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The E92-based successor to the E46 BMW M3 GTR from 2001 has been unveiled, and it marks BMW’s return to the American Le Mans Series. The new BMW M3 Race Edition is a highly specialized version of the E92 M3 built to tour the ALMS in 2009. It will be used by Rahal Letterman Racing, predominately owned by racing legend Bobby Rahal and American comedian David Letterman.
The new BMW M3 Race Edition’s P65 V8 engine produces 485 horsepower and 500Nm of torque, up from the standard M3′s 414 horsepower and 400Nm of torque.
Read the full specifications and see more photos after the jump.
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Technical Specifications BMW M3 Race Version
- Weight: 2,535 lbs./1150 kg
- Tank capacity: 29 gallons/110 Liters
- Chassis/body: Unitary construction steel body with welded safety cell made of extremely rigid precision steel tubing; safety fuel tank in CRP sandwich tray; pneumatic four-stamp jack system
- Aerodynamics: Front fenders, rear apron, hood, roof, trunk lid, rear wing, front wings, and flared rear wheel arches in CRP
- Transmission: Carbon fiber clutch with hydraulic central slave cylinder; 6-speed sequential racing transmission with straight-cut, unsynchronized gears; additional oil/air cooler; quick shift system with ignition cut-out controlled by shifting force; mechanical limited slip differential with additional oil/air cooler
- Front axle: Based on production version, with increased wheel caster angle, enlarged track width and enhanced wheel camber; five-way adjustable shock absorbers; tubular stabilizer bar
- Rear axle: Based on production version, with enlarged track width and enhanced wheel camber; five-way adjustable shock absorbers, tubular stabilizer bar
- Front brake system: Six-piston aluminum brake calipers, inner-vented grey-cast iron brake disks 15.0 in./380mm in diameter
- Rear brake system: Four-piston aluminum brake calipers, grey-cast iron brake disk, 13.1 in./332mm in diameter
- Steering: Rack and pinion steering with electro-hydraulic power
- Wheels: Aluminum wheels, 18 inches
BMW P65 Engine
- Type: Eight cylinder, V-configuration
- Capacity: 3999 cc
- Bore x stroke: 92 x 75.2 mm/3.62 x 2.96 in.
- Max. output: approx. 485 bhp
- Max. torque: approx. 368 lb-ft/500 Nm
- Cylinder block: Aluminum cylinder block construction with bed plate lower section
- Crankshaft: Steel crankshaft
- Pistons: Forged skirt pistons
- Conrods: High-performance steel
- Cylinder head: Aluminum DOHC (Double Over Head Camshaft); four valves per cylinder
- Valve train: Four overhead chain-driven camshafts, valve actuation via rocker arms
- Intake system: Eight throttle valves, made of CRP with load-charge optimized ram tubes
- Exhaust system: Headers, mufflers
- Fuel system: Single cylinder multi-point injection
- Lubrication: Dry sump lubrication
- Cooling: Water/air cooler and oil/water heat exchanger
Electrics/Electronics
- Engine management: BMW Motorsport ECU 408 with two high-performance micro-processors; Individual cylinder injection and ignition; BMW Motorsport Lambda Controller Pit speed limiter, Quick Shift function; Engine data memory system
- Energy management: Electric energy management and monitoring with BMW Motorsport POWER400 control unit, networking of all sensors and actuators through bus system
- Wiring harness: Weight optimized
- Ignition coil: Eight high-performance pencil coils with integrated ignition drivers
- Spark plugs: High-performance spark plugs
- Cockpit: Free programmable LCD Display with integrated shift indicators
- Steering wheel: Quick release multi-function steering wheel w/ integrated display unit
After dabbling for years in the IT industry, Paul Tan initially began this site as a general blog covering various topics of personal interest. With an increasing number of readers paying rapt attention to the motoring stories, one thing led to another and the rest, as they say, is history. An avid electronic gadget aficionado as well as big-time coffee lover, he's also the executive producer of the Driven motoring TV programme.
OH MY GOSH!…Suuper looking BMW~! nice bodywork overall…
Lets see if it can win something
i cant close my mouth…
BMW Powahhh! 485bhp/500nm torque , race spec and ground effects in a package that weighs the same as a Satria Neo.. and to top it off in competition white. I’m sure it’ll win something…
Any niggles? well I think the quad pipes doesn’t blend in somehow.. double barrel large diameter in the middle would have been nicer…
a potential entry to MME08?
Das Aussicht vom Auto ist sehr stark und eigentlich männlich!
So many darn holes and scoops ..and so freakin’ wide.. DX
Never know that uncle letterman oso racing enthusiast person.
push the full potential of dat V8…
i bet dis V8 is btr den merc 6.2 , n i mean way btr…
Bet you Andy Priaulx wouldn’t want to play there. He’d better off in the true original one an only REAL Le Mans. ALMs wth is that? Running in bigger ovals for 24hrs?
Well if you go to their website, one of the thing that you can dowload such as AMLS101, shows a demographic of household incomes that watch the series. I kid you not.
Oooh they’ve got 12 ‘circuits’ that still uses tyres for safety barriers. Apparently they are not ovals.
Sorry for the racial profiling.
The exterior might look great but i bet the interior is damn kosong! no carpet, no back seats, no ceiling etc.
u expect a plump sofa behind with LCD monitor ah?..aiyo its a race edition la common…..dont need those unnecessary things behind…as long as it provides protection i.e rolll bar, to the driver…it is good for racing
This is one hell of a machine! 500Nm of torque in an N/A machine with 4litre capacity. Fantastic work BMW.
peerrrgghhhh……i can’t closed my eyes….!!!!
look at the massive wheel arch!!
rexton also kalah!.hahaha
anyone know what kind of rear wing this is and where i can get one for my m3?