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The prettiest sight at the Festival of Speed 2016 is the BMW E30 M3 DTM driving past fans up the hillclimb. It does it in so much style and sophistication, with none other than racing legend Johnny Cecotto behind the wheel! Check this out for a guided tour of one of the world’s prettiest and sought after touring cars!
Johnny Cecotto has experienced racing everything from Formula One cars to Gran Prix motorcycles in his career as a former pro racing driver. For a lot of years, he was also racing in the German Touring Car Championship where he was behind the wheel of BMW E30 M3 DTM cars. For him, the E30 M3 DTM is the most beautiful Touring car in the world. This statement has real merit since he has literally seen and experienced them all.
The 1992 BMW E30 M3 DTM driven up the hillclimb was a special edition made by BMW. It carried Cecotto’s last name and Venezuelan national flag. “For sure, I cannot forget this car†Cecotto said with pride.
The beauty of the E30 M3 DTM is not because of over the top design. It is actually very simple; without any of the enhancements or technologies we see today. However, it was a classic. It was true to the good ole fashioned chassis engineering and great balance. “Not so much electronic, not so much carbon fiber. It’s completely different to Touring car from these days†added Cecotto.
Cecotto mentions that he loves the engine and the balance of the car. “The engine is fantastic, the sound of the engine is good but the power is really good. [The manual gearbox] is much more difficult to drive. These days you have the [paddles] and it’s very easy. If you try to put it in a short gear that is too high for the engine, it won’t go”, said Cecotto. However, he also admits that it is not the easiest car to drive if you’re not as experienced in the track.
