Right off the bat, it’s extremely cool that BMW and LEGO are marking the 40th anniversary of the legendary BMW M3 (E30) with a Speed Champions set. These kits offer enthusiasts young and old a chance to own a great car without having to pay the eye-watering sums for a larger, more accurate Technic kit. Are they perfect facsimiles? Nope, and I have made these with my kid, so I’ll forgive a lot.
I would definitely buy and build this kit exactly as is and be totally happy. The E30 is worthy of being remembered and lends itself quite well to being brickified. Just look at those lights and that grille! It’s dying to be a LEGO set.
There is one small issue with the car, though, and it’s something that seems like it should be too hard to fix if you’re in the mood for a little light brickwork.
The E30 M3 Will Never Stop Being Interesting
It’s probably a “famous last words” situation to imply that the E30 M3 will never stop being cool. I’m sure someone said the same of the Tri-5 Chevy, and yet… not everyone will play ball. Let me say this, at least, if you’re reading a car blog in 2026, you’ll probably be worm food by the time it stops being cool.
I’m particularly keen on the racing versions, which elevate the E30’s boxy profile with subtle flares and bodywork that make it nigh irresistible to a certain kind of person. I am definitely that kind of person.
Sam Smith, our pal, explains the appeal in the above video.
The Lego M3 Looks Pretty Cool
From most angles, I’m a big fan of this application, and I love how the 40th anniversary paint job from the car translates to the vehicle itself.
This collaboration elevates the two companies’ successful partnership to a new level. The distinctive livery pays tribute to the car’s legendary heritage and draws inspiration from the BMW M Motorsport division. Besides the visually captivating forms and colours of the livery, it is unique in that it is applied not only to the scaled-down replica LEGO® Speed Champions BMW M3 E30 version, but also to the actual BMW M3 E30. Accordingly, the launch of the small-scale version will be accompanied by an authentic showcar.
The LEGO® Speed Champions BMW M3 is characterised by special attention to detail in its design, faithful to the original vehicle. Among the recreated design features are the BMW kidney grille, the rear spoiler and the front end with its four round headlights, characteristic of the first-generation BMW M3. The set contains 358 pieces and is 17 centimetres long and 7 centimetres wide. Builders will be able to enjoy endless racing fun, with functional wheels and a realistic driver minifigure wearing a BMW M T-shirt.
Oh, that’s fun. Also cool of them to cast Kristen Lee as the driver.
The Proportions Are Weird
The greenhouse is short, right? Part of the visual appeal of the BMW E30 is the tall pillars and roughly equal proportion from the doors (Range Rovers do this same trick). This is like someone chopped the roof. Ok, here’s another way to visualize it.
Doesn’t that look a little more E30-like? There’s even room for a helmet, which, on a racing version, you should probably have. I think this is an easily fixable problem. Just add another brick, and it looks a lot better and more E30 to me. Also, you don’t have to do that, and you can just have fun with the car!
It’s ultimately a toy, which means that it’s less a perfect representation of a vehicle and more a vehicle for your own creativity. One of my favorite things to do with a LEGO kit is to make it as the designer intended. Wait a week. And then make it the way I’d make it. Either way, they’re about $30 on Amazon right now, which seems like a decent deal to me.
This woman is definitely contemplating the roof height and has decided that it, too, comes up a little short.
[Ed note: This post contains an affiliate link and we may get a small commission if you buy this kit – MH]
Terrible execution on every model car lego has ever tried to create. These are all awful. Most are recognizable due to to perhaps a color scheme or the manufacturer emblems. A fool and his money….. I suppose.
If you want an accurate model, buy a diecast.
If you want something that’s reasonably close but provides some fun during the assembly process – and, if you want, the ability to build other things – buy the Lego.
I have both and they serve entirely different purposes. I think the E30’s a pretty good representation, but I’ll agree some of the other Speed Champions are slightly wonky.
Print up some new stickers and it becomes the “1981 Ford Granada” LEGO playset.
Kind of like every ’80s vehicle in real life, huh?
Great idea for the roof, that looks a lot better than what Lego did. But yeah, that front end is all wrong proportionally as well. Just looks kinda goofy.
Sam Smith, Kristen Lee, didn’t realize this article would also include references to all my favorite non-Autopian auto writers…
Every single Lego car looks little like the original, which is weird when you’ve got complete freedom. The closest is the Renault 5 that’s been going around social media, and it’s not even by them
The F40 and Anniversary Countach are really well done. The F1 cars are great too
So’s the DeLorean, Audi Quattro, Hoonigan Mustang, and the McLaren F1’s not bad either.
They’re toys, FFS, and these are from the small Speed Champions series designed more for kids. The large Icons and Technic sets are much more realistic, but again, they’re still toys.
Expecting accuracy from plastic block toys is a little like expecting your ’90s pickup truck to handle like a Lotus and get 40 mpg.
