George's BMW E30 M3
Photography & Words By Wynn
1987 BMW M3
It's no secret that I'm a big proponent of the E30. I'm sure I'm not alone in saying it is one of the most iconic models BMW has ever made. Now when it comes to the M3 variant, the words "God's Chariot" are often referred to. The M3 earned this title after proving it's dominance to the racing world during the 80's. In 1987 alone, the E30 M3 won the World, European plus the Australian Touring Car Championships. Not to mention, the wins in the Italia Superturismo Championship, the Deutsche Tourenwagen Meisterschaft and the Australian Manufacturers' Championship, all in that same year. It's safe to say, 1987 was a fantastic year.
That's maybe why George's M3 happens to share that very same year, his car is just as special as that victorious year was. "I've always admired the style of the E30 M3.." George says while glancing at his car. From the start of this project, there were no steps skipped or justified expenses spared. Wanting to start with the cleanest example he could find (within a reasonable budget) he found himself sourcing a body in Greece.
While the body was in Greece, George decided to get the interior as well as any touch ups needed on the exterior done before it would be eventually shipped to it's new home here in Canada. With the interior and exterior finished, it was finally time for the car to be shipped home. When it eventually arrived in Canada, George took it upon himself to get all the mechanical work finished.
Since the car was in need of an engine, George decided it would be the perfect opportunity to place an S54 engine inside it. With the engine decided on, the work quickly got started. Being a BMW Technician, it's safe to say the car was in very good hands to have the work done right.
With the new engine completely rebuilt including (my personal favorite touch) velocity stacks running off each throttle body, it was time to get to the next step. George-wanting to be a little different-decided on fitting the M4 braking system to the car. These brakes rest behind a set of Avant Garde now. He then decided to lower the car a bit with a set of custom Gaz Coilovers that were built in the UK specifically for his E30. Eventually all the hard work paid off and the car was up and running even better than he could have imagined. George didn't stop there. He proceeded to add more vocals to the already throaty S54, with a full stainless steel custom exhaust, sporting two dump valves. This car sounds beastly, even when at idle. Another touch was to add the E30 EVO kit. The kit, to the keen eye, adds a different front bumper, rear spoiler extender flap and red seat belts to top it off.
The creation of this little site has offered me the opportunity to meet various people, listen to their stories and of course see their cars up close and in person. While chatting with the various owners that I've been honored to feature on this site, one thing has always been consistent throughout. They all still had future plans for their cars. That trend stops here, as George has told me he's completely happy with how the car is in its current setup. Will that mentality ever change? We'll have to wait and see. Until then however, one thing is for sure, George has done a beautiful job with his E30. He's managed to bring the glory days of 80's motor racing to the current era. He's brought the dedication to details. He's brought the heritage. He's brought his own ideas. Most importantly, he's brought it all to reality. He's done a great job of combining all these aspects and has wrapped it in a package, that if lucky enough, you'll catch cruising down the streets.
