The Washington Inquirer EditorOne of the ways BMW M celebrated its 50th anniversary this year was by making a 50 Jahre version of the G80 BMW M3.
All 50 Jahre models were mechanically identical to an M3 Competition but had unique visuals to separate themselves from the standard car and make them feel more special. The M3 50 Jahre was only available in five different, very special colors, one of which being BMW’s iconic Techno Violet, as seen here.
Aside from exterior color, all 500 BMW M3 50 Jahre models had the same options. They all had the same M Forged wheels as the standard M3 Comp but finished in Orbit Grey. They also got loads of “50 Jahre” badges, color stripes in the cabin, and a carbon fiber package that added the lightweight stuff throughout both the exterior and interior. One mechanical upgrade it also got was an M Performance exhaust, made from both titanium and carbon fiber.
Under the skin, all BMW M3 50 Jahre models were the same as a standard M3 Comp, though. That means they all had 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged straight-sixes, with 503 horsepower and 479 lb-ft of torque. Being Competition models, there was no choice for a manual transmission, they were all automatic-only. They were all also rear-wheel drive, with no option for xDrive all-wheel drive.
Of the five colors available were the aforementioned Techno Violet, Cinnebar Red, Interlagos Blue, Fire Orange, and Lime Rock Grey. Inside, they only got black interiors with the M Carbon Bucket Seats. This particular model is available at Autohaus BMW in St. Louis.
For the most part, this is pretty much a perfect stock M3 build. The only thing I’d change is the wheels, they should be gold or bronze, not grey. They’re gold on the M4 50 Jahre, which would have worked better with the Techno Violet paint than this car’s grey wheels. Ironically, the M4 50 Jahre wasn’t available with Techno Violet. Still, this car looks great and it should be a special model for years to come.
