The Insane BMW M3 GTR Was The First M3 With A V8 Powerhouse

Since its establishment in 1916, BMW has given the world several legendary cars. Some include the 1959 BMW 700/CS, the 1961 BMW 1500/1600, the 1955 BMW 507, and of course the 1978 BMW M1. However, the BMW M3 GTR is a racing bad boy that deserves just as much attention as its fellow siblings. After all, the M3 GTR was the first M3 car to get power from a V8 engine since the previous E46 M3 on the race track and the M3 coupe on the road had inline-6 engines.

Rivalry shall give birth

BMW E46 M3 GTR Rear - Source: NaBUru38, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

They say, “Necessity is the mother of invention”. However, on race tracks, we believe it is the rivalry that becomes fuel for new innovations and inventions. Who can forget the Ferrari Vs Lamborghini feud? However, here we are talking about Porsche and BMW’s rivalry that dates back decades. It is the same tussle on the GT racing circuit that finally forced BMW to come up with the E46 M3 GTR V8.

The E46 M3 GTR gained traction after it was featured in the famous video game Need For Speed: Most Wanted. The Blue & White livery became so popular that fans around the globe still try to recreate it on their cars.

Development and Homologation of BMW M3 GTR

BMW E46 M3 GTR Side - Source: Neil, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The E46 M3 was not able to grab the first position in the 2000 American Le Mans Series GT category and could only manage to contend with the third rank as it was decimated by the chief rival Porsche 996 GT3. To pay back multiple folds, BMW started developing a more powerful version of the M3, which became the M3 GTR V8.

The BMW M3 GTR or E46 M3 GTR managed to win the 2001 American Le Mans Series GT category in the same year of its introduction. However, it was a center of controversy as well. Other racing teams accused BMW of using a prototype model. Every team was required to produce a homologated version of the race car as per the 2001 ALMS homologation rules. Hence, BMW hit back at the accusations by producing 10 units of the E46 M3 GTR Strassenversion (street version) in 10 months which was within the time frame given in the rules.

 Racing Wins of BMW M3 GTR

BMW E46 M3 GTR - Source: David Merrett from Daventry, England, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Driven by JJ Lehto and Jörg Müller, the M3 GTR race car managed to get itself down in the history pages as the legend who finally defeated its arch-rival, the Porsche 911 GT3-R. In the 2001 Season, the M3 GTR competed in the American Le Mans under the GT category and won 7 out of 10 races.

 Engine and Performance of BMW M3 GTR

BMW E46 M3 GTR P60 B40 Engine - Source: Jiří Sedláček, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The BMW E46 M3 GTR race car was a 2-door coupe. It was powered by a P60B40 4.0L flat plane V8 mated to a 6-speed manual transmission. The V8 put out 444 horsepower and 354 lb-ft of torque. As per third-party testing results, the M3 GTR did 0 to 60 MPH in 3.3 seconds and had a top speed of 165 MPH.

Limited production, withdrawal from the racing tracks, and a come back

As per rules requirements, BMW did make 10 GTR road cars. However, when the rules again changed in 2002, and now teams had to build 100 cars and 1,000 engines. As a result, BMW had to withdraw the M3 GTR. However, it did make a comeback in 2003 at the 24 Hours Nürburgring. Furthermore, in 2004 and 2005, the M3 GTR also secured a win at the 24 Hours Nürburgring.

 The Street Legal Version

BMW M3 GTR Strassenversion - Source Alexander-93, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The BMW M3 GTR road version called Strassenversion was introduced at the Petit Le Mans event in Braselton, Georgia, in 2001. Only ten were made and each had the V8 engine sourced from the racing version of the M3 GTR. The E46 M3 GTR road car has a 6-speed manual transmission connected to its 4.0L P60B40 V8 engine. It churned out 350 - 380 horsepower and 269 lb-ft of torque (333 horsepower & 262 lb-ft of torque for North American models). The M3 GTR road car accelerated from 0 to 60 MPH in 4.8 seconds and had a top speed of 183 MPH (155 MPH for North American models).

BMW M3 GTR Strassenversion Rear - Source Alexander-93, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Although it was difficult to distinguish between the BMW M3 Coupe and the M3 GTR Street, there were some differences that one could focus on. For example, the M3 GTR Street had longer front and rear skirts. Furthermore, its roof was made out of carbon fiber like many other elements. Moreover, it was also 407 lbs lighter than the regular M3.

Meanwhile, the Titan silver metallic was the only paint available for the M3 GTR Street’s exterior. However, the cabin was all-black and featured two sports seats. At the time, the M3 GTR was priced at €250,000 which translates to around $480,000 with inflation in 2024 according to the US Inflation calculator.