As an avid Need for Speed fan from the early 2000s, I‘ve had the pleasure of following this franchise evolve from its humble Underground roots focused on tuner culture to the expanded car lineups spanning various genres that we see today.
And throughout this journey, one car has retained an almost divine status across every NFS title – the legendary BMW M3 GTR.
First introduced in Need for Speed: Most Wanted (2005), this specially tuned BMW race car instantly shot to fame not only amongst gamers but also automotive enthusiasts worldwide.
Its aggressive styling matched only by jaw-dropping performance has since achieved an almost mythical status. The unmistakable exhaust note of its V8 engine is now synonymous with street racing glory.
And I‘m sure many NFS veterans will fondly remember hearing "Get back here, you sneaky little snake" in the original voice actor‘s British accent when driving this grey lightning beast.
Naturally, the M3 GTR‘s return in the latest Need for Speed Unbound has me overjoyed as both a car guy and long-time fan.
This guide will help you unlock the iconic hypercar in Unbound to relive those sweet memories from decades ago!
Legacy of the M3 GTR in BMW Motorsports
To truly understand the allure of this legendary race car, we must look back at its heritage in BMW‘s motorsports pedigree spanning over 5 decades.
The powerful twin-turbo straight six 3 Series coupe dubbed M3 GTR was built specially by the company‘s performance M division to compete in grand touring endurance races in the early 2000s.
Over four years, it dominated races like the American Le Mans Series as well as the infamous 24 Hours Nürburgring, etching its name firmly in BMW motorsports folklore.
This racing heritage coupled with numerous victories is what gives the M3 GTR a real-life cult status as a motorsport icon just like the legendary McLaren F1.
Its mystique has only grown over the years with occasional appearances in pop culture such as Hollywood films. So getting it in video games like Need for Speed is always a privilege.
Let‘s now see how we can unlock this beast within NFS Unbound!
Overview of Acquisition Methods
There are two ways to unlock the BMW M3 GTR in NFS Unbound:
- Completing Yaz‘s High Heat Delivery Story Mission
- Subscribing to EA Play
I‘ll explain both methods so you can choose the appropriate one for your gameplay style.
Method 1: Yaz‘s Special Story Mission
This story mission titled ‘High Heat Delivery‘ gets unlocked gradually once you build sufficient reputation in the single-player career mode.
The key NPC called Yaz will introduce this mission wherein you need to safely deliver the BMW M3 GTR from a specified location in Lakeshore City while getting chased by the cops.
Here is the step-by-step walkthrough to unlock this beast via the story mission:
Build up your street rep by completing enough races and challenges. After around 5 hours of gameplay, Yaz introduced this mission for me.
Drive to the mission start point in Edgewater where you‘ll find the BMW M3 GTR parked unattended.
Get into the driver‘s seat, which triggers a menacing Level 5 police chase where you must safely deliver the car to a marked location within 3 minutes while escaping the cop heat.
Use the minimap guidance to navigate to the delivery point also located in Edgewater. You need to cover 1.8 miles quickly while avoiding getting busted.
The police will be extremely aggressive in their pursuit, deploying heavy ramming SUVs, helicopters, and even a Corvette interceptor to take you down.
Utilize the M3 GTR‘s raw power and handling to maneuver tight gaps between buildings and back alleys to break the line-of-sight from cops.
Reaching the destination safely before time expires completes the mission, unlocks this iconic car for purchase, and adds it to your collection!
Based on my experience, this was by far the most adrenaline-fueled story mission that really immerses you into the cop chase experience synonymous with NFS gameplay.
Barely escaping the cops by the skin of your teeth to safely deliver the M3 GTR adds to its charm significantly. This special delivery journey forever etched fond memories of pushing this gorgeous race car to its limits while hearing the engine and exhaust pop and crackle aggressively with raw power!
Based on this experience, I‘d highly recommend opting for this story mission method rather than EA Play if you want that true NFS style cop chase flavor!
Method 2: EA Play Subscription
You can also get the BMW M3 GTR instantly in NFS Unbound by linking an active EA Play subscription to the game. Here is how this direct method works:
Subscribe to EA Play if you don‘t have it already. This service costs $4.99 per month.
Link your active EA Play account to your NFS Unbound game.
Launch the game and find the BMW M3 GTR readily available for driving/purchase in your solo Garage
You can directly buy this car for just $10,000 in-game cash.
This method conveniently cuts past any effort needed to unlock the beast for your solo experience. However, it will only work for single-player modes and online multiplayer.
To enable the M3 for your career story mode, you MUST complete Yaz‘s special mission shown earlier. That is crucial for full access.
So in summary, if you love the cop chase antics synonymous with Need for Speed since the early days, take the story mission path. But those eager to instantly drive this legendary car can use the EA Play method. Your choice!
