BMW M3

The BMW M3 is a German high-performance sports car manufactured by BMW since 1986. Developed by BMW M GmbH, the model originated as a road car built to satisfy homologation rules for touring car racing. Across six generations, the line expanded from a two-door coupe into sedans, convertibles, and station wagons.

Production began in 1986 with the first generation, known as the E30, which BMW built around a four-cylinder engine. The 1990 Sport Evolution version raised power to 175 kW (238 hp) and reached a top speed of 250 km/h (155 mph). In 1992, the second generation arrived with the E36, introducing a six-cylinder engine alongside sedan and convertible bodies. The third generation, known as the E46, arrived in 2000 as a coupe and convertible. An eight-cylinder engine powered the fourth generation from 2007, before the fifth generation returned to six cylinders in 2014.

Competition success formed the reputation of the car from its earliest racing appearances. Italian driver Roberto Ravaglia drove the vehicle to win the World Touring Car Championship in 1987. In the Deutsche Tourenwagen Meisterschaft, Eric van de Poele took the driver title in 1987, followed by Ravaglia in 1989. Endurance achievements include five overall victories at the 24 Hours of Nürburgring between 1989 and 1992. In North American road racing, Prototype Technology Group campaigned the car to capture three consecutive manufacturer championships in the IMSA GT series from 1996 through 1998.

Automotive journalists praised the nameplate over decades, placing it on the Car and Driver 10Best list across consecutive model years. In 2014, BMW separated two-door versions into the M4 series, retaining the badge for performance sedans. The sixth generation arrived in 2020, with the Competition sedan delivering 375 kW (510 hp) and accelerating from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 3.9 seconds. In 2022, BMW released the first production station wagon under the nameplate, known as the M3 Touring, which established a wagon record lap time of 7 minutes and 35.06 seconds at the Nürburgring Nordschleife.