They are toys for sure, but I’m always delighted at the level of detail they are able to pack into those Speed Champions sets. And let’s face it, the DeLorean, F40, 911, Countach, E30, etc, are all designed and marketed for the 40 something crowd.
Some are hits and some are definitely misses, but I’m really happy they are making these.
At first look, I thought it was the rally Fiat 131!
I had that as a Burago 1:24 when I was a kid 🙂
Slightly?! It looks like a Lada.
As a former E30 owner, this just looks like generic car to me which is sad.
it’s only vaguely mentioned in their release but the parts used for the kidney grille are minifig fork elements! I love creative parts use like this.
also, you can find them on sale pretty easily at big box stores after a while and get them for around $22 or less. there’s no fear about selling out because Lego literally produces as many as they can until they retire, which is at least a year, often longer.
if you can’t find them in store right away there’s no need to panic, they’ll be restocked continuously and it’s just the launch release rush.
That is one thing great about the lego company. They screw scalpers by turning out massive amounts of sets, and dont stop until demand drops
I suspect shape and height the roofline is heavily dictated by the available sizes of the various window pieces. There are a lot of distinct bricks but the range isn’t infinite.
that’s exactly it.
“The LEGO® Speed Champions BMW M3 is characterised by special attention to detail in its design, faithful to the original vehicle. Among the recreated design features are the BMW kidney grille, the rear spoiler and the front end with its four round headlights, characteristic of the first-generation BMW M3. The set contains 358 pieces and is 17 centimetres long and 7 centimetres wide. Builders will be able to enjoy endless racing fun, with functional wheels and a realistic driver minifigure wearing a BMW M T-shirt.”
And yet nowhere in that description or on the car itself is there any mention of the letter/number combination E30.
It’s a 2-door BMW M3 Lego Kit.
Okay, I’m stepping off the soapbox now. 🙂
The front license plate says “The M3 E30”. It’s in the picture!
You got me there. I did not see that.
The boxy shape screams Fiat-Abarth 131 from the 1970s.
I think the completely flat hood is the issue. LEGO does have shallow slope hood pieces, and I think one of those would have helped here. Also, the donked wheels aren’t helping.
To LEGO’s credit though, the Speed Champions scale can be tricky to work with as you’re approaching the minimum stud size of the LEGO brick itself, and I’ve seen all kinds of really creative brick usage from them working at that scale. Most of them really nail the vehicle looks. In this one, I love the horizonal translucent bricks making up the taillights. The Speed Champions DeLorean uses the same technique.
Fancy Kristen doesn’t care that no one else fits in a car her size. Fancy Kristen insists more cars should be sized to her.
I miss Fancy Kristen
Huh. A 1-brick-high roof chop. Neat.
I do think it’s a bit…Hot Wheels or Forza Edition with the overfenders and the livery, but that’s fine. For me, it’s that the grille is tight and it’s hard in pictures to see the iconic kidney bean detail. I think the headlights are proportionally too big, as is the grill surround, being too thick. That’s super hard to get right in this scale, though: those headlight pieces are as small as they can be. I think the designer did what they could with what they had, and they did a good job of something a kid can use to make inline four noises while ‘drifting’ their ‘cool bmw’ all over the kitchen floor.
Well at least they didn’t get the hood completely wrong like Matchbox did.
…I bet it’s way easier to put the hood bracket there and make it durable and playable. Toy design is always a compromise.
I don’t buy that excuse when this exists in the Matchbox lineup.
Fair enough I guess.
…that’s not gonna stop me from buying Matchbox, though. Especially since eBay sellers keep clearing out the Hot Wheels pegs.
Those HotWheels scalpers are a scourge and I feel there’s a very, very special place in hell for them.
Hope your wheels are hot now, motherfuckers.
I would also like to point out the side windows are out of proportion as well. Both windows have a top that is 2 studs long, but the rear should more in the 1-1.5 stud length for proper coupe dimensions. Looking a bit like a saloon the way they built it.
Sorry I am in my 60s and the E30 BMW M3 stopped being cool before I did. I was in band, drama and debate.
What do this, the new Mercedes-AMG GT 4 door and the Ferrari Luce have in common?
The only things that makes them identifiable as the brands they are are the logos.
Add some different logos, remove a couple headlamps and do a diagonal thingy up front – and it could be an early Volvo 242.
It must be a French-registered M3.
It’s not the roofline that bothers me, it’s just not executed as well as most of the other speed champs sets. I don’t think the livery helps either
The Lotus Evija Lego set is the worst. It’s nothing like the right shape.
Yeah, not the best of the Speed Champions line, but I will be adding it to my little collection of them anyway.
Looks like it’s a few bucks cheaper at Target, and I have to go there this afternoon anyway… 🙂
Giving strong 80s Nissan Maxima vibes.
Nah, Fiat-Abarth 131 Rally. Complete with the 1970s boxy design.