There’s something about an E30 that makes you pause a little, especially when it’s been built with intent rather than excess. This one starts with an M20B23, stroked to 2.8L and paired with a 5-speed Getrag 260. A Schrick 272 cam, 3-angle valve work, oversized OEM pistons, and ceramic-coated equal-length headers give it a more confident, usable 200HP. Not a numbers car, but a driver’s setup — predictable, responsive, and still very much an M20 in character.

The exterior keeps that familiar, almost understated charm: Lachssilber paint, OEM Mtech 1 body kit, E28 Mtech rear spoiler, and Startec-style smoked tails. Period-correct, nothing shouting for attention. It sits on rebuilt 3-piece BBS RS, which suit the chassis like they always have.

Inside, the oxblood leather rewrap brings a warmer contrast, with BMW Recaro Sport seats, Mtech 1 steering wheel, and a Z3 short shifter adding to the tactile side of the car. It feels considered — not restored to factory, not transformed into something else, but adjusted in all the places an owner who actually drives an E30 might care about.

Hotbits coilovers and a 3.45 large-case LSD keep it planted without taking away the lightness that made the platform special in the first place. The kind of setup that doesn’t need a long explanation — you just get in, shift into first, and it tells you what it is.