BMW M3 CRT: It’s another Limited Edition BMW M3

BMW M3 CRT - a lighter, quicker M3

You do wonder how many limited editions you can make of a car before its stops making sense. A bit like the Veyron, where the limited edition is the norm, not the rarity.

BMW may not be as bad as Bugatti on the limited edition M3 front, but they’re fast catching up. This time it’s the BMW M3 CRT (stands for Carbon Racing Technology) which has as its USP the use of carbon-fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP) to shed some weight.

The M3 CRT gets a CFRP front airdam and rear spoiler, bonnet, front seats (just the shell, thankfully) for a total weight loss of 45kg. That weight loss is also aided by the of a Sports Titanium Exhaust.

However, BMW are keen to point out that if you take in to account the amount of extra equipment on the M3 CRT, the real weight loss would actually be 70kg, or about the weight of the average American’s left leg.

The V8 under the now lighter bonnet gets 450 horses and 325lb/ft of the turning stuff, which is fed to the back wheels through a 7-Speed M Double Clutch ‘box with Drivelogic. All of which adds up to 0-62mph in 4.4 seconds (exactly the same time as the new M5) and 180mph (faster than the new M5).

Toys and titivations include new 19″ alloys, Frozen Polar Silver metallic paint job, Melbourne Red metallic applications and a set of beefed-up brakes. Inside there’s two-tone seats and aluminium strips, alcantara steering wheel and posh door sill strips.

For all this effort BMW are to make just 67 cars – In the World – and we don’t have a clue how much they’ll be charging, or how many will come to the UK.

But we do have a pile of photos and a video and the M3 CRT does look to be one hell of an M3.

An M5 killer, almost.

(28 photos – click any thumbnail for full gallery)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5LYiWlBKt3A

By Cars UK