To understand the origin story of the BMW 333i, you must know that the original BMW E30 M3 was built in left-hand drive only. Therefore, when it came time to produce a high-performance variant of the E30 for local homologation in Group N racing, a car had to be engineered and built from the ground up in South Africa. And, eventually, the BMW 333i was born!
In fact, three South African-only E30 specials resulted. The first was the 325iS with a 2.5-litre six-cylinder engine. An Evo II variant ran a bored-out 2.7-litre. And, finally, the BMW 333i, which shoehorned-in a 147 kW 3.2-litre straight six from the 7-Series. Each can be considered 100% homegrown M3s.
FACTORY APPROVED
Don’t forget, South Africa already had the BMW Rosslyn factory in Pretoria. So, flying in E30 body kits from Germany and nailing them together was no problem. However, all engine development for the BMW 333i was done by BMW SA. And had to be strictly approved by HQ back in Munich. While they were at it, BMW SA uprated the suspension, fitted a limited-slip differential and light-weight components, like aluminium doors and fenders.
With this array of mechanical upgrades, and the fact the E30 was very light and compact to begin with, the resultant BMW 333i had a potent power-to-weight ratio. Unsurprisingly, the homegrown special is incredibly agile, and exhilarating to drive hard. However, for out-and-out circuit racing, it needed to be setup correctly. This was to tame its inherent tail happiness. But engineers quickly figured out the dark art of the E30.
CAN YOU FIND ONE TODAY?
The proper, pukka homegrown BMW 333i was only produced between 1985 and 1987. It accelerated to 100 km/h from standstill in 6.7 seconds and topped out at 235 km/h. It’s only real competition in that time was the Alpina 335i, which had a 3.5-litre engine under its front-hinged bonnet. However, BMW SA actually used a few bolt-on parts from Alpina to reduce tooling and cost. Best of all, it has sweet dog-leg, first-gear manual gearbox.
Nowadays, the BMW 333i’s value comes in its rarity, and South Africa’s highly exclusive E30s are coveted the world over for their performance and craftsmanship. If you’re lucky to find someone who is willing to sell you one, expect to pay a packet for it. We’re talking north of R1 million easily. Not bad for a gusheshe …
WHAT SOUTH AFRICAN ICON DO YOU WANT FOR CHRISTMAS?
Let us know by clicking on the comment tab below or by emailinginfo@thesouthafrican.com. Or WhatsApp your thoughts on this article to 060 011 0211. Don’t forget to follow The South African for the latest FREE-to-read content.
