Ever since the current BMW M3 came out in 2007 the fans of Bavaria’s finest have been waiting with baited breath for a CSL version to surpass that of the previous generation. Well that wait may well be over, as BMW today announced the BMW M3 GTS – a production version of the FIA spec GT race car unveiled earlier this year.

The eye-searing orange paintjob is a throwback to BMW’s racing history, but once you get past the colour (and the white one in the gallery caught testing at the Nürburgring looks much more palatable) you realise there are a myriad of changes to the car. There are new carbon fibre splitters front and rear, an all new titanium exhaust system, a giant adjustable wing at the rear, massive 6 pot brakes up front and 4 pot brakes out back – in itself a massive departure for the M team – and an interior stripped of almost every luxury and fitted with a roll cage and racing seats. The weight loss program brings results – even with all the racing trimmings the GTS weighs in at over 200kgs less than the standard car.

Performance hasn’t been released yet but it seems fair to surmise that the already excellent V8 will be enlarged to 4.4 litres and massaged to produce around 450hp, delivered through the 7-speed dual clutch box.

This car should take any pre conceived notion of what a M3 is and toss them out the window – any slurs about softening over the years will be lost on the razor sharp purpose of this car. I will make it my mission to one day try one on the Nordschleife.