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o finally the day has come where we canmeasure up these legendary box-shapedbeauties. This has to be one of the BMWshowdowns of the century and whowould have thought it would happen

under African skies? In the left corner we have the two contenders, the

E30 333i and the E30 325iS Evolution. The 333i ispainted in Aero silver and weighs in at 1256kg. Itdevelops 197hp (145kW) at 5500rpm and has amaximum torque of 210lb ft (285Nm) at 4300rpm.The 325iS is painted in Ice white and weighs1147kg.It develops 210hp (155kW) at 5920rpm, and has amaximum torque of 195lb ft (265Nm) at 4040rpm.

In the right corner the reigning world champion,the E30 M3, is painted in Lachs silver and weighs in(from new) at 1200kg and develops 200hp (140kW)at 6750rpm and has a maximum torque of 177lb ft(238Nm) at 4750rpm.

Today is going to be a brawler; we are out in thewest of the province of Gauteng approximately 40kilometres outside of Johannesburg at the DelportanHill in Krugersdorp which has been a popular hillclimbvenue since the ‘60s. We are in ‘Cradle’ country nottoo far off from here are the Sterkfontein Caves – aWorld Heritage Site where ‘Mrs Ples’, a 2.1-million-year-old skull, and ‘Little Foot’, an almost completeskeleton that’s three-million-years-old were found.

Everyone loves E30s and thistriumvirate must rate as threeof the most desirable of thebreed. The iconic M3 goeshead-to-head with the South African-only 333i and 325iS EvolutionWords: Johann VenterPhotography: Oliver Hirtenfelder

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According to some it’s the birth place of humanity,giving rise to the name Cradle of Humankind, butenough of that, let’s get back to the job at hand.

To appreciate the significance of the E30 3 Seriesin South Africa we need to take a step back andunderstand the relevance of this model in SouthAfrican car culture.

The E30 with its three-box outline can trace itsDNA back directly to the 2002 which was an integralpart of the Neue Klasse, which followed the Bauhausdesign philosophy that lasted for 40 years withinBMW; with a distinguished sculpted shoulder-line, airyglass-house cabin, slender roof-lines and minimalisticcockpit. This was carried over to the E21 3 Series and

is firmly rooted into the E30 3 Series. Sadly, though,the 2002 was never manufactured in South Africaand imported in rather small numbers. Worse still isthe fact that the E21 was never officially imported.South Africans were therefore starved of a compactsporting BMW saloon until 1982 when the Rosslynplant starting producing the E30 3 Series, which hasresulted in an absolute cult following of the modelthis far south of the equator.

This immaculate Aero silver example of the 333i,with just 90,000km on the clock, happens to be thenicest of the four colours in which they were offered.The other colours included Diamond black, Hennared and Ice white. This is number 103 of the 204

that were sold in South Africa between 1985 and1987, a total of 210 were produced includingprototypes and test mules. It cost R41,300 (£16,312)when new in 1985.

This car is no stranger to BMW Car’s pages andwas featured in the January 2013 edition – compliedby the then deputy editor Sebastian de Latour whowas fortunate enough to pilot this rarity with me intow. This car is in fact part of a prodigious BMWcollection that was also featured in BMW Car in theAugust 2013 edition.

Vic Doolan and Bernd Pischetsrieder (of BMWSouth Africa at the time) are credited for theinnovation of the 333i. The original intent was to

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compete in Group One racing but this was never tobe as Group One racing was summarily cancelled atthe end of the 1985 season – remember the M1suffered a similar fate.

