The BMW M6 GT3 debuted in the flesh today with the biggest windshield banner I've seen in quite some time. I mean, that's like, half the windshield, guys. I know it's angled, but c'mon. It looks like they've left the poor driver a glorified porthole.
It's no secret that we love V8s. We loved the V8 M3 racers BMW has used in the past. We even love the Z4M GT3, a car based on a car that doesn't really exist, because the Z4 would be cooler with a V8, but isn't available like that in production road-car spec*. Who cares? Race car. V8.
This camouflaged beast features the M6's lovely twin-turbo 4.4-liter V8 with dry sump lubrication making 500 horsepower. Again, V8s are great. V8s that go racing are even better.
Jörg Müller took the car out on track for the first time to shake it down in all its swirly camo glory:
"It is a fantastic moment when you walk into the garage and see this stunningly beautiful car," said Müller in a BMW press release. Uh-huh, sure. You can't really see it under all that camo. It's not as artful as Red Bull's per se, but all the swirls and bloblets do an excellent job of hiding the curves and lines of the car to make it look like a BMW Blob.
"I am very proud to have taken it out for its first few kilometres," Müller continued. Ah, the truth comes out! Jörg's elated to play with BMW's new shiny toy and goshdarnit, I would be, too. New toys are beautiful by default: fact.
The entire weight of the M6 has been dropped to less than 2,900 lbs and it features a six-speed sequential racing transmission that goes through a transaxle at the back for better weight distribution. BMW even took the M6 Bar of CamoSoap into their wind tunnel to optimize the aerodynamics.
In short: that should be one fun toy right there.
We're just disappointed they didn't release sound clips of the car in action. Sound bytes next! Sound bytes next! If it sounds even half as much like the low roar of a science fiction spacecraft as the current BMW V8 cars do, we'll be happy. (Even better if you can rig it up to shoot laser beams from its headlamps.)
Expect the GT3 to show up not only in FIA GT3 racing, but series such as United SportsCar and Pirelli World Challenge which have adopted the GT3 spec for some of their classes. More V8? We can't wait.
Photo credits: BMW Motorsport
*Sidenote: Bill Auberlen and Graham Rahal pointed out that you can buy the Z4M GT3 when they dropped in for a Q&A, so a Z4 with a V8 isn't complete unobtanium. Let's be honest: race cars are way less of a hassle than a road car, anyway. No registration due. No emissions checks. No mandatory insurance. They're just easier to own, man.