1988 BMW M3

1988 BMW M3 1988 BMW M3
Archived Road Test

Let's put an end to the BMW-yuppie link. These days, all you have to do is whisper "BMW," and everyone immediately thinks "yuppie." Enough of the yups! That overpublicized group of consumers, who lust after Bimmers as they do any object perceived to confer status on its owners, could never fully appreciate the car you see on these pages. We don't mean to say that the young urban professionals won't love the new M3. After all, it's got that famous badge on the hood. And you know, it's a prestigious Eurosedan and everything. But will they realize that the M3 is the latest well-muscled, painstakingly crafted creation from BMW's esteemed Motorsport department? "Nah, but it'll sure look great in front of the condo."

The M3 deserves better. This is not a car for yuppies. This is a car for us. In case you haven't noticed, BMW's U.S. lineup has blossomed to include a dazzling array of leather-lined hot rods that beg to be flogged through the twisties and hammered on the superslabs. Gone are the anemic four-cylinder models that nearly ruined BMW's image. Nearly extinct are the Bimmers reserved for social climbers. The Bavarian Motor Works is back on track with a fleet of drivers' cars, and the M3 is potent proof of its new direction. The M3 is the most recent of the broad-shouldered BMW Motorsport models to reach our shores. For those not yet fluent in M-speak, the M-machines are limited edition, high-performance versions of the 3-, 5-, and 6-series sedans. For several years the M-cars were a treat reserved for European buyers, but since early this year they have been trickling into the hands of hungry American enthusiasts. The M5 and the M6 debuted stateside in February, and the M3 joined the brawny pair in June.

The M3 is available to enthusiasts because of the rules that govern FIA Group A racing. To qualify a car for Group A competition, its manufacturer must build a minimum of 5000 examples of it within twelve months. The rules also strictly limit the modifications that can be made for racing, so most of the performance hardware must be baked into the road-going cars. BMW Motorsport clearly knows the recipe for success in Group A road racing: after the fourth of seven European Touring Car Championship events this year, the M3 had already clinched the title.

The M3's racing heritage is immediately apparent in its steroid-injected bodywork. With its aggressive assortment of air dams, body flares, and spoilers, the M3 will quicken the pulse of any boy (or girl) racer lucky enough to catch a glimpse of one. Most of the new pieces are made of steel, though the rocker panels, the trunk lid, the front air dam, and the rear wing are molded in plastic. The rake of the rear window has been altered for improved aerodynamics, and both it and the windshield are bonded flush with the surrounding bodywork. The net result of all these aero tweaks is a drag coefficient of 0.33, down substantially from the 325i's 0.37 Cd. Perhaps more important, no one will ever mistake the burly M3 for an ordinary 3-series sedan.