The concept was pretty straightforward: find one ofthe biggest engines in the BMW arsenal and cram itinto the smallest, lightest body. The engine camefrom the E23 733i, which was partially chosen for itsfree-revving characteristics (3.2-litre, in-line, six-cylinder, 12-valve) – producing a maximum poweroutput of 197hp (145kW) at 5500rpm andmaximum torque of 210lb ft (285Nm) at 4300rpm.The development of the 333i was a collaborationbetween BMW SA, BMW Motorsport and Alpina. Justlike with the E23 745i (which was also unique toSouth Africa, see BMW Car May 2013 edition) anextensive development and testing programme wasembarked upon to ensure that the optimum cooling,

gearing and noise levels were achieved.Alpina played a crucial role in the development of

the 333i providing the specially developed inlet andexhaust manifolds and plenum chamber, heavy-dutycopper cored radiator and various other cast alloy bits.The Bosch L-Jetronic fuel management system wasrevised accordingly, all of which resulted in asubstantially altered torque curve, boosting itsubstantially in the lower rev range. Alpina alsoprovided the 296mm vented, grooved discs upfront,the suspension was fitted with Bilstein gas damperswith slightly stiffer springs, and it rolled on 16-inch20-spoke Alpina alloys. The 333i was fitted with adog-leg close-ratio Getrag ‘box and 25 per cent ZFlimited-slip diff.

On the inside the most distinguishing Alpinacomponent is the digital display pod mounted on theright central vent. It shows engine and rear diff oil

temperatures, the engine oil pressure and manifoldvacuum readings. The instrument cluster is alsoprovided by Alpina with a speedo reading of up to270km/h, with red needles normally reserved for Mcars. The interior is rounded off with Sport leatherseats, leather-covered Sport steering and a gear levermarked with the M tricolour stripe.

The exterior is rather attractive in that ‘80s kind ofway, with integrated aero appendages which includea deep front spoiler, side skirts, a sweeping lip at therear, and a black boot spoiler finishing it off.

Owners had a choice between air-con and power-steering but could not have both as there wasn’tsufficient room under the bonnet. Telling them apartis easy: on air-conditioned cars the foglamps areabsent, creating apertures that feed air to thecondenser unit.

Just as South Africans were getting used to the

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idea of having fast compact Bavarian saloons aroundwe were dealt a blow – the E30 M3 would not becoming our way as it was only produced in left-handdrive. That did not mean that the local motorsportscene would cease to exist. On the contrary and ifBMW SA wanted to remain competitive it would haveto develop its own track specials. So let’s try to getbehind the myth that is the 325iS in order todecipher the legend.

The year 1985 saw the introduction of one of themost fiercely contested race series in South Africa,Group N for production cars. To remain competitive in1986 BMW introduced the 325iS (Sport), morecommonly known as the Shadowline among racingenthusiasts. To increase power from the standard325i the compression ratio was upped to 9.8:1 thusincreasing power output from 163hp (120kW) to171hp (126kW). In this initial version the M Technik

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aero kit was definitely absent and not even an option– however, more importantly, Tony Viana won thechampionship that year and the following two yearsin his 325iS. In 1989 BMW offered the 325iS at aprice of R60,080 (£13,735) with the option of the MTechnik aero kit at R4095 (£936) – which includedthe front and rear spoiler, rear apron and side skirts.The more significant changes to the car came in1990 as BMW was struggling to keep up with theOpel (Vauxhall) Kadett which had also gone throughvarious iterations in Group N racing, from Boss toBigBoss to SuperBoss. The SuperBoss was, as youcan imagine, the daddy of the bunch, in essence aKadett 200 GSi 16v uniquely designed for SouthAfrican racing, pushing out 170hp (125kW). Thesecars were devastating track weapons especially withMike Briggs behind the wheel and has a cult followingsecond only to that of the E30.

The 1990 325iS sold at a price of R92,720(£18,870) and came standard with the M Technikaero kit which is the first significant difference. Themore fundamental changes happened underneaththe skin with an uprated 2.7-litre engine and cylinderhead, care of Alpina, increasing power output by26hp (19kW) to 197hp (145kW) at 5800rpmreaching a maximum torque figure of 195lb ft(265Nm) at 4000rpm. With serious intentions ofreducing weight the bonnet, wings and doors weremade from aluminium. In order to better transfer theincreased power to the road the E30 M3’ssuspension was put into use, including the 15-inchcross-spoke BBS alloys running on 205/60 15-inchVR Goodyear rubber. In this iteration locals refer to itas the Evo 1 although that was never the officialname that BMW assigned to it. Officially it was stillknown as the 325iS but the legend had just grownanother tenfold. Unfortunately this was not enough tofend off the attack by the Opel Kadett.

