![]() ![]() It is powered by the BMW S54 straight-six engine with either a 6-speed manual or a 6-speed SMG-II automated manual transmission. ![]() The M3 performance model was introduced in June 2000 with a coupé body style, followed by the convertible counterpart in April 2001. The latter has been marketed as the 3 Series Compact. First introduced in November 1997, the E46 was available in sedan, coupé, convertible, station wagon and hatchback body styles. The BMW E46 is the fourth generation of the BMW 3 Series range of compact executive cars, which was produced by the German automaker BMW from 1997 to 2006, and was the successor to the E36, which ceased production in 2000. Limited to just 10 examples, the Strassen Version was priced at 250,000 Euro. The road going M3 GTR also featured a fully upholstered interior but retained many of the composite components. To make it more usable on the road, the racing engine was detuned but still produced between 350 and 380 bhp. Crucially, it also featured the V8 engine that was found in no other production BMW. ![]() In order for the car to be homologated, BMW announced a production run of a Strassen Version or Road Version. All of these components were crafted in exotic composite materials to bring the weight down to the regulation minimum. Further changes included an aggressive aerodynamics package with a deep front air-dam and sizeable rear spoiler. One of the advantages of using the considerably shorter engine was that there was additional space ahead of the V8 to mount the radiators at such an angle that the air could be vented out over the engine cover and did not have to go through the engine. The new engine, code-named P60, was mated to a six-speed sequential gearbox. With the mandatory intake restrictors in place, it produced around 500 hp according to BMW. This was an all-aluminium unit, featuring a 90° bank angle and displacing just under four litres. Instead, the BMW Motorsport engineers decided to create a compact and lightweight V8 engine from scratch to power the new M3 GTR. Experience with previous M3 competition cars, however, had revealed that the straight six used in the M3 road car would not provide a suitable basis for a competitive racing engine, despite working so well in the road car. To underline the sporting credentials of the newly introduced E46 series M3, BMW created a new competition version to compete in the American Le Mans Series (ALMS) from the start of the 2001 season. ![]()
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