- BMW revealed a custom M3 GTR race car built to match the halo car from the 2005 release of Need for Speed: Most Wanted.
- The E46-era M3 has a stripped interior with a single racing seat and a full roll cage. The coupe also features a side-exit exhaust.
- The special-edition model will be on display at the BMW Welt Museum in Munich until January 6.
If you grew up as a car enthusiast in the 1990s or even the early 2000s, you probably remember playing Need for Speed: Most Wanted. The racing video game had a big impact on a lot of people, including the memorable 2005 BMW M3 GTR hero car. Who doesn’t remember it sliding into frame on the box cover? Now, after years of private E46 M3 owners making their recreations, BMW has finally built its own.
The custom M3 GTR race car features the same instantly recognizable blue-and-silver livery as the car that starred in the 2005 video game. The real-life car is built on the #42 Team BMW Motorsport E46 M3 GTR driven by Jörg Müller and J.J. Lehto in the 2001 ALMS GT Series. The pair not only won a team championship (having won seven of 10 races), but Müller also collected the drivers’ championship.
The recreated car hasn’t lost its racing roots. The interior is completely stripped of any nonessentials. It features a single racing seat and a full roll cage. Along with a side-exit exhaust, the exterior is marked with incredibly wide fenders, center-locking wheels, and a huge fixed rear wing.
BMW didn’t create the homage out of boredom but rather to mark two upcoming anniversaries. It has now been 30 years since the original Need for Speed title was released, and 2025 marks the 20th anniversary since the first Need for Speed: Most Wanted game graced our screens. The real-life car will be on display at the BMW Welt Museum in Munich until January 6, 2025.
Jack Fitzgerald’s love for cars stems from his as yet unshakable addiction to Formula 1.
After a brief stint as a detailer for a local dealership group in college, he knew he needed a more permanent way to drive all the new cars he couldn’t afford and decided to pursue a career in auto writing. By hounding his college professors at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, he was able to travel Wisconsin seeking out stories in the auto world before landing his dream job at Car and Driver. His new goal is to delay the inevitable demise of his 2010 Volkswagen Golf.