LONDON: The legend returns and by that, we mean the BMW E30 M3, thanks to the efforts of UK-based company Redux, which has resurrected the giant-killer in neo-classic form.
The company is all about restoring and modifying existing BMW E30 M3 road cars, with its endeavours focused on further enhancing and evolving this particular vehicular generation.
It all starts with the company’s “concierge service” for sourcing a donor E30 M3 through its network of contacts in Britain and mainland Europe, but if the customer already owns one, then they’ll offer to manage the logistics for its collection and return.
Such services are also available for those in North America with Enthusiast Auto Group (based in Cincinnati, Ohio) being the company’s distributor, donor supplier and logistics partner.
Upon receiving the car, Redux will inspected it before stripping it down to its bare chassis for cleaning with a combination of media blasting and pyrolysis (heat treatment). The chassis is then jigged to ensure it’s straight as an arrow.
The parts are then scrutineered to see how they can be better improved on as imperfections on the body and chassis are corrected.
After such, everything is dry fitted to ensure perfect fitments and the parts removed once more for the shell the receive a thorough cleaning to prepare for paint.
Here, the customer will decide interior will be fitted with re-trimmed Recaro front seats with a and rear bench as standard while a six-point harnesses and integrated fire extinguisher system is available as an optional extra.
Once the road/track configuration has been decided, the customer will need to decipher the rest of the cabin’s accoutrements that include the steering wheel, gear shifter, carpets, door pull handles, headliner/door card/A/B/C pillar trim fabric(s), audio system, and colour scheme begins.
Before more parts get added to the final specifications list, the parts that were initially pulled from the car would have by now undergone scrutineering for performance, durability and reliability by this time.
Meanwhile, body and chassis undergo corrective measures for any detected imperfections before any unique features or bespoke components crafted by the company are added to the vehicle.
Upon completion of fabrication, the car’s shell is dry built to ensure all components are able to fit perfectly and here’s where the customer gets the opportunity to visit and finalise their driving position while the vehicle is on its wheels.
The parts are then removed again and the shell is thoroughly cleaned in preparation for paint.
For the engine, the standard 2.3-litre S14 four-cylinder engine gets rebuilt and the new 2.5-litre engine receives new custom components and it’s here that the customer gets to choose whether it will remain as a naturally-aspirated engine or enter the turbocharged era.
Either way, the engine receives a bespoke Raychem engine loom with Autosport connectors, BMW Motorsport crank, lightweight battery and Motec engine control unit (ECU).
The components from Redux include a carbon airbox (naturally aspirated engine), conrods and pistons, custom large capacity radiator (and intercooler with the turbocharged engine) and the hand-crafted stainless steel exhaust system with catalytic converters.
The transmission will use a bespoke lightweight flywheel and single/twin plate clutch (dependent on engine torque rating), bespoke steel prop-shaft and heavy-duty driveshafts, BMW Motorsport 3.91 crown and pinion, Limited Slip Differential (LSD), quick-shift gear lever assembly and a five-speed manual gearbox with close ratio gears.
UK-based EXE-TC’s provides the suspension in the form of a three-way adjustable coil over dampers with adjustable top-mounts with the option of swapping them to the new and more costly four-way adjustable coil-overs.
Other custom suspension parts from Redux include adjustable front control arms, front and rear blade anti-roll bars, front and rear cross members, front uprights and rear trailing arms as well as upgraded bushings, revised geometry, drive flanges, differential mount and hubs.
Braking power comes from AP Racing and the car will use a set of front 355mm and rear 330mm discs for the front six-piston and rear four-piston callipers to bite down on. As an added option, the discs can be swapped out for SICOM’s larger 380mm (front) and 360mm (rear) carbon ceramic with four-piston callipers, adapters and ceramic brake pads.
The braking system will be partially obscured by the monobloc Cinel DTM design wheels made out of forged T-6061 aluminium with a pitch circle diameter (PCD) of 5×120 (or with a centrelock), and fitted with aluminium valve stems before wrapping it in a choice of Michelin Pilot Super Sport/Sport 4 road tyres (slick/semi-slick track tyres also available).
Keyword: BMW E30 M3 'Redux'-ed with turbocharger, ceramic brakes and roll cage