Meet the E30 M3 Cecotto.
The new BMW M3 is here and there's a lot to like about it, just not the look. It will get you noticed, though. It'll be available with all-wheel-drive soon, but for now, it's still offered with the three essential BMW ingredients: an inline-six engine, a manual gearbox, and rear-wheel drive. Of course, the M3 name has a remarkable lineage that all began with the legendary E30. This car has not been forgotten by the brand and, in a new video on YouTube, BMW has shared the story of the special edition E30 M3 Cecotto, originally introduced in 1989.
There have been numerous special editions of the M3, such as the spine-tingling E46 CSL. The Cecotto may not be as celebrated (BMW built a Cecotto Edition of the E34 M5 as well) but it has its own great story to tell. This M3 was named after Venezuelan racing legend Johnny Cecotto who triumphed at the 1992 edition of the 24 Hours of Nurburgring.
Between 1989 and 1992, Cecotto registered no less than 10 DTM race wins in an M3. Only 505 Cecotto M3s were built and they weren't markedly different from the standard E30 M3. The major change was the use of an uprated 2.3-liter four-cylinder engine with 215 horsepower, and the implementation of a catalytic converter.
Other than this, the Cecotto was available in just three colors: Misano Red, Nogaro Silver metallic, and Macao Blue metallic. It came with a serialized plaque in the interior to remind you of its rarity. Beyond these subtle changes, it wasn't much different than the regular M3, which means that it handled like a dream and made a throaty roar from that four-pot. Its performance is nothing to bother any subsequent M3, but the E30 set a remarkably high standard for all other versions to follow. For Cecotto, having his name attached to a car like this must surely rank alongside those famous racing victories.
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