BMW Took On Mercedes... And Built A Masterpiece!

in an era of Unstoppable energy and extraordinary machines the 1980s played host to a rivalry that was as Fierce as it was transformative at the heart of the storm was an automobile that was to rewrite The Narrative of performance cars and leave an indelible mark on Automotive History picture this the smell of burning rubber the deafening Roar of finely tuned entrance and a battle of Egos and Engineering prowess between two Automotive Giants and on the front lines of this duel for dominance was a car that would change it all a machine built not only with steel Rubber and a splash of audacity but also with a thirst for victory that was nearly insatiable it's a race car built for the road and not the other way around it was the secret weapon built to give the middle finger to the rest of the world and it would change the very definition of what a sports car could be forever it's the E30 M3 foreign Mercedes-Benz was King leaving tire tracks of Victory across racetracks with the Magnificent 190e an automotive Marvel that was seemingly unbeatable BMW however was battling in the shadows with the Hefty six scenes losing footing in the race for Supremacy in the secluded quarters of their Development Center a secret weapon was being forged one that would rock Mercedes to its core and set a new course of Automotive History Guided by the insightful Eberhard Von kunheim and the Relentless Bob Lutz BMW was diligently charting A New Journey instead of just building well-made middle-of-the-road luxury performance cars they'd set out to build the ultimate driving machines they had just spun up the M division to oversee all of BMW Motorsport to take on Mercedes they knew they'd need something smaller more Nimble and a hell of a lot lighter than the Autobahn Stormer that they were raising at the time the 3 Series a favored choice but with a power plant and Chassis that needed more than a mere tweaking you see both the E30 and the w201 went into production in 1982 but the E30 was essentially an evolution of the 2002 that dates back all the way to 1968. the 201 well that was all new and Mercedes spared no expense during development hell it's reported that the rear suspension alone cost a hundred million dollars to engineer likely more money than BMW spent developing the entire E30 the M division set out to start from scratch they took a 3 Series strip down to the bare chassis and embarked on a transformative journey to morph it into a mechanical Beast a race car capable of Street duty at its core BMW positioned the tried and tested M10 block a legendary hero that had proven itself in none other than Formula One it was expanded to accommodate the cylinder heads from the iconic M1 Supercar and then the whole thing was cut down to just four cylinders then there's the aerodynamics Mercedes was using state-of-the-art equipment to get their Square looking sedan cutting through the air like a Messerschmitt while BMW well they were probably using something that looked more like this they sculpted an aerodynamic solution that was astonishing in its Simplicity get ridiculously effective a cap was cleverly affixed to the trunk and c-pillar allowing him to angle the rear glass further outward to streamline airflow over the raised deck lid and new spoiler and they ditched the heavy metal bumpers for larger yet lighter aerodynamically optimized plastic ones the outcome the E30 sliced through the air like a swift Arrow completely defying its boxy looks all said and done by the time it was ready it only shared a mere 20 percent of the parts with the non-m3 series much like the E46 M3 that came two generations later when the E30 M3 was unveiled in 1986 it was a revelation this was a car that offered a racetrack thrill on a Suburban driveway and due to group a and consequently DTM rules if BMW wanted to go racing well their M3 had to be homologated which meant the same distinctive dog leg gearbox and S14 Powerhouse that drove the race cars were available in showrooms and it didn't take long to steal the Limelight the automotive World watched an astonishment BMW had accomplished the unthinkable they had constructed a vehicle that not only rivaled Mercedes 190e but exceeded it the E30 M3 was more than a car it was BMW's defiant proclamation to the world it stood as proof that a car should offer the same adrenaline rush on the city streets as it does on the racetrack with the E30 M3 BMW blurred the boundaries between racing and everyday driving birthing a machine that created a sensation both on the circuit and in the daily commute and while BMW's accountants were never too keen on selling high performance versions of their bread and butter road cars once the order started coming in things changed see cars like the 3 Series are where BMW was making all their money and there wasn't really any market research that proved anybody would want to actually Pony up the extra cash and take the race car for the road home for themselves so the marketing guys pitched it like a Halo card put one in every dealership across the globe to draw people into showrooms and it worked if you're a BMW fan who wants something Wilder this 3 Series Mr Hyde might be just what you're looking for but the crowds didn't show up to finance a 5 series or a 325. no they wanted the M3 in fact they wanted the M3 so badly that after 10 000 orders came flooding in the factory simply stopped accepting them they literally couldn't build them quick enough and all of it was due in no small part to the fact that on the racetrack the E30 M3 was a spectacle to behold it was Nimble voracious and Relentless ruling the racing scene and rewriting the rules of the game it was a dazzling display of defiance to Mercedes a counter-attack carrying the weight of countless victories the E30 M3 pulled BMW out of the shadows and into the spotlight marking a new epic of Motorsport Supremacy for the Bavarian Automotive Titan absolutely tremendous one two three for BMW and a disaster for Mercedes however the E30 m3's impact was felt most profoundly on the open roads here was a car that was as comfortable dropping the kids off at school as it was taking the pole position on track the high revving S14 engine and the unique dog leg gearbox the very components that propelled the M3 to Victory on the track were available to anyone bold enough to embrace it it was a race car that you could not only tolerate but thoroughly enjoy in everyday life a Marvel that brought the exhilaration of Motorsport into the mundane BMW's M3 didn't merely question the existing Norms it reimagined them it made other sports cars seem ordinary it sparked a flame that burns brightly to this day fueled by a rivalry that continually pushes the limits of what's possible the E30 M3 made Mercedes and indeed the entire world sit up and pay attention it set a standard that others could only dream of achieving and in the process it forever altered the landscape of sports cars proving you really can have your cake and eat it too and like I said earlier it paved the way for other automakers to build and sell performance versions of their offerings too over three decades have passed since the first M3s graced our roads and racetracks the Legacy however remains as vibrant as ever it remains a symbol of BMW's audacity a vehicle that stood against the dominant force of the 80s helped the dominant force of Mercedes an emerged Victorious it embodies what can be achieved when Engineers are granted the freedom to innovate to push boundaries and craft something truly remarkable so next time you spot an E30 M3 or otherwise whether on a racetrack an open road or displayed in a museum take a moment to appreciate it reflect on its story its journey of how it forever changed the world because the E30 M3 wasn't just a car it was a revolution a defiant statement from BMW to the world of sports cars and it stands to this day as one of the most revered cars ever built and that makes it pretty ideal the original M3 not just a great Road car but the most successful saloon car racer ever thank you all for watching please consider giving this video a like it really helps us out against the algorithm and consider subscribing to Ideal for more stories like this coming along very soon we've got new videos launching nearly every single day in the meantime go watch this video on the story of the Toyota 86 triplets or whatever YouTube thinks is best for you on the bottom right my name is Trav this is ideal and we'll see you all very soon

Channel: Ideal Media

Views: 21,556

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Id: n4rVe0xkMlg

Length: 8min 45sec (525 seconds)

Published: Sat Jun 24 2023