RE: BMW M3 CRT: Munich's Lightweight Saloon

RE: BMW M3 CRT: Munich's Lightweight Saloon

Friday 24th June 2011

BMW M3 CRT: Munich's Lightweight Saloon

New Hardcore M Car revealed at Nurburgring



This is the BMW M3 CRT, unveiled at a launch party at the Nurburgring last night. It's a lightweight low-volume special edition based, oddly, on the saloon version of the M3 rather than the coupe.

It's also the closest thing in this generation of M3 to a CSL that we're likely to see (though you might argue that the GTS was that). 'CRT'-style models are part of the future of the M division, however, say our spies at the 'Ring, and we can even expect to see something like this on an M version of the new 6-series.


But back to the M3 CRT. Those initials apparently stand for Carbon Racing Technology, and mean that buyers will get all sorts of trick stuff such as carbon-backed, seats, and various lightweight gubbins from the M3 GTS. In total, the weight saving over a standard M3 saloon is 50kg, meaning it pitches in at 1580kg.

The 450hp engine is also taken over from the M3 GTS, and provides what you might call a generous 180mph top speed.

Just 67 cars will be built (that's 65 for customers, and 2 'press' cars), with 20-25 expected to come with the steering wheel on the right-hand side. And they'll be built at a price. If you want one, you'll have to part with around £115k for the privilege.


If that price doesn't put you off, order books are open now, and you can put your name down at any BMW dealer...

Cheers to Tony Hetherington for the info, we're not so sure about the quality of his pics... (only joking, Tony...)

 

 





Author
Discussion

vescaegg

Original Poster:

25,489 posts

166 months

Friday 24th June 2011
quotequote all
£115k?!

I love M3's but thats a joke surely.

Gizmo!

18,150 posts

208 months

Friday 24th June 2011
quotequote all
So it's a four door GTS?

Are BMW taking a leaf out of Lotus's and Porsche's special edition techniques book?

JumpinJack

403 posts

177 months

Friday 24th June 2011
quotequote all
Why would they do it on the saloon body? Shirely... if you want to use it for track days etc. you're not going to want to put the kids/your mates in the back?
Or would tha be too much like the GTS?

kambites

67,461 posts

220 months

Friday 24th June 2011
quotequote all
hehe So they've made a 1.6 tonne car a whole 50kg lighter?

dele

1,270 posts

193 months

Friday 24th June 2011
quotequote all
Gizmo! said:
So it's a four door GTS?

Are BMW taking a leaf out of Lotus's and Porsche's special edition techniques book?
+1

Big BMW fan but this is truely bizzare, just call it the GTS Saloon?

zakelwe

4,449 posts

197 months

Friday 24th June 2011
quotequote all
I think Autocar reported that none will be coming to the UK as BMW UK did not want them.


breadvan

1,985 posts

167 months

Friday 24th June 2011
quotequote all
I was hoping to trade my 1M for this and I was ready to do so, right up until I saw the price. The intial reports said pricing between M3 and GTS and to be honest I was expecting circa £80,000.

Am I missing something? Carbon and upgraded engine - ok, but more than double the cost of a E90 M3, eh?

alexaras

83 posts

196 months

Friday 24th June 2011
quotequote all
Don't blame them...

epom

11,398 posts

160 months

Friday 24th June 2011
quotequote all
50 kg less only and £115k.... value ??

British Beef

2,191 posts

164 months

Friday 24th June 2011
quotequote all

The only thing more incredible than that price is the fact they will still sell them all!!!!

I often wonder with these limited runs, if they made them simply to order at the same price would they sell as many as the "limited run numbers" which guarentees exclusivity and investment potential?


British Beef

2,191 posts

164 months

Friday 24th June 2011
quotequote all
kambites said:
hehe So they've made a 1.6 tonne car a whole 50kg lighter?
I agree, what an achievement! Its not like the original was a flywheight car to start with, there should have been plenty of scope for 100kg+ reduction, albeit at the cost of some sound insulation and creature comforts.

Does this thing still have electric chairs I wonder?

oola

2,485 posts

222 months

Friday 24th June 2011
quotequote all
JumpinJack said:
Why would they do it on the saloon body? Shirely... if you want to use it for track days etc. you're not going to want to put the kids/your mates in the back?
Or would tha be too much like the GTS?
You still have rear seats in a coupe ...

I prefer the saloon, far more masculine ... I find the coupe's rear end lacking in aggression.

BMW could have produced another 'CSL' type model but decided not to ... I guess the economics didn't stack up for them to do it. I still say had they launched a £75k - £80k M3 in this vein, they would have sold like crack rocks in a South London primary school yard.

E30M3SE

8,465 posts

195 months

Friday 24th June 2011
quotequote all
Nice concept........ absolutely crazy pricing.

yikes

c0ldpl4ya

2,084 posts

187 months

Friday 24th June 2011
quotequote all
I love the m3 saloon, probably my top 5 car of all time. but £115k is a complete joke. You could buy one yourself and strip out 50kg and add a couple hp for a lot less than 60k-ish!
I really would have to question peoples mental state who buy one of these

vescaegg

Original Poster:

25,489 posts

166 months

Friday 24th June 2011
quotequote all
"How much weight would sir like removed from his car? The cost is £1300 per kilogram."

edo

16,699 posts

264 months

Friday 24th June 2011
quotequote all
c0ldpl4ya said:
I love the m3 saloon, probably my top 5 car of all time. but £115k is a complete joke. You could buy one yourself and strip out 50kg and add a couple hp for a lot less than 60k-ish!
I really would have to question peoples mental state who buy one of these
+1

Tuvra

7,920 posts

224 months

Friday 24th June 2011
quotequote all
Exterior wise, other than the CF Spoiler and Black CSL alloys, whats the difference between this and a standard M3 Saloon? Im not having a cheap dig at BMW, I just think this looks fantastic, I may be interested in an M3 Saloon if I can get it looking like that!!

egoold

539 posts

267 months

Friday 24th June 2011
quotequote all
c0ldpl4ya said:
I love the m3 saloon, probably my top 5 car of all time. but £115k is a complete joke. You could buy one yourself and strip out 50kg and add a couple hp for a lot less than 60k-ish!
I really would have to question peoples mental state who buy one of these
You wouldnt even need to strip anything out as such, I recon you could easily remove close to 100kg with out being drastic, just very quickly off the top of my head

- Akrapovic exhaust 25kg saving
- Replacing seats with light weight bucket seat 60kg
- set of forged lightweight wheels maybe another 10-15kg
- Lightweight battery 15kg

and that all with out thinking too much, and all completely and quickly reversible




Edited by egoold on Friday 24th June 12:22

McAndy

12,337 posts

176 months

Friday 24th June 2011
quotequote all
I struggle to see how this concept of tune the engnie a small amount, shave a small number from the weight using carbon and sell it for a HUGE increase of the standard model can continue for long.

Or at least I really hope it doesn't. My cynical side can't help but yell 'Marketing Ploy!': I'd be interested to see how much these changes actually cost BMW to produce. Soon there's be enough of these 'special editions' for the market for collection to be flooded.

slikrs

125 posts

187 months

Friday 24th June 2011
quotequote all
I love the seats, the one thing I woud change about my 350Z are the needlessly heavy seats. I don't need electric seats, I don't need heated seats - I like that they're leather but alacantra would be nice too and I HATE that they obviously weigh as much as I do!!

My kerb weight would easily be reduced by 50kg if I could switch to seats like these or even variants simialr to those fitted to the last Celica!