Already when purchasing a limited model, especially with the special models AVUS, GT and the Class II / 2 models of the BMW E36 series, with the “BMW MOTORSPORT INTERNATIONAL Limited Edition” or “Clubsport” equipment SA 777, in the case of the CLASS II / 2, and SA 766 for the special AVUS model, the BMW E36 series, you should ensure that the special, rare or specific vehicle parts and special equipment features installed ex works are still present on the vehicle. Often these have been replaced by cheap plagiarism, some of which are also available in good quality on the market. These parts are mostly no longer available and are therefore no longer available from the BMW factory. Once these are gone, they can only be replaced with expensive used parts, if at all. Therefore, when buying, you should make sure that all specific vehicle parts of the special models are available on the vehicle at the time of purchase.
In the following we would like to explain the special features of the glove box strips in the special models BMW E36 318IS Class II / 2 Motorsport International Limited Edition SA 777 (this model was only available as 318IS) the special model BMW E36 AVUS Edition, SA766 (this was both a 4-cylinder and available as 6 cylinders) and the BMW E36 M3 GT SA919 exactly what the differences are and how you can tell whether it is an original cover and emblem. In the following we begin with the actual emblem (badge) “BMW MOTORTSPORT INTERNATIONAL Limited Edition” which is the same for all three models, which were only installed ex works by BMW in the special models BMW 318is CLASS 2, the AVUS and the BMW M3 E36 GT . This emblem, a wafer-thin metal emblem, is located on the black plastic strip (on the BMW E36 Class II / 2 and the special model AVUS Edition) directly above the glove compartment. In the M3 GT E36, it is also in the same place, but there is even more special because the emblem is completely and recessed in a carbon frame of the glove box bar. The exact dimensions of the BMW MOTORSPORT INTERNATIONAL Limited Edition emblem are 21 x 62 mm.
In the following we show examples of the original BMW MOTORSPORT INTERNATIONAL Limited Edition emblem and the various plagiarisms that are available on the market, some in other variants and designs. There are a number of other variants, but these can already be clearly recognized as such by the eye, so we have limited ourselves to the most similar and closest variants to the original. We have listed these plagiarisms below and compared them with the original BMW Motorsport International Limited Edition emblem so that you can better see the difference in the comparison.
Picture of an ORIGINAL BMW MOTORSPORT INTERNATIONAL Limited Edition emblem, of an original BMW E36 318is CLASS 2, of the entire glove box bar, because you can see the original fastening position more precisely.
The picture shows another original picture of an ORIGINAL BMW MOTORSPORT INTERNATIONAL Limited Edition emblem, which we have from another BMW E36 318is AVUS Edition, the bar was broken (rear retaining lugs were broken off) and the previous owner simply had the emblem on another black one Strip glued on – presumably with window adhesive or similar), however, the plastic strip itself is identical to the one without an emblem except for the BMW part number of the E36 from the outside in the assembled state and cannot be differentiated. This is only possible after dismantling by comparing the original part number on the back. The same applies to the special AVUS model.
We have simply put the emblem over here for comparison and to show that it is really an ORIGINAL BMW MOTORSPORT INTERNATIONAL Limited Edition emblem.
The two ORIGINAL BMW MOTORSPORT INTERNATIONAL Limited Edition emblems added a little further away for a better comparison.
Here is a picture of our original ORIGINAL BMW MOTORSPORT INTERNATIONAL Limited Edition emblem (in the picture below) and the plagiarism of a BMW MOTORSPORT INTERNATIONAL Limited Edition emblem (in the picture above), which we bought especially for comparison, which is also often offered on Ebay. As you can already see from a purely optical point of view, the plagiarism of the dimensions is already much larger and the thickness of the material is extremely much stronger than the original emblem.
Here the same BMW MOTORSPORT INTERNATIONAL Limited Edition emblems (original emblem on the picture on the right) side by side, the ORIGINAL BMW MOTORSPORT INTERNATIONAL Limited Edition emblem is also smaller in height
There are also such BMW MOTORSPORT INTERNATIONAL Limited Edition emblem stickers on the Internet (in the picture above), which we also bought for illustration purposes. These are almost identical in dimensions to the ORIGINAL BMW MOTORSPORT INTERNATIONAL Limited Edition emblem (in the picture below), but they are not also made of sheet metal, but made of vinyl and also not even approximately identical in color. In a self-experiment, we also tried to apply this sticker to an original glove box strip, which after a lot of effort and preparation through previous intensive cleaning of the strip lasted for exactly 5 hours, then it fell off. Admittedly, it was summer 2019 and we had 30 degrees and bright sunshine, in the closed vehicle we measured 62 degrees!
