Despite seeming like every BMW E30 M3 has been found and posted on eBay for ridiculous asking prices, some cars remind us that the earliest generation of the M3 was at one time a used tuner car. This 1988 model sports some enhancements most purists wouldn’t dream of doing now, but they are thankfully reversible. Find the M3 here on Copart.com in an auction listing.
Out back, the aftermarket tail lamps and “DTM”-style exhaust tips reveal that this M3 has not led a sheltered existence as part of a private collection. Even worse, those taillights are among the most despised of the aftermarket designs for any E30 model, but especially on a car like the M3.
The garishness continues to the interior, where the front sport seats have been recovered in lipstick-red leather with black piping. all paired to a backseat that remains in stock (and tattered) condition. The OEM floormats are long gone, but at least the dash doesn’t appear to be cracked. Thankfully, these are easily reversible modifications.
The color-matched valve cover, intake runners, and aftermarket strut bar are all further tell-tale signs of an owner that didn’t subscribe to the purist school of thought. The car does at least appear clean, with no obvious engine modifications, so perhaps the cosmetic tweaks are as far as this one goes. It seems likely this car will be returned to stock condition and show up for sale again at a later date.
Did it sell? I can’t tell looking at the Copart site. And for how much? What does “normal ” wear mean and I wonder how it ended up at Copart if its not salvaged? Inquiring minds want to know.
Thankfully not too hard to change back. I woulder if it had bucket seats for track use and they picked up the fronts to replace?
Love these cars, just a shame they get further out of my reach each day it seems.
I do have an original valve cover in great shape in my office ..l perhaps it is a sign!
I’m an E36 M3 owner and I never understood the hype behind these. We’re told by obviously brilliant BMW enthusiast that angels start singing when you fire up that 4 cylinder – just before its 192 storming horses blast you through the quarter in around 15 seconds. LOL!
But whatever. This one’s already gone. I’d be curious to see what it sold for. Does anybody know?
I have owned an E36 too and would have swapped in a heartbeat.
Each to their own of course but for me it was the ultimate car when I was a teenager. They are also better built than E36 and iconic cars that broke the mould at the time.
Not dissing E36 I promise.. I had one years ago and it was a decent car but not same league as E30 for overall experience.
Would have to say my all time favourite is the 320i on an E21 , just wasn’t earth shattering but it was reliable and sold it with nearer 400,000
That was 20 odd years ago and i’ve seen it still going in the past few years!
I don’t hate it lol. I’ve always liked these.. concur that it sucks they are no longer affordable.
An E30 M3 at Copart just doesn’t compute. Are these guys getting into the collector car business, maybe the ones that have received the bling – bling treatment like this car, and might not find a ready buyer? Who knows?
Anyway, at least it’s in CA, altho you don’t know enough until you look under it. Maybe it was a winter commuter in downtown Detroit at one time.
As much as I like M3s I have never been interested in one of the E30 based versions. Having owned numerous straight-6 powered cars, and a bunch of straight-4 powered cars also, the straight-6 cars are in a different league when it comes to engine power and smoothness and general driving satisfaction. An example would be the E36 M3, of which there are many available at a fraction of the price for a good E30 version.
An E30 325is was one of the most satisfying older, inexpensive cars I have ever owned. Having seen and ridden in an E30 M3 with that big banger straight-4 engine, I have no interest in owning one….altho it would be very interesting to know what Copart got for this red one.
Jeff, why don’t you tell us how you really feel! lol
I saw this a few days ago and it was well over $23000 with a salvage title. No chance of ever owning one at a reasonable price.
Everybody wants what they can’t have!