Found this on the web,

Tom Milner is aiming to return to the American Le Mans Series with a 6-cylinder version of the M3 GTR. The Team PTG team owner says that a return this year is unlikely, though that is up to BMW, but will probably happen in 2003, and he is installing the 6-cylinder engine into the new GTR chassis in preparation for testing in the next two months.

BMW Germany has stated that it wants to return to the series next season, though it is unlikely that the 4-litre V8-powered M3 GTR will be back. Last year's controversial engine, claims Milner, is 85 kilos lighter than the straight-six engine, and he is working on bringing that weight penalty down with the homologated straight-six unit.

The older engine was consigned to the museum after being effectively routed by the Porsche in 2000, a season that prompted the change in power units for the 2001 season. In December, Dr Mario Theissen ruled out returning to the straight six in the new chassis in the wake of the arguments sparked off by the new power unit but Milner says that he is a race team owner and a race team company. He needs to race and therefore is investigating all possibilities.

The old engine is longer and sits higher in the car, two problems to be overcome before testing can commence, and none of this is done with the blessing of BMW Germany. "It has nothing to do with them at all," says Milner, signifying either a split with the Germans, or more of an emphasis placed on his own team for the 2003 ALMS.

"It is true that we are working on putting a six-cylinder engine into the new chassis and we have been working on that for a while," said Milner. "That we are racing in the American Le Mans Series is not true at all. We will test the six-cylinder car against the V8 but testing is all at the moment. Whether we return to the ALMS before the end of the year, that is up to BMW but the plan is for BMW to come back, returning in 2003."

Guido Stalmann - BMW Motorsport press officer: "Tom Milner is free to do whatever he wants. There are no plans from the BMW side in Munich or in North America [to help with such a project], and that is what BMW North America put in its release. We can't make him not run his cars, it is his own decision, but I don't think he will be in a position to win races. It is essentially a 2000-spec car in 2003. We know what the problems were with the 2000-spec car, and the 2002 Porsches are much more sophisticated than they were two years ago. Realistically, I don't see an advantage for him."

With regard to the chassis and engines?"BMW North America own the chassis, and we supplied him with the engines. We have got them back so I suppose in America there are two chassis without engines and he would have to get permission from BMW North America to use them."

Guido Stalmann is checking on BMW's plans with the M3 GTR. He says that they can't get up to the minimum production of cars or engines, but "it isn't dead, we just haven't extended our target. We are still building cars and promoting them."
Andrew Cotton

Beat me to it. I had about 5 emails about this including yours from the Club Racing list and I was on my way over here to post it. Punk. :)

Looks like no one reads this stuff here anyway man....

oh well, their loss!

If BMW would get their collective heads out of their asses and offer the 3 Series with a V8 the problem would be solved.

Originally posted by melmyers12
Looks like no one reads this stuff here anyway man....

oh well, their loss!

Never fear man...Ya got another convert..:wave: .If you post it, they will come.

heard rumour that BMW is pushing on Milner to not run the series this year. A boycott manuever.

Hrmm. . .
Just cause they dont him to lose to the porsches again after the sucess of last season. But he is right in that its his job to field a race team.
Hrmm. . .

Originally posted by mpbmw318is
Hrmm. . .
Just cause they dont him to lose to the porsches again after the sucess of last season. But he is right in that its his job to field a race team.
Hrmm. . .

No, that wouldn't be the reason.:) . It is estimated that BMW fans bring in 10-20% of the money at these events and to show the ALMS that they aren't going to bend over backwards for them. It would be bad PR for there to be BMW's running when they already started an ad campaign against the ALMS.

IMHO - It is rediculous what BMW had to do to get it to conform. Porsche does this all the time.

There's only one thing to do to get over this.

Everyone go buy a 911 to supplement the BMW :) Then we can cheer all the time.

Kinda like when I go to certain ball games and root for both teams when they come from my old and new hometowns.

Personally, I just like good racing.

I have been going to 3 or more ALMS races over the last 4 years and am dropping 2 or them because I like the BMWs. All there are on the track are P's!!! It's boring. They are going to sweep every event. The new Ferraris are AWESOME!!! But not enough to get me there.

Oh ya, you have the Audi's which sweep everything too!!! Ya that's fun to watch!:D Ya, I'm a hypocrite. I loved watching BMW win every race!:clap:

I personally side with the rules on this one. BMW has neglected motor development or adding V-8's to their cars and played the weight game. Well on the highway, the BMW is not competition for the 911. It hasn't been for a long time.

The M3 has just enough power to look like they are hanging with the base 911 but the thing weighs hundreds of pounds more than the 911.

Of course they are different cars. But if BMW wants to race their luxury performance sedan or coupe against the 911, which is a more true to form sports car, then I say make them race on the track what they bring to the street.

