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PressClub USA · Article.
Intelligent Lightweight Design Paves the Way for Even Higher Performance. Introducing The Limited Production BMW M3 CRT.
Fri Jun 24 21:11:00 CEST 2011 Press Release
Munich/Nürburg, June 24th, 2011…BMW M GmbH used the M Night Event in the lead-up to the Nürburgring 24-hour race to unveil a spectacular new addition to its model range. The BMW M3 CRT (Carbon Racing Technology) embodies a concentrated blend of state-of-the-art development expertise – inspired directly by motorsport – in the areas of drive system, chassis technology and intelligent lightweight design. It also represents the worldwide debut of a new production process for carbon-fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) components in the automotive industry. This process allows CFRP to be introduced widely in the construction of the high-performance BMW M3 Sedan-based sports car created by the BMW M GmbH factory. And that helps it achieve a weight-to-power ratio of 3.5 kilograms per horsepower (7.7 lbs/hp). A V8 engine with customary M high-revving characteristics and maximum output of 331 kW/450 hp accelerates the BMW M3 CRT from 0 to 100 km/h in just 4.4 seconds. The BMW M3 CRT will be produced by the BMW M GmbH factory in a limited run of 67 units. Due to the very limited worldwide volume, the BMW M3 CRT will not be homologated for sale in the USA.
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BMW Group
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Author.
Thomas Plucinsky
BMW Group
Related Links.
Carbon Racing Technology: BMW M GmbH factory produces a
limited-edition high-performance sports car based on the BMW M3
Sedan – Innovative use of carbon-fiber reinforced plastic
minimizes weight – Weight-to-power ratio: 3.5 kilograms per
horsepower.
Munich/Nürburg, June 24th, 2011…BMW M
GmbH used the M Night Event in the lead-up to the Nürburgring
24-hour race to unveil a spectacular new addition to its model range.
The BMW M3 CRT (Carbon Racing Technology) embodies a concentrated
blend of state-of-the-art development expertise – inspired
directly by motorsport – in the areas of drive system, chassis
technology and intelligent lightweight design. It also represents the
worldwide debut of a new production process for carbon-fiber
reinforced plastic (CFRP) components in the automotive industry. This
process allows CFRP to be introduced widely in the construction of the
high-performance BMW M3 Sedan-based sports car created by the BMW M
GmbH factory. And that helps it achieve a weight-to-power ratio of 3.5
kilograms per horsepower (7.7 lbs/hp). A V8 engine with customary M
high-revving characteristics and maximum output of 331 kW/450 hp
accelerates the BMW M3 CRT from 0 to 100 km/h in just 4.4 seconds. The
BMW M3 CRT will be produced by the BMW M GmbH factory in a limited run
of 67 units. Due to the very limited worldwide volume, the BMW M3 CRT
will not be homologated for sale in the USA.
Following in the tire tracks of the BMW M3 GTS – of which 135
examples were produced – this is the second small-series,
high-performance M3 off-shoot to be bred for the race track but
registered for the road. The exclusive character of the Sedan is
emphasized by special lightweight design components manufactured as
part of an innovative production process. The hood of the BMW M3 CRT
and the bucket seats for the driver and front passenger are made from
a cellular carbon honeycomb, which is produced in a globally unique
process pioneered for the manufacture of body components for the BMW
i3 and BMW i8 models.
Innovative manufacturing process for lightweight CFRP components.
These new models – due to enter volume production in 2013
and equipped with innovative electric and BMW ActiveHybrid drive
system technology – will feature a body consisting entirely of
CFRP in the passenger cell area. In a new development, the production
process introduced for this purpose enables the cuttings left behind
in the construction of the body to be reprocessed. The basic material
(made up of carbon fiber thread) can now be woven into CFRP mats of
any size before being impregnated with synthetic resin and hardened in
a similar way to the material used in the body of the BMW i3 and BMW
i8. For the BMW M3 CRT this allows the creation of a hood made from
two CFRP moldings encasing an aramid honeycomb structure. This
construction imbues the hood with the strength of a conventional steel
equivalent, but at roughly a quarter of its weight. The weight saving
over the aluminum hood of the standard BMW M3 Sedan is around 50
percent.
The material produced through this innovative manufacturing
technology is also used for the car’s bucket seats. Here, the
CFRP layers are wrapped around a recycled-paper honeycomb, with a
carbon layer made using conventional production technology added to
visible areas. CFRP is also used to make both the rear spoiler of the
BMW M3 CRT and an air-channeling element integrated into its front
fascia.
