The first M3 in the history of the brand to have a V8 engine was the BMW E46 M3 GTR, which debuted in February 2001. The BMW M3 GTR was only built in order to comply with the Le Mans regulations, which state that every vehicle raced must be produced in a set number for a specific period of time prior to the racing car’s season opening. The road car had to be a V8 since the Le Mans M3 GTR was a V8.
BMW sold 10 road-capable M3 GTR vehicles for EUR250,000 apiece following the 2001 racing season in order to comply with this restriction. The P60 utilized in the road car was somewhat detuned, producing 380 horsepower at 7,000 rpm, dry-sump lubrication, and a sharply canted radiator with hood venting. A twin-disc clutch designed for racing was used to transfer power to the 6-speed manual gearbox and variable locking M differential.
The M3 GTR’s suspension system was extremely sporty and was adapted from the race version. The chassis was heavily strengthened. The BMW M3 GTR was significantly lowered in comparison to the regular M3, and additional bracing was installed between the rear shock towers and the firewall and strut towers. The M3 GTR’s aerodynamics were improved by lowering lift thanks to expanded and redesigned front and back fascias as well as the rear wing.
Weight reduction procedures were implemented extensively for the E46 M3 GTR road vehicle. Similar to the race version, the front and rear fascias, hood vents, rear spoiler, and roof were all made of carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP). Additionally, the GTR’s interior underwent a lightweight redesign. The rear seat was removed, Recaro leather-covered racing seats were fitted, and exclusive M3 GTR sill plates completed the interior modifications.
The E46 M3 GTR is still regarded as one of the best cars to have ever raced in the well-known video game Need for Speed. There are numerous fan favorites when it comes to automobiles distributed across the 20-year history of the racing game.
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Kelvin Weight
Based on their M3 E46, BMW produced the 2001 BMW M3 GTR GT (E46).
The car was entered in the GT class of both the American Le Mans Championship and the European Le Mans Series during the 2001 racing season, competing for both the BMW Motorsport and Team Schnitzer teams.
It originally came equipped with a 3.2L inline-six engine that was based on the E46 M3 standard engine. The vehicle made its American Le Mans Series debut in the GT class in 2000, although it only managed one victory and was frequently outperformed by the Porsche 911 GT3-R.
Before the start of the 2001 racing season, a freshly designed P60B40 V8 engine was quickly installed in the race car. It was created concurrently with the BMW V10 engine, which powered Williams Formula 1 cars in the 2001 F1 season. Because BMW’s engineers were unable to extract any more horsepower from the old engine, it was replaced.
The M3 GTR GT was able to outperform the Porsche 911 GT3-R and win seven of the ten GT events during the 2001 season thanks to the upgraded engine. When BMW protested that the V8 engine in the M3 GTR GT was not available in any BMW M3 that was road legal during the 2001 ALMS season, Porsche argued that BMW had broken both the ALMS entry regulations and the Gran Turismo spirit.
The ALMS rules were changed for the GT class heading into the 2002 season, and required that at least 100 units as well as 1,000 engines be built for a car to qualify. BMW produced 10 road-going GTR models, which went on sale after the 2001 ALMS season ended due to the requirement that the entered cars must be placed on sale on two continents within twelve months of the season beginning. BMW was had to withdraw the M3 GTR from the next American Le Mans Series season due to the altered rules.
But when the BMW-backed Schnitzer Motorsport team entered two M3 GTRs for the 2003 24 Hours of Nurburgring endurance event, it made its comeback to motorsport. The following two years, the M3 GTR took part in the competition and helped the squad win 1-2 in 2004 and 2005.
Designed For Le Mans
The race vehicle on which the BMW M3 GTR Strassenversion is based participated in the GT class of the American Le Mans Series (ALMS), and here is where the BMW M3 GTR Strassenversion got its start.
The M3 GTR was developed at the same time as the BMW M3’s new E46 generation was released in 2000. It would be given the specific task of competing against the dominant Porsche 911, which had won 11 out of the 12 races in the GT class that year.
The race-ready E46 M3 was available to compete at the beginning of the 2001 season. The M3 GTR was strikingly different from any of the prior incarnations, despite the fact that it was not the first M3 that BMW employed for competitive racing.
BMW understood that they would need to bring some giant-killing armament to the game if they wanted to stand a chance of beating their opponents. Its engine, which is a 4.0L V8 as opposed to the 3.2L straight-six used in the road-going version, would be their most potent weapon.
