What if the Confederacy had won the Civil War, Superman had been raised in the Soviet Union instead of the US, Adolf Hitler had never been born or JFK hadn’t been assassinated and so on?

This is the alternative or alternate history, the “what if” premise, which has been quite popular in both historical and science fiction genres.

In a similar fashion, what would have happened to the 3-Series’ styling if BMW had constantly evolved the shape of the E30 (produced between 1982-1990, though some body styles continued for a few more years) and hadn’t moved on with the E36 and its successors?

This is a question posed by the people at Hungary’s TMCars design. The answer they came up with is the TM concept30, named after the E30 3-Series that is celebrating its 30th birthday this year.

Interestingly, the concept30 is much more than a pure study as TMCars imagined it as a styling kit that can transform the appearance of any E30 3-Series, many examples of which remain in use today.

The company claims that the concept30 keeps the E30’s three main “character” lines intact, including, “The shoulder line which runs from the headlamps along the sides to the taillamps. The line on the lower side of the body which connects the front intakes with the exhaust outlets, and the body wideline inbetween, which shapes the front and the rear bumpers, and runs along the sides as a fine edge.”

According to TMCars, the concept30 was designed from the outset with a limited production series in mind. It consists of 12 pieces that replace or attach to any E30 coupe, which the company says, “is the easiest way of having a modern looking classic”.

E30 owners can opt for one of two different designs. The street version retains the glasshouse and roof of the original car, while its wheel arches are designed for the original suspension fitted with slightly wider wheels.

The race version, on the other hand, keeps the factory glasshouse but adds a wider C-pillar like the first-generation M3, while the wheel arches can be custom-made to fit any suspension and wheels used on race-car versions.

Common features include the the intersecting trapezoid LED lamps that replace the classic round headlights, the shark nose fascia with satin colored black dividing inserts for the grille and the modern tail lamps.

TMCars says it has ensured that both versions comply with European regulations so that they can be used on the road.

Whether the Hungarian company will go ahead and produce the concept30 kit depends on customer reaction to the project.

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