BMW has announced that it will produce 200 special edition M3 Coupes this summer, to commemorate Lime Rock Park, the famed natural terrain racetrack in Lime Rock, Connecticut.
The cars will be constructed this summer, with deliveries to begin in September.
BMW says that enhancements were selected in collaboration with Skip Barber, the owner of Lime Rock Park. Each car will be painted a distinctive orange, and have interiors done in anthracite and black cloth leather with Nappa leather trim. Each will also include the Competition Package that is an option for all M3s, and the carbon fiber composite roof panel that is standard. There will also be a lightweight inconel-titanium exhaust muffler, carbon fiber front and rear aerodynamic aids, and an Anthracite Alcantara-covered, flat-bottom steering wheel.
Each Lime Rock Park Edition will be identifiable by a numbered plaque on the center console, a decal on the left-rear quarter window, and a certificate of authenticity.
The edition will be priced from $70,995.
Bill Auberlen, who drives for BMW Team RLL - the official racing team for the M3 - took part in the July 3 prototype evaluation on the racecourse. In a statement for BMW, he said, "A race car is never allowed to be perfect. It's the job of the driver to constantly suggest improvements and find more speed. But the M3 Lime Rock Park Edition may be as close to perfect as you can get, right off the production line. From its great color to the flawless manners it showed on the track, for the first time I can say I might not change a thing."
"A newcomer looks at the track map and thinks, 'Oh, this is easy.' It's not," said Skip Barber. "Lime Rock is an extremely difficult track to drive quickly. It has three of what many drivers think are some of the most challenging corners in North America: The Uphill, West Bend and The Downhill. There are tricky cambers, extreme elevation changes, very high speeds... all Lime Rock signatures since it opened 55 years ago. And the BMW M3 Coupe Lime Rock Park Edition, when equipped with the six-speed manual, is geared perfectly - and I mean perfectly - for the track. I agree with Bill: I wouldn't change a thing."
The announcement of the Lime Rock Park Edition came on Friday, one day before BMW RLL took part in the American Le Mans Northeast Grand Prix at the racetrack. The excitement of the edition's release might have been dampened somewhat by BMW's disappointing performance.
The team, which is partly owned by David Letterman, was beset by technical difficulties, including tire punctures and a fuel cell issue; and ended taking fifth and sixth places in the GT class. It was the first time at Lime Rock that the team failed finish in the top three places.
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