Richard Hammond's solution to finally owning an M3 is deliberately backwards: rather than buying one, he wants to transform a tired BMW 320i into his own interpretation of what an M3 should be. The starting car is hardly precious, having been bought for his daughter Izzy's 21st birthday plans, stripped for grass tracking, then left sitting in a barn after those plans changed. Its modest four-cylinder engine and generally exhausted condition make it an unlikely foundation for an M3 tribute, but that is precisely what gives the project its purpose. Hammond is not trying to recreate one particular factory model; he wants to combine the qualities he has enjoyed across generations into something lighter, simpler, and more playful than increasingly powerful modern performance cars.
The early discussion with the workshop crew establishes a surprisingly coherent philosophy beneath the jokes. Hammond runs through generations of the M3, touching on the original E30, the E36, his affection for the E46, the V8-powered E92 generation, and the turbocharged cars that followed. Rather than deciding that more cylinders and more power automatically produce the ultimate version, the conversation keeps returning to the original car's relative simplicity and lightness. The emerging brief is a road-focused machine with a lively four-cylinder engine, reduced weight, strong handling, Alcantara and carbon inside, and enough performance to be exciting without relying on enormous output. That makes the project more interesting than simply dropping the biggest engine available into an old BMW.
Before committing to that vision, Hammond sensibly investigates how much usable car remains. A Carly diagnostic scan reports 38 issues across systems including the engine, instrument cluster, air conditioning, and other control modules. The most useful example is a radiator outlet temperature sensor apparently reporting minus 54 degrees Fahrenheit, an implausible reading that Hammond uses to show how one faulty signal can contribute to multiple apparent problems. Live data and the diagnostic explanation provide a practical demonstration of why scanning an electronically complex older BMW before dismantling it is worthwhile. Because Hammond is also a Carly brand ambassador and the sequence leads directly into a discount promotion, viewers should recognize the commercial context, but the diagnostic process is still tied directly to a real problem found on the project car.
The diagnosis also confirms that restoration is not really the objective. Hammond returns to the group with a deliberately exaggerated list covering wheels, engine, exhaust, suspension, wipers, windscreen, steering wheel, seats, tires, clutch, interior, and exterior, prompting the obvious suggestion that buying another car—or an actual M3—might be cheaper. He immediately rejects that idea because economic efficiency would defeat the project's point. That exchange neatly establishes the series' stakes: the value will come from creating something personal and learning through the process, not from demonstrating the cheapest route to M3 ownership.
The first teardown is intentionally modest. Trim and front-end pieces come off, the engine bay is exposed, and Hammond admits that he is learning by doing rather than presenting himself as the workshop expert. The crew's teasing, arguments over tools, and Hammond's limited mechanical confidence give the work an approachable quality, although relatively little physical progress is made before the episode returns to planning. What matters is that seeing the engine bay reinforces the decision that the existing powerplant will not remain and gives the group a clearer sense of the space available for whatever replaces it.
Choosing another four-cylinder engine becomes the episode's most important decision. The crew briefly points out that most later M3s moved beyond four cylinders for a reason, but Hammond remains committed to something "fizzy" and lightweight, potentially turbocharged, that can exploit its power without turning the car into another heavyweight horsepower exercise. The exact engine, turbo setup, target output, suspension, weight goal, budget, and many other engineering questions remain unanswered. That incompleteness is appropriate for a first installment, though it also means the project exists more as a philosophy than a specification by the closing minutes.
As an opening chapter, the presentation succeeds through Hammond's enthusiasm and the workshop dynamic more than through mechanical transformation. The banter keeps a planning-heavy episode lively, and the decision to build around character rather than maximum numbers gives future installments a clear standard against which modifications can be judged. The Carly segment is lengthy enough to feel distinctly promotional, and viewers hoping to see substantial fabrication or installation will have to wait. Still, ending with the need to source an engine, parts, and outside expertise creates a natural next stage while leaving the project's central idea firmly established: this homemade M3 should be defined by lightness and enjoyment rather than simply becoming the most powerful BMW the workshop can assemble.
Pros
- Starting with a neglected 320i gives the project freedom to become a personalized M3 homage without sacrificing an actual M3.
- The discussion of previous M3 generations leads to a clear design philosophy centered on low weight, responsiveness, and usable performance rather than maximum horsepower.
- Diagnosing the car before major work begins provides a sensible assessment of the tired BMW and demonstrates a specific faulty temperature reading rather than relying only on warning lights.
- Hammond openly acknowledges his limited mechanical expertise, allowing the project to function partly as a learning experience alongside the more knowledgeable workshop crew.
- Committing to a four-cylinder engine gives the build a distinctive direction inspired partly by the original M3 instead of following the obvious route toward a larger engine.
Cons
- Very little actual transformation occurs in this installment, with most of the episode devoted to defining the concept, diagnostics, banter, and initial disassembly.
- The replacement engine, power target, weight goal, budget, suspension setup, and most other major specifications remain undecided.
- The Carly demonstration provides relevant diagnostic information but also occupies substantial time as a sponsored brand-ambassador segment.
- The constant workshop jokes occasionally interrupt discussions that could have gone deeper into why particular M3 generations and engineering choices should influence the final build.
The build has barely begun mechanically, but Hammond gives it something more important for an opening episode: a recognizable identity based on recovering the light, responsive character he values in earlier M3s rather than chasing modern power figures. The specifications remain vague and the promotional diagnostic section slows the start, yet the unlikely 320i foundation, four-cylinder direction, and lively workshop dynamic create a promising basis for a genuinely personal BMW project.
