If you are in the Southern California area, include “visit the Petersen Automotive Museum” on your must-do list and do it soon. Earlier this year, I had the good fortune of being at The Ultimate Driving Museum’s grand opening of its current exhibit, ALPINA: 60 Years of Excellence. This past weekend, 2,345 miles west, I got to see another new BMW exhibit open: The Ultimate Racing Machine: 50 Years of the BMW 3 Series in Motorsports at the Petersen Automotive Museum. And it, too, is incredible.
The E30M3 and E36M3 welcoming committee lets you know you’re in the right place.
While the ALPINA exhibit opening was christened with many ALPINA and BMW team members present, a handful of us got to see the new Petersen exhibit with a very special personal tour from Tom Plucinsky, Head, BMW Group Classic USA.
Guests had a bonus unique experience walking the exhibit with Tom Plucinsky, Head, BMW Classic Group USA.
How often do you get to see a BMW E46 M3 GTR street car? Or an M4 DTM car? Or the E36 M3 GT that won its class at the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona? In one room. All seven generations of the BMW 3 series are represented in racing guise plus three streetcar examples. The exhibit is now open in the Petersen’s vaunted Vault. There will be some rotation—that elusive unicorn E46 M3 GTR streetcar departs around the mid-point—so you might want to even plan to make some repeat visits. In fact, there are other current exhibits at the Petersen that include BMWs, too, so all the more reason to walk through the many museum floors.
An E21 streetcar greets you at the entrance to the exhibit.
For the opening, we were greeted by an E21 streetcar, seemingly fresh off the factory floor. Inside, the E21 was represented by a 1978 320i Group B with its M12/7 2.0 liter inline-4 producing 340 horsepower.
This isn’t your standard E21; its fiberglass body was shaped in the Pininfarina wind tunnel.
Fast forward 12 years and we see the E30 M3 represented by a 1990 Group A DTM example with its S14 2.5 liter inline-4 generating 370 horsepower.
What exhibit would be complete without the E30 M3?
The six cylinder engines arrived next, represented here by a 1995 E36 M3 GT with its 3.4 liter S50. This 425 horsepower thirty-year-old car won its class at the 1997 Rolex 24 of Daytona and the 12 Hours of Sebring in 1997 and 1998.
This specific example won at Daytona and Sebring in 1997.
Two E46 M3 GTRs stare each other down looking over a P60 4.0 liter V-8 resting comfortably in its own crate. This rare sight includes one of the three street GTRs and the unique Stars and Stripes liveried racecar. The streetcar boasted 350 horsepower while the racecar eclipsed 500.
The E46 M3 GTR racecar and streetcar in the same room makes this a unique exhibit already.
The E92 M3 GT continued using V-8 power, now with the P65. This example has been seen at a number of historic events but in 2011, it swept all three American LeMans Series Championships.
This car could give current cars a run for their money today.
With the next generation, BMW gave the 3-Series cars four doors and created the 4-Series to carry the (mostly) two-door torch forward. BMW M Motorsport chose the more aerodynamic 4-Series for its racing platform. Most of us in the U.S. are familiar with the shape of the M4 in street or race form. In this exhibit, the M4 is represented by the 2020 M4 DTM raced in Europe. Instead of its 3.0-liter twin turbo inline-6 engine, the DTM car used the P48 turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-4 producing 630 horsepower.
This isn’t your typical M4. The DTM examples actually ran an inline-4 engine!
The seventh generation of the 3-series is represented in this exhibit with a 2024 G82 M4 GT4. Since most of the GT4 cars are busy with race season, the example we see in the exhibit is on loan from the BMW Performance Center. Unlike most of the other cars in the exhibit, you can actually get behind the wheel of this one; it’s used as part of some of the programs at the Performance Centers. Not bad, especially considering the GT4 produces 550 horsepower from its S58 turbocharged 3.0 liter inline-6.
This is unique in the exhibit; you can actually drive this actual car at the BMW Performance Centers.
Seeing the cars all grouped in one room is special, but to hear the history and stories of each car from Plucinsky—responsible for restoring most of them and curating the exhibit—raised the bar considerably. “We approached the Petersen about doing a 50-year BMW exhibit for the 3-Series,” Plucinsky says. “We each threw around some ideas and they wanted to do one that focused on racing and we were all for it. We had space for ten cars. This fit perfectly for our seven generations and a few street cars. It’s special having the GTR here. It’s one of three and a multi-generational car so many people know. If you played Need for Speed Hot Pursuit, that was the car you started with. So many people know it but so few have seen it in person.”
Bianca Buda didn’t want to miss capturing the E46 M3 GTR streetcar.
While this exhibit is based here in the U.S., the cars represent international racing history. “We didn’t want to just show cars people have already seen in the U.S.,” Plucinsky continues. “We wanted to show a broader range of cars—some factory owned and some privately owned. It’s great to have the E21 and M4 DTM cars here. So many BMW fans have never seen these in person. That DTM car never raced here but is a really trick piece of technology and unique looking car.”
Tom Plucinsky getting ready to hit the track at the Rolex Reunion in the E92 M3 GT.