BMW built the 443-horsepower P60B40 engine for the GTR, which by all accounts was engineered with the sole purpose of being used in a race car – and therein lies the issue as to why we don’t see as many on the road as we would have liked. Simply reimagining the production car powerplant – which was perfectly capable in its own right – was not deemed adequate.
The M3 GTR raced in a class of production-based cars, but because its engine wasn’t installed in any M3 production models, it really belonged more in the prototype category. This meant that unless BMW developed and went on to sell street legal versions of the car, it would not satisfy homologation standards to race in the ALMS GT series.
‘Need for Speed: Most Wanted’ fans can rejoice.
One of those vehicles that many auto enthusiasts know and adore but have only ever seen on screen when playing Need for Speed: Most Wanted is the BMW E46 M3 GTR. One of the two V8-powered race cars ever produced is now in the possession of Young Timers Garage.
This M3 is equipped for racing and is delivered in a stock colour of gloss silver-gray without any racing liveries. This GTR is offered with a 4.9-liter V8 engine from the M5, which is connected to a six-speed manual transmission and drives the rear wheels, unlike its road-going sibling, which has an inline six-cylinder engine.
Only #004 and #005 had the V8; the other three GTR variants used six-cylinder race engines instead. The listing states that it was entirely renovated for racing, with hollow camshafts, a double row timing chain, and “a semi-dry-sump oil system consisting of two additional scavenging pumps that activate for extreme cornering.”
The style is also up to racing standards. A massive carbon fiber rear wing mounted on the boot deck further emphasizes the widebody package, while a thick grille and a louvered front hood are seen up front. While the rear has been flattened for enhanced aerodynamics, side-exit exhausts hit up the skirts.
View the BMW E46 M3 GTR in the gallery above, and learn more about it on the Young Timers Garage website. Since the fee is determined by appointment, we assume it is expensive.
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Is the BMW M3 GTR still in stock?
Seven out of ten ALMS GT races in 2001 saw the BMW motorsport M3 GTR finish first or third. Much to the chagrin of the rivals. Demands for stricter rules emerged as a result of the response. They succeeded in getting their way, changing the definition of “series model” from ten to a requirement of at least 100 homologation models. After just one extremely successful season in US motorsport, the BMW M3 GTR’s departure was thus assured. A few M3 GTRs were used with tremendous success between 2003 and 2005, particularly at the 24-hour race on the Nurburgring, demonstrating that the GT car still had a future in Europe.
GTR on a BMW M3—what does that mean?
One response: Edel Gabriel. While GT-B stands for Gran Turismo Berlinetta, GT-R stands for Gran Turismo Racing. As most automobiles produced in Japan at the time used Western acronyms, the Japanese decided to name the car using Italian naming practices to increase sales.
How numerous are BMW M3 GTRs?
When the BMW E46 M3 failed to qualify for the 2000 Florida 12 Hours of Sebring, BMW realized it needed to go larger and better. The M3’s already potent 6-cylinder engine couldn’t keep up because it was designed as a road-going vehicle and lacked the boost necessary to thrive in Florida. At this point, BMW submitted a vehicle that had previously been race-tuned. The revised M3’s powertrain received several significant improvements, while other elements that broke daily driving norms were removed.
Porsche had to argue that BMW was pushing things too far and making the competition unfair because the car was too powerful. This is when the Automobil Club de l’Ouest (A.C.O. ), which also oversees the Le Mans 24 Hours, decided to order 1,000 road-going BMW M3 GTRs to be rebuilt with an additional 100 pounds of weight and 20% larger air restrictors.
The M3 GTR is still one of the rarest BMWs ever produced, and just 10 were produced as a result of the new regulations making it impossible to complete the car within the 12-month production cycle.
Is the BMW M3 GTR retribution?
Is the BMW M3 GTR a playable character in NFS Payback? I adore BMWs, and if possible, I’d like to stream using the M3 GTR, but I’m not sure how to add it to the game.
In less than two minutes, find out if your auto insurance is being overcharged.
It is indeed feasible! In NFS Payback, you must go to Mount Providence, which is situated in the lower left-hand corner of the map, in order to obtain the BMW M3 GTR. In the trees close to some stores, the car will be concealed.
You guys must avoid the police as soon as you have the car. You won’t be able to keep the car if you’re found driving it. But once you reach Ravas, the automobile is entirely yours!
In NFS, you might be able to steal a BMW, but in real life, you’d have to save enough for one. Fortunately, you may save money on your auto insurance with the help of the Jerraay app, allowing you a little extra cash each month to save.