1995 BMW E36 M3

PPG CART (IndyCar) Pace Car

SERIAL#: EH00000 (preproduction)

ENGINE 3.0-liter S50B30 inline six-cylinder

OUTPUT  282 hp @ 7000 rpm, 236 lb-ft @ 3600 rpm

TRANSMISSION 5-speed ZF manual

CURB WEIGHT 3180 lbs.

TOP SPEED 155 mph

BUILD DATE  N/A (preproduction)

COLOR  PPG Alpine White

OWNER  BMW of North America

OWNED SINCE 1998

LOCATION  Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey

Although currently white, this E36 M3 left the factory painted Dakar Yellow, the model’s American-market launch color. Originally a preproduction test vehicle, the car was sold and used as an IndyCar pace car from 1995 to 1998. A six-throttle, European-spec S50B30 engine has been installed since new. The car is believed to have starred in period factory advertising.

“Someone called me, from PPG, I think, in 1995. ‘We’re trying to broaden the appeal [of our pace cars] beyond domestic manufacturers,’ they said.

“So I said, ‘Okay, what’s involved?’ And I swear, they sent me a three-ring binder three inches thick! Heavy-duty alternator, heavy-duty cooling system, integrated strobe lights, 21 coats of pearlescent PPG paint, on and on. But the thing that stood out right away, there were like five pages on a standardized, water-cooled braking system.

“I called the guy, and I said, ‘I really don’t think you’re gonna have to go through this whole thing with the brakes. We take great pride in the balance of the car and the braking system.’ And the guy said, ‘Oh, everybody says that. We have to do it every time.’

“I said, ‘Why don’t you take the car and test it?’ And we shipped it out there, and sure enough, a week later, he called back and said, ‘Hey, what do you know? The brakes are going to be fine!’

“‘Okay!’ I said. ‘How much does that save me?’ ‘Nothing,’ he said. ‘The price is $45,000.’

“It looked beautiful when they were done—they integrated everything into the bodywork. It was years later that I heard [former BMW M Brand Manager] Larry Koch had stumbled on it somewhere in a warehouse, and somehow Larry got it back.

“For as little as we spent on the pace car, it turned out to be a terrific addition to our launch package. People saw it all over the country, 16, 18 races a year. I was thrilled.”

— Erik Wensberg, BMW of North America Marketing Brand Manager, 1985–1998