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

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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

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

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...

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!

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.

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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.

 

[Mermaid]

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.

[Mermaid]

JohnGoodridge said:

...The GTS/CRT though are destined to be curios rotating between wealthy marque enthusiasts' colletions.

This ^. With say 500 produced and a sensible price, owners would be less precious.

Though the Porsche 4.0RS proves that few are used as intended - most stored away, both cars very special and marking end of an era.

The low volume GTS (probably the lowest volume car from BMW (before the CRT) was not an easy car to sell, and so BMW make half as many and sell all. Not sure that is a positive.

And if the car was about 1300kgs, so much more desirable.

[Mermaid]

nonuts said:

And how much more will the CRT be worth in 10 years time MORE than your modified normal M3. It's never as simple as you're making out with small run cars.

That's a good point. BUT even if the CRT is worth the same in 10 years time, what is the cumulative holding cost at 5% pa + maintenance costs.

Really this car is great for a collector/speculator.

[Mermaid]

HighwayStar said:

Again development costs, man hours, short, no minuscule production run... Amazes me how people just say it should be this price or that price... with no reason backing it up than it's what they think.

Have BMW explained why they built only 67 cars, and not 100, or 135 (twice as many as the CRT) as with the GTS.

Could it be they have built 200 engines etc + 50 spares?

[Mermaid]

Cheib said:

Makes you realise just how cheap the CSL was......even though it seemed totally the wrong price at the time.

Amazing bit of kit, and it was offered at a smidge under £60k. But they did make 1400 or so. If they had made 200, the price would have been £100k I suppose.

[Mermaid]

shaun1275 said:

Cathode Ray Tube. Also, Wow it's 45kg(!!!) lighter. Wow! No wait, it's actually 70kg lighter than it should be, because that means something, I think.

About the difference between a lean and mean Italian & a well nourished German.

[Mermaid]

Dblue said:

....The fact is that it's driven by supply and demand as most markets are. If there is demand at the higher prices the manufacturer is going to pitch prices at the best they can get. The purpose of these private corporations is to make a profit not to give it away altruistically. Best to not dwell too much on it or you'll give yourself an ulcer

If the CRT was priced at 200k Euros, would they sell any?

BMW had trouble selling the E9 CSL at circa £8k in 1972, the M1 in 1979 at circa £25k, in 2003 the E46 CSL at £60k

[Mermaid]

WCZ said:

Mermaid said:

If the CRT was priced at 200k Euros, would they sell any?

I personally believe they could sell 50 at that price

Price elasticity at play.

At Euros 300k, would they sell 25 or fewer?