BMW surprised us all earlier this week when it dusted off an M3 GTR for a special occasion. The decommissioned race car returned to celebrate 30 years since the first Need for Speed Game came out. Yes, it’s been three decades since the original NFS came out. Feel old yet? The racing machine’s special livery has now touched down at the BMW Welt in Munich.
The M3 GTR wears a full body wrap to replicate the hero car from Need for Speed Most Wanted. We’re talking about the first NFS MW game, which came out back in 2005, followed by a namesake title launched in 2012. As if the car wasn’t already special enough, it’s the only M3 E46 to feature a V8 engine. Well, that’s technically not true since BMW also sold a street-legal conversion, limited to only 10 units. Price? The homologation special was available for an eye-watering 250,000 euros.
Of the two GTR flavors, the track-only machine is the most spectacular. BMW installed a huge rear wing and a side-exit exhaust. Lurking underneath the vented hood is a P60B40 engine shared with the Strassenversion. The latter had less power since it used a detuned version of the naturally aspirated 4.0-liter unit. Even so, it still made a healthy 443 hp.
Since the NFS MW car is based on an actual race car, it uses a sequential transmission. The road-approved model came with a six-speed manual instead. BMW Motorsport stripped down the interior to the bare essentials, whereas the Strassenversion was far nicer. However, even the road-approved M3 GTR was simplified to shave weight by losing the rear seats, air conditioning, and even the radio.
Now is your chance to get up close and personal with the M3 GTR race car that exudes Need for Speed vibes. You have until January 6, 2025, to get acquainted with a video game icon brought to life. There’s a good chance BMW will show the car elsewhere next year. Our money is on the Goodwood Festival of Speed (July 10-13).
Source: BMW Welt / Instagram
