Tuesday 7th October 2014

BMW Motorsport announces M6 GT3

Bonkers little Z4 GT3 gets replaced by one rude M6. Bring on Spa 24 in 2016...

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If the BMW M6 GT3 reality is anything like the artist renderings seen here then GT racing fans are in for a treat. Having been competitive since its debut in 2010, BMW is pensioning off the Z4 GT3 to be replaced by the M6.

Holy flaming exhaust Batman!

Specific details on the car are fairly limited at present. We know it will begin testing at the start of next year, on sale later in 2015 and then racing in 2016. The 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8 from the roadgoing M6 will be used for the GT3 with racing modifications. Just in case the message didn't get across already, it will also feature components such as 'racing gearbox, racing ABS and racing electronics'. It's a racing car after all.

It's never wise to get too carried away by design sketches but BMW is promising 'the wow factor' with the M6 GT3's completed design. Given the Z4 GT3's outrageous appearance, hunkered down over its arches and brimming with attitude, you have to hope for similarly dramatic styling for the M6.

Z4 GT3 has earned quite a following

There has never been an M version of the current Z4 (more's the pity if it looked remotely similar to the racing car) and that's part of the reason behind the change to M6. In its own words, BMW wants to 'demonstrate the high product substance of BMW M cars in motorsport'.

It's been a long time since we've seen a BMW supported 6 Series in motorsport. Alpina campaigned a B6 GT3 of the previous generation a few years ago but you need to return to the 80s and the original M635 CSi for the old BMW. Obviously we had to spend a long time searching out a picture for your benefit... More on the M6 GT3 as it develops!

 

[Alpina and 635 pics: LAT]

[fastgerman]

Bad ass!

[VonSenger]

looks mental!

[g3org3y]

That looks very naughty. I like.

[snowen250]

Nerd alert!

In your article that isn't a Z4 GT3. It's a Z4 GTE. The class above. Nerd alert off.....great news from BMW!

[EricE]

Huh, interesting. Why the M6 and not the M4?

[DuncsHDND]

Amazing, if it turns out half as good as the artists impression will be a great looking car

[peshwengi]

Is it just me or does that Alpina-run M6 look like it's half asleep?

[g3org3y]

EricE said:

Huh, interesting. Why the M6 and not the M4?

M4 has replaced the M3 in the DTM.



Currently top of the driver and team championship.

Edit for better photo.

Edited by g3org3y on Tuesday 7th October 18:26

[Craiglamuffin]

Cool. The Z4's been great. Let's hope they make the new car sound like the blancpain series Z4's :-)

[PPPPPP]

Nice pic.


Good to see BMW in "saloon" car racing.

[DiscoColin]

This is slightly sad news though. The Z4 GT3 (as campaigned in the ADAC series) sounded glorious, but the chances of a motor with forced induction competing with that are surely slim to none...

I suspect that the choice of the 6 over the 4 is mostly aerodynamic related in some way though - the Z4 GTE has suffered on long straights in the US this year as I understand it.

[joema]

6 series is massive.

I love the Z4 Gt3 car. Sounds awesome. Wish they put a raucous V8 in a road going Z4.

And get a GTE entry sorted too...

Edited by joema on Tuesday 7th October 20:34

[alexnaderinkram]

DiscoColin said:

This is slightly sad news though. The Z4 GT3 (as campaigned in the ADAC series) sounded glorious, but the chances of a motor with forced induction competing with that are surely slim to none...

I suspect that the choice of the 6 over the 4 is mostly aerodynamic related in some way though - the Z4 GTE has suffered on long straights in the US this year as I understand it.

The Z4's straight line speed deficit is more down to the fact that GT3 regs are based on power-to-weight ratios. The Z4 is one of the lightest, but also one of the least powerful. Compare it to say, the Merc SLS or Nissan GTR, which take the opposite approach, and in theory it balances out overall.

[daytona365]

Seems BMW are back to their mad, bad long awaited best ?

[Amirhussain]

Looks mental

[DP33]

All we need now is Jag to come to the party with a GT3 F-Type and we're back to Old Skool Touring Car racing - except we're not, because nothing will be as good as the TWR XJ-S and 635 CSi going at it hammer and tongs flat through Copse.

[Sampaio]

Slightly off-topic but can anyone tell me why BMW never got to produce a full-on Z4 M like they did in the previous generation?

I mean, they have M versions of almost every car in the range, but not the Z sports car... strange.

[Amirhussain]

Sampaio said:

Slightly off-topic but can anyone tell me why BMW never got to produce a full-on Z4 M like they did in the previous generation?

I mean, they have M versions of almost every car in the range, but not the Z sports car... strange.

Think the last Z4M was a sales struggle for BMW.

[chuntington101]

Be interesting to see what BMW do with the intercooling on the M6 GT3. Wonder if they will ditch the chargecoolers and move to more conventional air to air intercooler(s).

[Esseesse]

What channel is GT3 and GTE on?