Here is another picture of all three BMW MOTORSPORT INTERNATIONAL Limited Edition emblems. Who was paying attention? What is the ORIGINAL BMW MOTORSPORT INTERNATIONAL Limited Edition emblem?
Right, the one in the middle.
Here is an original carbon glove box cover from an original BMW E36 M3 GT Motorsport International Limited Edition.
As you can see very well in this picture, the BMW Motorsport International emblem on the BMW E36 M3 GT is recessed below, the carbon bar and is virtually framed by the carbon cover, like a picture frame. However, this is only the case with the special model BMW M3 GT E36 (SA919).
The lower emblem and the frame of the BMW Motorsport International emblem of the BMW E36 M3 GT can be seen very clearly in this picture.
This carbon strip of the BMW E36 M3 GT (SA919) with the recessed and framed BMW Motorsport International Limited Edition emblem was never(!) available for reordering. If you lost this or the strip was damaged, you could only reorder the smooth version without windows and without the BMW Motorsport International Limited Edition emblem. The BMW Motorsport International Limited Edition emblem could still be ordered separately from BMW as a sticker sign up until 2005. This means in plain language there were exactly 356 of these BMW M3 GT Motorsport International Limited Edition glove compartment strips (the 2 prototypes starting with the last 7 digits of the chassis number “JC” did not have this strip!). The easiest way to tell if it is an original BMW M3 GT Motorsport International Limited Edition glove compartment strip is by the part number on the back. This is not listed in the spare parts catalogue. So when checking the number, if a bar says “Black” or something similar, you know it’s a fake or a replica. To do this, however, a warehouse clerk at the BMW dealer must be contacted, since the numbers in the ETK have changed very often in the meantime. So if you can’t find the part online in the ETK, that doesn’t immediately mean that it’s an original part!!!. It is unlikely that anyone would have the idea of destroying an original carbon strip, which in itself is also extremely rare and no longer available from BMW and also has a high price on the market as a used part (350-550€). for a replica.
Here is an advertisement that we found on EBAY on November 10th, 2019. Here a provider with the user name mp_no1 (820) from Bann (Rhineland Palatinate) sells 100% positive reviews !!!, an allegedly original glove box strip allegedly from a BMW E36 M3 GT.
In the following we have enlarged or inserted the pictures of the provider’s brazen advertisement for illustration so that the details can be better seen.
But here at the latest in this picture the forgery is definitely clearly exposed as such. The stamp of the BMW E36 M3 GT Motorsport International Limited Edition glove box bar (around the top in the picture) clearly shows the production date 02.99 (02.1999). Now one could argue that this could also be a spare part that could have been produced and reordered a few years later … But unfortunately this is not the case, because on the one hand, as already mentioned, this bar is only used 356 times was produced for the vehicles and was never listed or even listed as a spare part in the BMW parts catalog (you could then only reorder the smooth carbon bar) and therefore could not be ordered at any time except with a vehicle. On the other hand, this can also be recognized by the part number 70829-6609, which is located underneath in the plastic of the supposed BMW E36 M3 GT Motorsport International Limited Edition bar. If you pass this number on to your BMW dealer, he will see in the BMW spare parts catalog (ETK) that this number has changed and is now the part number 51162489383 or has been replaced by this part number. And this is the one glove box strip in “hazelnut”. As luck would have it, another dealer also offers a bar with the same part number 70829-6609 on 11/10/2019 on Ebay !!! We have listed this listing below below. At least now you know that it is definitely a fake.
Here is the original ad in the one dealer, namely the company Chahrour Autohandel Saber Chahrour Leipzigerstrasse 349-35134123 Kassel Germany, on Ebay exactly the same bar with the same part numbers 70829-6609, as can be seen in the ad heading can also be seen in the pictures of the bar. This describes the bar with this identical number 70829-6609 as “root wood bar”. Here is the original advertisement of the car scraper:
