Back in the mid ’90s, BMW wanted to go racing with the E36 M3 but needed to homologate it for the FIA and IMSA GT racing series. So the BMW M3 GT (E36) was born. Only 356 cars were originally sold in North America and even less in the United Kingdom – 50 units. The E36 M3 GT is one of the rarest BMWs ever built and it became an automotive icon over time. All BMW M3 GT models were painted exclusively in British Racing Green. Number 13 is now up for sale in the UK and the eBay listing has a price of £90,000 (around $118,000). This particular E36 M3 GT has 129,000 miles (~207,605 km) on the odometer and was enjoyed by six owners so far. It comes with all the proper documents and receipts and has also been equipped with a tracker.
The E36 BMW M3 GT is powered by a 3.0 liter S50 straight-six that makes 295 horsepower, versus the standard car’s 282 horsepower. It gets a five-speed manual gearbox and rear-wheel drive, as the M Gods intended, and a killer rear wing. It was also designed as a homologation car so BMW could do a bit of racing, so it’s a proper driver’s car. For GT duty, the E36 M3 got some stripped down materials to make it lighter, some added aerodynamics and a touch of extra power. The inside is considerably different, though, with new seats that look superb, carbon fiber trim and some cool “BMW Motorsport International” badges.
It’s about 30 kilograms lighter than a normal M3, it has an oil pump, new cams and a different ECU tune gave it just a bit more power but made it rev better and work better on the track. From the outside, the GT is really most distinguishable from the different front splitter but, other than that, it looks about the same as a standard E36 M3. The car’s doors were made from aluminum and the interior was decked out in Mexico Green Nappa leather.
BMW also gave the E36 M3 GT a set of unique wheels – 17×7.5 front and 17×8.5 rear forged wheels wrapped in 235/40 tires. Needless to say, this is a BMW worth looking at, especially if you’re looking to build or add to your collection of rare cars. And prices are not likely to go down anytime soon. If ever.
[Photos: BMW Romania and BMW Classic] [Story via CarScoops]
