Tuesday, December 22, 2009

BMW Motorsport Ushers in New Z4 GT3 Racer with M3-Sourced 480HP V8


Finally, a Z4 with the M3's V8 engine? Well, yes and no. See, while the Z4 GT3 does indeed get a tweaked version of the M3's V8, it isn't a street-legal model like the M3 GTS but a thoroughbred racing car that has been developed for private teams by the Bavarian firm's Motorsport division. Now that we've cleared that up, let's see what the Z4 GT3 is all about.

While we don't have any photos of the Z4 racer yet (the standard Z4 sDrive35i is pictured here), BMW Motorsport has revealed numerous details of the car on its dedicated website.

The Z4 GT3 has been designed to compete in international and national championships in accordance with GT3 regulations including the FIA GT3 European Championship, International GT Open and the ADAC GT Masters as well as in 24-hour endurance races.

The hardtop roadster is powered by a specially-prepped version of the M3's 4.0-liter V8 engine producing 480-horsepower which is channeled to the rear wheels through a specific sequential, six-speed gearbox.

Other upgrades include are said to include special alloy wheels with locking and safety clips, as well as a racing ABS system.

BMW Motorsport stated that the Z4 GT3 racer will go on sale for private teams fron the second quarter of 2010 at an estimated price of €298,000 or about US$430,000, not including taxes.

Via: Worldcarfans , Source: BMW Motorsport

Photos: BMW Z4 sDrive35i at the 2009 Bahrain Grand Prix





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