Back in the 1980s, what with apartheid and the divestment movement, South African performance cars were not attracting too many people's attention. While gratuitously pawing through a recent issue of Classic & Sports Car at the local book purveyor, I came across the South Africa-spec BMW 745i. This, along with the 333i, defined South Africa's penchant for bucking the trend, to put it generously.
The 333i was conceived at a South African happy hour with the help of cocktail napkins. Although the 323i was already robust, the 2.3 liter was a bit asthmatic in the high
veldt (which was about 1,500 meters in elevation). So the South Africans decided to stick the 3.3 liter M30 powerplant from the 7 series into the E30. With the help of BMW Motorsport in Munich and Alpina, the Rosslyn plant near Pretoria assembled the 333i.
The project was not easy. Due to the smaller engine bay and the right hand position of the steering wheel, buyers had to choose between power steering and air con. The aero kit reduced lift in the front by 35% and 40% in the rear. The "triple three I" was shod with 16" Pirelli P7s all around. Larger brakes, with an ABS option, helped stop the car. With 197hp and 210 pound-feet of torque, the car zoomed to 100kph in a little over 7 seconds.
The 333i's big brother was the E23 745i, which was also assembled at the Rosslyn plant in the mid 80s. At the time, 745i's everywhere else had the turbocharged M30 under the hood. But because this unit could not fit under the hood of a right hand driver, South Africa's 745i had a normally aspirated M88 (of M1 fame) instead. This essentially made the car an unofficial M7.
With just a few hundred sold, this is a rare bird indeed. Many used versions ended up in Australia, New Zealand, and Britain. No doubt in another decade or so, the 333i and 745i will show up on auction blocks worldwide, selling for many times their current price.
CKY
The 333i was conceived at a South African happy hour with the help of cocktail napkins. Although the 323i was already robust, the 2.3 liter was a bit asthmatic in the high veldt (which was about 1,500 meters in elevation). So the South Africans decided to stick the 3.3 liter M30 powerplant from the 7 series into the E30. With the help of BMW Motorsport in Munich and Alpina, the Rosslyn plant near Pretoria assembled the 333i.
The project was not easy. Due to the smaller engine bay and the right hand position of the steering wheel, buyers had to choose between power steering and air con. The aero kit reduced lift in the front by 35% and 40% in the rear. The "triple three I" was shod with 16" Pirelli P7s all around. Larger brakes, with an ABS option, helped stop the car. With 197hp and 210 pound-feet of torque, the car zoomed to 100kph in a little over 7 seconds.
The 333i's big brother was the E23 745i, which was also assembled at the Rosslyn plant in the mid 80s. At the time, 745i's everywhere else had the turbocharged M30 under the hood. But because this unit could not fit under the hood of a right hand driver, South Africa's 745i had a normally aspirated M88 (of M1 fame) instead. This essentially made the car an unofficial M7.
With just a few hundred sold, this is a rare bird indeed. Many used versions ended up in Australia, New Zealand, and Britain. No doubt in another decade or so, the 333i and 745i will show up on auction blocks worldwide, selling for many times their current price.
CKY
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