BMW E30 M3
The BMW M3 enthusiastic professionals and car enthusiasts already to a point at which it it did not exist officially. BMW E30 M3.In the summer of 1985 automotive magazine in Germany reported the first time by an "over-3" based on the E30 series, the predicted performance of the ordinary: 200 hp, top speed over 230 mph and 6.7 seconds for the sprint from a standstill to 100 km Experts was clear that this is the fastest so far BMW 3 Series was just before his first ride. In fact, it should still take a good year to take the first testers and customers in a BMW M3 could place.
BMW E30 M3 Drifting
The beginning of the project had taken a few months earlier, BMW M3 at the BMW Motorsport GmbH. BMW E30 M3.Legend has it that the then CEO Eberhard von Kuenheim in an interview with the technical manager of that company, Paul Rosche, gave himself the task to develop a particularly sporty engine for the BMW 3 Series.
BMW E30 M3 on the race track
Rosche and his team, however, were unprepared when they received the contract to build this engine. Rosche, so to speak, the father of the turbo engine, with Nelson Piquet Brabham BMW 1983 Formula 1 World Championship, had already been looking at the "parts". As a basis for the new engine was the crankcase of the four-cylinder engine, as was successfully accomplished two liters in volume production for use, and its block in the motor world champion performed his service. BMW E30 M3.The choice of a four-cylinder and against the BMW 3 Series six-cylinder was introduced in addition to weight reduction, especially technically-related causes. BMW E30 M3.The longer the major engine crankshaft fell with increasing speed to vibrate much earlier than the four-wave. BMW E30 M3.Therefore, the designers put the crank drive of the BMW M3 from so stiff that even 10,000 revolutions per minute and more were possible. Compared to the built-in serial four-cylinder, this was an increase of about 60 percent. The rated speed for the road version of the BMW M3 stood at 6750 rpm. still well below the critical range and offered plenty of scope for further developments.
BMW E30 M3
The cylinder head was a sense from the series. The motor engineers selected the four-valve cylinder head of the six-cylinder and cut off two combustion chambers. BMW E30 M3.Thanks to the same size between the two cylinder versions, the reduction was possible without major problems.As a final measure of the capacity was increased to 2.3 liters. This was after an incredible 14 days of development, the first prototype of the engine ready to ensure that S14 in a slightly modified version under the symbol nor the headlines in sports and the series should be.BMW E30 M3. There was a tinge of disappointment, however, for Paul Rosche yet in this development: he could not integrate a turbocharger from homologation in the aggregate. For from the outset, the fathers of the BMW M3 had the vehicle for use as a Group A race car provided. BMW E30 M3.This had, within twelve consecutive months, at least 5,000 units to be built. It was clear that the BMW M3 and an everyday street car had to be. The use of a technically more sophisticated turbocharged engine was eliminated therefore.The engineers turned their attention on the performance of the new engine, but not exclusively. The four-cylinder BMW M3 was also in the field of emissions may be forward-looking and get along with a catalytic converter. Mid-1980s, this was anything but natural. Catalysts were then still the property of the fuel consumption up to drive and to reduce the efficiency. BMW E30 M3.Making matters worse was that lead-free gasoline, a must when using a catalyst, not the call had to be particularly well suited for high performance engines. BMW E30 M3.Also varied the quality of the fuel in Europe significantly - not so good prerequisite for the reliable operation of such a motor.
BMW E30 M3
But for this problem, the team was led by Paul Rosche a solution: It fit in the engine and took the compression of 10.5: Back 1: 1 to 9.6. The result: the BMW M3 aggregate also reacted to fluctuating fuel with octane number not destructive knock. BMW E30 M3.Sensational for its time in this context was the fact that with the lowering of the compression and the installation of the catalyst in the exhaust system only five of the standard 200 hp have been lost.
BMW E30 M3
Where there is light, there's shadow - this experience had to make the developers of the BMW M3, in their first test drives. Although the engine ran without incident, but the exhaust system apparently not digested what blew the high-performance engine in his elbow. The tubes down, and this led to involuntary overtime in the development department.Finally, it was identified as the cause of this problem is the enormous temperature of the exhaust at full load trip. BMW E30 M3.Test runs on the incriminating material Nurburgring Nordschleife high-performance exhaust system was so hot that they are up to 25 mm stretched and tense in the suspension. BMW E30 M3.Absolutely spectacular, this problem could be solved a little later: The suspension received other gums, which gave her more playing. So that the vehicle was ready for use - such as the testers of BMW Motorsport GmbH impressively featured on the high speed test track in Nardo, Italy to the test. Over a distance of 150,000 kilometers they drove a BMW M3 with full throttle on the route. The exhaust system was, like all other components of the vehicle also.
BMW E30 M3 Cabrio
Just months after launching the project BMW M3, the car was at the Frankfurt Motor Show in autumn 1985 for the first time the general public. Even without the usual vehicles for Premiere Special paint had none of the visitors is a problem, the BMW M3 BMW 3 Series models at the other to be identified. A large front spoiler and a daring broad wings on the rear spoke for themselves. BMW E30 M3.Aprons around the car testified to aerodynamic fine tuning of the whole body. So also at the C-pillar, which expired in comparison to the standard model in the BMW M3 a bit wider and flatter to tear off the flow from the roof edge and at the same time not be better to direct it to the rear wing. Powerful fender flares on all the wheel arches, which ended in a distinctive edge given, the vehicle already in the state of the aura of speed and dynamics.
BMW E30 M3
Only 1200 kg brought the BMW M3 with no ballast on the scale and was thus a sporty lightweight. Its power to weight ratio reached only 6.15 kg per horsepower for today's standards a very good value, which was mainly due to the use of plastic parts.BMW E30 M3. Although the body including the wide wheel arches traditionally been shaped from sheet metal, front and rear bumpers and side skirts, trunk lid and spoiler, by contrast, made of plastic. However, testers and customers had to wait until the spring of 1986 for the opportunity to experience these fantastic values to live again.
BMW E30 M3
The vehicle concept according to the press was driving the BMW M3 concept rather than on the race track in the Italian Mugello. Although it is presented to the vehicles was still no more pre-series, featured in the traveling impressed testers found that the more a pure technical data items, as were an exaggeration. BMW E30 M3.This was not surprising, put under the eye-catching and beefy body but racing technology at its finest. Sun axle kinematics, springs and dampers were changed. The brake system with standard ABS had vented discs front and an engine-driven high pressure pump. BMW E30 M3.This power steering pump also supplies the power steering and made the two systems independently of the pressure of the engine.