BMW enthusiasts often lament the fact that the Munich-based automaker doesn’t offer a supercar comparable to the Porsche 911 or the Ferrari 296. It did produce the i8 from 2014 to 2020, but the plug-in hybrid coupe got overshadowed by the 911 and the Audi R8. There are also sports cars such as the Z4—which won the BMWBLOG 2024 Car of the Year award—and the M2—which earned the MotorTrend’s 2024 Performance Vehicle of the Year title.
As of now, an exotic supercar doesn’t seem to be a priority for BMW. Instead, their focus remains on limited-edition models built on existing platforms. While these vehicles may not be as flamboyant or extravagant as the M1 or the i8, they have better commercial viability and a greater spillover effect on the overall brand. To that end, this article will explore the five most exclusive BMWs ever produced.
E46 M3 GTR Strassenversion
The rarest BMW is the homologation-special M3 GTR Strassenversion, of which only 10 units were planned. It was based on the six-cylinder E46 M3, albeit the GTR featured a V8 engine generating 346 horsepower and 269 pound-feet of torque, enabling a top speed of 183 mph. Notably, this engine was not used in any other series production BMW.
In terms of pricing, the M3 GTR cost €250,000 ($290,000 at today’s exchange rate). For reference, a well-equipped M3 (G80) Competition xDrive—with 523 horsepower and a 0 to 60 mph time of 3.4 seconds—will not exceed $105,000. That said, the rarest BMW can’t be expected to be a bargain, and some other vehicles on the list are even more expensive (more on that later).
E36 M3-R
The E36 M3-R is another homologated BMW on this list, and its production was limited to 15 units. It generated 320 horsepower and 266 pound-feet of torque, achieving 0 to 60 mph in over 5.5 seconds. Notably, despite being the most powerful variant of the E36 M3, the M3-R never got a strong following in the BMW community. This can be attributed to two reasons: first, the E36 doesn’t possess the same stature as the E30 and E46 3ers. Second, the M3-R was homologated for Australian endurance racing, which lacks global appeal.
Skytop
The most recent addition to this list is the Skytop, limited to 50 units. Notably, it is priced at over €500,000 (over $575,000), putting the two-seater firmly in the domain of Rolls-Royce and Bentley. As yet, BMW had little trouble finding customers for the Skytop. In fact, the latter’s demand was such that it also encouraged the German marque to develop the Speedtop, which is similarly priced and limited to 70 units. Both the Skytop and the Speedtop are, of course, based on the 8 Series and powered by the S63 4.4-liter V8 engine that produces 617 horsepower and allows 0 to 60 mph in 3.3 seconds.
3.0 CSL
Even more expensive than the Skytop is the M4-based 3.0 CSL. Indeed, inspired by the legendary E9 3.0 CSL, only 50 units were made (to mark the M division’s 50th anniversary) and each had an MSRP of €750,000 (over $860,000). Admittedly, one could buy a unique Ferrari or Lamborghini for the same money, but then, the 3.0 CSL is a heritage model, and we’ve seen it going for over $1 million in secondary markets, making it a very profitable passion investment.
Performance-wise, the 3.0 CSL produces 560 horsepower and 406 pound-feet of torque, with power sent to the rear wheels through a 6-speed manual gearbox.
BMW-Kith i4 M50 and XM Label
We conclude our list with two BMW-Kith models – the Vitality Green i4 M50 (7 units) and the Frozen Techno Violet/Frozen Black XM (47 units). Unlike the other vehicles on the list, the Kith-BMW cars don’t have any fundamental mechanical or design changes (upgrades are mostly cosmetic), so they are not quite as special. Even so, they are still important collector’s items, with one of the Kith i4 M50s selling for $327,600 at RM Sotheby’s auction.
