BMW South Africa is celebrating 30 years of the iconic M3 sports sedan and an exclusive special edition has been created for the occasion.

The BMW M3 made its international debut back in 1986, but it was only in the 1990s that South Africa got its first taste of M3 magic. Now many years and five generations later, the M3 is still a very desirable performance vehicle which can run very close to machines costing double the price. BMW South Africa has recognised the impact of the M3 and created this30 Years M3 special edition, which now available in South Africain limited numbers.

What's Different?

A photo posted by Cars.co.za (@carssouthafrica) on Aug 30, 2016 at 10:53pm PDT

The30 Years M3 differs from the standard BMW M3 in many ways. Visually, it's only available inan exclusive exterior colour called Macao Blue metallic and you'll notice the majestically forged 20-inch M light-alloy wheels with 666 M star spoke design. The exhaust pipe is finished in black chrome and the M gills on the front wings now say 30 Years M3.

However, under the skin, there are some serious changes. The platform used for this upgrade is the BMW M3 Competition Pack,a formidable driving weapon. Power has been raised to 331 kW, which is 14 kW more than the standard model. The model features adaptive M suspension comprising new springs, dampers and stabilisers as well as remapped versions of the three driving modes (Comfort, Sport and Sport+). The standard Active M differential on the rear axle has also been on the receiving end of some tweaks, as has the Dynamic Stability Control feature (DSC). BMW claims its30 Years M3 will hit 100 kph in 4 seconds dead when equipped with the optional 7-speed M double clutch gearbox.

The interior gains some classy touches in the form ofM sports seats in a skeletal design and seatbelts with woven-in BMW M strips also enhance the sporty interior ambience. There are plenty of30 Years M3 logos dotted around the cabin such as on the doorsills and headrests, anda30 Years M3 1/500 badge on the carbon fibre interior trim strip of the instrument panel to remind you that you're driving something special.

BMW Global has created 300 units and only 30 are available for sale in South Africa. Expect to pay around R1.5-million for this exclusive vehicle.

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