South Africa-Only BMW M2 Special Edition Gets Alpina Wheels

Just a couple of days ago, we got a look at the BMW M2 Turbo Design Edition, a tribute to the legendary 2002 Turbo and exclusive to the US market. The company’s American division isn’t the only one that’s been cooking up some retro-themed special editions for its home market, though – BMW South Africa has been at it too, and it’s come up with this, the BMW 333i Homage.

The 333i that it’s named after was a South Africa-only edition of the E30 3 Series, essentially the country’s local BMW division saying ‘fine, we’ll do it ourselves’ upon finding out the original M3 wouldn’t be sold there. Developed as a collaboration between the M division and Alpina, it got a meaty 3.2-litre straight-six shoehorned under its bonnet, producing 194bhp. Only 204 were built to homologate it for South African touring car racing, and it’s now one of the most sought-after E30 models of all.

To pay tribute to it, BMW has fitted the M2 with a set of M Performance quad tailpipes as well as a bespoke carbon front splitter and rear spoiler. It also gets pinstriping in M colours and, most notably, a set of multispoke Alpina wheels, just like the original 333i received back in 1985.

Inside, there are a pair of carbon bucket seats with similar M colour accents to the ones in the Turbo Design Edition, and the centre armrest is trimmed in some truly excellent ‘Uberkaro’ tartan upholstery. Otherwise, it’s identical to the regular M2, complete with its 3.0-litre twin-turbo straight-six making 473bhp and 443lb ft. BMW doesn’t mention whether it’ll come with the option of a manual in addition to the eight-speed auto in these pics.

It’s not the only unique South African version of the E30 the country’s BMW division has come up with. It also debuted the 325iS Homage, based on the semi-skimmed M240i. This one nods to the 325iS (there’s a surprise), a 2.5-litre version of the E30 built as another touring car homologation special. It also gets some excellent tartan fabric inside, plus a bespoke bodykit complete with a double rear spoiler.

The M2-based 333i Homage costs 1.960 million rand, or around £85,000, while the M240i-based 325iS Homage is naturally the cheaper of the two at 1.435 million rand – approximately £62,000. Just 33 of each will be sold.