BMW M3 E30 GRUPO A. NACIDO en las CARRERAS

🔷 In August 1985, rumors began circulating in Auto-Germany about a new sports car: a Group A car manufactured by BMW, which, according to regulations, also had to be available as a road-legal version. The speculation about this dream of a civilian model was quite accurate. The press was only wrong about one thing; at the time, they asserted with complete conviction that anyone wanting to be a contender in Group A would need a turbocharger under the hood. Obviously, they didn't know what they were talking about. 🔶 The first German DTM Championship was held in 1984 and saw Volker Strycek take the victory at the wheel of a BMW 635 CSi. This driver would later become the director of the Opel Performance Center, which we know as OPC. For the next two seasons, the title went to Volvo and Rover, prompting BMW to develop a high-performance version of the 3 Series. In doing so, BMW became the first manufacturer to design and build a road car specifically intended for racing. Thus, BMW's sports division chose a complex but cohesive package that exploited the Group A regulations to the fullest.