Technical Specs and Mind-Bending Performance
Now that you‘ve uncovered methods to unlock the elusive BMW M3 GTR hypercar in NFS Unbound, let‘s look at why it has attained divine status amongst gamers for 2 decades based on its tech specs and real-world capabilities:
| Specifications | Values |
|---|---|
| Top Speed | 218 mph (351 km/h) |
| 0-60 mph Time | 3.4 seconds |
| Engine Power | 741 bhp |
| Cost to Purchase | $380,000 |
In my experience, the BMW M3 GTR drives like an absolute beast in NFS Unbound as expected. It boasts about the best all-round stats amongst any car:
- The 3.4s 0-60 mph timing is right up there with million-dollar hypercars in raw acceleration
- Hitting a 218 mph top speed allows you to blitz past any competition on long straights with the added stability thanks to AWD drivetrain
- Insane power output of 741 horses from its twin-turbo straight six means you rocket out of corners like a missile
- The sensitive steering paired to a grippy chassis lets you weave through traffic almost telepathically
Maintaining those crazy high speeds through winding inner-city roads seemed almost too easy. The M3 GTR pushes the limits of traction to corner LIKE IT‘S ON RAILS!
Hearing the iconic exhaust crackle and pop when shifting gears or nitrous-fueled flames shooting out the side on overrun fills me with adrenaline. It feels raw…real…and almost alive!
This specially tuned legend lives up its mythic status in NFS lore by providing an unbelievably thrilling and visceral driving experience. I can comprehensively say THE BMW M3 GTR IS THE GREATEST HYPERCAR in Need for Speed Unbound!
Comparison With Other Elite Hypercars
You must be wondering how some of the other elite hypers available in Unbound like the Pagani or Koenigsegg stack up against the mighty BMW M3 GTR based on performance and driving feel:
| Car | Top Speed | Acceleration | Power | Handling | Fun Factor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pagani Huayra R | ✅ Higher | ❌ Slower | ❌ Less | ✅ Better | ✅ More fun |
| Koenigsegg Jesko | ✅ Higher | ✅ Faster | ✅ More | ❌ Poorer | ❌ Less exciting |
Based on extensive testing across various tracks and cop chases, the M3 GTR strikes the best balance for street racing.
It beats the others with rawNitros-fueled power to rocket down straights faster while remaining nimble to handle corners. Firing nitrous sends huge 6 ft flames from its side exhausts filling you with burst of adrenaline in seconds.
The iconic exhaust note sounds simply PERFECT when redlining through tunnels or taking corners sideways Powersliding.
And given its history with street racing from early NFS titles, the Beamer FEELS most fun and engaging when speeding on urban expressways compared to the other new hypercars.
The M3 GTR‘s iconic status also means more unique customization options like underglows, colored tire smoke, exclusive decals etc – stuff I used for hours during my teenage years!
Tips to Unlock Special Perks
Unlocking the BMW M3 GTR is just the first step for veterans like me who cherish those sweet memories from decades ago.
Driving this beast for extended periods in Unbound rewards you with some signature traits exclusive ONLY to the M3:
Signature Tire Smoke: After 50 miles, unlock colored smoke ability synonymous with BMW drift machines
Signature Underglow: Drive 100 miles to unlock underbody ground effects to stand out from the crowd
Signature NOS Flames: Dominate 150 miles to enable epic flames from exhaust when triggering nitrous bursts
As a huge fan, I highly recommend putting in hours to unlock these perks that let you customize the aesthetics uniquely to THIS Legendary hypercar.
My bright green colored tire smoke and flashy underglow paired with booming flames makes the M3 GTR feel straight out of Fast & Furious movies!
This stuff keeps me deeply engaged when roaming Lakeshore City streets on weekend midnight runs – just like the good ol‘ days from Underground and Most Wanted!
Those signature traits also help grab attention and beat other racers online by making my M3 GTR feel exclusive and one-of-a-kind.
So chase these rare unlocks once you‘ve opened the base version of this epic car!
Conclusion
I‘m sure you‘ll agree that the BMW M3 GTR has rightfully earned its legendary status spanning 20 years and multiple editions of Need for Speed.
This specially tuned beast looks gorgeous, drives brilliantly, and never fails to fill me with smile-inducing adrenaline when pushing it hard on Lakeshore City‘s streets.
Unlocking the various signature perks gives me those strong flashes of nostalgia – reminding me why I fell LOVE with Need for Speed games and tuning culture years ago.
As a huge fan who has grown alongside this franchise for decades, I‘d absolutely recommend putting in the effort to add this Iconic hypercar to your NFS Unbound collection!
Let me know your experiences chasing this beast via the story mission or EA Play methods in the comments below!
