Last year, the 2011 BMW Z4 GT3 proved to the world that it was capable of winning races when it took the checkered flag at the Dubai 24 hours race…
BMW performed an engine transplant on the Z4 replacing it's standard six-cylinder with the 4.4L V8 from the M3 GTS. (1920x1200)
Not wanting to rest on a job well done, BMW removed the car from its well-earned place in the winners circle and took it back to the test track to help prepare the car for the first series of customer entries in the 2011 GT3 competition.
Now, the BMW Z4 GT3 resembles its street legal cousin but only in name and in its basic exterior shape. Most of the body panels on the GT3 have been extensively modified and altered to help the car achieve maximum aerodynamic efficiency while keeping the vehicle planted on the track. BMW engineers also performed a engine transplant under the hood of the Z4 GT3, replacing the roadgoing Z4′s six-cylinder powerplant with the same 4.4 liter V8 that sees duty in the limited-edition BMW M3 GTS. The V8 channels all its horses to the car’s rear wheels through a specially-tuned six speed sequential manual gearbox that is shifted with steering wheel mounted paddles.
Want a BMW Z4 GT3 of your own to flog at your local race track? Be prepared to pay a hefty price for all of BMW’s engineering know-how. A retail version of the 2011 BMW Z4 GT3 has a price tag of over $450,000 dollars. For all that money, you will be rewarded with one of the most advanced GT3 racers BMW has ever built. Customers with access to their own racing team and pit crew it should be a valuable tool that can help give them a chance to win on the track no matter what race it takes part in.
A native of Tampa, FL Robert is the presiding editor and co-owner of both Down Shift Magazine and DS Holdings, LLC. A proud alumnus of the University of South Florida’s class of 2005 Robert is active in the Tampa Bay community and when not residing at his home in Tampa, FL enjoys traveling throughout the United States and abroad covering the motorsports and cultural phenomenon that shape our modern automotive enthusiast community.
