There are rarities, and then there is the M3 GTR road version. For years we assumed that BMW would build 10 of them for 250,000 euros each. In fact, the only E46 3 Series to ever come with a V8 from the factory is even rarer. In fact, there are only three of them, and BMW owns them all.
One of these cars has now been taken out of the BMW garage for a joyride through the Munich headquarters. Interestingly, the German automaker decided to obscure the license plate of its M3, which is powered by a racing car engine. Disappointingly, someone thought it wise to overlay music rather than let the P60B40’s soundtrack shine through.
Still, we get a brief taste of the naturally aspirated 4.0-liter V8 engine. The high-revving engine was derived from the racing car of the same name, but downsized to 351 hp and 365 Nm (269 lb-ft). In the road version, the sequential gearbox was also replaced by a six-speed manual gearbox with a double-disc clutch and a variable limited-slip differential.
If you know your M3, there are several visual cues that differentiate the GTR from the standard E46. BMW adjusted the race car’s front fascia, reworked the rear bumper and added a towering carbon rear wing above a trunk lid spoiler. The hood vents are another obvious clue.
In addition to the three surviving examples, BMW built seven development prototypes, all of which were scrapped. This makes the M3 GTR one of the rarest cars ever to bear the roundel, even more exclusive than the mid-engined M1, of which 460 were made. All three were painted titanium silver and their rear seats were removed to save weight.
The M3 GTR will forever be remembered as the hero car of Need for Speed: Most Wantedand we can only hope that BMW gives the most extraordinary E46 more time in the spotlight. Not much has been reported about this elusive M3 in the 25 years since its debut.
Like the M1 before it, the M3 GTR was a homologation special, essentially a race car for the road. Without air conditioning or a radio, it offered a raw, unfiltered experience that only a handful of BMW insiders were ever able to enjoy. The rest of us have to make do with a controller in hand or repeated videos like this.
Video: BMW Classic / Instagram
