Filed under: Concept Cars, Frankfurt Auto Show, Coupes, Sports/GTs, Euro, Supercars, BMW

Click image for hi-res gallery

One of AC Schnitzer’s Frankfurt debuts mixes very high performance with a little bit of a greenish tint. Behold the GP3.10, a 3-Series coupe that has been completely transformed with a full interior and exterior overhaul (which you will either love or hate). The car’s name tells you the rest of what you need to know:

• GP: Gas-powered, as in Liquid Petroleum Gas (LPG)
• 3: For 3-Series
• 10: For 10 cylinders

Yes, that’s correct. The GP3.10 sheds its stock I6 for a worked-over V10 sourced from an M5/M6, and AC Schnitzer has fitted the motor with an LPG system that turns the car into a dual-fuel monster dishing out 552 horsepower and 398 lb-ft of torque. The driver can switch between fuel sources (gasoline or LPG) at any time, and LPG is readily available in Germany (2,700 filling stations, according to AC Schnitzer). There is the added benefit that CO2 emissions when running on the LPG are 15% lower than when on gasoline. But let’s be honest, potential buyers of something like this aren’t looking for green-ness. They’re probably more interested in the gaudy 4.5 second 0-62 time and 198 mph top speed. As for the equally gaudy multicolor, multi-textured interior and the fully-Schnitzered exterior, we’ll leave the judgments to you. We will say that the center-outlet exhaust is pretty nifty, but we are so not crazy about that little F1-style mini roof wing.

Full details on the car are available at AC Schnitzer’s website (follow the “Read” link), and we have a gallery full of hi-res images for you below.

[Source: AC Schnitzer]

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Filed under: Aftermarket, Tuners, Coupes, Hybrids/Alternative, Green, BMW

Click the image above for more shots of the GP3.10 hammering around Nardo.

You might recall the AC Schnitzer crew trotting out a particularly gaudy BMW 3-series coupe in Frankfurt called the GP3.10, powered by a V10 engine pulled from the M5/M6 running off liquefied petroleum. While the styling of the Bimmer caused a few of us to inadvertently gag while patrolling the floor in Germany, it’s performance potential - 552 hp and 400 lb.-ft. of torque - showed promise.

Fast forward a few months later, and according to the Schnitzer folks, the GP3.10 set the world record for the fastest gas-powered car in the world. The coupe was brought out to the 13-mile Nardo test track in Southern Italy where it laid down a terminal velocity of 318.1 km/h, or 197 mph. While that’s a feat unto itself, even more surprising is AC Schnitzer’s claim that some of the technology will filter down to the tuner’s products in the future.

[Source: AC Schnitzer]

Continue reading AC Schnitzer GP3.10 natural-gas powered 3-series hits 318 km/h

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: Aftermarket, Tuners, Coupes, Hybrids/Alternative, Green, BMW

Click the image above for more shots of the GP3.10 hammering around Nardo.

You might recall the AC Schnitzer crew trotting out a particularly gaudy BMW 3-series coupe in Frankfurt called the GP3.10, powered by a V10 engine pulled from the M5/M6 running off liquefied petroleum. While the styling of the Bimmer caused a few of us to inadvertently gag while patrolling the floor in Germany, its performance potential - 552 hp and 400 lb.-ft. of torque - showed promise.

Fast forward a few months later, and according to the Schnitzer folks, the GP3.10 set the world record for the fastest gas-powered car in the world. The coupe was brought out to the 13-mile Nardo test track in Southern Italy where it laid down a terminal velocity of 318.1 km/h, or 197 mph. While that’s a feat unto itself, even more surprising is AC Schnitzer’s claim that some of the technology will filter down to the tuner’s products in the future.

[Source: AC Schnitzer]

Continue reading AC Schnitzer GP3.10 LPG powered 3-series hits 318 km/h

Permalink | Email this | Comments