BMW’s Original M3 Is the Quintessential M-Car After Nearly 40 Years

The original M3 from BMW was a pugnacious little brat of a car, more fun to drive than just about anything from the 1980s, short of other homologation specials like the Renault 5 Turbo 2 or the rare-as hen’s-teeth Lancia 037. BMW’s tiny terror was based on the ubiquitous—and excellent—E30 3 Series, but pumped up with anger and built to meet the quota of 5,000 roadgoing examples needed to satisfy rules allowing the race version to compete in the FIA Group A touring-car…