10.04.2025BMW M3 E36: The last DTM-bolide of a private individual

The 1980s and 1990s are considered the golden era of touring car racing and the DTM (German Touring Car Championship). Audi, BMW, and Mercedes, the three major German manufacturers, battled it out for victories and championships – mostly with factory support. Even at that time, many of the vehicles were factory-built and fielded. However, there were also occasional privateers who brought their own developed vehicles into the series. It wasn't until 1996 that the DTM, with its international offshoot ITC, became a purely manufacturer series.

The BMW M3 E36, fielded in 1994 and 1995, plays a special role in this factory-dominated sport – the last privately developed car in the series. The key figure behind the project was its initiator, Udo Wagenhäuser. Following disagreements regarding the new car and the Class 1 regulations, BMW withdrew from the DTM as a factory-owned vehicle for the 1993 season. Thus, Udo Wagenhäuser had a well-funded sponsor in WS-DHL, but no race car.

So the former racing driver decided to take the project of the new DTM car into his own hands. Although BMW didn't allow him to use the existing basis for the new car, his contacts with the Bavarian OEM enabled him to gain important information about the car, which he could use for his development.

Technically, the BMW 325i Coupe E36 was revolutionary in many areas. With its rear axle, horizontal dampers, four-cylinder engine with individually controllable fuel injectors, and traction control, the car was state-of-the-art. However, this complex construction, coupled with the limited personnel, delayed the project immensely. As a result, Wagenhäuser missed the test drives at Hockenheim in the 1994 season and only took his two E36s out on the track at the opening race in Zolder.

From the very beginning, the project was overshadowed by technical problems, and breakdowns were commonplace. In its entire service life, the WS-DHL BMW only saw the checkered flag six times. The unreliability of this special DTM car also led to numerous changes in the driver lineup.

One driver who competed for the team at the very beginning of the project in the 1994 season was Harald Becker. As a seasoned gentleman driver with several years of DTM experience, he was the perfect driver for the team. Becker had completed his first DTM season in 1988 with a BMW M3 E30. After a year with Mercedes, Becker returned to Bayerische Motoren Werke and competed in a total of five race weekends for Udo Wagenhäuser's team in 1994.

In its two DTM seasons, the M3 featured a simple white livery with red details. Even though the car never matched the success of its factory-built predecessor based on the E30, the model remains popular with fans to this day.

WERK83 has released Harald Becker's BMW 325i Coupe E36 from the 1994 season in scale 1:18. The model is manufactured to the usual high quality and, in addition to a faithful reproduction of the cockpit, also features steerable front wheels and opening doors.

BMW 325i Coupe E36 DTM #34 DTM 1994 Harald Becker 1:18 WERK83, RRP €79.95, item-no.: W1800702

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BMW 325i Coupe E36 DTM #34 DTM 1994 Harald Becker 1:18 WERK83

71,96 €