If there’s one BMW M Convertible that represents all open BMW M models, it‘s the M3 from the E30 series. This was the first M car in the company’s history fitted with a folding roof as standard.
The M3 Convertible embodies the symbiosis of high-performance and luxury fresh-air fun like no other model from the 1980s. The M3 Convertible was perfect for the open road and the racetrack. Characteristics that are still true for all BMW M vehicles today.
From the outside it’s an attractive convertible, but under the bonnet there’s the 2.3-litre high-performance engine. The cylinder head, for example, is related to that of the M88 engine from the legendary BMW M1. The water-cooled 4-cylinder inline engine with the compact construction with 16-valve aluminium head, two overhead camshafts and a crankshaft supported by five bearings had 195 hp at its market launch and achieved a top speed of 228 km/h. In the summer of 1989, another 20 hp were added and the top speed rose to 239 km/h. For the time and compared to the competition, fantastic figures for a four-seater convertible.
Only 786 of the open BMW M3s were manufactured, making the Convertible one of the rarest E30 models ever and a sought-after classic.