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Since 1994, the Need for Speed series has captivated gamers worldwide, unearthing hundreds of car makes, models and customs in every title.
But if you could choose just one vehicle that perfectly sums up Need for Speed – regardless of its cost, rarity and age – what model comes to mind, and why is it the BMW M3 GTR from Most Wanted back in 2005…?
Alright, we’re jumping the gun here. Some of our more established gamers might be drawn to the Lamborghini Diablo from Hot Pursuit or Eddie’s R34 Skyline made famous in Underground. But whether you’re a newbie or a veteran of this series, the BMW M3 GTR ’05, in its iconic blue and silver livery, will always scream Need for Speed.
This particular car first appeared in Most Wanted nearly two decades ago; it is arguably one of the best racing games of all time and a true pioneer back in 2005. Such was its success and appeal that the now iconic M3 GTR has made appearances in the likes of NFS Carbon, No Limits and Heat, among others.
Such is its association with Need for Speed that it’s estimated nearly 75% of all Google ‘M3 GTR’ searches now take you to NFS-related content. But before we get into the NFS x BMW collab above, we first need to give you a quick run-down on what makes the M3 GTR so special outside of Need for Speed…
The story begins back in 2000 with the launch of BMW’s E46 M3. BMW and racing go hand-in-hand, so naturally, the E46 M3 featured heavily within the various European racing series, yielding immediate success.
At the same time, the M3 was also launched in the USA, and given this market being one of their largest, the plan was to embark on racing in the States, too. However, the American GT and Le Mans series were fiercely competitive, and the M3’s straight-six S54 motor was thought to be less formidable compared to those rivals from the likes of Porsche, Chevrolet and more.
The solution? Whip it out in favour of a super compact, super lightweight V8 instead. The problem? This would classify it as a prototype rather than a production car because the P60B40 V8 engine wasn’t available in any E46 M3 at the time. So, to meet homologation needs, a small series of street-legal M3 GTRs were produced (albeit with a slightly detuned version of the P60B40).
Fun fact: This engine has only ever been in the BMW M3 GTR street version; it’s never appeared in anything else since.
We’ve got a full deep-dive history lesson on the M3 GTR hitting Speedhunters very soon, but it’s safe to say the now V8-powered M3 GTR dominated. Over the 10 races in 2001, it competed, it finished either first or third in seven of them. Naturally, that led to some unhappy rivals, so, for the 2002 season, the number of cars required for homologation rose from 10 up to 100, meaning the M3 GTR would be withdrawn from racing… within the US at least.
Despite its relatively short racing career in the US, the M3 GTR left a huge impression globally and is still regularly celebrated over 20 years later. Even on BMW’s website dedicated to this iconic racer, its (later) appearance within Need for Speed is acknowledged as part of its continued acclaim. And that got us all thinking…
With 2024 being the 30th anniversary of Need for Speed – and the latest Volume 9 update adopting a Most Wanted-style game mode – isn’t it about time we made the most iconic NFS car an actual reality?
Now, over the years, we’ve seen many awesome M3 GTR tribute builds from all around the world, so this particular one needed to be a little bit different. It couldn’t just look like an M3 GTR… it actually had to be one. And that’s no easy task given the limited numbers that existed back in 2001, let alone 23 years later.
Thankfully, our good friends over at BMW had a little ace up their sleeve…
What you’re looking at here is the #42 Team BMW Motorsport E46 M3 GTR as raced by Jörg Müller and J.J. Lehto back in 2001. The very car that actually won the ALMS GT Series that season with Müller taking the drivers’ championship and BMW Motorsport first in the team standings.
A car already steeped in history, ready to make a little bit more in 2024. But before you start twitching with outrage over legacy and heritage, don’t worry; its original identity (in paint) still lives underneath – something you can see when peering closely at the new livery.
Why this particular M3 GTR? Well, this is the actual M3 GTR that would’ve inspired the artwork for Most Wanted back in 2005. When BMW withdrew from the ALMS series, the M3 GTR continued racing in Europe up to 2005, but these particular cars – although P60 powered – featured revisions to the bodywork, aero and wheels.
Extra fun fact: In the Most Wanted box art, the M3 GTR sits on ADR M Sport wheels rather than the BBS RE594 wheels fitted to the race car. However, in the actual game, it’s back on the BBS race wheels.
All of this couldn’t have been possible without the support from BMW and BMW Group Classic. Asking to transform such an iconic race car – even with just vinyl – seemed like the kind of request that should’ve been met with shouting and despair. But BMW accepted and embraced Need for Speed as part of the M3 GTR’s legacy and was honoured to wheel out the #42 car from storage for its makeover.
Why unveil it now? Apart from being the 30th anniversary of Need for Speed, today also marks the launch of Unbound: Volume 9 – nicknamed Lockdown – which draws inspiration from Most Wanted and even features the Custom M3 GTR ’05 along with 14 other iconic cars inspired by Most Wanted’s Blacklist.
You can see the full breakdown of this mega update by clicking this link, but there’s also one final cherry on the cake we need to tell you about…
This is a real M3 GTR, but what’s the point in doing all of this if it’s only to end up being pushed back into storage again? Well, from today until early January 2025, this very car will be on display in all its Need for Speed glory at the BMW Welt in Munich, Germany. For the first time ever, you can live out that 2005 nostalgia in real life.
It’s a properly special thing, and it’s been hugely exciting to see it come together just in time for the Volume 9 launch. Let us know what you think about the BMW M3 GTR and the Lockdown update in the comments below.
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