Wednesday 20th August 2014

BMW M3 on the Manx: Time For Tea?

Patrick Snijers, an E30 and some of the ballsiest Isle of Man driving you'll ever see

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The Isle of Man seems to lend itself to heroic driving (and riding); the roads are often narrow, always fast and seemingly very bumpy too. Driving the island has of course become much better known thanks to the exploits of Mark Higgins at the TT but the Rally Isle of Man shouldn't be forgotten.

This video should be all about how excellent the Manx rally is but it's hard to ignore the staggering skills of Patrick Snijers in the M3. As commentator Steve Ryder mentions the Manx typically wasn't popular with foreign drivers but the Belgian absolutely confounded those beliefs. His mastery of the roads and the car is amazing to watch, the car often sideways but still silly quick. The sound from the shrieking S14 is fantastic too.

Don't forget too that rear-wheel drive rallying is far from over. The Toyota GT86 rally car is on the way and the Tuthill 997 GT3 will soon compete in the WRC too. A resurgence for rallying?

Watch it here.
 

[myhandle]

That is approximately the best thing, ever.

[renaultgeek]

holy bee gee jesus.

[TheAntics]

Does anyone know if this is a Prodrive built car? It looks remarkably like their Bastos E30 M3 touring car

[stevesingo]

Yes, Prodrive car, but not with the full blessing of BMW Motorsport. BMW MS supplied the engines only I believe.

[TheAntics]

Just answered my own question. Google is my friend

http://www.evo.co.uk/videos/planetevovideos/256048...

[truck71]

Proper car, proper roads, proper driving.

Proper.

[TheAntics]

There's a Bastos M3 at the Prodrive factory. My mate blagged us a full factory tour and just sitting in the M3 was a special experience. Even with the various current Aston GT's, imprezza's, le mans winners (550 and DB9R), F1 and BTCC cars it's the M3 that stuck in my mind long after we left. I'm such a geek that it's basically now the only car I race online on forza and of course with a Bastos paint! It's a proper throw back car that for me is at the heart of what was great about motor sport and what I feel is now missing. It's basic, fast, purposeful and as near as dammit a car you could buy for real. I find it incredibly difficult to get excited about 99% of modern Motorsport cars. The article is bang on the point with the GT86 entering rallying. That's a really good sign if you ask me.

[essIII]

Amazing. At 2:02 the dirt\rocks falling into the road is exactly the same today. Just what you want on an awkward bend\jump combo!

[rotta]

ive watched this countless times, one of my favorite youtube vids! awesome driving awesome car

[s m]

Always reminds me of this clip as well

http://youtu.be/fG-Tnj3EN5U


.....that's an hour gone now watching Manx Videos/Vatanen Touch etc!

[Zod]

The way he takes the hairpins at junctions is just incredible.

[sideways man]

That is a real competition car. No turbo,no 4wd,er no grip! Plenty of excitement, both visual and aural.
Wrc boss's please take note- this is how you make rallying exciting.

Wonder if renault have competition plans for the new twingo?

[aeropilot]

rotta said:

ive watched this countless times, one of my favorite youtube vids!

Indeed.


I can also remember watching it for the first time back in 1988 on ITV (was a few weeks before I bought my Sunbeam-Lotus)

[Leins]

Love the Isle of Man. Love M3s. I therefore quite like that video!

Doesn't sound half-bad for a 4-cyl either

[Emo27]

I've got the video, It was the final round of the 1988 British rally championship. Jimmy McRae drove a Sierra Cosworth in the same rally but didn't get close. There's BHP video of the 1989 Mobil 1 rally challenge, simmer driving on the island in 6 different cars. The night before Stig Blogvist had enjoyed the islands hospitality until the early hours and still won. Can't imagine the latest drivers doing that!

[Goodsteed]

That noise!

Edited by Goodsteed on Wednesday 20th August 20:06

[Harald1974]

Haaa , Memories :-)

Yes it is a prodrive car , and I remember it very well .

Patrick Snijers co-driver, Dany Colebunders , was living in the street of my parents at the time .
Even today , I still live in the same town as him . Dany is a super friendly guy and I got to meet Patrick and Dany several times together for an informal chat .
I still remember as a kid , that before going to a European rally , the rally car as well as the rally patrol car were delivered by the guys from Prodrive at the home of Dany .
It was quite common then that in the evening the car was taken for a spin up and down the street for fun . Those were the days ...



Still today , Patrick is one of the most respected rally drivers that Belgium has ever known . Even the last years , Patrick was still competing at the top level in a Porsche GT3 or even the new Prodrive Mini . He's still one of the fastest guys around ( that is if he doesn't break down or leave the road ... always on the limit ! ) .
Dany has led a very successful career afterwards as desert race co-pilot ( Dakar etc. ) and is now a committee member of the RACB ( Royal Automobile club of Belgium ) .

Because in their career , Dany and Patrick had so much wins , their attics were too small for all the Silverware ... go figure .
I "inherited" a lot of them , otherwise they would go to the dumpster ...
Only a small selection that stands proud in my garage



Fond memories coming back .

Cheers , Harald

[Mermaid]

Grossly underrated car. As good as a 911 RS

[martin elaman]

truck71 said:

Proper car, proper roads, proper driving.

Proper.

BMW must build a car like this at least one more time before petrol cars are gone forever. One more time. m

[VX Foxy]

WHO THE fk DIDN'T VOTE 10?!