper M3 wagon. BMW actually built a one-off M3 Touring back in 2000 on the E46, a fully working prototype that it tested and then shelved, keeping it hidden until 2016\. The production version finally arrived in 2022 as the G81, though BMW never offered it for sale in the United States. Four decades in, the G80 is the sharpest expression of an idea that has run unbroken since 1986. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/f9/94/f99452cd-a930-4f25-894c-20551819444a/content/images/2026/08/P90641062_lowRes_the-bmw-m3-cs-handsc.jpg) 2027 BMW M3 CS Handschalter (G80) Media: [BMW GROUP Newsroom](https://www.press.bmwgroup.com/usa/article/detail/T0457851EN%5FUS/the-bmw-m3-cs-handschalter:-a-manual-rear-wheel-drive-sendoff-for-the-sixth-generation-m3?ref=verydriver.com) ## The M3 CS Handschalter is the Last Manual M3 BMW is closing out the current generation with a car built for purists. The 2027 M3 CS Handschalter is the only M3 CS ever offered with a six-speed manual, sending 473 hp to the rear wheels through a stick shift and nothing else. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/f9/94/f99452cd-a930-4f25-894c-20551819444a/content/images/2026/08/P90641047_highRes_the-bmw-m3-cs-handsc.jpg) 2027 BMW M3 CS Handschalter (G80) Media: [BMW GROUP Newsroom](https://www.press.bmwgroup.com/usa/article/detail/T0457851EN%5FUS/the-bmw-m3-cs-handschalter:-a-manual-rear-wheel-drive-sendoff-for-the-sixth-generation-m3?ref=verydriver.com) Lightweight construction trims nearly 75 pounds from a standard M3, and it hits 60 mph in 4.1 seconds on the way to a 180 mph top speed. Built exclusively for North America in very limited numbers, it is a fitting rear-wheel-drive sendoff for the sixth-generation M3 and a reminder of what made the original so special. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/f9/94/f99452cd-a930-4f25-894c-20551819444a/content/images/2026/08/bmw-m-concept-neue-klasse-2026.webp) E30 M3 beside the BMW M Concept Neue Klasse - Media: [BMW GROUP Newsroom](https://www.press.bmwgroup.com/global/article/detail/T0459599EN/bmw-m-concept-neue-klasse-additional-imagery?ref=verydriver.com) ## The M3 Lives On For the first time, BMW is building two M3s at once. The electric M3, codenamed ZA0, arrives first in 2027 on BMW's new Neue Klasse platform, with four motors, one per wheel. BMW hasn't confirmed output, but estimates run 800 to 900 hp, which would make it the most powerful M3 ever. A rear-wheel-drive mode decouples the front axle at the touch of a button, echoing the G80\. A gas M3 follows in 2028\. Codenamed G84, it keeps a mild-hybrid version of the current 3.0-liter twin-turbo six making around 525 hp. Neither will offer a manual. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/f9/94/f99452cd-a930-4f25-894c-20551819444a/content/images/2026/08/P90645694_highRes_le-mans-fra-11-june-.jpg) BMW M Concept Neue Klasse at its world premiere during the 24 Hours of Le Mans, June 11, 2026\. Media: [BMW GROUP Newsroom](https://www.press.bmwgroup.com/global/photo/detail/P90645694/le-mans-fra-11-june-2026-bmw-m-concept-neue-klasse-world-premiere-24-hours-of-le-mans-bmw-m-clubhouse-fia-world-endurance-championship-fia-wec?ref=verydriver.com) ## BMW M Concept Neue Klasse BMW previewed this new era with the M Concept Neue Klasse, an all-electric design study shown at Le Mans in June 2026 that signals the styling and quad-motor technology of the upcoming electric M3\. BMW made the connection clear by parking it beside the E30 that started it all. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/f9/94/f99452cd-a930-4f25-894c-20551819444a/content/images/2026/08/P90643899_highRes_bmw-m-concept-neue-k.jpg) E30 M3 beside the BMW M Concept Neue Klasse - Media: [BMW GROUP Newsroom](https://www.press.bmwgroup.com/global/article/detail/T0459599EN/bmw-m-concept-neue-klasse-additional-imagery?ref=verydriver.com) The concept made its North American debut at Monterey Car Week in August 2026, where BMW also marked the M3's 40th anniversary by displaying all six generations and running historic race cars at Laguna Seca. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/f9/94/f99452cd-a930-4f25-894c-20551819444a/content/images/2026/08/P0036743.JPG) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/f9/94/f99452cd-a930-4f25-894c-20551819444a/content/images/2026/08/P90236403_highRes_the-bmw-m3-evo-e30-0.jpg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/f9/94/f99452cd-a930-4f25-894c-20551819444a/content/images/2026/08/P90190493_highRes_bmw-e90-07-2015.jpg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/f9/94/f99452cd-a930-4f25-894c-20551819444a/content/images/2026/08/P90492711_highRes_the-all-new-bmw-m3-c.jpg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/f9/94/f99452cd-a930-4f25-894c-20551819444a/content/images/2026/08/P90492774_highRes_the-all-new-bmw-m3-c.jpg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/f9/94/f99452cd-a930-4f25-894c-20551819444a/content/images/2026/08/P90585772_highRes_the-first-ever-bmw-m.jpg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/f9/94/f99452cd-a930-4f25-894c-20551819444a/content/images/2026/08/P90492795_highRes_the-all-new-bmw-m3-c.jpg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/f9/94/f99452cd-a930-4f25-894c-20551819444a/content/images/2026/08/P90641052_highRes_the-bmw-m3-cs-handsc.jpg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/f9/94/f99452cd-a930-4f25-894c-20551819444a/content/images/2026/08/P90399907_highRes_the-new-bmw-m3-sedan.jpg) Media: [BMW GROUP Newsroom](https://www.press.bmwgroup.com/global/?ref=verydriver.com)