1989 BMW E30 M3

Convertible

VIN#: 3559088

ENGINE 2.3-liter S14B23 four-cylinder

OUTPUT 195 hp @ 6750 rpm, 170 lb-ft @ 4750 rpm

TRANSMISSION 5-speed Getrag manual

CURB WEIGHT 2998 lbs.

TOP SPEED 141 mph

BUILD DATE  09/1988

COLOR  Nogaro Silver

OWNER  James Liu

OWNED SINCE 2003

LOCATION  Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey

“They called it the ‘Ultimate Tanning Machine,’” James Liu says, laughing. Liu’s affair with BMW’s quirkiest ‘vert sprouted in college, when he rode passenger in the E30s of wealthy friends, “sponging rides around town.”

That early inspiration led Liu to many E30 M3s down the line. He says, without a hint of hyperbole, that the car changed his life.

“When I was in grad school, my wife-to-be always said she knew when I’d be there to pick her up,” Liu laughs. “She could hear the intake sound all the way down the block.”

Even beyond its role in Liu’s life, the E30 M3 convertible is special. As with the E28 and E34 M5s, this remarkable M3 variant was assembled by hand at BMW M’s facility in Garching. Convertible bodies were supplied by the standard 3-series production line, with Garching employees fitting the cars’ M3-specific drivetrain, chassis, and interior. 

Top down, Liu says, there’s no other M car quite like it. “You can hear the motor winding up, winding down… You just don’t need a stereo. It’s music. You don’t have that in the coupe.”

“The convertible has all the attributes you like about the coupe, minus the on-rails handling, I’d say. It still handles well, because it’s got all the M3’s suspension and componentry. You have some cowl shake, because the [E30] M3 wasn’t originally designed to be a convertible. [The car is] definitely an M3, but it’s still a convertible, at the end of the day.”

BMW built just 786 drop-top E30 M3s, but by Liu’s estimation, that figure pales next to the number of people affected by these wide-hipped Bimmers. Convertible or coupe, he says, the E30 M3’s real special sauce is the camaraderie the car can bring into your life.

“People who don’t own an E30 M3, or haven’t owned an E30 M3 just don’t know,” Liu says. He pauses for a moment. “They don’t get it yet.”