The bmw e46 m3 gtr came to life in february 2001 and was the first m3 in the history of the company to feature a v8 engine. However the straight six engine was viewed as uncompetitive compared to the porsche 996 gt3 therefore bmw began to develop a new m3 racing car based around a more powerful engine. Bmw M3 Gtr Race Car 01 Gran Turismo Wiki Fandom Bmw m3 gtr e46 an e46 gtr came to life in february 2001 powered by the p60b40 a 3997 cc v8 producing 493 hp 368 kw.