The 3.2 L M30 “big six” engine was installed in an E30 two-door in 1985 by BMW South Africa’s Motorsport division to create the 333i. The resultant 333i was successful in saloon car racing in South Africa. With assistance from Alpina in Buchloe, Germany, these automobiles were constructed. The buyer was forced to pick between power steering and air conditioning because of the huge M30 engine’s space-constricting effects. Air conditioning is quite popular in South Africa. Foglights are a distinguishing feature of power steering vehicles; in contrast, air conditioning vehicles featured ducts for bringing fresh air into the system. Only 204 333i vehicles were built between 1985 and 1987.
The 333i engine generates 285 Nm (210 lbft) of torque at 4300 rpm and 145 kW (194 horsepower) at 5500 rpm. Official BMW performance claims include a top speed of 228 km/h and a 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) time of 7.4 seconds (142 mph).
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more uncommon than a BMW E30 M3
From March 1986 until June 1991, just over five years, the desired M3 E30 was made. 17,970 E30 M3s were produced in total by the time its production cycle was over. The 333i was built in substantially lower quantities even though it was debuted about the same time, in 1985. There were only 204 produced, which is why some collectors prefer the 333i model.
History
The BMW SA and Alpina Germany collaborated on the development of the E30 333i, which was sold from April 1985 until September 1987. The German Alpina B6, which also utilised the M30 big six engine, shares a lot of mechanical parts with this vehicle. Customers had to choose between power steering and air conditioning because only one could be installed as standard. The existence of driving lamps in power steering vehicles and grille coverings in air conditioning units, with the A/C hardware prohibiting the installation of regular driving lamps, serve as external indicators of this.
Henna Red, Ice White, Aero Silver, and Diamond Black were the only colors offered. Both the Alpina large brake kit and the M-Technic 1 aerodynamics package were standard. A sunroof and ABS brakes were options.
initially intended for Group One competition, where it would have faced off against other South African huge capacity specials like the Ford Sierra XR8 and Alfa Romeo GTV 3.0. When Grp1 was abandoned at the conclusion of 1985, the automobile was left without a formula.
Only 204 units were produced, the majority of which were entered in South African Motorsport competitions. A single vehicle was exported to BMW UK, and three or four more were privately imported into the UK.
Driving the recognizable and uncommon BMW E30 333i
Many enthusiasts, not just BMW zealots, hold a particular place in their hearts for the BMW E30 3 Series. The M3 model, which was also the first of its kind, is without a doubt the most beloved of the second-generation 3 Series lineup. One limited-edition model is available, though, and it might be even more wanted. The BMW E30 333i would be that.
As unexpected as it may sound, this was South Africa’s response to the M3. This is due to the fact that the M vehicle was never formally sold in the nation, even though the Rosslyn facility had been in operation for a while when the first M3 had been released. Naturally, this raised some eyebrows, which led the local branch to devise a strategy to make up for this ignorance. The BMW 333i was created in this manner.
It was the outcome of the combined efforts of BMW Motorsport, ALPINA, and BMW South Africa. They installed the M30 engine, which was typically used in the BMW 733i, in the engine compartment of the E30 3 Series vehicle. ALPINA also made some upgrades to the straight-six 3.2-liter engine, which produced about 200 HP in the 333i application—a figure that was lower than the M3’s but had far more low-end torque to play with.
Only 210 of these were ever produced, and the video below, provided by Cars.co.za, shows one of them and gives some data about it. One extremely fascinating fact is that the original 333i came with a manual that detailed all the ways it differed from an ordinary 3 Series when it was delivered fresh new.
But putting all of those intricacies aside, the focus of this car was the driving experience, and this movie also addresses that topic.
The most unique E30 was the BMW 333i.
The cost of the original BMW M3 has increased to absurd proportions in recent years, almost matching those of the Porsche 911 with air cooling. I’ve had the pleasure of driving one, and although it is truly very wonderful, I frequently ponder whether the outrageous asking costs are really justified. The BMW 333i is an E30 worth selling your children’s organs for.
This is true for three reasons: it’s quite uncommon, it’s extremely rare, and it’s pretty awesome to drive.
The 333i was born in South Africa even though it was constructed in Germany. The E30 3 Series sold well in that nation in the 1980s, as it did globally, but they did not receive the top-tier M3. A massive 3.2-liter inline six from the 733i and other large BMWs was put in as BMW South Africa chose to sort of manufacture their own using this way.
According to BMW Blog, the small 3 Series never had a big enough engine from the factory, so this huge six gave it a respectable level of power—a truly not-bad-for-its-time 194 horsepower and 210 lb-ft of torque. Having owned an E30 myself, I can attest to the fact that it must have moved quite fine based on those stats. For good measure, it also included enhanced front disc brakes from Alpina, a limited-slip differential, and a close-ratio five-speed manual transmission.
And here’s a fun fact:
Another intriguing choice was air conditioning, which would preclude power steering because the large engine wouldn’t provide enough room for both systems. Therefore, you either drove comfortably while perspiring from the South African heat, or you drove carefully while staying cool.
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This SentiMETAL video tells the tale of the automobile, and it’s really worth watching.