This innovative manufacturing process opens up considerable
potential for increased use of CFRP in series-produced cars as a means
of lowering weight. The BMW Group is leading the way in this area of
automotive construction, while BMW M GmbH can call on extensive racing
expertise when it comes to intelligent lightweight design. The BMW M3
CRT is the latest in a fine tradition of highly exclusive
high-performance sports cars optimized with the help of lightweight
design. This lineage stretches back to the BMW 3.0 CSL of the 1970s
and reached another high point in 2002 with the BMW M3 CSL. BMW M GmbH
also broke new ground with the use of CFRP in series-produced
vehicles; like the BMW M6 produced up to 2010, the current BMW M3
Coupe comes as standard with a roof made from carbon-fiber reinforced
plastic.
Significant weight reduction despite generous standard equipment.
The low-weight construction of the BMW M3 CRT is enhanced by
sound-proofing configured specially for the new variant and a sports
exhaust system with an extremely lightweight titanium muffler. Also
unique to the CRT are the two individual rear seats, which take their
cues from the lateral support-enhancing contours of the front seats.
Included in the standard specification of the BMW M3 CRT are the
M double-clutch transmission with Drivelogic, Navigation system
Professional, BMW Individual High End audio system, a light, exterior
mirror and luggage area package, an alarm system and Park Distance
Control with sensors at the front and rear of the car. Despite this
extremely generous selection of standard kit, its DIN unladen weight
of 1,580 kg (3485 lbs) undercuts that of the standard BMW M3 Sedan by
around 45 kg (100 lbs). When you take into account the equipment on
board the weight saving is more like 70 kg (154 lbs). Added to which,
cleverly reducing the load at the front of the car raises the
proportion of the car’s weight over the rear axle to 48.4
percent, which has an extremely positive effect on agility.
High-revving V8 engine with extra power; M DCT Drivelogic.
Under the CFRP hood of the BMW M3 CRT lies a variant of the V8
engine developed exclusively for the BMW M3 with further increased
displacement, output and maximum torque. The high-revving unit
provides the linear power delivery you expect from an M car and a
highly responsive performance profile honed by the demands of the race
track. Tuned for the BMW M3 GTS, the eight-cylinder engine develops
331 kW/450 hp from its 4,360 cc displacement. Maximum output is
reached at 8,300 rpm, and the driver will find peak torque of 440
Newton meters (325 lbs-ft) on tap at 3,750 rpm. Helping to give the
engine its intoxicating performance is wizardry derived directly from
motorsport, including a bedplate crankcase construction in a special
aluminum-silicon alloy, individual throttle butterflies, a knock
control system with ion current technology and a dynamically-optimized
wet sump oil supply.
Transferring the engine’s power to the rear wheels is the
M double clutch transmission (DCT) with Drivelogic developed for the
BMW M3. The seven-speed M DCT Drivelogic unit also works according to
a principle developed in motorsport, allowing an uninterrupted flow of
power through gear changes to deliver extremely dynamic acceleration.
Its shift characteristics have been tuned specially for the engine
powering the BMW M3 CRT. Shift paddles on the steering wheel allow the
driver to change gear manually with optimum ergonomics. And a Launch
Control function is on hand to generate maximum acceleration off the
start line.
Special chassis construction with race-bred technology.
Expertise from race competition also makes its presence felt in
the chassis technology of the BMW M3 CRT. The BMW M3 Sedan’s
front and rear axle construction has been enhanced by a rigid rear
axle subframe and coilover suspension whose dampers are individually
adjustable in their compression and rebound. The 6 piston,
fixed-caliper high-performance brakes of the BMW M3 CRT boast a
low-weight compound construction. The vented brake discs measure 378 x
32 millimeters at the front axle and 380 x 28 millimeters at the rear.
The new M3 variant also uses Stahlflex stainless steel brake lines and
special brake pads.
The specially tuned DSC (Dynamic Stability Control) system
– including ABS and M Dynamic Mode (MDM) – responds to
both the greater dynamic potential of the BMW M3 CRT and its optimized
axle load distribution. Meanwhile, the 245/35 R 19 front tires and
265/35 R 19 rears (fitted on 19-inch M light-alloy wheels in Y-spoke
design) ensure the engine’s acceleration and braking power is
transferred to the road with maximum impact. The electronic engine
management of the BMW M3 CRT caps its top speed at 290 km/h (180 mph).
The exclusive Frozen Polar Silver metallic exterior paint shade
in combination with Melbourne Red metallic applications and special
treatment for the BMW kidney grille also help to set the BMW M3 CRT
apart from the standard M3. Inside, the Sedan comes with likewise
exclusive door sill strips, door panels and trim strips in aluminum
grain structure. Completing the distinctive ambience inside the
high-performance Sedan are the Alcantara-covered M steering wheel,
which has an M Drive button allowing the driver to call up his
preferred set-up instantly, and special Sakhir Orange and Black
bi-color covers for the front and individual rear seats.