BMW doesn’t go about GT racing like the others. Anyone who’s seen one of the old Z4 GT3s in action will know that it rumbles in a way that none of the road cars do, and that’s because BMW skirted the production-focused regs by swapping in a race-tuned version of the S65 V8 from the E92 M3. A decade prior, it cobbled together the mythical E46 M3 GTR by stuffing a flat-plane crank racing V8 into the space where an S54 straight-six would normally sit, just so that it could get its definitely-not-a-prototype racer past the scrutineers. That’s how far BMW is willing to go to get a leg up on the competition.
Annoyingly for us, we never got a road-going Z4 V8, and while a handful of M3 GTR Strassenversions did make it to the production phase, most (if not all of them) are locked up in BMW vaults across the globe, only appearing at certain events and celebrations. That wasn’t the case when it came to prepping the E36 for competition, as BMW developed a near-endless supply of homologation specials so that the M3 could be entered into any and all endurance series across the globe. That included the M3-R, specially prepped for GT racing in Australia, the GTR, which granted it access to the ADAC GT Cup in Germany, and the uber cool M3 Lightweight for racing in America.
Mainland Europe, meanwhile, received the GT, which allowed BMW to take the E36 racing in the FIA GT championship and America’s IMSA series. Changes over the regular M3 were subtle, with the GT using the same S50B30 3.0-litre straight-six as the rest of the European line-up. Tweaks included six individual throttle bodies, a motorsport-grade dual pick-up oil pan, new oil pumps and the newly-developed VANOS camshaft control system, upping power to 295hp - nearly 10 horses more than the base car. It was also 30-odd kilos lighter with extra bracing and a firmer front suspension set-up.
The car you see here is a bit different, however. Alongside the 306 left-hand drive-only cars sold on the continent, 50 right hookers were sent across the channel for us Brits to enjoy. Annoyingly, these cars weren’t a perfect match to the Euro-grade GTs, doing away with the engine upgrades and, therefore, ‘officially’ put out the same 286hp output as the base M3. Not a huge injustice, frankly, and this forum topic suggests our M3 GTs were a bit more potent than BMW claimed. Besides, UK GTs still received the same chassis upgrades as the Euro cars, as well as the adjustable front splitter, taller rear wing and lighter aluminium doors. All cars were finished in British Racing Green, too, with stunning part-green leather, part suede seats and BMW Motorsport badging.
UK-spec or not, the M3 GT is arguably the coolest E36 we got in Britain. This one’s extra special, as the seller says it’s been subjected to a ‘full nut and bolt restoration’ over eight years. Thankfully, the alleged £40,000 bill was handled by the previous owner, and the car’s travelled just 100 miles since work was complete. This has to be the closest thing to a showroom-grade M3 GT out there, surely?
Not that there are many out there in the first place, and it’ll come as no surprise that it’s the only one currently listed on PH. There’s a price, too. How does £79,995 sound? Expensive by E36 standards, but then again you’re looking at one of the rarest - and arguably most important - editions of BMW's overlook M3. If you’d rather an E36 track special that won’t make you wince after collecting a few stone chips on a track day, then maybe get yourself registered to bid on this mighty Clubsport-inspired 328i.
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