BMW 3 Series E30 M3

The BMW E30 M3 is where the entire M3 dynasty began, though it had a very different philosophy from the M3's that followed. Built from 1986 to 1991, it wasn't conceived as a luxury sport sedan at all. It was a homologation special: a road car BMW was legally required to build so it could go terrorize touring car grids, which it then did with absurd success, becoming the most successful touring car in history.

Look closely and you'll notice almost nothing below the roofline is shared with a regular E30. The arches are flared at all four corners, the rear glass is raked for aero, and there's a legitimate rear spoiler (#downforce). Under the hood sits the S14, a high-strung naturally aspirated four-cylinder with individual throttle bodies that pulls hard past 7,000 rpm and sounds like a very angry sewing machine on its way to win a race. Early cars made around 195 horsepower & the 2.5-liter Sport Evolution pushed to 238. In a car weighing barely 1,200 kg, that was plenty... the E30 M3 was never about brute force. It was about traction, balance, and feel.

Today it's transcended "old BMW" to become a full-blown cultural artifact, courted at Goodwood and coveted by sneaker brands and rappers (shout-out Tyler the Creator) alike. Whether you're a wannabe DTM hero, a collector, or just someone chasing what is perhaps the purest M car ever built, the E30 M3 is the OG; the icon.