If ever a car deserved to wear the badge of “Giant Killer,” then the BMW E30 M3 could wear that badge both rightly, and proudly. In world motorsport competition, this is a car that was able to take on the might of Ford’s fire-breathing Sierra RS500 turbo, Nissan’s R32 Skyline GT-R, and other more potent vehicles across both rally and circuit racing competition. In many cases, it was a car that was able to inflict humbling defeats upon such mighty opposition. It was also the car that in the hands of Italian driver Roberto Ravaglia secured the inaugural World Touring Car Championship in 1987. This 1988 model is a clean and tidy example that is now looking for a new home. If a European thoroughbred is high on your list of motoring “must-haves,” then you will find the M3 located in Paramus, New Jersey, and listed for sale here on eBay. The owner has set a BIN of $42,300, but the option is there to make an offer.

You only have to look at the little M3 to realize just how much of its development centered on building the ultimate class competitor for motorsport. At that point in time, European racing was heavily focused on International Group A competition, which made use of production body-shells and drive-trains, allied to a complex formula to link engine capacities, tire widths, and minimum vehicle weights. This was part of the motivation behind the aerodynamic aids and pumped fenders on the M3. Essentially, if it wasn’t part of the production car, you simply couldn’t use it in Group A competition. Therefore, effective aerodynamics and wheel arches that could house fat racing slicks were all key to the car’s potential success in competition. This particular M3, finished in Alpine White, appears to be in very nice condition. The very nature of these cars has tended to see the vast majority lead pretty hard lives, and today, that is a life that can really show. Front spoilers and side skirts are particularly prone to issues, but those items appear to be in nice condition on this car. Panel fit and finish seems to be very good, although the gap between the front fender and the door on the passenger side is probably greater than I would have expected. The M3 has been in the possession of the current owner for around 7-years, and he is only the little classic’s 2nd owner. He does state clearly that the car has never suffered any accident damage. The trim and glass look to be pretty good, and it doesn’t look like the exterior of the little BMW is going to need anything in the way of work.

The M3 was also an object lesson in how to extract maximum performance from a minimal package, and nowhere was this more apparent than when you take a peek under the car’s hood. The 2,302cc DOHC S14 engine is no giant in capacity, but it certainly is when performance is considered. This engine produces 192hp in road-going form, which is sent to the rear wheels via a Getrag 5-speed manual transmission. With a weight of 2,734lbs, the M3 was capable of accelerating from 0-60mph in 6.3 seconds, demolishing the ¼ mile in 14.7 seconds, and hauling on to a top speed of 146mph. When you consider those sorts of figures within a road car environment, you can only begin to imagine what its racing performance was like when you consider that race teams could easily extract 300hp or more quite reliably from these engines in their M3s. When I use the word “reliably,” I’m talking about the sort of reliability that allowed the car to win the Spa 24-Hour race on four separate occasions, and the 24-Hours of Nurburgring on five occasions. The engine in this M3 should be in good health, having recently been treated to a rebuild. This was done properly, with only OEM parts utilized in the process. The car has covered 8,000 miles since this work was completed, and it is said to run and drive nicely.

When it comes to revealing a life of abuse, the interior of an M3 is another good place to look. Weight, or lack of it, was everything to BMW when they conceived and built the M3. There wasn’t room for one excess ounce in the car’s construction, which means that a lot of plastic trim items are both light, and fragile. Overall, the interior of this car presents quite well, although there are a few issues that are beginning to emerge. However, I am more inclined to attribute these issues to the aging process rather than to abuse. The leather wrap on the wheel is looking tired, but I suspect that some work with a quality conditioner could make the world of difference there. The same is true of the front seats, especially the driver’s. The leather on the front edge is looking cracked, and I can almost hear it begging for some conditioner. Given how expensive replacement covers can be for the M3, I would actually be inclined to bite the bullet on this one and take the car to a reputable business to have the leather conditioned professionally. I can’t help but feel that this would be money well spent. Apart from an aftermarket CD player, the rest of the interior appears to be both stock, and in very presentable condition.

It only seems like yesterday that I was at a customer’s premises who happened to own an M3. He showed me around the car and then told me to climb behind the wheel to see how nice the driving position was. He climbed in the passenger side, handed me the keys, and said, “Okay, let’s go!” I have had the opportunity to drive some pretty amazing cars throughout my life, and some have left an indelible impression upon me. The M3 impressed me because it was simply the most beautifully balanced car that I had ever driven, and if I’m brutally honest, nothing has come near it since. If you ask the question of true BMW enthusiasts who have driven them, they will almost universally place their hand on their heart and swear that this is easily the best version of the M3 that BMW ever produced. Is it the ultimate driving machine? It is almost certainly the ultimate 4-seater road car, which also makes it a strong contender for that crown.