BMW M3 GTS

July 2010

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• Latest deal price: from £48,467 to £55,692

Meet the ultimate M3! Lighter, faster and more focused than ever, the M3 GTS is an extreme send-off for the current model, before an all-new car arrives in 2012. Until then, this track-tuned rocket‚ which will be produced in a limited run of just 150 examples. It will become the flagship of the range. And Auto Express headed to a circuit in Germany to be first behind the wheel.

To make the GTS, BMW's famed M Division has undertaken some pretty comprehensive work on the sports coupe's 4.0-litre V8 engine. The stroke has been made longer so the unit now displaces 4.4-litres, and power jumps from 414bhp to 444bhp. More importantly, torque climbs to 440Nm, but is developed lower in the rev range, giving it more low-down punch when sprinting out of corners.

Complimenting the increase in power is a decrease in weight. The car's rear seats, air conditioning and stereo have all been sacrificed, while a new titanium exhaust, carbon fibre seats and lightweight 19-inch alloys have been added. As a result, the M3 GTS tips the scales some 70kg lighter at 1,530kg.

All versions are painted a lurid shade of orange, get a deep front splitter and manually adjustable rear wing which is similar to the item fitted to BMW's World Touring Car racer.

Start the engine and it's obvious that the V8 has been completely overhauled. It spins up with a bark, sounding louder and more highly strung than a normal M3. The only transmission option is BMW's seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox, which has been beefed up to cope with the engine's extra power. The gearbox works very quickly, ripping through the seven gears in the sharpest sports mode. The engine is incredibly responsive too, with a noticeable extra shove lower down the rev range‚ ά not just at peak rpm. The ballistic 190mph top speed also seems very achievable.

The steering is simply brilliant. It's heavier than standard, but allows you to cut through bends with total precision, providing all the feedback you could ever need, while the new adjustable coil-over suspension ensures that there's virtually no body roll.

In M-mode, the DSC stability control is almost imperceptible in regulating the car's line through a high-speed bend. The system has been tuned for the track and it works incredibly well. On the road, there's no doubt that the M3 GTS will offer a very firm ride and its levels of grip will be so high that you're unlikely to ever need electronic intervention. The final highlight is a set of upgraded brakes that are capable of shedding speed repeatedly without fuss. It all adds up to the best M3 in history.

Rival: Porsche 911 GT3 RS
If it's raw thrills you're after, the RS is the just about as good as the 911 gets, particularly on track. What's more, the RS starts at £105,000, undercutting the BMW. But despite the relative rarity of the 911, you're even less likely to see at GTS.