BMW ’30 Years M3′ Special Edition lands in Oz

Australians will be able to get their hands on one of the 30 BMW ’30 Years M3’ Special Editions heading our way.

Priced from $154,615 plus ORC, the special edition model is based on the sharper and more powerful M3 Competition. Just 500 units will be produced for worldwide consumption, with Australia’s allocation matching that of the United Kingdom (a bigger market).

Dressed in BMW Individual Macao Blue metallic, the BMW 30 Years M3’s exterior is said to nod back to a special option paint made famous by the original E30 M3. The front wings also feature distinctive BMW M gills finished in high-gloss black with specific ‘30 Jahre M3’ badging (Jahre being German for years).

Elsewhere, the model scores the Competition’s black high-gloss finish to the classic BMW kidney grille, side gills, window trims and rear model badge. The quad tailpipes of the M sports exhaust system are also in black high-gloss and is said to provide a suitably track-honed acoustic, complete with ‘crackle’ on the overrun.

Inside, driver and front passenger lower themselves into a pair of lightweight M sports seats trimmed in combination Black/Silverstone full leather Merino upholstery, sourced from the BMW Individual collection. The front seats’ integrated headrests also feature distinctively-embroidered ‘30 Jahre M3’ insignias, while woven BMW M stripes stitched into the seat belts add further exclusivity. The seats retain their electric adjustment.

Other key identifiers include a carbon-fibre interior strip panel with laser-etched ‘30 Jahre M3 – 1/500’ finish and M door sills in high-gloss black with ‘30 Jahre M3’ badging.

As per the regular production M3 and M4 Competition models, the 30 Years M3 extracts an additional 14kW from the M3’s twin-turbocharged 3.0-litre six-cylinder engine, for a 331kW total.

Capable of a 550Nm torque peak, the 30 Years M3 hits 100km/h from rest in a claimed 4.0 seconds, when equipped with the standard seven-speed M DCT transmission. Selecting the six-speed manual gearbox (a no-cost option) sees this benchmark achieved in 4.2 seconds. Combined fuel consumption is rated at 8.3L/100km with the M DCT transmission and 8.8L/100km for the manual.

Competition equipment also includes a host of dynamic enhancements to maximise the engine’s additional performance with specific springs, dampers and anti-roll bars installed.

These work with forged, machine-polished star-spoke 20-inch M light alloy wheels and mixed tyres (265/30 R20 front, 285/30 R20 rear) to deliver improved handling characteristics, while a new calibration for the Active M Differential is said to aid drivability and traction.

The standard Adaptive M Suspension boasts new settings in each of the three driving modes (Comfort, Sport and Sport+) to match these revisions and the Dynamic Stability Control system has also been reconfigured.

Standard features mirrors that of the existing BMW M3 range, which includes comfort access, head-up display, extended leather trim (including dashboard) and extended smartphone connectivity.

Options include the M Carbon Ceramic Brake package, steering wheel heating, an electric roller sunblind for the rear window, sun protection glazing, smoker’s package, rear seat heating, headlight washer system, parking assistant, and TV function.

A glass sunroof, which removes the carbon-fibre roof and a six-speed manual transmission is available as a no cost option.