Four generations. One argument.
Few automotive bloodlines have created the kind of loyalty, rivalry and endless debate that surrounds the BMW 3 Series. Across generations, the formula changed, the technology evolved and the cars became faster, but one thing never disappeared: the belief that your generation was the one BMW got exactly right.
The E30 didn't simply enter touring car racing. It conquered it. The E30 M3 accumulated more than 1,400 race victories, captured championships across the world and became one of the most successful touring cars ever created. It fought larger, more powerful machines and defeated established rivals on circuits across Europe and beyond, earning a reputation perfectly captured by a German word: GIGANTENTÖTER. Giant Killer.
But even that name wasn't enough to contain the legend. As the victories accumulated and the years turned a dominant race car into an automotive icon, enthusiasts gave the E30 M3 another, almost immortal name: God's Chariot.
The generations that followed had to answer it.
That was the legacy the E36 had to follow. Instead of disappearing beneath the enormous shadow of its predecessor, the E36 built a racing reputation of its own. It became a formidable competitor during the Super Touring era, winning the British Touring Car Championship and competing successfully around the world, proving that the dominance of the 3 Series was not the achievement of a single legendary generation.
Then came the E46, and BMW's rivalry with Porsche produced one of the most intimidating 3 Series race cars ever created: the V8 powered E46 M3 GTR. After Porsche dominated the 2000 American Le Mans Series GT season, BMW answered. In 2001, the M3 GTR took seven victories, six pole positions and swept the Drivers', Teams' and Manufacturers' championships. Porsche had thrown down the challenge. BMW answered.
The E9X generation carried the fight into another era. The E90 320si entered the World Touring Car Championship in 2006 and won its very first race. By the end of that season BMW had captured both the Drivers' and Manufacturers' World Championships, then repeated both achievements in 2007. Different technology, different engineering and a different generation, but the bloodline was still winning.