- A design student reimagines BMW’s E30 M3, blending classic lines with Neue Klasse styling.
- Modern LED headlights and taillights have a dramatic impact on the overall design of the car.
- BMW’s Neue Klasse design language will shape the look of its upcoming EV and ICE models.
Few BMWs are more universally loved than the E30 generation M3. Originally engineered as a homologation special to meet DTM and Group A Touring regulations, the E30 M3 is still viewed by some enthusiasts as the finest M car ever. What could this icon look like if it was overhauled and reimagined for the 21st century? That’s exactly what these renderings bring to life.
This modern interpretation of the E30-generation M3 has been designed by Ihn Lee, a student at the Korea National University of Arts. Lee’s digital study combines the unmistakable lines of the E30 with cues from BMW’s upcoming Neue Klasse series of vehicles, and despite combining 1980s styling with design from the 2025s, it looks superb.
Read: BMW Neue Klasse Touring Design Brings Back E30 Nostalgia In The Best Way
The front end of the car is a beautiful combination of classic looks with modern touches. Like the E30, there are four round headlights, although they now include LED DRLs. Small kidney grilles are also featured and housed within a black section of the fascia, as with the E30. The bumper itself is much more aggressive than the E30 and includes a gaping wide grille and large air intakes.
We’re particularly fond of the car’s side profile. It’s a sleek two-door with squared-off quarter panels and arches, and looks great. A set of intricate wheels adds to the eye-catching design, as do the thin A- and B-pillars. At the rear, there’s a clear influence from the Neue Klasse series, with a set of slim LED taillights that are more curvaceous than those on BMW’s recent concepts, including a 3-Series-sized sedan and the X3-like SUV.
Lee didn’t stop at the coupe; he also envisioned Touring and Convertible variants of this Neue Klasse-inspired E30 M3. Both are executed with the same attention to detail, though the convertible, with its rear decklid buttresses, might just steal the spotlight. There’s even a cheeky ‘Polizei’ version of the Coupe that Lee has dreamed up.
In mid-October, BMW Group design boss Adrian van Hooydonk confirmed that the brand’s Neue Klasse design language won’t just be present on its forthcoming BEVs but also all of its ICE models. Unfortunately, a reimagining of the E30 M3 is not on the cards.
Note: The independent renderings in this story are not endorsed by BMW.
