(Browse the Majorette BMW M3 listings on Ebay here)
One letter, one number: M3. As a car person, that’s all you need to hear to set your mind racing. The halo model of BMW’s 3-Series range, the name has become synonymous with sublime road cars and dominance in motorsports, and there are countless diecast versions out there spanning nearly every model year from the E30 in 1986 right the way through to the current generation G80 introduced in 2021.
Schuco, Inno, Mini GT, Almost Real/AR Box and several others have tackled M3 models at premium 1/64 level. For entry-level diecast in this scale however, the market is a little more limited. The Mattel brands have tackled various M3 models over the years, with the E30 perhaps being the most well served. Maisto have also done an E30, and I reviewed a CCA version of the M3’s coupe stablemate the M4 back in 2024. And now entering the ring is Majorette.
The M3 as a stand alone model arrived in March 1986, intended to be a homologation model to meet DTM and Group A rules which called for a minimum production run of 5000 road cars.
While recognisable on the surface as a member of the 3-Series family, the M3 shared only the bonnet with the rest of the E30 line, with the now legendary high revving S14 inline-four sitting underneath. Power was a shade under 200bhp, with a top speed of 146mph. Evolution 1 and 2 models arrived in 1987 and 1988 respectively, with the latter featuring revised engine internals and a 220bhp output. Evolution 2 models also came with a handful of exterior tweaks including a revised front bumper equipped with a deeper splitter, and front foglights were ditched in favour of brake cooling ducts. The ultimate Sport Evolution model arrived in 1990, equipped with an upgraded 2.5 litre S14 kicking out 235bhp, giving a top speed of 146mph.
But power and top speed were never the E30 M3’s defining trait. It was the handling that set it apart, characterised by precise steering, balance, and a highly communicative chassis. Contemporary press were full of praise and to this day the E30 M3 is still often ranked amongst the greatest drivers cars of all time.
The M3 made a fine racer too, and the E30 was a formidable force in the Group A category taking (amongst others) 2 DTM titles, an Australian Touring Car championship, 2 British Touring Car Championships and no less than 7 JTC-2 titles in the Japanese Touring Car Championship. On the rally stage too the E30 proved a capable machine on asphalt, with the 1987 Tour de Corse won by an M3, as well as the 1990 Irish Tarmac Championship.
Majorette have replicated the Sport Evo model complete with front splitter, and compared to the similarly priced competition, this is (in my opinion) the best E30 M3 out there. The Maisto version is a pure toy, and whilst it has its charms it’s not in the same league at all. Out of the two Mattel E30s, the Hot Wheels version is a total mess proportionally, and despite being a hell of a lot better the Matchbox version isn’t quite right either.
Majorette’s version is the most accurate and convincing looking “mainline” E30, and offers even more bang for buck when one considers it’s equipped with the usual suspension and opening parts we’ve come to love. And the wheels suit it perfectly. But… it’s not without errors, the most glaring of which is the front bumper which for some reason has grown raised panels either side of the lower grille, and has a total lack of the air intakes that one would expect from the Sport Evo trim.
Inside the interior is well detailed, with an accurate steering wheel and seats but (and I suspect this is down to manufacturing limitations) it lacks the trademark twisted dashboard present in the E30, angled towards the driver.
But regardless it’s a fine effort, and one I utterly love. It’s one of my favourite Majorette castings of the last few years (Collection range aside of course!) Majorette’s BMW collection has grown nicely over the last 12 months with notable castings including the 2002, M4 GT3 EVO, and the G80 M3.
Introduced in 2020, the G80 is the latest generation M3, now a 4-door sedan thanks to the reclassification of the entire BMW range. Powered by the S58 twin-turbo inline-six, standard models pump out 473bhp, with Competition and CS trims making 503bhp and 542bhp respectively. Top speed is electronically pegged at 155mph unless an M Sport “Driver’s Package” is equipped, allowing a V-max of 180mph. CS cars are faster still, hitting 188mph.
Majorette have released a number of colours mirroring real shades from BMW’s “Individual” chart including Isle of Man Green, Sau Paulo Yellow, and Signal Green.
The G80 is equipped with the same wheels as the E30, and they work brilliantly on both castings; looking like something right out of the BMW options list, with more than a hint of the Style 666M alloys equipped to previous generation F80 models.
Small details like window surrounds and side vents are missing or a little flat compared to the CCA M4, but proportionally the G80 is bang on and the stance is perfect.
Behind the opening doors the interior is more accurate than the E30, with faithfully replicated seats, large dash mounted display screen, and even iDrive controls visible.
Another Majorette M3 is the G81 wagon, part of the “Ride Now” entry-level range which come without the trademark suspension clip or opening parts, but still recognisably Majorette. The G81 was one of the first models released when the range hit last year and alongside the Audi RS6 Avant, one of the most desirable.
There’s less detail but Ride Now models still make fine competitors to Mattel mainline cars, and the Touring makes a great partner to the E30 and G80.
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