The BMW M3 has been making its mark on the world since 1986, for five generations. This year sees the 30th anniversary for the super saloon’s moniker.
Over the years we have seen some interesting variations of the M3 (most commonly to make them lighter). These include the E36 Lightweight, E46 CSL and E92/F80 GTS.
The engineers at the factory, however sometimes built a few (four to be exact) unique models, most of which were aimed at being slightly more versatile. These variations have now been pulled out for the world to see.
1986 BMW M3 Pick Up
It’s unusual for us to see a German ute, but here it is. This particular mule, based on the convertible, was used to transport parts and equipment around the factory. Seeing that this was essentially a utility vehicle, it didn’t make use of the now iconic rear flared arches.
While it originally made use of the Italian-spec 2,0-litre engine, it eventually gained the 2,3-litre four-cylinder engine which produced 149 kW. The engineers at the factory retired this little worker only four years ago. No doubt, if BMW decided to capitalise on this ute, it could have cashed in on a fair amount of sales.
1996 BMW M3 Compact
Easily one of the most reviled BMWs in history, because of its obscure design. This it technically an M3 hatchback and, based on that assumption, if it had ever made it into production this would have been the first hyper hatch to hit the market.
The idea behind this concept was to appeal to the younger market (much like the 1-series coupe did at a later stage). BMW claims that this is the direct ancestor of the current M2.
Although BMW had plans to limit its power, this particular model made use of 239 kW with a 1 300 kg body, meaning that it was quite a lively machine.
2000 BMW M3 Touring
One of BMW’s biggest mistakes was not putting this one into production and it’s unclear why it didn’t make it to the market. Engineers found it surprisingly easy to build and the wagon excelled at the various tests.
BMW claims that this model was just to prove to themselves that an M3 Touring could be accomplished and it could. “Once it had passed through the assembly line, the M3 Touring required only minimal manual follow-up work to fit the M-specific add-on parts.”
2011 BMW M3 Pickup
This was easily one of the most notable April Fool’s joke from a manufacturer. The E93 M3 Pickup is a concept that we all laughed at but secretly wished would be a reality, especially when you consider the craze the Chevrolet Lumina Ute was generating at the time.
Again, the engineers made use of the convertible’s body, and put it into production when they started to notice signs of serious wear from the E30 pickup. Seeing that its completion was around the time of April 1st, the team decided to use it to bait members of the press (not including us).
All things considered, this Ute would have probably been a success, especially when you consider the fact that it made use of a removable targa roof and was 50 kg lighter than the convertible. No doubt about it, though this would have been a handful to drive.
