Someone Has LS-Swapped An E30 M3 And We Don't Know How To Feel

We might have to admit this one is going to divide opinion. It’s an LS-swapped 1988 E30 M3, and by the old gods and the new, it’s definitely a looker.

What you get for your $40,000(!) is an almost stock-looking M3, aside from the BBS wheels, lower ride height and the tip of an aftermarket exhaust. But under the bonnet is a blueprinted 5.7-litre LS1 that was bought brand new by the seller as part of the project. It was hooked up to a six-speed T-56 gearbox from the likes of the Camaro. Both, apparently, fit like a dream in the E30 chassis.

The eBay US listing is a horror show of a single, seemingly endless block of text that takes some determination to get through, but 374hp is recorded on a dyno printout in the images. Within the text are claims of 450bhp being possible with light modifications.

It sits on 2000 BMW M Roadster suspension, which again seems to fit very well. Much of the project was adapted from available parts, or even custom built for this car. Since the conversion the car has done around 30,000 miles, so it looks to have held up well.

The more you read, it sounds like a hell of a build by someone who has gone to great pains to do it right. We’re a little dubious about the idea of the standard E30 M3 limited-slip diff being okay with the 353lb ft of torque the V8 is chucking out, but this really does seem like a job well done.

There’s plenty of detail in the ad if you can bear to wade through it. But as good as it looks, there are still some voices of dissent around the office. Should it have been left original? Should it at least have been given a BMW engine if a swap was essential? Is it worth the eye-opening asking price?