136,850 Euro. That’s how much the BMW M3 GTS cost in Germany in May 2010 — almost exactly double a standard M3 Coupé, which was listed at 68,350 Euro. In return, the buyer got less car: no rear seats, thinner insulation, a rear window made of polycarbonate, and air conditioning and radio only as options.
What he got instead was the most uncompromising path through the E92 model line: 450 PS from 4.4 litres, coilover suspension with variable camber, adjustable aerodynamics and a roll bar from the factory. And, as it turns out fifteen years later, one of the best investments BMW M has ever built.
One thing, however, remains uncertain to this day: how many there actually are.
From 4.0 to 4.4 — via stroke, not bore
The S65 of the production M3 is a four-litre V8 with individual throttle bodies: 3,999 cm³, 420 PS at 8,300 rpm, 400 Nm. For the GTS, BMW increased it to 4,361 cm³ — and not, as is often written, by boring it out. The bore remained at 92.0 millimetres. What was lengthened was the stroke, from 75.2 to 82.0 millimetres.
| M3 Coupé (S65B40) | M3 GTS (S65B44) | |
|---|---|---|
| Displacement | 3,999 cm³ | 4,361 cm³ |
| Bore × Stroke | 92.0 × 75.2 mm | 92.0 × 82.0 mm |
| Power | 420 PS at 8,300/min | 450 PS (331 kW) at 8,300/min |
| Torque | 400 Nm at 3,900/min | 440 Nm at 3,750/min |
| Transmission | 6-speed manual or 7-speed M-DKG | 7-speed M-DKG only |
| Kerb weight DIN | 1,600 kg | 1,530 kg |
| 0–100 km/h | 4.6 s (M-DKG) | 4.4 s |
| Top speed | 250 km/h limited | 305 km/h |
That the GTS came exclusively with the dual-clutch transmission is notable: a manual gearbox would have suited the clubsport ambition better, but was not offered. The power-to-weight ratio is 3.4 kilograms per PS.
Seventy kilograms — and where they came from
1,530 instead of 1,600 kilograms sounds like little for the effort involved. Still, it’s more honest than what BMW had announced in November 2009: the initial statement said “under 1,500 kg DIN.” Half a year later, it was 1,530. BMW never explicitly flagged this correction — the earlier figure was apparently a development target.
What was actually removed:
- the rear seats — not replaced
- rear side windows and rear window: polycarbonate instead of glass
- exhaust silencer made of titanium
- lightweight centre console and door panels
- vehicle-specific reduced sound insulation
- automatic climate control and audio system deleted as standard, but available as an option
The CFRP roof was not a GTS-specific feature: it was already standard on the E92 M3 Coupé — the first M3 since the E46 CSL to have one.
Added were: a roll bar as standard behind the B-pillar with mounting points for an optional full cage, six-point harnesses alongside the three-point automatic seatbelts for road use, a fire extinguisher, a preparation for the emergency kill switch, Recaro bucket seats and carbon interior trim strips. Anyone who reads that the cage was standard is confusing the bar with the cage — BMW draws a clear distinction here.
The real argument: the suspension
The 30 PS power increase is the headline. It’s not the reason the GTS operates in a different class on the racetrack.
The GTS received coilover suspension with independently adjustable rebound and compression damping, plus variable camber and variable ride height. It sits lower from the factory by 16 millimetres at the front and 12 at the rear, and the rear axle subframe is rigidly bolted instead of rubber-mounted.
| M3 GTS | |
|---|---|
| Front brake discs | 378 × 32 mm, ventilated and cross-drilled, composite construction |
| Rear brake discs | 380 × 28 mm |
| Brake calipers | fixed caliper, six pistons front, four rear |
| Brake lines | stainless steel braided |
| Wheels | 9J × 19 front, 10J × 19 rear, matte black |
| Tyres | 255/35 ZR19 front, 285/30 ZR19 rear |
The aerodynamics are adjustable: the geometry of the air deflector elements in the front apron and the position of the rear wing can be adapted to the track profile. BMW states in no document how many settings are available — anyone citing a number of settings should be asked for the source. The wing itself, according to BMW’s own account, is conceptually derived from the 320si of the World Touring Car Championship .
135, 138 or 150? BMW contradicts itself
This is where it gets interesting — and where almost every text cites a figure no one can substantiate.
| Figure | Who cites it |
|---|---|
| 150 | bmw-m.com (“Only 150 units … were produced”), German Wikipedia, classic.com |
| 135 | BMW Group PressClub, statement on end of production 2013: “135 examples … were delivered to customers”; likewise RM Sotheby’s |
| 138 | supercarnostalgia.com and evo, of which 25 right-hand drive |
The most plausible reading, one that accommodates all three figures: 150 was the planned limit, 135 the number of vehicles actually delivered to customers. This cannot be proven. For the UK, it is documented that only 15 right-hand-drive cars were delivered, production of which only began in January 2011 — which further complicates the discrepancy with the figure of 138.
