Quite a while back, I was taken aback by thread posted in one of the local forums about a guy taking his time to rebuild an old BMW E30. If you are unsure of what a BMW E30 looks like, just click here. Anyway, it took a number of years to source the parts and to rebuild the old classic. Now, a Hungarian firm takes rebuilding the old E30 to the next level.
TMCARS vehicle design studio presented the TM concept30 design study back in 2012 to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the presentation of the BMW E30 series. The study shows the modern form of the original design, and according to the plans envisioned the design could be produced as a bodykit with which any e30 coupe could be converted to a TM concept30.
Design
As a design concept it reaches back to the BMW e30 because this car has a really good reputation even today, and many are still in use not only on roads but in different racing championships.For the design the major task was to keep the original character of the e30 but make it an up-to-date car. Besides it is a study also on how BMW design could have evolved if they hadn’t changed to ‘flame surfacing’ and the following evolution of the concave-convex styling of the cars. In fact, the TM concept30 follows the traditional ‘german’ school, where the lines are more logical and clearer.
This can be seen all over the body, which has kept the three main character lines of the original e30: the shoulder line which runs from the headlamps along the sides to the taillamps. The line on the lower side of the body which connects the front intakes with the exhaust outlets, and the body wideline inbetween, which shapes the front and the rear bumpers, and runs along the sides as a fine edge.The TM concept30 features some clearly modern elements such as the enlarged front bumper intake or the restyled headlamps, where the classical two rounded DRL lights have been reshaped to two intersecting trapezoid LED stripes.As mentioned before, the whole design is aimed to create a modern version of the e30 and to create a ‘modern classic’ with out-of-todays trends styling.
Versions
Knowing that many people use their e30 based racecars in many championships still nowadays, the TM concept30 was created in two different versions: the street version keeps all the roof and the glasses of the original e30 coupe, and the wheel arches are designed for the original suspension with a slightly widened rim or with small spacers.
The race version however keeps all windows of the original, but the C pillar is wider – just as on the original M3 – and the wheel arches can be custom-made for any suspension and wheel geometry that is used on the racecar. It is important to stress out that both versions were designed to comply with the IVA M1 category regulations, so they can be used on-road as well after the approval of the modifications*.
The full bodykit consist of 12 main panels:
- front bumper
- hood
- front fenders
- doorpanels
- sills
- rear fenders
- rear bumper
- trunk lid
- roof spoiler (optional)
Most of the panels are simply bolt on to the factory point just as the original body panels, while for some panels it is necessary to cement or bolt them onto the original bodypanels (door panels, rear fenders ). A precise fit is guaranteed here as well as the inner surface of the bodykit panels are the exact negative copies of the original body surface.
Pricing
The full bodykit made of GRP composites and with white gelcoat finish costs 2.970 € + VAT (around RM13,000 without VAT, tax and shipping). Also on request, the bodykit can be made of other materials – carbon, kevlar – or with different layers. The price does not include packaging and postage costs. By request the bodykit can be installed by the seller on its premises.
Lights
The lights set shown on the above pictures is not included in the bodykit. The full lights set can be ordered separately from the seller. All lights are german made Hella modules, which are E-marked.
The basic lights-set consists:
- Bi-Halogen main lights*
- front indicators
- front position lights
- rear position+brake lights
- rear indicators
- 3rd brake lights
- reversing light
- rear foglamp
- rear reflectors
- LED trapezoid light modules
* On request other types of main lights are available also (Bi-Xenon, Bi-LED)
The basic lights-set costs 800 € + VAT (around RM3,600 without VAT)
Interested in finding out more? You can contact them directly.
