This giant BMW M3 isn’t assembly — but the truth under the body is even worse

The curious almost 3-meter-wide Volkswagen Lamando L that appeared in China in 2022 has undergone a transformation, to say the least, controversial. The project, named “M3²” (something like “M3 squared”), decided to embrace the controversial look of the current generation of the BMW M3, but with a touch of exaggeration that defies common sense. The images of the car, released by the creator known as Blackma on Chinese social networks such as Bilibili, won the world after a report by the website Carscoops.

The sedan, which maintains the structural basis of the Volkswagen model, has abandoned any subtlety. At the front, the builders installed not just one, but two pairs of the famous grilles of the BMW M3 of the G80 generation. The result is a front assembly that occupies practically the entire front of the vehicle — a visual effect that certainly would not go unnoticed at any car meeting.

The choice is not free. The current M3’s double “coffin”-shaped grilles are among the most criticized design elements in BMW’s recent history and have become a constant butt of jokes on the internet. The Chinese project only took the provocation to the limit: if one giant grid already bothers you, imagine four.

Despite BMW’s “fantasy”, the project does not hide its origins. The headlights look identical to those of the German sports car – according to Carscoops, they may even be original parts – and the taillights follow similar inspiration. The silhouette of the roof and the rear, however, denounce that it is a Lamando. Inside, the disappointment for performance fans is even greater: none of the six-cylinder in-line 3.0 biturbo, capable of up to 510 hp in the Competition version, nor of sporty chassis adjustment. The car retains Volkswagen’s modest 1.4-liter four-cylinder engine. Even the VW logo on the steering wheel was covered with duct tape, in an unconvincing attempt at disguise.

To complete the eccentricity, the interior was “clean” and, instead of sports seats or noble materials, it was filled with “beanbag” cushions — known in Brazil as poufs. The cabin also gained a wide screen facing the front passenger, the only technological addition to the set. It is worth remembering that, in its original configuration of Lamando enlarged, the sedan carried about ten people, according to reports at the time.