BMW has just announced a special M3 to celebrate 30 years of the BMW M3 in the US and its called the 2018 BMW M3 30 Years American Edition. You can’t get as uncreative or direct as that. No special code names, just simple plain facts. And that is where the simpleness stop because what we have here is a one of a kind design created by BMW and is only available in the US. That is right, no recon imports for you guys unless you don’t mind troddling down the Federal Highway in a left hand drive car.
With the launch of the first generation BMW M3 in 1986, BMW M revolutionized the sports car as it was, built first and foremost for performance. Originally conceived as homologation special for Group A Touring car racing – as seen in the German Touring Car Championship (DTM), it became the most successful touring car in the history of BMW. Its arrival to the US market in 1987 signaled the birth of the legend in America and to celebrate its first 30 years on the road and track, BMW Group Designworks teamed up with BMW Individual to create a one of a kind design highlighting its Motorsport heritage through American iconography.
The colour of the car has been designed to mimic that of the colour of the American flag, not in totality but rather drawing inspiration from the star-spangled stripes. The 2018 BMW M3 30 Years American Edition design started life as a 6-speed manual transmission BMW M3 Competition Package but it was quickly transformed into a very special and unique vehicle as noted by its striking exterior color, Frozen Red II Metallic.
Although the name of the exterior colour is described as “frozen” for the low gloss finish, as if the car is coated with a layer of frost, the heat of the red pigment radiates from within, illuminating the muscular BMW M3 surfaces. Frozen Red II Metallic also speaks to the iconic BMW Henna Red of the original M3 from the 1980’s.
The gilded tone is making a comeback after its eighties hey-day and so complementing the exterior are a set of one-off M Performance Golden light alloy wheel (763M Style – 19-inch front, 20-inch rear), the color inspired by the M3 E30 Warsteiner DTM racing wheels. Also exclusive to the exterior are the M color roof stripes that emphasize the M identity on a premium material, carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic (CFRP), as well as a 30th Anniversary graphic applied to the rear sunshade.
The interior could not be less special and the designers quickly identified that there is nothing more American than red, white and blue. Open the driver’s door of the 2018 BMW M3 30 Years American Edition and its interior shines through with a continuation of the exterior theme through an expertly crafted tri-color Merino leather interior by BMW Individual.
The BMW Individual Opal White Merino leather interior provides a base for red stripes and blocks of blue. The red stripes are expressed in Mugello Red Merino leather and the blue is Fjord Blue Merino leather. Red, white and blue contrast stitching provides a patriotic detail even at the smallest scale. Red stripes can be seen on the side bolster, lower instrument panel and the door panel. Blue is reflected in the seat insert. Opal White surfaces feature red contrast stitching on the seats, lower section of the instrument panel and center door panel, hile Mugello Red facades includes white contrast stitching on the seat bolster stripe, upper section of the lower instrument panel, and armrest upper and lower panels.
Fjord Blue is present at the seat insert as well as the seat back shell insert. Black leather makes use of Blue/Red contrast stitching on upper instrument panel on driver’s side, door handle, center console knee bolster and gear shift bag. In addition, the American flag is adorned with a gold fringe when displayed in doors.
You also do get some performance parts with the special edition car. Firstly, shock absorbers with contrasting red coil springs featured on the 2018 BMW M3 30 Years American Edition are clearly distinctive features of the adjustable M Performance Sports suspension, allowing the driver to lower the vehicle’s ride height between 5 and 20 millimeters via the adjustable spring plate. The M Performance sports suspension, enables customers to experience racing-inspired driving dynamics in everyday use on the road.
Motorsports aerodynamics are present in this one of a kind M3 through the BMW M Performance rear wing. This aerodynamic component is handmade completely from carbon fiber (wing, side sections, support brackets) and is accentuated with racing stripes, bringing motorsport know-how to the streets and tracks.
Derived directly from motor racing, the one-off golden M Performance wheels, which are milled and weight-optimized entirely from a forged blank, contribute towards even better steering behavior, resulting in a further increase in driving dynamics. The wheels are matched with Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires for maximum grip and performance.
The lightweight valve controlled M Performance exhaust system with titanium rear silencer generates a highly emotive sound reminiscent of sports car racing and adds two 93 mm dual tailpipe finishers made from carbon with the M logo to create a striking and unmistakable appearance.
In the interior, the M Performance armrest, door handles and shift knob complete the tri-tone color scheme look and ensures an all-round, high quality touch and feel. The armrest has a striking appearance thanks to its noble materials and special look: Alcantara and Carbon trimmed with contrasting three-colored M-stitching. Visually, the seam traces a line all the way to the handbrake grip completing the overall M Performance look that extends over the center console and new M Performance shift knob.
The BMW M3 30 Years American EditionThe BMW M3 30 Years American Edition
