Any enthusiast knows that the ultimate practical form of transportation is a wagon. Four doors and a large trunk with a hatchback are paired to sedan-like driving dynamics, meaning that for those who love to drive, a wagon is always the right choice over a truck or SUV. But when BMW designed the E30 3-Series, a wagon wasn't in the model plan initially- but in 1984, BMW engineer Max Reisböck and his friends built one at home, and by 1987, it was being pressed into production. Although the E30 coupe, sedan, and convertible were selling in fantastic numbers in the United States, BMW elected not to sell the E30 wagon (aka Touring) in the states due to a perceived lack of interest and it not being worth the work to homologate. Now that they are over 25 years old, these cars are eligible to be imported to the US, but finding a great one is no small task.

This 1993 E30 Touring is particularly special as it is one of the limited-run “Design Edition” cars which was developed by BMW to commemorate the end of E30 production. Offered in a number of special colors not before available on the E30, the Design Edition cars were also punched up on the interior with unique, brightly patterned cloth on the seats which were color matched to the exterior paint. In this example, that special paint color is the famous E36 M3 color, Daytona Violet which was BMW's version of the middle color of the original M logo, made metallic. Fitted to this car is also a set of perhaps the most famous E30 wheels, a set of Bottlecap alloys that are in great shape and fit the car well.

On the inside, the black cloth interior is accented with the aforementioned colorful cloth which in this example, features purple, pink, and white diagonal lines which gives the inside a tremendously fun appearance. The front sport seat also has deep purple piping running along the edges of the bolsters, seatback, and headrest. This fabric is carried on to the door cards and is all in exceptional condition when, more often than not, they begin to wear with use. Sitting in front of the driver is a thick-rimmed BMW M-Tech II steering wheel and a set of BMW's classic white-on-black gauges with a KM/H speedometer. An aftermarket Sony head unit sits in the center console along with a great-looking analog clock.

The Design Edition E30s were only available with 4-cylinder engines with either 1.6 or 1.8 liters of displacement. This car was outfitted with the 1.8-liter M40 inline 4, which was the revvier and more powerful version of the M10 found in the earlier 318s. With a single overhead camshaft and Bosch Motronic 1.3 fuel injection, the M40 produces 111 horsepower and 120 lb-ft of torque. Although this doesn't sound like a lot, the car has plenty of get-up-and-go and is aided by a 5-speed manual transmission to help you ring all the power out in every gear. Keep in mind, the E30 is not a big car so this powerplant is plenty capable of cruising with modern traffic on the highway and is a joy to run to redline while accelerating.

This 316i Touring is a special car and something that will stand out anywhere you take it- but that shouldn't dissuade you from using it all the time. Thanks to the added practicality of the touring body style and the fact that underneath, it's a simple to maintain E30, this car could easily be used as a daily driver or family hauler and would provide fun behind the wheel on even the most mundane errands.