History of the M3

[m3f_andy_zimm]

M3 Dudes:

I have heard bits and pieces about the history of what the M3 actually is, but I was wondering if anyone could enlighten me on this subject.

Just looking for some info so I can tell people when they ask me "cool car, so, what's an M3?".

I heard they are 328s intially and then they are shipped to another factory for the upgrades... that sort of stuff.

Thanks for any info.

Andy...

[m3f_m3fuz_1da011f372]

www.bmwmregistry.com



Has all the information you'd ever want to know about all M cars.

[m3f_andy_zimm]

way cool!

Thanks!!

[m3f_Edgy_592e912c16]

I heard they are 328s intially and then they are shipped to another factory for the upgrades... that sort of stuff.



That's just sacrilege, man!! :devilish:



The M is the performance pinnacle of each BMW model -- M3, M5, M Roadster, etc. (the 7 series being such a big sedan, guess they figured no interest in M)



The 1999 was edmunds.com best sports coupe $40K -- $55K. Ironically, they also mention the 328:



Editors' Most Wanted Vehicles for 1999





Sport Coupe $40,001-$55,000



Winner: BMW M3



Touted by some magazines as the "best handling car in the world," BMW's M3 is a tour de force that earns the company's "ultimate driving machine" title more appropriately than any other Bavarian product. At over $40,000 before you even add on the sunroof option, some might wonder if this is just an expensive and glorified version of a 328is. We have only one response for these misguided souls, "Drive it!" If you've got a pulse and even an ounce of automotive enthusiasm, you'll know what we're talking about.





And here's some interesting history, NA was never originally going to get our cars, this background also explains the NA/Euro M3 difference.







How did the U.S.-spec version of the E36 M3 come about?

When the E36 M3 made its European debut in 1992 there were no plans to produce a North American version. Sales of the previous M3, the E30 of 1988-91, had amounted to just under 5,000 units and BMW’s only other North American-spec M car at the time, the E34 M5, was not selling in large enough quantities to justify the addition of another M model in the American market. However, a letter-writing campaign initiated by the BMW Car Club of America sparked such an overwhelming response by the enthusiast BMW community that BMW of North America decided to reconsider. The main issue was price: BMW NA was determined to keep the MSRP down to around $35,000, about the same as the last of the E30 M3s. The only way to meet this price point was to develop a specific version of the S50 engine without the costly individual throttle bodies and continuously variable VANOS valve timing system of the European-spec motor. Just such a car entered production in February, 1994 (as a 1995 model) and went on to be produced in almost equal numbers to the European version despite a production run of only half as many years. (Note: This model was not available in Canada see question below)