1990 BMW E30 M3

Sport Evolution

CHASSIS#: AC79306

ENGINE 2.5-liter S14B25 four-cylinder 

OUTPUT 238 hp @ 7000 rpm, 177 lb-ft @ 4750

TRANSMISSION 5-speed Getrag manual

CURB WEIGHT 2646 lbs. 

TOP SPEED 155 mph

BUILD DATE February 1990

COLOR  Black

OWNER  Scott Hughes

OWNED SINCE  2017

LOCATION  Sunset, South Carolina

At first glance, this 1990 M3 looks like any other E30. Then the details pop. There’s a red stripe on the bumpers. The wheels are slightly larger. It sits a little lower. The fog lights have been replaced by ducts. And the rear wing is adjustable.

This isn’t just an M3: It’s a Sport Evolution, one of just 600 built in 1990, the model’s only year. The Sport Evo was the last of the E30’s Evolution variants, and while a series of more developed M3s were a gift to the driving public, they were also necessary for motorsport regulations. 

To get the E30 M3 approved for FIA Group A touring-car competition, BMW had to build a minimum of 5,000 examples over the course of 12 months. However, in order to evolve the cars that went racing—if M engineers wanted to improve things like aerodynamics or the powertrain—the FIA required that BMW build at least 500 regular-production examples with the desired changes. The Sport Evolution was the third and most comprehensive overhaul, featuring more displacement and the greatest jump in power. 

The ordinary M3’s 2.3-liter S14 four was bored out to 2.5 liters, helping output rise to 238 hp at 7,000 rpm—around 40 hp more than the standard M3. (Torque dropped slightly, to 177 lb-ft at 4,750 rpm.) The reworked suspension features upgraded shocks, stiffer springs, and 16-inch wheels. Even the glass is lighter.

Other additions include adjustable aerodynamics front and rear, with a multi-position splitter and a three-position adjustable rear wing. BMW dubbed the Sport Evo’s low-downforce configuration “Monza,” the middle choice “Normal,” and the most aggressive one “Nurburgring.”

Scott Hughes purchased this Sport Evo in 2017, and he’s been enjoying it ever since.

“From the turn of the key, this is a different E30 M3,” Hughes says. “The 2.5-liter sounds different, feels different, responds better; it’s exactly what the final interpretation of this legendary BMW should be.”

“It’s fun to point out the many differences between the original and the SE. Though, interestingly, explaining those things doesn’t [tell you] how different the car feels and drives. It has to be driven.”