Anyone checking a BMW M3 of the E30 model line for originality sooner or later arrives at three numbers: the paint code, the upholstery number and the wheel part number. This page brings together what can be documented for the special editions — and states where the sources contradict each other or are silent.
It covers only paint, upholstery, wheels and engine bay. Performance data, body parts and everything else are found on the model pages, to which each section links.
The basis is the factory brochures of BMW Motorsport GmbH for Evolution, Cecotto and Sport Evolution, the BMW parts catalogue, as well as a BMW brochure Colours/Upholstery from 1988. Where a detail comes from the brochure, it is noted — factory documents carry more weight than any secondary source, and some widely circulated claims online do not hold up under comparison.
The five paints
Solid · Evolution, Cecotto, Ravaglia
Solid · Sport Evolution · 204 vehicles
Solid · Sport Evolution · 394 vehicles
Metallic · Evolution, European Champion, Cecotto
Metallic · Evolution, Cecotto, Ravaglia
The colour swatches are approximations for orientation. A screen cannot reproduce a paint finish — only the code is authoritative.
Model by model
M3 Evolution II · 1988 · 500 units
The Evolution was limited to three paints: Misano Red 236, Nogaro Silver 243 and Macau Blue 250. The colour chart from Motorsport GmbH shows dots in the Evolution row exclusively under these three; Alpine White and Diamond Black belonged to the Convertible.
For the interior there was no choice. The brochure states in a footnote: “M3 Evolution available only in fabric Silver in combination with leather Bison Silver.” A single version, key number 0305. The fabric is called in the brochure Überkaro Silber. the door inserts are also covered in this, the seat side bolsters in leather Bison Silver.
With the Evolution came the 16-inch wheel in silver, part number 36112225621, 7½J×16 ET27 — before that the M3 ran on 7J×15 ET30 (36112225375).
All features of the Evolution II — performance data, body parts, chassis, identification and buying advice are on the model page.
M3 European Champion · Autumn 1988 · 148 units
The European Champion is the most single-coloured special edition: exclusively Macau Blue. Inside, silver Walknappa leather, M badges on the seats, M footrest and numbered door sill plates. We do not have a dedicated factory brochure; there is no reliable information on the wheel colour.
All features of the European Champion — performance data, body parts, chassis, identification and buying advice are on the model page.
M3 Cecotto · April to July 1989
The Cecotto was available in Misano Red, Macau Blue and Nogaro Silver — the two metallic finishes according to the brochure at no extra cost. Unlike the Evolution, here “all exterior colours and interior trims could be combined with one another”.
Its identifying feature is stated under Transmission/Chassis: “Wheel spoke star solid black lacquered.” This refutes the claim, widely found online, of “metallic black” — it is a solid paint. The parts catalogue lists the wheels individually: wheel 36112226702, black hub cap 36132226703, black wheel bolts 36136781150. The brochure does not name a colour code — more on this under wheels below.
As standard, the interior is a fabric-leather combination: seat centre panels as well as door and side panel inserts in fabric, seat side bolsters and headrests in leather. Valve cover and intake are finished in body colour matt , the exhaust tailpipes polished.
| Type | Colour | Key no. |
|---|---|---|
| Fabric | Anthracite | 0344 |
| Fabric | Silver | 0345 |
| Partial leather, Bison grain | Black | 0203 |
| Full leather, Walknappa | Black | 0318 |
| Full leather, Walknappa | Silver | 0319 |
A checkpoint: For the Silver interior, according to the brochure the headliner, dashboard, centre and tunnel console, A, B and C pillars as well as the trim above the windscreen including sun visors are also finished in silver. A Silver Cecotto with a black headliner is not original. The full leather trim also includes the rear panels, storage compartments, armrests and consoles — with subtle leather stripes in Motorsport colours on the seat backrests.
All features of the Cecotto — performance data, body parts, chassis, identification and buying advice are on the model page.
M3 Ravaglia · 1989 · 25 units
The Ravaglia is not a separate model, but the British version of the Cecotto — BMW Group Classic lists both under a single entry. Technically identical, only a different name on the plaque. This is why the Ravaglia also carries numbers from the same series: “061/505”, “074/505”.
It therefore shares all Cecotto features, including the wheel with the black star. Unlike the Cecotto, however, it was available in only two colours, and the interior followed the paint finish:
| Number | Paint | Interior |
|---|---|---|
| 16 | Misano Red 236 | M fabric Anthracite with Bison leather |
| 9 | Nogaro Silver 243 | M fabric Silver with Bison leather |
Macau Blue was not available on the Ravaglia. This breakdown comes from Coys, which auctioned several of these vehicles, and it adds up: 16 plus 9 is 25. This also settles the long-circulating contradictory claim — “23 Misano Red and two Nogaro Silver” cannot be reconciled with any other source.
A confusion that occurs frequently: The Ravaglia has nothing to do with the European Champion. That car is half a year older, produces 200 instead of 215 PS, and was only available in Macau Blue with silver Walknappa leather. The resemblance arises from the nine Nogaro Silver Ravaglia with a light-coloured interior.
