Nonetheless, it's noticeably more evil than an E92 M3, as well it bloody should be. Good ol' "O.N." has had his way to perfection on this 4,382cc resizing of the 3,999cc S65B40 V8. Power now rests at 494 horses at 8300 rpm, while torque takes off to 354 lb-ft. A manually-equipped E92 was used as the initial prototype I'm driving here and I can't wait for the new seven-speed dual-clutch ZF box to be applicable at these stress levels. (The company is presently working on its own dual-clutch gearbox with racing mavens Xtrac, too.) On the other hand, when the car was speaking to me so constantly as in this Brabham Racing M3, I started thanking the gods that I had manual control over it all. Getting so involved in the forward progress is sort of what it's all about anyway.
Aside from the heartily massaged engine, adding lots of zeroes to the price is the full set of carbon-fiber body panels created to beef up the stance and lighten the body shell alone by 110 pounds. All I noticed--how could I miss it?--in the workmanship as far as flaws was the massive gap right up front at the hood. Looks like the wind could get in there at high speeds and knock that feather-weight lid right off. Besides that, I couldn't help but comment that even though I adore the autoclave workmanship of the BT 92, unless I have an M3 parked right next to it I see little difference aesthetically between this and BMW's factory car apart from the steroid wheel wells shoved outward. Same problem the Ruf-Studiotorino Porsches have had.
Curb weight drops 330 pounds overall, so you're looking at 3,375 pounds and a weight-to-power ratio of 6.83 pounds per horse, and it's felt in the side-to-side dynamics. The guys opted for forged two-piece 19-inchers (don't mind the tacky carbon-fiber swatches bolted onto the spokes) because Brabham Racing aspires to, well, race, and big Miami wheels with no sidewalls do not a track car make.
The full compliment of Brabham Racing performance brakes and coilovers bring a much-needed nimbleness to the M3 chassis. I was on-ing and off-ing a lot through the Spanish hills, and the BT 92's calibrations all flowed naturally into one another. I felt freer to fling the car around on these fairly familiar roads versus the sometimes advance notice needed for the bulked up M3 with its standard brakeset and added curb weight.
And there's another Stber sport exhaust that may as well be run straight through the cabin between the front passenger's legs. You can order a silencing kit for it, too, but I'll smack you silly if you do. This was the only car with a fuller interior treatment as well so as to show what could be possible for clients. Very solid work, though a step shy yet of TechArt or MTM. Or, dare I say it, Alpina's BMW craftsmanship.
So, the BT 92 needs to refine a few execution details, but the overall package is outstanding stuff already. The big plan for Trick is to get a squad of BT 92 clubsport cars using the new Xtrac gearbox into the Nrburgring 24 Hours in 2010. Before that, at this year's race, the plan is during that long May weekend to attempt the GT class lap record of below 7 minutes and 20 seconds.
Looking at the engineers and team involved, I have a feeling they'll nail it.
Brabham Racing BT 92
* Layout
Longitudinal front engine, rear-wheel drive
* Engine
4.4-liter V8, dohc, 32-valve. Modified ECU, new crankshaft, camshafts, conrods, pistons, air filter, intake and exhaust flow, headers, valves by Brabham Racing
* Transmission
Six-speed manual
* Suspension
Brabham Racing coilovers, anti-roll bars
* Brakes
Six-piston aluminum fixed calipers, 380mm cross-drilled and internally vented rotors (f), four-piston calipers, 350mm rotors (r)
* Wheels and Tires
Two-piece forged alloys with carbon composite core, 10x19 (f), 12x19 (r)Dunlop Sport Maxx, 265/30 (f), 305/30 (r)