It’s difficult for Plucinsky to pick a favorite among the exhibit cars. “My favorite? I have a soft spot for all of our race cars,” he says. “But I’d say I have a really soft spot for the GTR racecar because I was a part of that restoration for that. A lot of my hard work and labor went into that. But for a car I’d drive, it would be the E92 M3 GT.” He owns an E92 M3, but with this GT, it goes further. “I enjoy driving that one but it also has extra history for me because I was responsible for the PR when it raced, so I knew the car from day one, from its birth. I was there when it won Sebring, won the Championship. It’s the gem of the group for me. Those cars mean a lot for me.”
Guests this past weekend got to see some of the cars with the hood off, but there were also engines in their crates for all to see.
There is certainly something for everyone in this concise yet comprehensive exhibit. “We wanted a way to represent 50 years of the 3-Series in a different way than will be done at concours events around the country and world,” Plucinsky added. “The Petersen has a diverse group of people through its doors so having a car from each generation is important. Some will gravitate to one model while others will appreciate another. The exhibit itself is great, too; I love what they’ve done with the graphics on the wall, how they show some of the cars in action with others that we weren’t able to include here.”
Bill Auberlen’s name is one of the ones that adorns the side of the E46 M3 GTR.
As you walk through the exhibit, you might see Bill Auberlen’s name on a few of them. The winningest driver in American Sportscar racing has indeed won many of his races driving some of these actual cars. He is currently racing this season in World Challenge in SRO with the Random Vandals team in GT3 Pro. He’s getting ready for his next race at VIR but is planning on making it to this exhibit as soon as his schedule allows.
Yep, it’s an M4, and an amazing one.
“I started with BMW with the E36 but the E36 four-door was kind of my deal,” Auberlen says. “I’ve been through every one of those cars but earlier this year was the first time I drove that modern M4 DTM car at the Brian Redman Targa 66 event at Homestead. It is pure exhilaration! I was awestruck at its capabilities. That DTM has a tiny four cylinder with big power—it’s insane and the downforce is mega!”
The E92 M3 GT remains one of Auberlen’s favorite BMW racecars.
That’s not the only car that receives his accolades. “On the other end of the spectrum is the E92 M3 GT,” he adds. “It’s perfect balance, my all-time favorite. I contend that if we brought that car out today with just a few updates, it could still run right up front. It did lap times back then that are exactly the same times that cars are running at Sebring today. Cars have gotten heavier with electronics, ABS, and more, so that E92 was a very lightweight car. Its balance and center of gravity and weight distribution were amazing with the transmission in the back and engine tucked way down. When you drove that car, it had huge grip, but as the tires wore, you would not notice any balance shift. It stayed perfect every race. I drove that car at Homestead, too, and still could not believe how good that car drives.”
The E92 M3 GT remains a fan favorite.
That must have been a fantastic weekend at Homestead because Auberlen drove a lot of racecars! “I drove the M6 GTLM, the M8 GTLM, the Z4 GTLM, the E92 M3, the E46 M3 GTR and the M4 DTM over that weekend,” he recalls. “You can certainly feel the difference in every aspect of these cars with some normally aspirated, some with turbos, some with tiny engines and others with larger ones, some with more aero and others with more power. Tom [Plucinsky] has maintained these cars so well, we could bring all the modern drivers in and plug them right into these.”
The M4 DTM pays hommage to the TurboMeister Hommage.
As much as Auberlen might have had a favorite car he raced in competition, the DTM might have captured his attention. “It’s almost like a prototype with that teeny four cylinder you almost cannot see under the plenum. You can shift into third with no traction control and light up the wheels down the straight away,” he exclaims. “Makes me wish I would have raced those in Europe!”
Each car in the exhibit captured plenty of attention.
While Auberlen is still looking forward to seeing his old cars and more in this exhibit, our small group being toured by Plucinsky certainly enjoyed it. Kartik Chandar brought his son Vikram and left enthralled. “It’s an amazing, amazing collection,” the older Chandar says. “If you’re a motorsport enthusiast or a racing enthusiast or a BMW enthusiast, everything you would want to see if right here. I am huge 3-Series fan myself, starting with the E30 M3 for me, so it’s incredible to see them all here like this.”
The E30 M3 was the first introduction to BMW for many fans.
He’s not kidding about being a 3-Series fan; Chandar has an E30 M3, an E36 M3, and E46 M3 and an E92. “These cars are great, but hearing the stories from Tom made it even better,” Chandar adds. “Seeing the GTR [street car] here is a highlight. You just don’t get to see that. Same with the DTM car. I have a soft spot for the E30 M3, as that was the first one I acquired, but I really love that DTM car. I wish it came to the US. It’s like Formula 1 technology in a touring car.”
Kartik Chandar and his son Vikram listen intently to Tom Plucinsky.
His son was still beaming as the afternoon wound down. “This was a super fun day,” Vikram says. “I liked the E30 M3 most but it was really cool when I got to sit in the E92 M3! I’m glad I brought my dad to this!”
Bianca Buda is ready to hit the track!
Bianca Buda and her boyfriend, Taylor Mabra, also attended and enjojyed the bonus benefits of Plucinsky’s tour. “We’re both BMW enthusiasts and own four of them between us—a 325 E30, a 330i E46, a Z4, and an F30 320i,” they say concurrently. “This collection is one of a kind. We’ve been to the Petersen a few times but never down here to the Vault. This was definitely a great experience. These cars are so different and unique in their own ways. Can’t go wrong with BMWs!”
