New M3 GT2 Racecar Has Troubled Beginning

[JoshCalkins]

BMW M3 GT2, #92

About this time last year, BMW announced that their M division would be fielding two GT2 racecars for this year's American Le Mans Series. True to their word, the E92 M3 GT2 debuted this past weekend at the 57th annual 12 Hours Of Sebring.

Specifications-wise, this M3 is one to be reckoned with. The 4.0-liter V8 has been tuned to produce 450 horsepower and 358 foot-pounds of torque, a fair increase over the 414 and 295 for a stock M3, and is mated to a six-speed racing transmission with carbon-fiber clutch. The big numbers change is the weight: a stock M3 coupe weighs 3704 pounds, the M3 GT2 weighs only 2745. Add in six-piston front calipers mounted on 14.9-inch discs and four-piston rear calipers on 14-inch discs to slow this beast down, and you've got a very promising car.

BMW M3 GT2, #90

BMW M also spent a lot of time and money fine-tuning a new wide-body aero kit that was born through a combination of computer modeling and wind tunnel tests.

The qualifying rounds on Friday put a bit of a damper on the high spirits these numbers warranted, however. The #92 car didn't even make a full qualifying lap, due to prop shaft failure almost immediately out of the pit. The #90 car did manage to qualify for a seventh place start for the race on Saturday. #92 did make it into the race, starting last for the GT2 class (15th place) ad 28th overall. But, as has been proven at countless Le Mans races, starting position isn't nearly as important as driving ability and car quality when the race is twelve hours long.

Both cars had a promising start on Saturday. The last place-starting #92 car managed to take second place at the two-hour mark, with the #90 car right behind in third, with both of them one lap behind the leader. #90 couldn't hold on, though, as just minutes later it pulled in to pit and an unfixable oil leak was discovered, causing the car to pull out of the race. All hopes rested on #92.

The BMW M3 GT2 Cars

And for the next three hours, #92 held on tight to the second place spot, making gradual progress towards the leader. At the five-hour mark, the car pulled into the pit, and as it was pulling out, it was revisited with the problems of the day before: drivetrain failure right at the launch.

While the race results were humbling, they also hinted at the team's promise. BMW had not fielded an American Le Mans Series team since the 2006 season, so it is expected that the team members would need some time to find a groove. The cars' performance in the first few hours proved that the E92 M3 GT2 could put up a fight for the top spot, and on the weekend of April 3-5 at St. Petersburg, FL, they will have their second chance.