The situation is similar with the colour. BMW describes the GTS as “externally recognisable by its paint finish in the solid colour Fire Orange ” and names no alternative; evo refers to it as the “exclusive colour option.” The claim that two vehicles reportedly left Garching in Alpine White appears on supercarnostalgia — explicitly labelled as a rumour, without a chassis number. Until someone provides evidence, the following stands: Fire Orange, with no known exception.
The Nürburgring Nordschleife time BMW never stated
7:48 minutes — this figure appears in many texts, often described as a “factory figure.” It is not.
Neither the 2009 announcement, nor the 2010 market launch statement, nor the British version, nor the end-of-production statement, nor the portrait on bmw-m.com states a lap time for the M3 GTS. The 7:48 comes from the supertest by sport auto, published on 20 August 2010. Anyone citing the time should attribute it accordingly — this doesn’t make it any less valuable, but it is a measurement by the trade press, not a factory figure.
What the GTS is not
Two widespread attributions do not hold up to source verification.
It is not a road-going derivative of the M3 GT2. There is no BMW statement linking the GTS technically to the GT2 or the customer racing programme. The end-of-production statement treats the two vehicles explicitly separately — the GTS as a “road-legal clubsport-oriented model,” the GT2 as an endurance racer. Only the general motorsport connection and the rear wing concept’s origin from the 320si are documented.
And it is not a pure trackday car. BMW even explicitly titled the initial statement in November 2009: “Ready to start — on the road too.” The GTS was road-registered as standard, with three-point automatic seatbelts for road use. What is true: it was not offered in the USA — BMW did not even put it through DOT type approval because of its specification. This is probably where the rumour originated.
“The BMW M3 GTS is M in its purest form, embodying the brand’s values in highly concentrated form.”
Dr Kay Segler, then Chairman of the Board of Management of BMW M GmbH, May 2010
What it costs today
The GTS is one of the few M models where the original price premium has not just held but multiplied several times over. As of August 2026, the auction database classic.com lists a market reference value of around 239,000 US dollars with an average price of about 204,000 dollars.
| Date | Auction | Result |
|---|---|---|
| May 2026 | Broad Arrow, Italy | €189,750 |
| November 2025 | Collecting Cars, Belgium | €178,500 |
| October 2025 | RM Sotheby’s, Munich | €269,375 |
| September 2025 | Collecting Cars, UK | £190,000 |
As a rough guide: well-maintained examples sit at around 180,000 to 200,000 Euro, while collector’s examples with very low mileage or special status reach up to nearly 270,000 Euro. Against the original price of 136,850 Euro, this is a development no other model in this model line has achieved.
For comparison of rarity within the model line: 40,092 units of the E92 M3 Coupé were built, 16,219 of the E93 Convertible, 9,674 of the E90 Sedan — around 66,000 in total. Alongside these stand 135 to 150 GTS and 67 examples of the M3 CRT, the only four-door 4.4-litre M3.
Assessment
The M3 GTS was BMW’s attempt to build, within a mass-production model line, a car that needs no excuses on the racetrack — yet is still allowed a licence plate. That BMW achieved this by enlarging the brand’s last high-revving naturally aspirated V8 by 362 cubic centimetres, rather than turbocharging it, makes it, in retrospect, an end point: its successor, the F82, arrived with an inline-six and two turbochargers.
The complete specifications of the model line can be found on the E92 model page. The technical origin of the “special edition as a consequence” principle, however, goes back further — to the M3 E30, where special editions were not collector’s items but homologation submissions.
Sources
- BMW Group PressClub — market launch of the BMW M3 GTS (May 2010)
- BMW Group PressClub — Ready to start, on the road too (November 2009)
- BMW Group PressClub — end of production of the M3 Coupé (2013), stating “135 examples”
- BMW M — M3 GTS Portrait, stating “150 units”
- AUTO BILD — price of the BMW M3 GTS, 12 May 2010
- classic.com — auction database BMW M3 GTS (accessed 08 Aug 2026)
- RM Sotheby’s — 2010 BMW M3 GTS, serial number 001, Munich 2025
Where BMW contradicts itself — on production numbers and kerb weight — we present both figures and cite the source. Corrections and evidence are welcome, particularly regarding the question of 135, 138 or 150.
Bildnachweise
- Eigenes Foto · MOTORSPORT24