The final incarnation of the 325iS was introducedin 1991 with the E36 knocking at the factory door,but BMW had no choice if it were to take on its maincompetitor, the Opel SuperBoss. It sold for R105,100(£20,815) in 1991 and its official designation was theBMW 325iS Evolution (more commonly known as

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the Evo 2 among South African motoringenthusiasts). Outwardly the car remained exactly thesame except for a flexible black lip extending from thedeep front spoiler. Underneath the car anaerodynamic cover was installed to improve airflowand ultimately front end grid. The aluminium bonnet,wings and door panels reverted back to steel. Theride height was lowered by 10mm with theinstallation of stiffer, shorter springs and a thicker rearanti-roll bar was installed to keep the tail in check.

The engine remained as the 2.7-litre unit butmodifications were made to the cylinder head(supplied by Alpina together with the pistons) toincrease compression ration from 9.8:1 to 10.4:1 andso inlet ports from the inlet manifold were adapted toaccommodate the enlarged diameter of the inletports of the cylinder head. The intake manifoldplenum chamber, airflow meter and throttle butterflywere uprated to that of the E28 535i andincorporated into the Motronic system to enhance theairflow. A cross-piece was installed in the largerdiameter downpipe of the exhaust. All of this led toan increase in power to 211hp (155kW) at 5920rpm,with maximum torque remaining at 196lb ft(265Nm) at 4040rpm. This resulted in improvedacceleration and mid-range performance, eventuallyculminating in a Group N championship win for RobbiSmith in his 325iS in 1993.

This factory-fresh example we see here today in Icewhite belongs to Jack Kaplan a serious car enthusiastwith an even more serious car collection. Mostnoteworthy are the eight exceptional BMWs whichalso includes the M3 we see here, the only 2002Turbo on the African continent and an absolutelygorgeous Batmobile replica in Polaris metallic, tomention but four. Jack likes to put his own touch tohis cars and these two examples are no exception.This might not be to everybody’s liking, especially thepurists who believe cars should be kept exactly as theautomaker intended, but we appreciate the fact thatJack puts his own personal touch to each of his cars.It makes them stand out and more personalised. Jackdoes not stop with the aesthetics and themechanicals; he is more hardcore than that and that

is why most of his BMW fleet runs on 102 avgas jetfuel including the two you see here.

Jack acquired this 325iS from new in 1991 andused it as a company car. It’s done 96,000km and,from a cosmetics perspective, the grille has beencolour-coded with slits cut into it on the left-hand sidewhere the lights meet for additional cooling. He hasalso added darker indicators, racing pedals and aNardi steering wheel. Other than that, from acosmetics perspective the car is completely original.The mechanicals have definitely been tweaked. AStage One performance upgrade was carried outwhich included gas-flowing the cylinder head andinstalling a 280-degree camshaft, a Unichip ECU, aK&N air filter with a modified air-box and a specialsports exhaust, which pushes the compression ratioto 10.9:1.

So much has been written about the E30 M3, withjust about every motoring scribe worth their salt atsome point contributing to the growing documentedvolumes on the M3. In my opinion the M3 is themost significant BMW model post Second World War.Yes, it does not have the halo image of the M1 (theclosest BMW came to producing a supercar) but itscontribution to the success of BMW isunprecedented. Unfortunately the development ofthe M1 was plagued with problems, which is puttingit rather mildly. But where the M1 might have failedthe M3 was triumphant winning virtually every formof competition it was entered into.

As so much has been written about the M3 Ithought I would just give a brief summary of thehighlights of this most illustrious model.

