A labor of love from a father-and-son duo, this BMW 3 Series is racking up awards. Built on a 1982 E21 chassis, the “rally” car has already triumphed in the Hot Wheels Legends Tour UK. The Essex-based team beat more than 200 entrants and is now advancing to the European final. If it succeeds there, it will move on to the Global Grand Finale for a chance to be immortalized as a 1:64-scale die-cast model that you could buy.
Paul and Ethan Foster have been refining their pet project for 14 years as a tribute to Group 2. This first-generation 3 Series tips the scales at just 900 kilograms (under 2,000 pounds) and features a genuine Group 5-spec rear wing. The aero piece has been modified with a carbon blade for added downforce and greater visual drama. Its bulging fenders form part of a fiberglass widebody kit, but everything else remains steel. That includes the vented hood with elegant cooling slots.
Purists, however, may balk at what’s under the hood. Instead of a BMW powerplant, this first-gen 3 Series hides a Rover 5.0-liter V8. Sacrilegious, perhaps, but the payoff is 420 horsepower to the rear wheels. It’s a staggering jump from the original range-topping 323i, which managed just 141 hp from its inline-six. Power is delivered through a DTM-spec Getrag gearbox and a Quaife limited-slip differential.
Elsewhere, the car is packed with details that make it stand out. We’re talking about the side exhaust, stripped-down interior, a chunky rear diffuser, and 15-inch wheels with turbofan covers. Wrapped in meaty 345/35/R15 rubber at the rear and skinnier 245/45/R15 tires up front, the wheels are complemented by modern Wilwood brakes and Gaz coilovers.
With the 3 Series celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, it’s a fitting coincidence that this heavily modified E21 is in the spotlight. Dressed in BMW’s signature M colors of blue, violet, and red, it may look like a life-size Hot Wheels car, but it’s no toy. Whether it becomes a 1:64 die-cast model sold worldwide remains to be seen, given the fierce competition. The Global Grand Finale takes place in November.
