Every manufacturer has those models that you look back on and wish so much that they had made it into production. At BMW, one of them is most definitely the E36 M3 GTR. Although the original E30 M3 eventually sold far more than the 5,000 units required for Group A homologation, it remained a relatively crude vehicle. The subsequent E36 M3, like its predecessor, retained the high speed and appealing looks, but was developed into a sleeker and more mature vehicle that appealed to a wider audience. Unlike the E30, the E36 M3 was not developed specifically for motorsport. By the early 1990s, touring car and rally racing had changed, allowing BMW to design the new M3 without the constraint of meeting specific racing requirements.

Nevertheless, just six months after its market launch, the E36 M3 unexpectedly made its way onto the race track and entered a new field: GT racing. Its renaissance in 1993 was a direct result of the collapse of the World Sports Car Championship. Strict regulations, an economic recession and a decline in manufacturer interest led to the World Championship being cancelled for 1993 before it could even start.

GT racing series were then established in several countries, including the UK, Germany and Italy, which had already introduced their own championship in 1992. In Germany, the ADAC GT Cup was created with eight racing events, whereby the homologation requirements were reduced to such an extent that only one road-legal model was sufficient. This gave manufacturers such as Porsche, Honda and Callaway the opportunity to develop more cost-effective vehicles for works teams and private teams. BMW took part in this series with the more broadly equipped E36 M3 GTR, which stood out with an eye-catching spoiler and widened wings.

‘For the homologation of the GTR, a special road-legal version, the so-called road version, was created. Fortunately, BMW was able to fall back on an existing prototype: the never-used E36 325i Class 1 touring car prototype from 1992, which was originally designed for the DTM.’

The road-going version was based on a seam-welded body of the E36 coupé, which completely dispensed with sound insulation and underbody protection. The suspension was optimised with stiffer, shorter springs, adjustable dampers and stabilisers. The brake system came from the standard M3 and consisted of 315 mm discs at the front and 313 mm discs at the rear, but without ABS. In addition, wide 18-inch BBS alloy wheels with central locking and Yokohama racing tyres were fitted.

The engine of the GTR was an enlarged version of the S50 B30, which was expanded to a displacement of just over three litres. An increase in the bore diameter resulted in a displacement of 3018 cm³. The power output was 300 hp at 7,000 rpm, while the racing version achieved 325 hp. The GTR was equipped with a six-speed gearbox from ZF, which transmitted the power via a Sachs clutch and a limited slip differential.

The road-going version of the M3 GTR was given a striking aerodynamic package, which was adopted from the racing version. This included a modified front apron with air intakes where the fog lights would normally be located, as well as simplified fog lights that were integrated into the bumper moulding. The black bumpers were painted in body colour and the bonnet was given a large spoiler and wing extensions reminiscent of BMW’s legendary Group 5 racing car from the 1970s. The interior was reduced to the essentials. There were no carpets, rear seats, electric windows or an audio system. Instead, BMW Motorsport installed a roll cage and two bucket seats with fireproof fabric covers and Sabelt belts. Most of the windows were made of lightweight glass, with the exception of the windscreen.

Thanks to numerous weight-reduction measures, the Munich model weighed in at just 1,300 kg, around 160 kg less than the standard M3 coupé. Without the electronic speed limiter, the vehicle reached a top speed of around 265 km/h, which was slightly less than the standard model due to the aerodynamic package. Acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h was probably around five seconds.

Only a single example of the GTR road version was built in order to fulfil the homologation requirements. Despite the economic situation at the time, BMW would probably have been able to sell a few examples to wealthy customers in Europe and Japan. This single model was delivered to the Quandt family, who had been significant shareholders in BMW since the 1960s.

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Photos: BMW Group