The M3 was developed from the ground up as aracer. Paul Rosche was tasked to develop a suitableengine and what he came up with is ingenious: a2302cc four-cylinder, 16-valve, dual-overhead cam.For all intents and purposes the S14 engine is twothirds of the M88 motor (although the block is basedon the cast-iron M10 engine), developed for the M1,the M635CSi and the South African-only 745i. Thisengine was further honed for the E28 M5 (secondgeneration) to become the S38. BMW’s initialintention was to sell 5000 units to ensure eligibility

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for racing but such was the demand that it ended upmanufacturing over three times this number during1986-1990. In its first iteration it developed amaximum power output of 200hp (140kW) at6750rpm and 177lb ft (238Nm) of torque at4750rpm. It sold for £22,750 (R57,599) in 1985.

During its five-year production run BMWMotorsport kept on honing the performance andagility of the M3 giving rise to the Evo 1, Evo 2,Europa Meister, Cecotto and Ravaglia Editions. It was,however, most lethal in its final incarnation known asthe Sport Evolution. The engine capacity had beenincreased to 2467cc which was achieved through anincrease in bore and stroke. This necessitated largervalves and camshaft, plus special spigots to spray oilunder the pistons to keep temperatures undercontrol. Power was up to a staggering 238hp(177kW) at 7000rpm and torque remained the sameat 177lb ft (238Nm) at 4750 rpm.

The M3’s war paint clearly defines its intentions (itis rather different to its regular 3 Series brethren) withflared wheel arches to accommodate wider rubber,and at the rear sits a large wing on a raised bootlidwith a separate cowling over the rear windowaperture, all of which help improve the aerodynamics.All of this translated into the M3 being the mostsuccessful Touring Car racer of all time, with morethan 1500 individual victories and more than 50international championship titles. These included aWorld Touring Car Championship, two EuropeanTouring Car Championships, two German Touring CarChampionships, several other individual Europeantitles including, Nürburgring 24 Hours, Spa 24 Hoursand even a few Rally titles.

The second of Jack’s cars is this pristine Lachssilver M3. It is the first version of the M3, imported toSouth Africa in 1995, and Jack acquired it in 1997.This is only one of three M3s in South Africa, as

mentioned previously it was never imported as it wasleft-hand drive only. There is also a Cecotto and aracer, which has just undergone a completerestoration; it competed in the Touring Car race seriesin the ‘90s. It was piloted by well-known motoringand racing enthusiast Farouk Dangor, who alsocompeted with his 325iS in the Group N racingchampionship earlier on in his racing career.

So the car we see here is ultra-rare and has just94,600km on the clock. Legislation in South Africahas changed (since about 2000) in such a way thatleft-hand drive cars can no longer be imported, withvery few exceptions, racing cars being one of them.The first thing we notice is that Jack has fitted therims from the E36 M3 (in certain circles he would belynched for doing this), running on Bridgestone SO2225/35/17 rubber. The capacity of the engine hasbeen increased to 2493cc by changing the crankshaftand connecting rods. Further upgrades include gas-

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flowing the cylinder head, installing a 260-degreeSchrick camshaft, a Unichip ECU, a K&N air filter witha modified air-box, and a special stainless steel sportsexhaust, plus a 228mm organic spring disc clutch –pushing the compression ratio to 11.8:1.

Now all that is said and done, what is it like toactually drive them? In a word: fantastic! This is by nostretch of the imagination going to be a completelyfair contest with the substantial modifications done tothe 325iS and M3, not forgetting that they both runon aviation fuel.

Let’s start with the 333i, which I have spent quite asignificant amount of time in. At idle it has that nicestraight-six BMW bass and once on the go it has thatfamiliar BMW big-block exhaust note. The mostdistinguishing factor about this car is the amount oftorque that has been bestowed upon it. One gets thesensation that it has more bottom-end grunt thanboth the other competitors put together. It really is

the hooligan among the lot and is always keen to getits tail sideways. Key in getting the most out of it isfiguring out how to regulate the throttle feed; lettinggo while going through a bend will result in youfacing the wrong way. This thing will snap your neck ifyou don’t give it the attention and respect it deserves.

