3-4 months ago we learned that 21 copies of the car collection of the late actor Paul Walker — known for his participation in the Furious Speed saga — would be auctioned. Among the machines at auction were real gems, such as the five BMW M3 Lightweight that motivate these words.
The BMW M3 Lightweight
Why have five copies of the same car? Well, the BMW M3 Lightweight is not “anyone” M3.
It is a specific version for the US, in essence a special approval. The M3 Lightweight (E36) appeared in 1995, after pressure from several American sports teams on BMW to get a machine with which they could compete in the IMSA championship.
The M3 Lightweight in all its glory
The name Lightweight tells us all about what this M3 is. That's 91 kg less than the conventional M3 , resulting from the absence of a car radio, air conditioning, leather seats, sunroof or toolbox. The doors are made of aluminum, there is less soundproofing and only the carpet is left in the trunk.
If at engine level, the S50 inline six-cylinder remained intact — 240 hp in the American specification, as opposed to the “European” 286 hp — the electronic speed limiter has been removed, the differential has a shorter ratio (3 .23 against 3.15), and the suspension received shorter springs (same specifications as the European ones).
It also had several components apart in a so-called “boot kit” to be assembled later: “euro-spec” oil pump, anti-approach front bar, lower reinforcement, spacers to raise the height of the rear wing and adjustable front splitter.
Distinguishing the BMW M3 Lightweight from the rest is easy: they were all white (Alpine White) and were decorated with the Motorsport flag on the front and rear.
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How many were made? Apparently, no more than 126 units, which also includes 10 pre-production copies — and Paul Walker had a handful of them in his garage.
One of the BMW M3 Lightweights was not equipped with the massive rear wing…
1.325 million dollars
No wonder they yielded what they did at Barrett-Jackson's "49th Annual Scottsdale Auction." After all, when will another opportunity arise to buy an effusive BMW M3 Lightweight?
In total, the sale of the five BMW M3 Lightweights brought in 1.325 million dollars, about 1.172 million euros. One of the copies was traded for US$350,000 (315,500 euros), with the smallest number of kilometers on the odometer being only 7402 km. The “cheapest” of the five was $220,000 (€198,400).
In addition to the M3 Lightweight, a pair of BMW M3 E30s from his collection stand out, one from 1988 and another from 1991 that sold, respectively, for 165 thousand and 220 thousand dollars (149 thousand and 198,400 euros).
Paul Walker's vast collection of automobiles was not just a BMW M3. His fondness for Japanese sports cars was known, where a pair of Nissans were also sold. A 370Z ($105,600 or €95,200), which appears in the movie “Fast Five” and a competition Skyline GT-R R32 ($100,100 or €90,250).
Also highlighted is an eclectic group of machines also from its collection that were also auctioned: 2013 Ford Mustang Boss 302S from the competition (95,700 dollars or 86,300 euros), a 1967 Chevrolet Nova (60,500 dollars or 54,500 euros) and even a more recent Audi S4 from 2000 ($29,700 or €26,800).