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28/06/2011
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BMW M GmbH has unveilled a new addition to its model range. The BMW M3 CRT (Carbon Racing Technology) embodies a concentrated blend of stateoftheart development expertise – inspired directly by motor sport – in the areas of drive system and chassis technology and intelligent lightweight design. It also represents the worldwide debut of a new production process for carbonfibre reinforced plastic (CFRP) components in the automotive industry.
 This process allows CFRP to be introduced widely in the construction of the highperformance BMW M3 Saloonbased sports car created by the BMW M GmbH factory. And that helps it achieve a weighttopower ratio of 3.5kg per horsepower. A V8 engine with customary M highrevving characteristics and maximum output of 331kW/450bhp accelerates the BMW M3 CRT from zero to 100km/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. Following in the tyre tracks of the BMW M3 GTS – of which 135 examples were produced – this is the second smallseries, highperformance M3 offshoot to be bred for the race track but registered for the road. The exclusive character of the Saloon is emphasised by bespoke lightweight design components manufactured as part of an innovative production process.
The bonnet 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.
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 fibre 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 bonnet made from two CFRP mouldings encasing an aramid honeycomb structure.
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Author
John Challen
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