Rally racing has always produced some of the world’s greatest race cars. The original Audi Quattro, The Lancia Delta Integrale and even this astonishing Group A BMW E30 M3. The looks of old-school rally cars are the stuff of car enthusiasts’ dreams and the noise…the sounds they make are spectacular.
This specific Group A rally BMW E30 M3 and its buddies are taking to a hill climb in this video and they sound incredible. The 2.3 liter four-cylinder engine was lightened, given a modified cylinder head from the BMW M1‘s brilliant M88 I6 engine and pumped up to be able to rev to an insane 10,000 rpm. The result of all of that was a noise that’s simply outstanding. It only made around 300 hp but who the hell cares. It sounds like a bunch of angry hornets going to war.
What I love most about old rally car noises is that you know there’s nothing superfluous about them. Rally cars are stripped out, lightweight and meant to take a tremendous amount of physical abuse. So nothing is supposed to be pretty about them, not even the noise. They sound raw and violent, as if the engine is going to explode through the hood and into the stratosphere. It’s a pure, angry noise that is, quite frankly, addictive.
It’s also incredible to watch how nimble and darty the little E30 M3 is and imagine what it must have been like back in the late ’80s/early ’90s. It’s so small and agile, capable of turning on a dime. The nose just darts into corners and the rear end follows beautifully and even playfully, allowing just a bit of a slide before easily tucking back in and rocketing off. These little E30 M3 Group A Rally cars seems like an absolute blast to drive. A new item has now been added to the bucket list.
