BMW M3 CRT – Carbon Race Technology

Cars

This week’s car crush is relatively attainable. Well, it might cost an arm and a leg, but at least the family driver could practically own one without causing too much jangling discord on the school run.

BMW aspirational mainstay receives a lot of flak by the Clarksonian brand of car crit. But we reckon this is simply because of its ubiquity; which is of course in turn based on its practical brilliance.

When Beemer unveiled the latest version, the CRT (standing for Carbon Race Technology), there wasn’t that much hoo-haa. But, despite that, it remains a little bit special.

The BMW M3 CRT embodies a concentrated blend of state-of-the-art development expertise – inspired directly by motor sport – in the areas of drive system and chassis technology and intelligent lightweight design.

It also represents the worldwide debut of a new production process for carbon-fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP) components in the automotive industry. Its V8 engine has the customary M car’s high-revving characteristics and a maximum output of 331 kW/450 hp. Pullaway from 0 to 100 km/h is just 4.4 seconds.

This is because of its power to weight ratio is a stunning 3.5KG per horsepower. That means it’s nearly 70 KG lighter than the normal M3.

There’s only 67 of them to be made, and it’s expensive, but hey. It’s got four doors!

It’s the little detailing differences that we really dig, however. There’s something dashingly, subtly assertive about it, and that’s why this particular M3 has got us looking into finance options. Perchance to dream.




 

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