To this day, the E30 BMW 3 Series is one of the most recognizable and beloved classic cars ever made, especially in my homeland, South Africa. Whether it’s a clapped-out one with jiggly bumpers, a stock one that’s still in the hands of its first owner, or a heavily modified example, seeing one drive past always puts a smile on my face.
Unfortunately, we never got the legendary E30 M3, which made us feel a bit neglected. So what did we do? We made our own version of it — an objectively better version. Hold your horses, keyboard warriors. I know the E30 M3 is adored internationally, despite having only a four-cylinder engine.
The E30 333i Is A South African Homologation Special
In the 1980s, motorsport was immensely popular in South Africa. Group 1 racing gave birth to world-renowned South African-exclusive cars like the Alfa Romeo GTV6 3.0 and Ford Sierra XR8. To compete with these giants, BMW needed to make some serious upgrades to the E30.
Enter the BMW 333i: A collaboration between BMW South Africa and Alpina. In 1985, while the 333i was still in development, Group 1 racing was canceled. For many, this would have been the end of the story, and the 333i would have remained a pipedream. But not for BMW and Alpina. They forged ahead anyway, and the result was nothing short of spectacular.
At the time, the most powerful E30 in South Africa was the 325i, featuring a 168-hp M20B23 inline-six. The M3, on the other hand, had a 200-hp 2.3-liter four-banger, but power dropped to 195 horsepower due to the addition of a catalytic converter.
The mad engineers at BMW decided to one-up both models by taking the M30B32 engine from the BMW E23 733i and cramming it into the featherlight E30 coupe. The result is a rear-wheel-drive E30 with 197 horsepower and 210 pound-feet of torque, a five-speed dogleg gearbox, and a ZF limited-slip differential.
But perfection comes at a cost. To fit the 3.3-liter engine under the hood, some creature comforts had to be sacrificed. Buyers had to choose between air conditioning or power steering — there wasn’t enough room in the engine bay for both.
More Than Just Power
The 3.3-liter engine may have been the star of the show, but the Triple Three wasn’t all about raw power. It featured exhaust manifolds made by Alpina, a copper-cored radiator, and a whole host of cast iron alloy upgrades. One of the most impactful upgrades was a cheeky Bosch L-Jetronic fuel management that allowed for much more oomph at lower revs.
Handling was enhanced with Bilstein gas dampers, Alpina-made 296mm vented and grooved front brake discs, and sticky 195/50R16 Pirelli tires, ensuring the Triple Three could hold its own on the track.
Visually, the 333i stood out from other E30 models with an M-Technik body kit and 16-inch thin-spoke Alpina wheels, and it only came in four different colors: Aero Silver, Ice White, Henna Red, and Diamond Black.
Inside, the 333i was distinctive, too, with iconic M stripes across the leather-wrapped sports seats, three-spoke steering wheel, and gear knob – a detail only given to proper M cars. Even the instrument cluster got a special touch, with Alpina’s badge and red needles.
The 333i’s M30 engine was so well-regarded that Alpina broke tradition and chose it over the E30 M3’s M14 four-cylinder for the Alpina B6S. Usually, Alpina uses engines from top-of-the-line models. For Alpina, and South Africa, the 333i represented something remarkable.
A Car That Defied Logic
Not many people understand the 333i and why it’s so special. But here’s the thing: there was no logical reason for the 333i to exist. The race series it was meant to compete in had been scrapped, and with just 204 examples built, it wasn’t intended to be a moneymaker.
Neither was the 333i built out of jealousy because we didn’t receive the M3 (for the most part). Rather, the Triple Three exists because of how much South Africa cherishes its automotive culture, and it proves that passion can override logic. Sure, it might not be a true M car, and some might think it’s redundant, but the 333i is a true South African legend that will go down in history as one of the coolest BMWs ever made.
