Sport Auto: M3 GTS Nurburgring and Hockenheim Times Are In

[enricob]

Originally Posted by marcel b

ciao Enrico, to bad we didnot meet at the ring this year...

Hanseat next year?

[PKumarM3]

you guys are hilarious. do you know how capable of a car and driver it takes to run a sub 8 minute lap at the ring? the fact that this car does it in 7:48 is sensational.

it is VERY impressive that a pig of a car can do it under 8 minutes.

what is not impressive is the price of the car.

everyone is right - for that price you could get a brand new gt3rs.

bmw is really falling apart in this category. they are improving their cars and making them heavier and heavier, but they still drive phenomenally. they are trying to compete with audi and bmw in the regular marketplace but they are trying to pump out these motorsport cars that cost an arm and a leg and a vietnamese child on the black market - but they are not on par with Porsche - the ultimate sports car brand.

they need to either commit to motorsports like Porsche has with their GT cars or just stick to sports sedans.

[karussell]

Originally Posted by enricobraglia

Hanseat next year?

you had me at hanseat. i'll be there. hope to see you guys there. not bringing the m3 though.

[marcel b]

Originally Posted by enricobraglia

Hanseat next year?

have to check the date. I went to this one this year (second time) and really liked it. Really a lot of time behind the wheel and fairly cheap compared to Hanseat.

http://www.fahrerlehrgang.info/englisch_version.html

[dlbrooks18]

wow, I have a hard time believing the E46 M3 CSL was that fast around the Ring.. anyhow, I read a review that the rear wing causes drag on straightaways, as a stock M3 was actually faster in the straight on one course.. very nice car nonetheless, and a great time!! it's good to see BMW giving us a track optioned out car from the factory, for sure a collector's item

[enricob]

Originally Posted by karussell

you had me at hanseat. i'll be there. hope to see you guys there. not bringing the m3 though.

Hi Karusell, nice to meet you!

I'll be there at 100%

[GewoW]

Did they do wind-tunnel tests? Would like to know what those little bits change...

[enricob]

but who drove the GTS?? Jerry Lewis

[Great White]

Ok, I didn´t read all of the posts cause there just too many. BUT:

I´d like to add a few comments on the GTS´s approach on the Nordschleife:

Originally Posted by marcel b

A few important coments:

the CSL time is doubted by a lot of people (who know what they are talking about). The the speeds it achieved where just not possible with the power it has, in several areas of the track it was even faster then a 996 GT3RS! which is doubtfull with the HP the CSL should have. So a "standard" CSL would not be able to drive a 07:50.

Compare the following:

Speed comparison between CSL and GTS:

Please note that the GTS has a better aerodyamics (Cw value) then the CSL (even with the backwing)!

Second, the GTS is on UHP tires, not on semi slicks (Michelin Cups which eg the CSL had), which makes a big difference.

The CSL not at 7:50?.. Chuckle, sorry but those (who know what they are talking about) haven´t a clue to what was driven that day. Evidently circumstancial weather, temprature & atmospheric pressure are deemed good or not good to go. The car was optimised for the test.

Your point being ? Your comparing the GT3RS with the GTS & then the CSL?

Next point : the Pirelli P Corsa´s are officially declared semi slicks, how & where do you get the information that these are UHPs?

Originally Posted by ddigangi

pretty disappointed in the GTS

read below please

Originally Posted by bluespeed117

its the weight thats killing this car. The CSL was totally stripped and didnt even have a radio. The GTS is a 154 pounds heavier than the CSL. Thats like having another person in the seat. This new one still has a bunch of its components that are in the normal M3 like the Aircon and radio. The CSL was a straight up racing machine for race drivers, the GTS is a racing machine for people who want to be Racers.

sorry to have to say this but get your facts right please:
The GTS has no radio, no Navisys, no iDrive, not even EDC !
It does however have Aircon which was done as a requst from the customers.
It was orderable without if requested.

Originally Posted by enricob

but who drove the GTS?? Jerry Lewis

A lot of you don´t know this or perhaps didn´t read it but the time the GTS put on the NoS track was idiotic in the first instance for any case!

It wasn´t Jerry driving but Horst v. Saurma who happens to be a very experienced driver BUT if all read carefully he states that due to lack of time from BMW the test drive was done with the HARD setup!
Now I have 2 problems here:
1st:
being that anyone who knows the NoS knows that you do not drive the track with a hard setup (fullstop) It´s stupid & contra productive to timing.

2nd:
BMW should have made sure that the car was properly prepared with the soft setup BEFORE they went there! They know that SportAuto is one of the most respected & unbiased testers here in Europe so they should have set it to the best of thier abilities to get the best time they could have. But nope, they were out of time ?? That´s just BS! Shame on BMW for this F-up.
Horst v.S said if the setup were NoS specificationed he would have gotten a couple more seconds out of the car!

I happed to be keeping close watch on a customer GTS and know that the car is being tested & adjusted to the best possibilty the car can give.
If faster times do come in this year I will let you know. But this said: The owner has slapped the time of HvS already but is has not rated until it has officialy been registered & confirmed.

Hope I could put some insight into the discussion of the GTS being a heavy piece of C**p.
Expensive? yes!
Not worth it? I don´t think so..