Man only ever dreamed of owning a BMW E30 M3 so he flew to Portugal to get one before making it truly 1-of-1

Hunting down his dream car, this man had to fly across Europe to land a BMW E30 M3, before becoming the only person in the world to add this mod to it.

Chasing your dreams is always harder than it seems, and there are a plethora of unorthodox routes to take to get there.

For this man, the road to his dreams was long and foreign, as he traveled far and wide to find a BMW E30 M3 that fit his criteria.

But that was only the first leg of his journey, as a modded hand-built engine with custom sliders makes this car one of a kind.

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This man flew across Europe for his dream BMW E30 M3

The BMW E30 M3 is one of those cars that really grips its fans, having a timeless look and build, with successes on and off the track.

And while the affordable sports car might not be everyone’s dream vehicle, for those motorheads who grew up on the sound of its roar, there’s nothing better.

One of those people is a Brit named David, who told the story of how he landed such a special car during an interview on Resto Revival.

“I’d always wanted one from being a child, really. I was always into touring cars – they were always my favorite. All my favorite drivers drove them,” he said.

“I just love the shape. I love the sound. I love the way – when they were racing against the big turbocharged Fords – they would monster down the straights, and this would catch them up in the corners.”

So when a friend contacted him about a BMW E30 M3 sitting in a garage in Portugal, he took the earliest plane out there.

The vehicle had been sitting dormant for eight years and had the gas tank removed for safekeeping.

Immediately, he bought the car and went to town servicing it.

After putting brake linings in, flushing out the fuel and oil, and replacing the filters, he actually drove the car all the way back to the UK, passing through Spain and France in the comfort of his new toy.

Making this a one-of-a-kind vehicle

To truly get the most out of his new car, he added a hand-built engine, topped with DTM throttle sliders, which, to his knowledge, is the only BMW E30 M3 on the planet to run with them.

The engine boasts 310hp, which exceeded his original goal of 300, and purrs on the road like no other M3.

“It’s the sort of car you can quite happily drive with someone but sit in total silence because you’re just listening,” he said.

Unlike many other cars in the model, David vowed to use it as his daily driver, rather than a trophy parading his garage floor.

“It’s hard not to smile in this… it puts a smile on other people’s faces as well,” he added.

Like-minded BMWs have been popular restoration projects, but few will ever be able to perform as well as this unique beast.

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