The BMW 333i was a special model for the South African market and was a small replacement for the BMW M3, which has never been sold there. It was developed in collaboration with Motorsport GmbH and ALPINA and had a special six-cylinder in-line engine (M30B33), which was not found in any other model in the BMW 3 Series (E30). The BMW Motorsport GmbH and ALPINA contributed individual components relating to aerodynamics, performance and suspension. Between 1985 and 1986, there were 204 lucky owners of these exceptionally rare vehicles.