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The BMW M3 GTR Race Car '01 is a race car produced by BMW. Based on the fourth generation (E46) model, it appears in Gran Turismo 4, Gran Turismo PSP, Gran Turismo 5, and Gran Turismo 6.

It is the #42, driven by J.J. Lehto and Jörg Müller, who participated in the GT class of the 2001 American Le Mans Series season. The car achieved a 1st place finish in both Driver's and Team's Championships.

In-game description[]

"Well known in the ALMS and Nürburgring 24-hour race; a race spec car based on the E46 M3."

In 1998, the all-new BMW 3 Series, codenamed the E46, was introduced. Two years later, in 2000, a new BMW M3 arrived built on the E46 platform. The M3 was powered by a newly developed 3.2-liter DOHC inline-6 that produced 338 HP. This M3 was quickly transformed into a race car, just in time to contest in the first round of the American Le Mans Series (ALMS).

BMW's race team, Team PTG, made many improvements to the vehicle throughout the season. Power was significantly increased, and the car's aerodynamics were dramatically improved. But this was nothing compared to a purpose-built M3 race machine to come. This model arrived in February 2002 as the M3 GTR.

The big buzz surrounding the GTR centered around its engine. All previous M3 models came powered by an inline-6, but the M3 GTR sported a completely new 3997-cc V-8. The street version of the new V-8 produced 375 HP, while the race car's power was increased to 444 HP. The bumpers and spoilers were bigger than those of a normal M3 and made of carbon fiber. The hood was raised and a vent added to help cool the engine. This monster vehicle was completely different from a normal M3, and its AC Schnitzer-tuned powerplant helped make it a champion on numerous occasions in the ALMS.

Acquisition[]

Game Purchase location Credits Other methods
Gran Turismo 4 --- --- Win the Schwarzwald League A
Gran Turismo PSP BMW Dealership 1,000,000 ---
Gran Turismo 5 Used Car Dealership (Lv. 16+) 983,515 ---
Gran Turismo 6 BMW Dealership 1,000,000 ---

Pictures[]

Trivia[]

  • This famous car was banned from the American Le Mans Series (ALMS) due to last-minute changes to homologation which required BMW to create at least 100 road-going models with the same V8 engine and 1,000 examples of the engine it used in order to compete in the 2002 season (BMW only ever made ten examples of the BMW M3 GTR '03 road car before these rules were placed into effect) after protests from Porsche. Prior to competition, there was no road-going BMW M3 E46 with any similar engine, despite the car being dominant in the GT class during the 2001 season (winning seven out of 10 races). Later versions of this car have continued its dominance, being the class winner in the 2004 Spa 24 Hours, and overall in the Nürburgring 24h in 2004 and 2005, consecutively.
  • Oddly enough, the engine sound of the car was taken from Opel/Vauxhall Astra Touring Car but Interestingly, the only car in GT4 and GT PSP, that sounds very similar to the real sound of this car is 2000 Tickford Falcon XR8 Race Car. Later in GT5 and GT6, the engine sound changed repeatedly again.

Notes[]

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