Buyers Guide

The BMW M3 started life as a two-door coupe built to go racing. Back in 1986, BMW needed to homologate a car for touring car competition, so they took the regular 3 Series, widened the fenders, dropped in a high-revving four-cylinder, and created what would become one of the most iconic performance cars ever made. That original E30 M3 was a coupe through and through, and while the M3 eventually grew into a sedan (and back to a coupe, depending on the generation), its roots are in that lightweight two-door formula.

What makes the M3 special hasn’t really changed since day one: rear-wheel drive, an engine that loves to rev, steering you can actually feel, and handling that makes you a better driver. You get a car that’s genuinely quick but doesn’t punish you for using it every day. The inline-six became the signature sound for most M3s, though the first generation used a four-cylinder and the latest cars have gone twin-turbo.

This guide walks through every M3 generation, from that original E30 coupe all the way to today’s G80. We’ll cover what separates the Competition models from the standard cars, why some people still hunt for the manual transmission versions, and what each generation does well (and not so well). You’ll also find the common problems to look out for, what maintenance actually costs, and which years give you the most car for your money.

The M3 has never been just about going fast in a straight line. It’s about how the car feels, how it responds, how it makes a boring drive interesting. If you’re looking at your first M3 or you’ve owned a few already, this guide should help you figure out which one fits what you actually want from a car with that M badge on the trunk.