RE: Driven (briefly): BMW M3 CRT

RE: Driven (briefly): BMW M3 CRT

Monday 21st January 2013

Driven (briefly): BMW M3 CRT

Is the limited edition lightweight CRT the best M3 yet? Read it and weep if so because you can't have one



Led into the pitlane of the Nurburgring F1 track there's a whole bunch of sexy BMW M models waiting for us. As the morning has progressed at this giant celebration of all things M I've been learning one important rule: you snooze, you lose. If you're polite, if you wait to be invited to choose which car you're going to drive, you'll have no choice at all.

Only 67 made, none made it to the UK
Only 67 made, none made it to the UK
So as the garage door opens I'm immediately doing a casual half-trot, half-run towards the brightest coloured car in the line. An orange M3 GTS. And I run right past the M3 CRT...

I guess a lot of people wouldn't notice this silver E90 M3. Apart from a dash of red on the bonnet vents you'd barely look twice. I didn't and jumped straight into the GTS. It's only later as the session's drawing to a close that I am given the CRT to drive for the final minutes.

Once bitten
Now, when I say the CRT is quick on the GP track remember that I've just been thrashing the GTS around until steel parts plinked in protest and I was asked to stop. That's a pared back monster developed by BMW Motorsport to go toe-to-toe with the Porsche 911 GT3 RS on track days. It's stripped, it's caged and every part of the suspension and chassis is optimised for the racetrack.

Just a taste but enough to know it's a great
Just a taste but enough to know it's a great
And the CRT is equally awesome. With four doors, a proper sound system and subtle looks that mean you could park at Tesco's car park without a second thought.

It's a brilliant trick carried out so casually by BMW that you really have to stop and think.

I have just a few minutes of track time in CRT number 00 of 67 before I have to convoy back to the pitlane for the next activity. Like the GTS, the engine of the CRT is a stroker with 4.4 litres of displacement versus the standard 4.0. At tickover it sounds a little bit deeper than stock, no doubt helped by the featherweight titanium exhaust. Pulling away it's urgently lumpy and torquey. The traction control systems are pulling at the ignition curve like angry monkeys, chopping power every time I get excited. I hesitate a whole lap before turning off the electronic nannies (I'm under a three-line whip not to). But, dammit, you don't drive a car as special as this every day and it's there to be enjoyed. That's what I tell myself, but I also tell myself I won't do any skids and that way nobody will know I'm being naughty for about the 17th time that day...

Titanium exhausts sound good...
Titanium exhausts sound good...
Caged animals
With the traction monkeys caged up, the power of the CRT is unleashed on lap two and I'm giggling like a kid. Perfectly linear delivery, bags of torque, blah blah. You get the idea. Pure German V8 heaven, but with a high-revs response to make a decade-old Ferrari blushing behind its Scuderia shields.

The biggest thing about the CRT is not that 4.4 litre alloy-and-steel lump though, it's the weight savings that work their magic on every part of the experience. Honeycomb carbon fibre and carbon fibre reinforced plastic are used a lot. An awful lot. Seats, panels, brackets, you name it.

Compared with a bog-standard M3 it's 45kg lighter. But you shouldn't compare it to a stocker, as this CRT gets the big BMW Individual stereo, the BMW Professional nav and a whole bunch of sound-deadening under those CFRP panels. So by BMW's maths it's about 70kg lighter than an equally specced regular M3 four-door.

...and decent brakes mean it stops too!
...and decent brakes mean it stops too!
Oi, stop that!
Lap three is more confident and at this point I've not been told about the 130,000 euros price tag. So I'm squeezing the upgraded six-pot and four-pot brakes until just past the turn-in, tapping the gas and leaving shreds of Michelin's finest to bounce to the edge of the track. There's no overtaking either, so I have to hang back and wait for the other journos. But that's fine, my laps fall into a rhythm of attack-attack-wait-wait bwaaaaaaarp and attack again.

Until the guy with the flag waves it, points at his watch and I find myself convoying back to pitlane behind the other cars. My last few moments with my new favourite saloon. It's a bittersweet moment. I never knew about this awesome four-door sleeper until today. Now I do, and I want one so badly it's hurting me. So as I look back at the M3 CRT in pitlane, I walk away trying to forget about it. Trying to return to that zen-like state of ignorance that 30 minutes ago helped me ignore it...

Full press pack and geekery on the CRT via the original press release here.


BMW M3 CRT
Engine:
4,360cc V8
Transmission: 7-speed dual-clutch auto (M DCT), rear-wheel drive
Power (hp): 450@8,300rpm
Torque (lb ft): 324@3,750rpm
0-62mph: 4.4sec
Top speed: 180mph
Weight: 1,500kg
MPG: 22.2mpg (NEDC combined)
CO2: 295g/km
Price: 130,000 euros (not available in UK)





Official BMW teaser video here.

 


Author
Discussion

Mermaid

Original Poster:

21,492 posts

170 months

Monday 21st January 2013
quotequote all
Would you choose one over a 997.2 GT3RS?

