Check out this 800bhp E30 with a retro DTM livery

The early 1990s was such a brilliantly bonkers time for the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters, and this custom E30 BMW 3 Series build takes us right back there. 

The year is 1991, Frank Biela has won the championship in his gloriously out-of-place V8 Quattro DTM and we’ve just spent a season watching E30 M3s and Merc 190Es battle it out on track. We’ve also witnessed the fantastic Fox Body Ford Mustang of Ruch Motorsport and a particular M3 with a very eye-catching livery…

That would be Tauber Motorsport’s Allen Berg in his Tic Tac-clad E30 – something that Mush Alkarkhi has recreated for his new 800bhp road car. What a thing. 

Fancy some specs? The engine is the S52B32 straight-six unit from North America’s E36 M3, only it’s been completely stripped down, rebuilt and then turbocharged for that frankly absurd power figure. Oh, and it’s apparently good for up to 1,100bhp “if needed”.

Pretty much everything under the skin of the original E30 has been changed. There’s a whole new ECU setup and a completely different fuel system, as well as E46 brakes and the five-speed ZF320 manual gearbox from an E36. 

There’s also a custom-built exhaust, a limited-slip diff and an all-important air suspension setup. 

Oh, and then there’s the looks. The giant rear wing and widebody kit are part of a 'Live To Offend' E30 kit that’ll probably do exactly what it says on the tin. The wheels are 18-inch examples from a Beverley Hills-based company called Brixton Forged. 

Apparently, the interior retains its original grey leather and pretty much all of the standard E30 panels. Nice. The only real additions are displays for the air suspension and live engine data. Probably best to keep track of that given the work that went into this thing…

What do we think Internet? Surely the world needs more retro DTM-inspired road cars?

Images: David Arellano / daar_creative