In July 2012 I was fortunate enough to be takenon a few hot laps around Aldo Scribante Raceway inPort Elizabeth while shooting a 2002tii Alpina replicafor BMW Car (see October 2012 edition). The 333iwas definitely nose-heavy with the 3.2-litre lump inthe front but the owner knew the twisty track like hisown back yard, using the insurmountable amount oftorque and making good use of the limited-slip diff topower-slide through the corners – definitely thequickest way around the track with the 333i.

Although the 333i has a close-ratio gearbox thegear throws are long which detract from theexperience when pushing in the redline. As stated

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throttle control is paramount and once you havemastered this the chassis is actually quite compliant.The Bilsteins and stiffer strings holding things togethernicely. The 333i is better suited for the open road,with the extended torque flow even from low revsmaking it a great continental cruiser.

The 325iS is definitely a more balanced andfocused car. The Nardi steering wheel, being smallerthan the standard item, gives very good feedback andmuch better turn-in. This car is based on the M3’ssuspension so handling is superb and directionchanges are ultra-sharp. The short-shift gearbox isdefinitely one of the highlights, making gear changeseasy and precise when pushing on, in vast contrast tothe 333i. Surprisingly, though, things only really startto come alive at 4000rpm, which is reached withease. The whole experience is addictive, though,which leads to unnecessary downshifts just to achievethe giddy sensation once again. The standard exhauston the 325iS is a real charmer, belting out plenty ofdelightful notes but the custom item fitted to this caris so much better, especially when one trounces thethrottle and then lifts off immediately to be rewardedwith a truly delightful crackle.

Everything in the M3 is turned up a couple ofnotches. Even when at optimum temperature the idleis erratic, a strong indication that somethingextraordinary is happening. The M3 picks up revs fareasier and quicker than in both other cars and theredline seems much further down the line. The cardisplays amazing levels of grip and is extremely well-planted on the asphalt. Turn-in is razor-sharp andeven on a charge going through hairpins seem torequire far less braking and instead more acceleration.But when one does need to stop, the retardationhappens so instantaneously that there is a newfoundappreciation for seatbelts. Gear changes are instant

and make you appreciate why this car is the mostsuccessful Touring Car ever produced and, to my ears,the sound from the tailpipes puts Beethoven’s FifthConcerto to shame.

This M3 is everything I had hoped it would be andso much more; this experience is definitely part of mymotoring Nirvana.

All three of these cars were developed out of aneed to race and it clearly shows. Each car hasdisplayed its own unique characteristics and each hasits own special charm. Yes, outwardly the M3 is moredramatic with its flared arches but the M Technik aerokit on the 325iS still gives it an assertive sporting lookand the 333i has its own aero appendages, thoughslightly more subtle. On the inside all three cars feeland look very similar (and one is transported back tothe ‘80s), with Sports/Recaro seats, BMW Sportsthree-spoke leather steering wheels, leather gear-levers with M tricolour stripes and instrumentbinnacles housing speedos and rev counters the sizeof flying-saucers. The cabins are airy with very thin A-pillars that are virtually in the upright position and,by today’s standards, these cars seem rather

rudimentary. The driving experience is so much moreinvolved, though. These are cars you need to take bythe scruff of the neck to get the most out of them. Ifyou want a sensible choice get a 1 Series.

So which one is the winner? As a South African Iam definitely biased but I have to say that the M3 onthe day was definitely the best driver’s car – the oneto tackle track days and sweeping back roads with.The M3, however, feels like it is all or nothing all ofthe time; maybe it’s just the way Jack set it up. The333i is definitely the hooligan of the bunch and I’dsay is much better suited for long distances. The325iS is the better balanced car and much bettersuited for everyday use. Interestingly, editor BobHarper did a direct comparison between the 325iSand the Alpina C2 2.7 and gave the 325iS the nod(see BMW Car January 2008 edition).

