Video | Autocar’s biggest BMW M fans: on the road to Goodwood

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Three BMW M fans; three amazing BMW M cars; one great road trip to Goodwood

Roland Scull (BMW M3 E46) and Matt Parting (BMW Z3M Coupe) meet presenter Bryn Lucas (BMW i4 M50)

Our journey started at Autocar’s BMW M 50th anniversary M-Fest at Caffeine & Machine

Autocar invited 50 passionate BMW M owners to our 50th anniversary M-Fest event

The full breadth of pioneering performance icons from BMW M’s half-century was on show

The BMW M4 Competition Coupe was a real draw at Autocar’s BMW M-Fest event

The BMW i4 M50 that marks BMW M’s all-electric future also got plenty of attention

The BMW i4 M50 leads the way as our convoy heads to the Goodwood Festival Of Speed

Roland Scull has loved the BMW M3 E46 since he was a kid; he recently bought his example

Matt Parting first saw the BMW Z4M Coupe on the cover of Autocar, and loves it for its ‘outlier’ status

BMW M was the star attraction at the Goodwood Festival Of Speed as it celebrated its 50th anniversary

BMW M’s trackside stand was a big lure for fans from right across the automotive spectrum

Matt Parting and Roland Scull compare notes on the iconic BMW M3 CSL

BMW M saloon fan Roland Scull took to the Goodwood hill in the passenger seat of the BMW M4 CSL

“I’ve never been in a modern BMW M on-track. I couldn’t believe just how unbelievably fast it was”

Fast estate fan Matt Parting rode up the Goodwood hill in the new BMW M3 Competition Touring

The long-awaited BMW M3 Competition Touring had been revealed the previous day

“To take a ride with one of BMW M’s development drivers; that’s as special as it gets for a BMW M owner”

The perfect end to a truly epic road trip for two of Autocar’s most passionate BMW M owners

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If ever a brand was defined by the passion of its fans, it’s BMW M. In the 50 years since BMW’s race-bred road car division was founded in 1972, it has produced an epic catalogue of truly game-changing epoch-defining models that have thrilled and delighted those lucky enough to drive them, and left the rest of us salivating.

So, when we got the chance to invite two of Autocar’s most ardent BMW M-loving readers on a VIP road trip to the Goodwood Festival of Speed to celebrate BMW M’s 50th anniversary we knew you’d jump at the chance – especially with the prospect of a thrilling money-can’t-buy passenger ride in the new BMW M3 Competition Touring and the BMW M4 CSL up Goodwood’s iconic hillclimb course.

We were inundated with amazing cars from fans with a unique love of BMW M, which is why we brought 50 of the very best together at Caffeine & Machine for a truly spectacular BMW M-Fest meet. Sadly, we only had two spaces available on our Goodwood road trip. But we like to think we found two particularly passionate BMW M owners, each driving best-in-breed models with truly wonderful stories.

Just click the video below to hear their tale and watch their amazing journey – all the way from Autocar’s BMW M-Fest to their high-speed passenger ride up the hill at the Goodwood Festival Of Speed.

Find out more about BMW M’s 50th anniversary

Meeting Autocar’s biggest BMW M fans

A quick stroll around the Caffeine & Machine car park on a balmy June evening, and the sheer breadth and diversity of models that BMW M has crafted over the past five decades instantly becomes clear. As does the love of BMW M fans for all of them.

In one corner, a pair of BMW Z4M Coupés. In another, a brand-new BMW M3 Competition in bold Isle of Man Green. Surrounding them, a wealth of stunning-looking BMW M3 E30s and M3 E46s. However, we’re on the lookout for the two special cars and their owners who we’ll be taking on our road trip to Goodwood. First up, Roland Scull, who owns a mint-condition BMW M3 E46 in stunning Estoril Blue.

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Following in the tracks of the iconic BMW M3 E30 and E36, the BMW M3 E46 is the apex predator of mid-1990s M cars. With its widened fenders and chrome-plated gills, it redefined how fast four-seater performance saloons could look. Its 3.2-litre high-revving straight-six delivered up to 343hp and 365Nm of torque to the rear wheels through a limited-slip differential. With over 85,000 examples sold, it’s easily one of BMW M’s most successful – and ubiquitous – models.

What makes the story of Roland’s BMW M3 E46 special is that, even though he’s owned a succession of BMWs, this is his first ‘full fat’ BMW M model. Crucially, it’s the one he was prepared to wait for. “I’ve loved BMW M cars since I was a kid. It’s something I got from my dad, and I actually bought my first BMW off him. I’ve had a few BMWs over the years, but the BMW M3 E46 is the one I always wanted, since I was a teenager. I’ve always been waiting for the right one to come around.

“My friend owned a few BMW M cars, so a lot of my early BMW M moments were experienced through him and his cars. He knew I was looking for an M3 E46, so last year he said: “Buy mine”. It’s so weird to have one myself now. I just love everything about it: the way it looks, the way it drives, the way it sounds. It’s just the peak BMW M car for me. It still hasn’t sunk in.”