Bring a Trailer has just closed an auction for a tuned BMW M3 made in 1990 and remodeled into a capable rally car. The buyer paid $57,500 USD, so let’s have a look and see what was worth that much.
The car’s previous owner got rid of it in 2014, and by that time it was basically a chassis with bodywork, but no engine or cabin trim. Luckily for the M3, its next owner carried out a complete restoration, sandblasting the chassis to get rid of rust and other defects and giving it a fresh finish. A 3.2-liter E36 I6 slotted in under the hood.
The engine received per-cylinder throttle bodies, new spark plugs and ignition coils, and a VANOS system for camshaft control. As a result, the wheels received 326 PS (321 hp / 240 kW) along with 350 Nm (258 lb-ft) of torque.
The interior was kept in line with the motorsports theme: OMP bucket seats and six-point harnesses, a Momo Prototipo steering wheel, a fire extinguisher and a roll cage – there is everything necessary for a race, and little besides.
Having saved the elderly M3 from the scrapyard, the owner then sold it for a healthy $57,500.