A new limited edition of BMW's M3 has been announced with a run of just 500 cars across the Coupé and Convertible body styles available.
The Limited Edition 500 will be available in Imola Red, Mineral White or Santorini Blue, a bit like a Union Jack and presumably to mark BMW's official capacity for the upcoming Olympic games. Externally the LE 500 also sports dark chrome tailpipes, high-gloss 'shadowline' exterior trim and 19-inch black gloss alloys.
Each BMW M3 Limited Edition 500 interior will be swathed in BMW's Novillo leather with contrast stitching on the sports seats and door panels. The stitching is said to complement the exterior colour of the car with Imola Red cars featuring Black leather with Mugello Red stitching, Mineral White cars get Fox Red leather with Black Stitching, and those cars finished in Santorini Blue feature Black leather with Tobago Blue stitching. The interior of each car will also bear a trim inlay with the edition number laser etched into it.
BMW says that each LE 500 comes equipped with £4,000 worth of additional equipment included for only £1,000 on top of the standard car's list price so the Coupé costs from £55,690, with the Convertible is available from £59,785.
Under the bonnet the 420hp V8 engine remains unchanged and can propel the M DCT enabled Coupé from 0-62mph in 4.6 seconds. While BMW does not mention it, the Limited Edition 500 would appear to be the final swansong for the naturally aspirated unit. Tightening emissions legislation is likely to see the F30 generation M car turn to forced induction.
Paul Healy - 1 Mar 2012