TAKE a look at the most extreme M3 ever! This tangerine dream is the GTS – a hardcore track-inspired flagship that takes BMW's popular coupe into new territory with an uprated V8 engine, a roll cage and a price tag in excess of £100,000.
Like Porsche's 911 GT3 RS, it's aimed at owners who like to occasionally take their car to racing circuits. And with much of the testing of the newcomer done at the famous Nurburgring – our spy photographers caught a prototype there last month – the GTS will certainly be at home on the track.
Under the bonnet lies a new 4.4-litre V8, which is based on the 4.0-litre unit found in the standard car. Power goes up by 36bhp to 450bhp, while the six-speed manual transmission is swapped for the twin clutch seven-speed M-DCT system, which boasts tweaked shifts.
In addition, the chassis gets a whole host of upgrades, including new springs and dampers (the rear axle support is bolted into place for extra rigidity too) while new 19-inch alloys get 255/35 front and 285/30 rear tyres. Aerodynamics are enhanced by a huge rear wing that produces actual downforce, along with a larger front splitter. Both are adjustable.
Weight saving measures go far beyond the standard car's carried-over carbon fibre roof too, and include lightweight racing seats, a new titanium exhaust, the removal of the car's air conditioning system and the rear seats. In their place is a roll cage (for added body stiffness and safety on the track), along with a fire extinguisher.
There's no word on whether the GTS will be available in right-hand drive, but it's unlikely as the car is only being made to order in Germany, where it commands a price tag of 115,000 euros. For more details click here.
Thanks to: Auto Express