BMW Motorsport created the E30-generation M3 to compete in the inaugural 1987 World Touring Car Championship. Following completion of the model’s initial 5,000-unit production run required by the FIA’s Group A homologation rules in March 1987, BMW Motorsport continued to homologate updated racing technologies for the M3 with 500-unit batches which entered production in 1987, 1988, and 1990, respectively.

Taken altogether, these three successive renditions of the “M3 Evolution” represent the distillation of the model’s wildly successful motorsports pedigree from the championship-winning racecars into limited, thrilling, and highly sought-after sports saloons available to any paying customer of the marque.

Produced during the spring of 1988, the M3 Evolution II improved upon its predecessor by way of a lighter and more powerful drivetrain, as well as better aerodynamics. A newly styled (and lighter) front bumper was added, and the rear spoiler also received a new aileron, which greatly improved the utilization of downforce.

In Evolution II trim, the M3’s “S14” dual-overhead-camshaft inline-four-cylinder engine received new internals, revised engine management software, Bosch fuel injection, and a higher compression ratio to bump peak performance up to 220 horsepower. A thoroughly lightened flywheel was also added to the preexisting close-ratio five-speed transmission (with “dogleg” first gear), and all this new equipment means that the Evolution II is an ever-so-slightly faster, but supremely more capable on-track performer than the standard M3 and M3 Evolution I variants.

This wonderful, home-market M3 Evolution II number 119 was sold new to its first owner in June 1988 via BMW Niederlassung Bonn. Finished in the stellar shade of Macao Blue Metallic over the Evolution II’s exclusive silver “M” cloth upholstery, it further benefits from a complement of desirable optional equipment including a power sunroof, air conditioning, heated seats, aerial, rear headrests, a green-tinted windshield, and the Evolution accessory package (“M” emblazoned dead pedal, door sills, and Evolution console placard).

Following three decades of careful enjoyment within Germany, the car was purchased by the consignor and imported to Ohio in November 2017. At that time, its odometer reportedly indicated approximately 52,725 kilometers (~32,762 miles).

As presented today, this rarely enjoyed M3 Evolution II shows fewer than 57,050 kilometers (~35,450 miles) at time of cataloguing. It beckons BMW Motorsport enthusiasts to indulge in hot laps and spirited jaunts while offering a beautiful and particularly exclusive display piece for aficionados of Munich’s celebrated E30-generation M3 and its stellar competitive pedigree.