BMW is looking to the ever-popular E30 M3 for design inspiration for a future M car project, according to BMW Group design director Adrian van Hooydonk. “The E30 M3 has a really big fan base, and we are going to be taking cues from it for a future product,” he said.
Hooydonk wouldn’t elaborate on which model might get the E30 M3 treatment, but it’s likely to be a special edition of the upcoming BMW M2 that could be released to celebrate the company’s 100th anniversary next year.
The M2, which is set to be launched at the end of this year, has already been spotted testing. It is expected to get more than 370bhp from a new 3.0-litre six-cylinder engine that is unrelated to the powertrains fitted to the bigger M3 and M4 models.
Key design cues that could reappear on an E30-inspired M2 include the distinctive wheelarch crease and wing. Any aerodynamic devices will be fixed. “With M cars, we try to get the downforce right without moveable aero. It’s the most authentic way,” said Hooydonk.
Weight saving will also be key. M cars already feature carbonfibre and composite plastics, but Hooydonk said: “I’d have to give Colin Chapman the credit for the ‘performance through light weight’ mantra, but that was another big factor for the E30, and that is also a priority for us.”
With the existing M235i coupé weighing 1535kg, a lightweight M2 should come in at closer to 1400kg.
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