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In Reply to: V8 450hp version E46 M3 posted by Vancouver Bimmer on September 30, 2001 at 23:28:07:
BMW is about to release a road-going version of its awesome M3 GTR.
The car, which in race trim has seen plenty of victories in the American Le Mans Series, will be built by BMW M from January 2002.
And this won't be one of those quasi-sportsters pretending to have racing heritage. The two-seater M3 GTR will still use carbon fibre body parts and will dispense with anything even vaguely to do with comfort.
The road-going M3 GTR will have a dry weight of around 1350kg and the 90-degree 4.0 litre V8 engine will be a detuned version of the race engine.
Despite emissions and noise level regulations, the road version will still generate more than 258 kW.
The M3 GTR road version will be technically as close as possible to the racing version, says BMW. Apart from the extremely light V8 engine this includes dry sump lubrication, a six-speed gearbox, a two-disc sports clutch and the variable M differential lock.
The roof, rear spoiler and front and rear aprons are to be made of carbon fibre reinforced plastic - just as in the race version. Additional cooling slits in the bonnet should ensure the high-performance powerplant will only overcook your bank balance rather than the engine.
The BMW M3 GTR features lowered sporty suspension. The compact V8 high-performance engine permits optimum weight distribution which, together with the 19-inch sports wheels, is said to improve handling.
But here's the bad news BMW is firm that the M3 GTR will not be considered for the Australian Market. And at A$463,018 perhaps that's understandable!
Colin Menzies
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