Follow me through this two-part introduction. Gordon Murray (McLaren F1 designer), Ron Dennis (McLaren Formula 1 boss), Bernie Ecclestone (umm… Formula 1) all worked for a company that has beneficially altered the BMW M3. Damon Hill, Niki Lauda, Nelson Piquet, and Dan Gurney all drove for this company. The owner of this company drove for this company, for goodness sake. The name of Brabham is evocative, with history squarely on its side.
Now for the car. I love the BMW M3. It’s hard to justifiably dislike the BMW M3, really. It is fast, handsome, and handles like a dream. M3s are technologically advanced but inherently connected to their drivers’ senses. BMW has built such a franchise with the M3 that it has become a performance enthusiast’s choice almost as obvious as the Porsche 911.
Alas, with the current – and still much-loved – M3, BMW fell into a bit of a trap. Perhaps the German masters over-thought the process. I dare say, the M3 looks almost as if its styling went through focus groups, as it doth appear a bit of an amalgam of new ideas, M3 connotations, and performance addenda.
The reborn Brabham Racing appears to have fixed all of that. And worthy though Brabham Racing is and will become as its own self, wouldn’t it be lovely if the BMW factory gave way to Brabham and let the little-bit-too-soft M3 become the car you see pictured here. Continue with the 414-bhp V8, perfect balance, wonderful transmissions, and the carbon fiber roof. But please oh please BMW, make it look like this.
