BMW M3

The original M3, the E30, launched in 1986 for one reason: to meet the minimum number of road cars required to homologate BMW for Group A touring car racing. The S14 engine, a high-revving four-cylinder derived from the M1, and the body with flared fenders and a rear wing delivered exactly what the track demanded. It worked so well the E30 dominated touring car championships across Europe in the years that followed.

The following generations, E36 (1992), E46 (2000) and E92 (2007), swapped the four-cylinder for increasingly powerful inline-six engines, trading some of the E30's racing purity for more comfort and technology, while keeping the basic formula: a high-revving engine, rear-wheel drive, a compact body.

Starting with the E90/E92 (sedan and coupe split apart for the first time) and especially the F80 (2014), BMW moved to V8 and later turbocharged six-cylinder engines, and today the M3 (G80) shares the lineup with the M4 (the coupe, its own nameplate since 2014) and even offers an all-wheel-drive version, unthinkable on the original E30.

• The E30 was built purely to meet Group A homologation quotas; becoming a commercial hit was a consequence, not the original plan.
• The E30's S14 engine is derived from the block used in the BMW M1 supercar.
• Since 2014 (F80 generation), the coupe got its own name, M4, splitting sedan and coupe for good in the lineup.
• The most recent M3 (G80) was the first to offer all-wheel drive (xDrive) as an option.