For reasons I still don’t understand, BMW invited me to race an E46 M3 GT, a real GT2 car run in the American Le Mans Series, during this week’s Monterey Motorsports Reunion at Laguna Seca. Come say hi!
For me, the best thing every year at Monterey Car Week isn’t seeing cars sitting still on some pristine golf course or parked outside a fancy hotel, it’s time spent at Laguna Seca. I don’t want to see an overly clean Ferrari being gawked at by an army of people in salmon pants [Ed note: quietly removes salmon pants from luggage – MH], I want to see icons moving around a legendary track. Even though this event is more exhibition than race and the drivers aren’t aiming for lap records, it’s still fantastic to see a real Shelby Cobra or a train of GT cars from the 1990s or 2000s flying down the Corkscrew.
Every year, BMW brings a small fleet of classic race cars to run in the event. I’ve been lucky, and have been asked to run one of the cars for the last three years they have competed. I got the call again this year, and I’m bringing you fine Autopian folks along for the ride.
I’ll be in an E46 M3 GT this year, a car PTG campaigned in the ALMS more than 20 years ago. It’s not the V-8 GTR, which is currently on display in the Petersen as part of a 50 Years of 3-Series exhibit, but it has a straight-six, a six-speed dog box, and looks rad as hell. I’ve never sat in the car before, so my first chance to get settled in the car will be Wednesday’s practice. I’m sure it’ll go fine. My goal is to just have fun; I’m stoked to get this opportunity and just want to get quicker over the weekend. Oh, and I don’t want to break the car. Like, I really don’t want to break the car.
I’ll be competing in the Scott Pruett Legends of Endurance Cup, a group of GT and prototypes from 1991 – 2011. It’s stacked with rad metal. BMW is also running a 2011 E92 M3 GT. There are about 36 Porsche 911s of different specs and eras, from 993 to 997. There’s a RealTime NSX, a Viper GTS-R, an Audi R8 GT3, and an Audi R8 LMP1. There’s even a Panoz. Check out the full list here.
I’m running daily from Wednesday to Saturday, with the race on Saturday being a 40-minute “mini-enduro” with a required pit stop. Here’s the full schedule:
Wednesday Practice: 2:55 – 3:20 pm
Thursday Qualifying: 2:55 – 3:20 pm
Friday Race 1: 2:45 – 3:10 pm
Saturday Mini-Enduro: 5:35 – 6:15 pm
Come on by and check out the car, and feel free to heckle me.
All photos: BMW
Beautiful car, have fun dude! I’ll have to watch on the YouTubes.
Was at Laguna Seca and Monterey in Sept 2000, took my 3 day Skip Barber class there – I was young and single, you’re gonna do it, do it RIGHT. Rented a Mustang convertible and hit San Fran for 3 days too (had a college pal in grad school at Berkeley). I didn’t drive Laguna, but rode for a few laps with the instructors. Our work was on the infield autocross and skidpad. Did get a few autocross laps in the Viper ACR. Spent a day at the world renound aquarium as well.
The Corkscrew gets all the attention, but turn 11 is the bee’s knees.
Any chance you can sneak an Autopian sticker or six on to the car? 🙂
What a great experience. My favorite part of car week is the Concours d’LeMons. I remember when it was at Toro Park. If traffic agrees I’ll drop by before I go eat at Cafe Fina, sure it’s on the Wharf but I have been a fan of it my whole life. Used to go there every Friday for clam chowder in a bread bowl and sit on the benches overlooking the beach.
Get the hell out of town. I don’t think you’re applying the term ‘vintage’ correctly. This BMW certainty isn’t in the collector or aged sense. It’s simply older.
Ahh yes, 20 years ago, the 80’s….what? wait?
I know I’m old, but if I had a poster of a car, framed, in an apartment I paid for with an actual salary, it’s not yet “vintage” 🙂
Most states require 30 years to even get the Vintage tag.
Will Jeff Gordon be there too?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tRLvMUYcap8
Funnily, he will be. They’re running a celebration of IROC and he’s racing. I’ll find out if he needs a ride to the track…
Good God. Calling an E46 “vintage” hurts me in my middle-aged soul.
Came here to say this. There are already E90s running in the 24 Hours of Lemons and every time I see one my brain immediately thinks “That’s a new car!”
It is. There’s still people daily driving them. And not insured by a classic insurance car company.
The early ones are eligible for historic plates in California.
Pretty much nobody in CA puts Historical Vehicle plates on 1976+ cars though. They don’t exempt you from smog checks, so the only benefit is lower registration fees but with supposed limitations on where/how you can use the vehicle.
Considering I could have historic plates on my ’94 SHO (if I still owned it). Time’s a bitch.
That’s not a vintage BMW, its only……(checks calendar)……..nevermind.
Folks, read the article before making your NFS Most Wanted references.