Posted by
CapnRex101, 26 Jul 2026 14:00
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BMW has only appeared once before in Speed Champions, which is rather surprising given the brand's popularity. However, that scarcity makes 77263 BMW M3 (E30) even more compelling, as there is definite pressure to replicate the classic BMW M3 accurately.
The designer has done an excellent job in some regards, employing lots of creative building techniques and avoiding the need for stickers as much as possible, despite the car's complex livery. However, there are certain issues with the bodywork shape, which is not a surprise given the M3's subtle rounded features.
Minifigure
The driver wears a shirt matching the car itself, displaying the same pattern and racing number on the back. According to BMW's press release for this model, a real version of the minifigure's shirt will be available to purchase in August, which is a good idea, though it looks awkward with long sleeves. Dual-moulded arms would have been nice.
Perhaps more interesting is the hair element, which has not appeared in a new set for a couple of years and is new in magenta. The smiling head is relatively common though and a wrench is included, as normal for Speed Champions sets, despite there being no wheel inserts to remove from the car.
Reference
Source - press.bmwgroup.com
The Completed Model
It is hard to define why the BMW E3 is quite so distinctive, which is not necessarily ideal for a LEGO iteration. The shape is reasonably accurate on the whole, but some of the car's gentler curves are almost impossible to recreate at this scale, like those above the front wheel arches. Similarly, while the shape of the front and rear windscreen is fairly close to the real car, that is not quite close enough.
The angular edges are particularly apparent from the sides, not helped by the patterns on the bodywork. However, much of the decoration is actually brick-built and there are lots of printed elements included too, with only fourteen stickers, many of which are quite small. The stickers applied on either side are the most notable, as the bonnet and roof are completely printed.
BMW is known for its use of distinctive kidney grilles on the front of each car, including the M3. While printed parts or stickers could have recreated their shape perfectly, using a pair of black forks is more interesting! Even so, it is a shame the silver trim around the grilles is missing and the trans-yellow headlights are slightly oversized.
Otherwise, all the details look superb. The anniversary livery consists entirely of printed pieces across the front of the car, with 1x2 jumper plates neatly arranged above the wheel arches and matching a printed 1x1 slope on the left side. In addition, I like how the bonnet is angled slightly, which goes some way to avoiding the car looking too blocky.
Unusually for Speed Champions, there is some detail found under the bonnet, which is strange because the engine bay is inaccessible without disassembling the car. A sticker represents part of the engine and looks accurate, but nice though the feature is, it seems a bit useless without a functioning bonnet.
The wheels are peculiar because they are new, presumably created for the M3, but they hardly resemble the wheels on the real car. The tyre sidewalls should be much thicker and the spokes are not accurate either. I wonder whether this element has been created for a future car, though that does not explain its use here. At least the BMW logo printed on the hub looks nice.
It surprises me that a brand new livery was selected for this model, rather than a more familiar and potentially nostalgic colour, or maybe a rally design. This pattern is distinctive though, with no other Speed Champions sets like it. The new dual-moulded windscreen part is used to good effect here, with pillars moulded in black and white.
The vast majority of Speed Champions sets are constructed around a versatile chassis piece introduced in 2023 and I assumed this model would be the same. That is not the case though, with a 6x8 trapdoor frame plate forming much of the chassis instead, which makes space for a unique trim design and 2x2 corner tiles as part of the pattern on the bodywork.
There is still enough room for two minifigures inside, seated in 2x2 slots with a tile underneath. Otherwise, the interior is not quite as detailed or refined as usual, as some colourful parts stay visible and look out of place, but I am not particularly worried about that on a fully enclosed car.
One disadvantage of printed parts is that the designs do not always line up as they should, but there are no such issues here. Perhaps changes have been made to improve how consistently printed parts match up, or maybe I was lucky. Either way, the decoration on the roof and across the back of the car looks perfect.
Even the narrow stripes at the front and rear, under the lights, are printed on 2x2 curved corner plates, which I find impressive. The rear lights are also effective, comprising stacked 1x1 plates laid sideways, while the twin exhausts are accurate as well, represented by binoculars.
Overall
77263 BMW M3 (E30) has plenty of positive qualities: its construction is interesting, the livery is faithful to that designed for the M3's fortieth anniversary and there are a huge number of printed elements included, with relatively few stickers. Moreover, I like how forks have been used for the distinctive grilles, despite the missing silver trim.
The trouble is, this model fundamentally fails to capture the shape of its subject. I am not at all surprised because of the subtle rounded edges necessary to recreate the M3, which are pretty much impossible to recreate, although I do not understand why the wheels are inaccurate. This set is fun to build, but as a recreation of the BMW M3 E30, the shape is just wrong.
