Mate Rimac, CEO of Bugatti and Rimac, has a well-known passion for BMWs, and his ultimate dream car is a BMW E30 fitted with a V10 engine. After revealing that dream in a June 2025 interview, Rimac finally got to see a V10-swapped E30 in person.
Mate Rimac Finally Sees His Dream BMW E30
The BMW E30 Rimac encountered features a 5.0-liter S85 V10 engine taken from a BMW E60 M5. Even Rimac appeared genuinely surprised to see the V10 installed under the hood.
The car is owned by Jim Amelinckx, known as jimgummy on Instagram. Looking at the engine bay, Rimac simply said, “Fits perfectly.”
The engine compartment also features a custom air intake with a conical air filter, while the cabin has been equipped with a roll cage for rollover protection.
Rimac’s Earlier Electric BMW E30 Project
Before Rimac became synonymous with electric hypercars, he was already transforming a BMW E30 3 Series into a high-performance electric car known as the e-M3.
According to reports, the e-M3 produced 600 horsepower and 664 lb-ft of torque. It could accelerate from 0 to 62 mph in 3.3 seconds and had a rated top speed of 174 mph.
The electric E30 also set five Guinness and FIA World Records as the fastest-accelerating electric car.
Mate Rimac’s BMW Collection
Rimac’s passion for BMWs extends to his personal collection, which includes an E30 M3, E46 M3, E90 M3, E39 M5, F90 M5 Competition and E86 Z4 M Coupe.
The F90 M5 is his daily driver, while a V10-swapped E30 has yet to join his own garage.
For now, the V10-powered E30 owned by Jim Amelinckx offers Rimac a chance to see the kind of BMW he has described as his ultimate dream car. The build could also be a serious contender for one of the most powerful custom BMW E30s ever built.
