The BMW M3 GTS will soon hit the UK's bumpy tarmac. It's the ultimate embodiment of M3, having dropped 70kg and gained 24bhp over the standard car.
Look past the orange paintwork and you'll see a pair of racing bucket seats clamping you into an Alcantara and carbon swathed cabin with not much but a roll bar to keep you company. You can put a full roll cage in if you want.
And while we don't expect any elk test catastrophes in the M3 GTS, a roll cage wouldn't look out of place. Power comes from a version of the stock M3's V8, bored out from 4.0-litres to 4.4. Its 444bhp peak power comes at 8,300rpm, and torque increases from 295- to 325lb.ft.
Those numbers all equate to a 4.4-second 0-62mph sprint and a 190mph top speed. A seven-speed dual-clutch transmission sends power to the rear wheels - 19-inch M Sport light alloys shod in semi-slick rubber.
The suspension and rear wing are both adjustable, and the brakes are bigger than the standard M3's items. Stability control is standard, though it's been re-tuned for this application and can, of course, be bypassed.
Orange is the only available colour, though the carbon fibre bits like the roof and wing are unpainted.
Right-hand drive production will begin in January 2011, though BMW won't say how much it'll cost yet. It's €115,000 in Germany, so a six-figure price is guaranteed.
Mark Nichol - 13 May 2010