Thus, the 333i is a legitimate Bavarian muscle car. By that, I don’t mean in the modern, hyper-macho, America-only Dodge Challenger HellDemonScatPackHailSatan Monday Night Football sense, but rather in the classic and broader sense: what you get when you put an engine from a full-size car into a related, smaller car. It’s essentially Go Fast 101.
It’s also an intriguing counterpoint to the E30 M3, which was known for its usage of a smaller four-cylinder engine and reputation for high revving akin to a race car. Plus, only roughly 200 of the 333i were ever produced, making it even rarer. Is it accurate to say that this E30 is the most unique one? I believe it most likely is. The argument could be made, at the very least.
(Note: It is important to note that many other automakers abandoned the South African market in the 1980s due to sanctions over apartheid, which is why BMW had a big market share and could build specials like this. A couple of you mentioned this after the article was published. Although the car is cool, no consumer good exists in a vacuum, and the environment in which it resides is pretty unpleasant.)
This film tells the tale of owner Arshaad Nana, proprietor of the neighborhood BMW specialty shop EuroSpec, and how he came to buy this specific white 333i. Even his had to be restored after being discovered coated in dust and untouched for a very long time. Consider myself envious.
Additional nice BMW 3 Series:
The 333i was similarly cool even though it wasn’t a true M3. It was propelled by the 733i’s 3.2-liter straight-six engine, which replaced the 325i’s original engine and produced 198 horsepower (148 kilowatts). It sent power to the rear wheels through a limited-slip differential and a close-ratio five-speed manual gearbox. Dual-ventilated brake discs by Alpina were responsible for stopping the vehicle.
Speaking about Alpina, BMW South Africa benefited from assistance from BMW Motorsport and the car’s tuning house. The end result was a remarkable acceleration of 7.4 seconds from 0 to 60 miles per hour (0 to 98 kilometers per hour). The closest equivalent to the M3 in South Africa, though not quite as wild. Having only 204 units sold to consumers, some enthusiasts find it even more coveted than the original M3 (E30).
The 333i appears in a new film from Cars.co.za (attached at the top of the post), showcasing its unique qualities. The car’s owner, Ashraad Nana, claims that it took him a very long time to be able to purchase it, but that he is now familiar with every nut and bolt.
BMW South Africa, BMW Motorsport, and Alpina worked together to build the E30 333i, which was built between 1985 and 1987. The original concept for the 333i is given to Vic Doolan and Bernd Pischetsrieder of BMW South Africa. The E12 M535i, albeit not the lightest of vehicles, was at the time BMW’s most competitive vehicle in South African racing. BMW SA decided to manufacture its own formidable 3-series via the more conventional six-cylinder path, despite BMW Germany already producing the E30 M3. When Group One racing was discontinued at the end of 1985, the 333i was designed with the intention of competing in that division.
The 197hp E23 733i was chosen as the engine for the 333i because of its propensity for free revving. The 745i from BMW SA, which was propelled by the BMW M1 engine, is often compared to the 333i in terms of size. The Alpina B6 was intended as a model for the design specification. In fact, the 333i utilised as many Alpina parts as it could to reduce production costs. The most noticeable wheels were the 7×16″ Alpina 20 spoke alloy ones. The car’s intake manifold, instrument panel, auxiliary digital meters affixed to the grille, three-spoke sport steering wheel, and gear shift knob are a few of the less obvious Alpina parts.
The Recaro sport seats were one of the additional improvements over the base E30. a suspension calibrated by Bilstein. Perforated rotors with eight-piston calipers up front and six-piston calipers at the back made up a bigger, more powerful braking system. A larger radiator was used in place of the stock E30 radiator to prevent cooling issues. Owners of the 333i were offered the choice of having either power steering or air conditioning because there wasn’t enough place for both.
The 204 333i models were all RHD and produced between May 1985 and October 1987. There is no way to know which automobiles and exactly how many of these were reportedly submitted into South African motorsport competitions. One of the 204 units that were made, according to reports, was exported to BMW UK, while another three or four were privately brought into the UK. There were four color options for the 333i: Charcoal Black, Henna Red, Ice White, and Aero Silver.
In order to compete in South African saloon car racing, BMW South Africa developed the 333i. initially intended for Group One competition, where it would have faced off against other South African huge capacity specials like the Ford Sierra XR8 and Alfa Romeo GTV 3.0. When Grp1 was abandoned at the conclusion of 1985, the automobile was left without a formula. Even though the M3 was being developed by BMW Germany, BMW SA opted for the more conventional big engine path. Following a string of racing victories, the resultant 333i was superseded by the 325iS.
The 733i’s M30B32 3.3-liter engine was utilised, and several Alpina components, including the gearbox, the rear axle, and the brakes, were also used. It’s possible to see the 333i as an intriguing Alpina B6 3.5 version. The 333i was unique since it was the result of a partnership between Alpina, BMW Motorsport, and BMW South Africa. With the 333i, BMW effectively adopted an Alpina design for the South African market. This was the first instance of continued engineering collaboration between BMW and Alpina.
Only 204 examples were made between 1985 and 1987, and majority of those were raced in South Africa. A single vehicle was exported to BMW UK, and three or four more were privately imported into the UK. There were four color options for the vehicle: Charcoal Black (Diamantschwarz), Henna Red (Hennarot), Ice White (Alpinweiss), and Aero Silver (Arctissilber).