At £70k, I'd think about buying one - like the GTS, a bit too expensive IMO. They should have made a few more and brought the price down.

pSyCoSiS

3,581 posts

204 months

Monday 21st January 2013
quotequote all
That's a nice car, but alot of money.

Isn't the GTS cheaper? Or is it around the same sort of price?

WCZ

10,492 posts

193 months

Monday 21st January 2013
quotequote all
Mermaid said:
Would you choose one over a 997.2 GT3RS?

At £70k, I'd think about buying one - like the GTS, a bit too expensive IMO. They should have made a few more and brought the price down.
silly comparison imo this is a fairly comfortable 5 door saloon

extremely expensive though, good luck to BMW selling all of them.

Chunkychucky

5,942 posts

168 months

Monday 21st January 2013
quotequote all
Good read, thanks Dale - can't believe you got to attend that day, you must have felt like a kid in a sweet shop!

em177

3,127 posts

163 months

Monday 21st January 2013
quotequote all
Front and rear seats look ace!

cdoc83

5 posts

134 months

Monday 21st January 2013
quotequote all
" That's a pared back monster developed by BMW Motorsport "

Is this a new M-Sport division? The Back Monsters?

wa1sh99

27 posts

144 months

Monday 21st January 2013
quotequote all
I love this and the GTS but BMW are taking the **** a bit with the price tags. But if people will pay it then why not.

M666 EVO

1,124 posts

161 months

Monday 21st January 2013
quotequote all
4 doors?

Yours. No bid.

bakerstreet

4,755 posts

164 months

Monday 21st January 2013
quotequote all
WCZ said:
silly comparison imo this is a fairly comfortable 5 door saloon

extremely expensive though, good luck to BMW selling all of them.
It wouldn't surprise me if BMW have all ready sold all of them. I do agree that it sounds quite expensive though.

Mastodon2

13,818 posts

164 months

Monday 21st January 2013
quotequote all
I'd rather have the GTS tbh.

The Badger

355 posts

175 months

Monday 21st January 2013
quotequote all
WCZ said:
silly comparison imo this is a fairly comfortable 5 door saloon

extremely expensive though, good luck to BMW selling all of them.
They are all sold.

Guvernator

13,104 posts

164 months

Monday 21st January 2013
quotequote all
Is this the replacement to the brilliant E46 CSL that BWM fans have been crying for? I really think it is, it's just a shame they are making so few of them and at the end of the E9x production run.

Oh and for those complaining about the price, don't forget the E46 M3 CSL was £60k when it was released.

JohnGoodridge

529 posts

194 months

Monday 21st January 2013
quotequote all
Very Q. Which I like a lot. As has been said BMW should have made more, at a lower price, then it may have had the 'maybe one day' cachet of the e46 CSL, which creates good will in the market to this day. The GTS/CRT though are destined to be curios rotating between wealthy marque enthusiasts' colletions.

Devil2575

13,400 posts

187 months

Monday 21st January 2013
quotequote all
bakerstreet said:
It wouldn't surprise me if BMW have all ready sold all of them.
This. I'd be amazed if they have any trouble selling them at all.


Guvernator

13,104 posts

164 months

Monday 21st January 2013
quotequote all
Devil2575 said:
This. I'd be amazed if they have any trouble selling them at all.
They are already sold out and due to the very limited numbers they'll probably end up sitting in air conditioned showrooms which is a shame. They should have made more of them and just called them the new CSL, going off the reputation of the previous CSL, they would have sold loads I reckon.

Captain Muppet

8,540 posts

264 months

Monday 21st January 2013
quotequote all
PH said:
I have just a few minutes of track time in CRT number 00 of 67
PH said:
Only 67 made
>does maths<

Did they miss out number 13 or something?

eliotrw

302 posts

168 months

Monday 21st January 2013
quotequote all
I expect that they arent selling 00.

Captain Muppet

8,540 posts

264 months

Monday 21st January 2013
quotequote all
eliotrw said:
I expect that they arent selling 00.
I agree.

But I'm pretty sure they made it, as there is a picture of it at the top of the page.

nonuts

15,855 posts

228 months

Monday 21st January 2013
quotequote all
They had one of these in the BMW Museum / Shop bit when I was there in September, looked very, very good in real life. Shame really, I'm pretty sure they were for Germany only?

McSam

6,753 posts

174 months

Monday 21st January 2013
quotequote all
Captain Muppet said:
PH said:
I have just a few minutes of track time in CRT number 00 of 67
PH said:
Only 67 made
>does maths<

Did they miss out number 13 or something?
Figured it should say only 67 sold, and BMW will keep the 00 development/press car.

Sounds like a cracker, though, and those saying "it's too expensive" need to either read or think more! I'm not remotely surprised that they're all sold, nor was I surprised that they sold all the GTSs for even more. You look at the value and hero status of an E46 CSL now and think they're charging too much? hehe

I'll add to the jealousy, too, Dale. Sounds like a brilliant day!