However, despite my personal preferences, drivinganyone of them is an occasion in itself will alwaysputs a smile on your face. And as the old LouisArmstrong song goes, “when you’re smiling the wholeworld smiles with you”.Special thanks to: Ron Silke l

Ultimate E30s: 333i, 325iS Evolution and M3E30 333i E30 325iS Evolution E30 M3

YEAR: 1986 1991 1989ENGINE: Straight-six, SOHC, 12-valve Straight-six, SOHC, 12-valve Four-cylinder, DOHC, 16-valveCAPACITY: 3210cc 2683cc 2302ccMAX POWER: 145kW (194hp) @ 5500rpm 155kW (208hp) @ 5920rpm 140kW (200hp) @ 6750rpmMAX TORQUE: 285Nm (210lb ft) @ 4300rpm 265Nm (195lb ft) @ 4040rpm 238Nm (177lb ft) @ 4750rpm0-62MPH: 7.23 seconds 7.1 seconds 6.7 secondsTOP SPEED: 231km/h (144mph) 235km/h (146mph) 235km/h (146mph)WEIGHT: 1256kg 1340kg 1200kgPRICE (NEW): R41,300 (£16,312) R105,100 (£20,815) R57,599 (£22,750 in 1985)

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Officially unveiled at the Tokyo MotorShow in October 1997 the Z07 was theconcept car that was to become the Z8Roadster. But as the Z8 was already wellunder way at this point the presence of

the Z07 at the show was there simply as a stylingexercise to showcase the plans for BMW’s bold newM5-powered sports car. It was built almost as amodern interpretation of the 1950s BMW 507 and itmimicked many of its styling cues along with heavynostalgic racing influences.

The finished, road-going Z8 that emerged from theZ07 followed the original concept closely. The car’sgeneral profile, dimensions and proportions allappeared to be the same and the front and rear endstyling was replicated almost entirely. Even thedetailed features such as the 507-esque wing vents,chrome mirrors and twin tailpipes were copied over. It

was the same inside, too. The interior with its centremounted clocks was virtually identical to the concept,except the vintage, racing car inspired wire-spokedsteering wheel was replaced with a three-spoke item.

However, one thing you may have noticed thatdidn’t manage to make the cut was the roof. The Z07was launched showing off a double-bubble hard-topthat extended all the way down the C-pillars to theend of the bootlid. It was a bit quirky, but the car’sshape lent itself well to it. The Z07 was also shown asa Roadster, where it displayed a brilliant helmet reststyle fairing on the driver’s side that tapered backdown to the boot, harking back to the days of the1950s racers once again. Both designs were wellsuited, innovative and looked good, so it seemedalmost a shame that upon release the Z8 only camefitted with a fabric soft top.

We can’t help but feel BMW missed a trick by not

releasing the hard-top version as it had a chance tobuild a real, dedicated sports car there. Theconvertible Z8 was good but despite the styling cuesand dynamic design of the car it didn’t quite live up tothe out-and-out sports car the Z07 hinted it was goingto be. The lack of LSD was a crucial point here, so itwould have been nice to imagine the hard-top versioncould have been equipped with one as standard andmarketed directly at buyers wanting a more excitingexperience on the road.

Perhaps BMW was wary that the hard-top looked alittle too quirky, but the success of the oddball Z3 MCoupé over the Roadster version not long after provedthat customers would have put their money wheretheir mouths were for the right car, regardless of non-conformist styling. Maybe BMW will do a concept carin years to come to celebrate the Z8, and fingerscrossed there will be a hard-top version… l

BMW CONCEPTS

The Z07 was the concept that was to become the Z8, but we can’thelp thinking BMW should have gone with the original plan…

Z07

Hard-top version could have been a pure sports car and BMW missed out the head-rest fairing on the Z8 Roadster, too

BMW CONCEPTS:The cars it should have made

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