BMW M3 Gets 40th Anniversary Edition With Just 40 Units Built

Happy 40th, M3

The BMW M3 was built in response to the Mercedes-Benz 190 2.3-16, along with other cars that were taking wins in the world's touring car races. It made its world premiere in 1986, with production kicking off in March. 40 years later, the M3 had evolved significantly. The two-door model had been spun off into the M4, and we now have a Touring model.

Power levels are insane next to the original model, too. The E30 M3 had 197 horsepower and 177 lb-ft of torque (192 hp and 170 lb-ft in the U.S), which is pedestrian by today's standards. Today, the M3 puts out 473 hp and 406 lb-ft, or 523 hp and 479 lb-ft in Competition xDrive form. To put that into perspective, the modern M3 Competition has over 2.5 times more power than the E30 M3.

Kicking Off Celebrations

Unsurprisingly, BMW has kicked off celebrations for the M3. The BMW Museum is putting more of those cars on display, and inevitably, there will be special edition models. Oddly enough, it's China that's getting the first of the country-specific 40th-anniversary models. That's mainly because China didn't get the M3 until the E90/E92 generation from 2008.

The BMW M3 Edition 40 Jahre will make its public premiere at the 2026 Auto China. It will be displayed with the upcoming 2027 i7 and 7 Series, so the German automaker will be quite busy this weekend. It'll be available in both sedan and touring guises, with only 20 examples of each made.

What It Packs

It's easy to dismiss these cars as merely cosmetically enhanced versions of their regular counterparts. The thing is, these Edition 40 Jahre models are based on the xDrive Competition models, so that's a good thing right out of the bat. The best part is, the M Driver's in included in these limited-run cars, raising the top speed from 155 mph to 180 mph for the sedan and 174 mph for the Touring.

For the sedan, BMW drew on its back catalog for the color. It's draped in Laguna Seca Blue, something normally associated with the E46 M3. As for the Touring, it was painted in a special Individual color called Wildberry Red. The wagon's wheels are then finished in Crimson Copper. Of course, the interiors get special touches, too, and there's a smattering of 40 Jahre labels everywhere from the roof to the center console.

We can expect more major markets to launch their respective Edition 40 Jahre versions later this year. In the meantime, we wait, not just for this limited-edition model but also for the next generation.

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