Quote:
Originally Posted by samfisch
On the same note as the CSL (M-Division modified, official) what about a M3 GTR?
Back in 2002-2003 Schnitzer Racing needed a more powerful M3 for use in races, especially on the Nurburgring. So they made a M3 with a V8 (like in the new 550i (E60))
What I might be getting at is what if they took the V10 from the M5 and M6 put it into the E92 M3 and have themselves a modern GTR. The old GTR has 400lb/ft at stratospheric revs and about 50 more horses than the stock M3.
CSL is unbelievably awesome but GTR still wins any day!
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Actually the E46 M3 GTR first came out in 2001 for Schnitzer Motorsport to compete in the ALMS (American Le Mans) endurance racing. It had a 4.0-liter fire-breathing V8 with 450bhp and 480Nm (355 lb-ft) of torque, with 8000 rpm redline. 10 very exclusive road-going street legal versions were built and sold at $220.000 a piece because the ALMS rules required for the cars to be available as street versions as well. The street legal 2001 M3 GTR had a 4.0 liter V8 as well, but tamed, with the street version engine torque at 365Nm/270 lb-ft and horsepower at 350bhp. It still weighted only 1350kg (slightly under exactly 3000lbs), which still made it the fiercest street M3 ever, easily beating the M3 CSL which came out 2 years later in the spring of 2003 only on the European market. The story of the M3 GTR ended for a while and at least in the ALMS because Porsche complained about it since the two M3's in the race won and came second practically on every race they took part in, which resulted in the changed rules that now required over 100+ production cars to be made available rather than just the previous 10. BMW did not wish to proceed with this as the GTR was more expensive to produce (small special quantities) than what it cost. Tech specs of the Street M3 GTR:
http://www.rsportscars.com/eng/cars/bmw_m3gtr.asp
Best regards,
Jussi