I didn’t have time to stop and stare when I first laid eyes on my childhood hero car.
The moment the glass elevator doors opened, I bolted towards it, camera in hand, desperately trying to capture the moment as it was rolled out into the plaza at BMW Welt. I couldn’t afford to miss this, could I?
As calm and collected as I tried to appear, inside, I wanted to scream. It’s not every day you get to see a BMW M3 GTR in person, let alone the exact one I raced in Need for Speed on my Xbox as a BMW-obsessed kid.
Munich’s rush hour had treated me very badly. All the progress I’d made on my drive from Stuttgart had been undone by bumper-to-bumper traffic and roadworks. Fortunately, Jaqueline Traxler (Jacky), BMW Group’s Digital Marketing Specialist and my contact for the day, had managed to delay the car’s entry just enough for me to park my hire car under BMW’s headquarters and run inside.
When the M3 GTR appeared, my jaw dropped. As I snapped photos of it being rolled into place, I just wanted to stop and take it all in. The wide arches, the deep, extended bumpers, and that huge rear wing – all exactly as I remembered them from my childhood, sat behind a screen, either racing or learning about the legendary BMW race car.
Even if I’d wanted to, I couldn’t tear my eyes away from the car. Visiting BMW Welt had always been a dream, but right then, I may as well have been in an empty warehouse or any other dealership. It wasn’t until I finished my photo session with the GTR that I began to appreciate how impressive my surroundings were.
I’ll admit I didn’t handle the situation with much professionalism. I lost count of how many times I told Jacky how surreal it all felt or how it was easily the best shoot I’d done all year. My excitement had taken over, and I couldn’t help myself – I just had to ask if I could sit in the car.
“Of course, if you can fit!” she laughed.
Jacky didn’t have to tell me twice. I contorted myself over the roll cage, squeezed under the extended steering rack, and discovered joints I didn’t even know existed. I didn’t think the day could get any better, but there I was, sitting behind the wheel of my favourite race car ever – in the iconic Need for Speed livery.
That said, two things became painfully clear. One: Jörg Müller and J.J. Lehto must’ve been remarkably lean when they raced and won the ALMS series in 2001. I’m a slim guy by most standards, but once I sank into the Recaro bucket seat, I could barely breathe.
Two: Beyond the race modifications like the cage and switchboard, it was absurd just how familiar the M3 GTR felt with my hands on the wheel and my feet on the pedals. No pedal box, that signature BMW dashboard curving toward me, and, of course, the blue and white roundel on the steering wheel. I felt at home, though it was more like an unfurnished house with a single chair in the office.
Even the door handle felt a little notchy from the outside, just like any other E46.
Being there early had its perks. Once I finally pried myself out of the cockpit and the team finished up the display, I had a brief window to explore the car almost uninterrupted.
Everyone reading this should be familiar with the exterior – Need for Speed Most Wanted was a pre-cockpit-view game, after all. But it was the jewel within the engine I was most eager to see.
With the bonnet up, the P60B40 race engine was revealed in all its glory, and I was left in awe. The ram-air intake trumpets were oh-so-cool, as was the radiator ducting leading to the giant bonnet vents and the ‘BMW Power’ script across the carbon fibre air box and rocker covers.
I’m aware I’ve now written over 600 words of pure nostalgia, fanboying, and unabashed praise. No, I’m not sorry in the slightest. If you’re after a more detailed history of the M3 GTR, check out our recent story on just that, linked here.
This piece is all about pure excitement and the chance I had to live out a childhood dream. It’s a story I’ve been dying to share with you all.
The phrase “Never meet your heroes” has always struck me as an excuse to stay in one’s comfort zone to avoid the risk of disappointment. But to me, that’s exactly what it is – a risk.
And I’ve always found that the reward is almost always worth it. I’m not one to pass up an exciting opportunity, so when I was offered a special viewing of the car that shaped a generation of petrolheads – myself included…
…nothing was going to stop me from getting there. Even if it meant catching a flight, two hire cars, a 15-hour round drive, and a couple of questionable hotels, meeting the Need for Speed BMW M3 GTR was worth every second.
Mario Christou
Instagram: mcwpn, mariochristou.world
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