All features of the Ravaglia — performance data, body parts, chassis, identification and buying advice are on the model page.
M3 Sport Evolution · 1990 · 600 units
With the Sport Evolution the restriction is explicitly stated: “Available only in the exterior colours Brilliant Red and Gloss Black”, along with bumpers with contrast stripes. Both solid paints — 308 and 668.
And the wheel, likewise stated in the brochure under Transmission/Chassis: “Wheel spoke star lacquered in Nogaro Silver.” In addition, lowered ride height at the front and a reinforced brake system. Part number 36112226804, 7½J×16 ET27 on 225/45 ZR 16.
| Type | Colour | Key no. |
|---|---|---|
| Fabric (standard) | Anthracite | 0316 |
| Nappa leather with natural grain (optional equipment) | Black | 0353 |
The Sport Evolution has extremely contoured sports seats with height and tilt adjustment — not the Recaro of the Cecotto. Fabric upholstery also for door mirrors and side panels, seat belts in red, door sill plates with coloured M3 badge, M Technic sport leather steering wheel II with suede in the grip area, likewise the gear knob and handbrake lever grip. Evolution plaque in the centre console.
All features of the Sport Evolution — performance data, body parts, chassis, identification and buying advice are on the model page.
The engine bay as a checkpoint
The special editions differ noticeably from one another under the hood — for Evolution and Cecotto the factory brochure describes it in a single sentence. Anyone checking whether a vehicle is correct finds here a feature that cannot easily be faked.
Conversely: some things that look like special-edition features distinguish nothing at all. The M Technic driver’s footrest , for example, was part of the standard equipment equally on Evolution, Cecotto and Sport Evolution, and was also fitted on the European Champion. Anyone who sees it in the footwell only knows that it is not a standard M3.
| Model | Engine bay |
|---|---|
| Evolution | Cam cover and intake manifold painted white with diagonally running Motorsport stripes. Twin-box exhaust system with chromed tailpipes. Available only without catalytic converter. |
| Cecotto | Valve cover and intake in body colour, matt finish. Polished exhaust tailpipes. |
| Sport Evolution | No coloured engine bay: valve cover and intake manifold have the normal black wrinkle finish. Instead, red spark plug connectors — together with the red seat belts the most striking colour feature of the Sport Evolution. |
The wheels at a glance
| Version | Size | Part number | Wheel spoke star |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard, cross-spoke | 7J×15 ET30 | 36112225375 | silver |
| Silver, from Evolution onward | 7½J×16 ET27 | 36112225621 | silver |
| Cecotto and Ravaglia | 7½J×16 ET27 | 36112226702 | solid black, glossy · code not stated |
| Sport Evolution | 7½J×16 ET27 | 36112226804 | Nogaro Silver 243 |
On Nogaro Silver: On the Sport Evolution, BMW writes the colour into the part designation — wheel light alloy Nogaro Silver — and the brochure confirms it under Transmission/Chassis. It is the same shade as body colour 243, a metallic.
On black: Here BMW does not state a code. The Cecotto brochure only says “wheel spoke star solid black lacquered” — meaning solid, not metallic. A specific shade cannot be derived from this, but it can be narrowed down: the solid black Gloss Black 668 does not yet appear in the E30 colour programme of 1988, where instead Black 086is listed. Restorers therefore work with 086. This is a reasoned assignment and not a factory statement — anyone wanting certainty needs an unpainted original wheel.
Only the star: What is painted is the wheel spoke star, not the wheel — the wheel rim remains silver, visible in the image as a light ring around the black star. A completely black wheel is not a factory version.
What remains open
- The gloss level of the black wheel spoke star. That it is a solid paint is stated by the brochure. Whether glossy or matt, it does not say — matt BMW explicitly states in the same text for the valve cover, but not for the wheel spoke star. Photos of two vehicles with 34,621 km and from first ownership show a glossy surface. No colour code is stated anywhere; Black II 668 is a body colour code and cannot simply be transferred.
- The Swiss Cecotto. Whether the 50 vehicles are included in the 505 or were built additionally is stated differently by the sources.
- The European Champion. Without a factory brochure, wheel colour and upholstery number remain undocumented — unlike Evolution, Cecotto and Sport Evolution, for which we have the factory documents.
Anyone who has verifiable evidence on one of these points — a brochure, a factory extract, an unpainted original wheel — can send it to us via the form below. We will add it and cite the source.
All pages on the model line
- BMW M3 E30 — the model line
- M3 Evolution II
- M3 European Champion
- M3 Cecotto
- M3 Ravaglia
- M3 Sport Evolution
- BMW E30 · 320is · 325i · 318is
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A nuance regarding naming: the factory brochure calls code 668 Gloss Black, while the production data sheets from the dealer system list the same code as Black II. Two factory sources, two names for the same colour — brochure language versus production language.
How the two paints of the Sport Evolution are distributed across the 600 vehicles — and what else the production records reveal — is found on the model page of the M3 Sport Evolution.
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Bildnachweise
- Own photograph · MOTORSPORT24