DCM BMW M3 GTR E46 – A NFS MOST WANTED FEATURETTE
Racing cars for the road...
The BMW M3 GTR E46 was produced almost by necessity to compete in the American Le Mans Series (ALMS). Only a handful of vehicles of this type were built in the 00s, technically the road version is almost identical to the racing version, only the power was throttled to 258 kW (351 hp). Body parts such as the roof, rear wing, front and rear apron were made of carbon fibre reinforced plastic.
In the end, the car had an unladen weight of just 1350 kg, as comfort was also dispensed with and there was only room for two people in the vehicle. At the time the starting price was put at β¬250,000. The sports coupΓ© can be equated with a unicorn and is accordingly coveted by collectors. It is practically impossible to get hold of one of these, so it is almost impossible as well to put a realistic market price on the M3 GTR.
A short success story in motorsport
Strictly speaking, the M3 GTR was a prototype that would not have met the homologation regulations for the ALMS GT series. Therefore, the production and sale of a small series of road-legal versions of the M3 GTR had to be initiated. In 2001, BMW Motorsport finished first and third in seven of ten ALMS GT Series races with the M3 GTR. To the annoyance of the competition: their reaction manifested itself in a demand to tighten up the regulations.
And they got their way: From now on, the definition of "series model" was linked to the requirement that at least 100 homologation models had to be produced instead of just ten. The end of the BMW M3 GTR was sealed - after a single, but extremely successful season in US motorsport. In Europe, the GT sports car still had a future: some examples of the M3 GTR were used very successfully between 2003 and 2005 in the 24-hour race at the NΓΌrburgring, among other events.
The return to the video game industry
Although extremely rare and now a youngtimer, the M3 GTR road version is well known to a younger audience. And it is known worldwide, because in racing games like "Need for Speed" and racing simulations like "Gran Turismo", the rare M automobile has been given further virtual starting positions. In 2005, the M3 GTR was allowed to take its place on the cover of the video game "Need For Speed - Most Wanted" and was also formative for the plot of this game. The protagonist comes into contact with the illegal street racing scene in the fictional city of Rockport as a newcomer with his BMW M3 GTR. This consists of the Blacklist, a list of the 15 best drivers in the city which have to be beaten step by step for the ultimate showdown.
Finally in 1:64 scale
Up to now, there have been a few attempts by customisers to refine the "normal" BMW M3 E46 from Hot Wheels to match the video game series. The joy was great when the premium manufacturer DCM announced in 2022 that it would release an official model in limited quantities for 2023. Now the time has come: the first pre-orders are arriving at the customers, the remaining stocks are already low or sold out.
This is especially true for the Need For Speed Most Wanted version with the additional blue stripes on the sides and on the bonnet. The racing version (with paint) as well as the basic version in silver are much less in demand and should therefore be available in stores for a longer time. The basic design with all details is identical for all three vehicles, only the paintwork makes the small but subtle difference: There is no substitute for childhood memories especially when it comes to NEED FOR SPEED MOST WANTED!
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You can find more articles from the same model car manufacturer below.
You can find more articles from the same model car manufacturer below.
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