The BMW M3 E30 may have been a legend of the Group A era in touring car racing, but on the model’s 40th birthday this year’s Tour de Corse Historique will pay tribute to its exploits in rallying, running against the tide of four-wheel-drive contenders.
In 1987, Prodrive built an M3 for BMW France, for Frenchman Bernard Béguin to drive in the Tour de Corse. He led from the very start, but when snow and hail hit the Col de la Vaccia just when he was on slicks, he thought the rally was out of his grasp. In a stunning result, however, Béguin held on to win the car’s one and only World Rally Championship event after Jean Ragnotti failed to finish.
“From the very first tests in January 1987, I immediately knew it was a good car,” remembers Béguin. “It had been designed for circuit racing, but it proved easy to develop for rallying thanks to its generous suspension travel. The victory at the 1987 Tour de Corse remains the greatest moment of my driving career. But I still regret not having competed in a full WRC season with the BMW M3. We had the ultimate weapon on Tarmac, and five of the 13 championship rallies were on fast‑flowing surfaces. David Richards thought he had convinced the decision‑makers in Munich. Unfortunately, the board changed its mind at the last minute, fearing a BMW might struggle in the snow. Ironically, the 1988 Monte‑Carlo was completely dry.”
The BMW M3 E30 has gone on to become a popular Historic rallying stalwart – at the 2025 Tour de Corse Historique around 40 rallying M3s turned up, with one M3 driven by Olivier Capanaccia taking the overall win. For the 2026 event, former Formula 1 driver Jos Verstappen will get behind the wheel of an E30 M3, and one of the stars of last year, the Renault 5 Maxi of Julien Saunier, will return in a bid to improve on its third place.
This year’s Tour de Corse Historique, which takes place on October 3-10, hosts several categories. There are three Historic Competition Vehicles classes: Historic Competition Cars from 1947-1987 with PTH; Classic Competition Cars from 1977-1990 with a three-part passport; and Competition Cars from the J2 Period of 1988-1992 with PTH. There’s also a class for Historic Regularity Vehicles for cars built up to December 31, 1996, with four average speeds to choose from. The Legend class, meanwhile, will demonstrate iconic rally cars from 1947 onwards.
The rally programme includes eight days in total – two for administrative and technical checks, one day for a shakedown and five days of competition. Each contains five stages of around 200km each across Corsica, including 18 special stages on closed roads, 380km of it on timed sections.
More details on Tour de Corse Historique 2026 can be found here.