BMW has had 3.8L I-6s that could make the HP. Let them resurrect that and put it in the production and race cars. Or make them offer the general public the V-8 in the 3 series chassis.

I don't pay any attention to NASCAR, not so much because it's not good racing, it's ok. But more because it is no longer based on reality. I personally would like NASCAR to some extent if they were running cage reinforced factory bodies with V-6 engines rather than tube framed, carb'd, V-8's. Since the NASCAR Ford, Chevy and Dodge have almost nothing in common with what's on the street, I have no reason to watch.

I have the same feeling about BMW. With a V-8 E46 I have nothing to compare it's performance to the Porsche. So BMW should quit their crying. Race what you produce or shut the fuck up.

Originally posted by jsp98m3


Of course they are different cars. But if BMW wants to race their luxury performance sedan or coupe against the 911, which is a more true to form sports car, then I say make them race on the track what they bring to the street.

BMW has had 3.8L I-6s that could make the HP. Let them resurrect that and put it in the production and race cars. Or make them offer the general public the V-8 in the 3 series chassis.

I have the same feeling about BMW. With a V-8 E46 I have nothing to compare it's performance to the Porsche. So BMW should quit their crying. Race what you produce or shut the fuck up.

Wait, do you think that Porsche hasn't done this?? You do know that they insert a larger turbo and sell x cars to race teams and that conforms. The public can't buy the car that Porsche races.

What is the difference in a 8 over a larger turbo? Maybe BMW could have just made a Turbo M3 sold 50 to the Public (ie, race teams) and conformed? BMW was going to make the cars but was going to get screwed again by more rules (had to add around 100 kilos and a smaller restrictor) so they said forget it. There are Por. tuners who get over 700hp with turbos.

What is to say that Porsche couldn't come out with a bigger one next year?? Oh ya, Porsche just came out with a new car and might piss of quite a few race customers who now have to do a little more purchasing.:D

Not trying to start a flame war but def. think it is dumb on the part of ALMS to cut out such a large fan base. Just goes to show how much Red Money can make a difference.:biglaughb (that would be Porsche $)

oh, ya. I am not saying that Porsche is the only other one to have done this. Just that when someone did it back to them they got all pissed off and cried foul!!:)

In my mind there is a difference between those two examples. The V-8 just doesn't come in the 3 series. No way shape or form. They got away with it the first year by saying they were going to do it. Then they didn't. I don't feel BMW has much to complain about.

If Porsche can race within the rules more power to them. BMW is doing what they think is best. And it will probably have the correct effect.

I didn't have much sympathy for BMW when they griped about the Audi in DTM having an advantage with all wheel drive either. BMW has iX technology, they should use it.

If they need a turbo, then they should decide to race in that class. Adding bigger or better parts is up to them. I personally just want to see cars being raced that are similar to what I can buy or modify my car from base to be similar to the one on the track.

I can buy a turbo 911 off the floor. Or a GTx if I can get my name high enough on the waiting list.

I cannot buy a V-8 M3. No way, no how. And that's the rub to me.

Originally posted by jsp98m3
In my mind there is a difference between those two examples. The V-8 just doesn't come in the 3 series. No way shape or form. They got away with it the first year by saying they were going to do it. Then they didn't. I don't feel BMW has much to complain about.

If Porsche can race within the rules more power to them. BMW is doing what they think is best. And it will probably have the correct effect.

I can buy a turbo 911 off the floor. Or a GTx if I can get my name high enough on the waiting list.

I cannot buy a V-8 M3. No way, no how. And that's the rub to me.

That's fine. But you can't get the car that races. No way no how. GTx isn't the race car. yes it is a highly modded 911 but not the car they sell to the race teams. They make a special car for that. I see what you are saying but BMW did make the car and was going to sell it. They couldn't meet the March deadline but was going to make all of them.

In the end, I feel that it is a shame to see such a poor class of racing being dominated by one car.:bawl I hope that another manufact. will step up and challenge the Porches.

I absolutely agree that there needs to be a competitor to Porsche. Otherwise it becomes a spec series. Even the privateers will start to drop away, there's no sponsorship money for finishing 10th :)

I just don't buy it that BMW didn't/couldn't meet the March deadline. they knew where they needed to be on the timeline and could market the car pretty easily if they wanted to. In my mind the V-8 was a way to get out the door on a winning note without expending any money.

BMW just needs to face facts. 3.2L won't get you on the dance floor anymore.

I would be interested in finiding out if that March deadline was in the rules or was added? Come on guys don't let us have all the fun!!:D I would like to see a M3ti !!! Like the won that ran in the One Lap!!

Now that would be interesting!:buttrock