1989 BMW (E30) M3 - GROUP A RECREATION

This BMW (E30) M3 is a fantastic recreation of the marque’s iconic 1980s Group A touring cars, built as faithfully as possible and presented in excellent condition. Under the bonnet is the car’s original, numbers-matching 2.3-litre ‘S14’ inline-four, which has been fully rebuilt with performance cams and new bearings throughout.

Now revving to 7,800rpm and producing a conservative 240bhp, it drives the rear wheels via a Getrag five-speed manual gearbox, with a lightweight flywheel and a competition clutch. The odometer displays 113,697 miles from new – though only around 4,000 miles have been covered since its transformation.

A UK-supplied left-hand drive car, this M3 was first registered on 28 April 1989, and there are just five previous registered keepers on the log book. By 2016, its fourth owner set about transforming it from a standard road car to a nut-and-bolt Group A recreation, enlisting the services of experienced specialists to rebuild it over a period of two years into the vehicle it is today. Now offered for sale by the trade, this E30 M3 remains in very smart condition and is fully road legal, with very little work needed for it to enter historic racing events.

During the car’s restoration, its iconic box-arched bodywork was stripped back to bare metal for a rotisserie refurbishment and seam-welded in line with the 1988 Group A requirements. It still presents superbly today. The front and rear bumpers have been replaced with Group A replica parts, which fit excellently, as do the Group A-style adjustable boot spoiler and aero mirrors. Completing the look are a genuine BMW E30 M3 Sport Evo front splitter and undertray, which are in very good order.

Overall, the Alpine White paintwork is in great shape, as the detailed set of photos below shows. As part of the car’s painstaking restoration, the body was fitted with brand-new rubber seals sourced directly from BMW, as well as new glass, which was chosen in place of Lexan for added interior comfort and being watertight in wet weather.

All of the plastic trim, including the front kidney grilles, is in fantastic condition and the light lenses are clear and free of any chips or cracks. This E30 M3 rides on a set of 17-inch split-rim wheels, which are recreations of the BBS E50s fitted to the Group A cars in period. Made by AGS Wheels, Gloucester, they feature gold-painted magnesium centres, and are in superb condition, with very few imperfections to their rims or faces.

Stepping into the stripped-out cabin, you are met by the period-correct welded roll cage and single FIA-approved Motordrive carbon-fibre bucket seat, which presents well, with no rips or tears to its fabric covering. While little remains of the original interior, most of the car’s dashboard and door cards are still in place and are in serviceable condition.

Further enhancing occupant safety, the standard seatbelt has been removed, in favour of a Sabelt six-point racing harness, and the factory-fitted sound deadening and carpeting have been taken out, helping to reduce weight. Safety is also enhanced by the Group A alloy fuel tank, which is mounted in the spare wheel well.

As with the rest of the car, historical accuracy has been considered when replacing the steering wheel, with the original BMW item having been swapped out for an Italvolanti Formel item, allowing the driver to get the most from the E30’s already fantastic steering. This M3 has also been fitted with a Group A manual steering rack and Muzzi Motorsport Group A column parts.

Driver information is provided courtesy of SPA Design dual gauges, displaying oil pressure and temperature, and water temperature and voltage, while the air/fuel ratio is displayed on a Tech Edge LX1 wideband LCD display. All of the interior buttons, switches, gauges and displays work without fault.

Far more than just having an aggressive aesthetic, this E30 M3 has also been transformed beneath its Group A-inspired skin, with the engine, transmission, suspension and brakes all having been attended to. The S14 inline-four has been fully rebuilt, with new bearings, Schrick camshafts, valves and followers, as well as additional work to match the OEM 48mm throttle bodies. There are Bosch Motorsport injectors controlled by an Alpha-N management system with wide band O2 control, while air is fed to the engine via a carbon-fibre airbox.

Looking to the transmission, the original Getrag dogleg gearbox is mated to the engine via a competition clutch and lightweight flywheel, while a rose-jointed short shifter and JC Racing four-plate differential with a 3.64:1 ratio have also been fitted.

Helping the car to remain planted at speed, the suspension system has been fully overhauled and features Leda coilover uprights with helper-springs, Group A camber and caster-adjustable top mounts, and an adjustable Eibach front anti-roll bar. There is also a Vink Motorsport bump-steer correction kit, a rear beam with camber and toe adjustment, and Leda rear coilovers with rose-jointed top mounts.

Braking is provided by AP Racing front calipers and discs, while the rear calipers are original BMW items. Pagid RST3 performance brake pads are fitted at each corner.

The car’s last MOT test was conducted on 28 May 2020 at 112,394 miles, which it passed first time without a single advisory. The wheels are fitted with Yokohama Advan AD08 R high-performance road tyres in size 215/40 R17. All four appear to be in good condition and with plenty of remaining tread.

This 1989 BMW (E30) M3 is a stunning recreation of what could be the marque’s most iconic racing car. A complete, ground-up build, it features a number of sought-after performance parts – but it is the authentic way in which these components have been combined that really makes this car stand out. Fully seam-welded and with a full roll cage and FIA-approved seat and harnesses, this M3 is a great candidate for closed-course events, with very little work being needed to have it compete with its period rivals in historic racing.

All cars and motorbikes on Collecting Cars are run through an online HPI check. This vehicle shows no insurance database markers for damage or theft, and has no finance owing.