Forza Motorsport, a game celebrated for its detailed car models, unfortunately, falls short when it comes to the iconic 2002 E46 BMW M3 GTR Strassenversion. This issue, which has been present since Forza Motorsport 2, stems from an inaccurate base model shared with the standard E46 M3 within the game. As highlighted in a detailed report concerning the standard E46 M3’s flaws [https://forums.forza.net/t/cars-bmw-m3-e46-2005-inaccurate-car-model/703336], the GTR version inherits these very same discrepancies, despite its unique and revered status.
One of the most glaring issues lies in the front end design. The proportions are significantly off, most notably with the bumper appearing to protrude excessively. This is due to the grille and headlight section of the front fascia being incorrectly recessed into the car’s body. Furthermore, the bumper’s air intakes suffer from shape inaccuracies. They are rendered too large, and critically, the areas surrounding the side intakes lack the correct rounded contours seen on the real 2002 E46 M3 GTR.
Moving to the side profile, the inaccuracies persist with disproportionately large wheels that negatively impact the car’s stance and visual appeal. Beyond size, the wheels themselves exhibit inaccurate shapes and a noticeable lack of detail, appearing low quality in their rendering. Specifically, the rear wheels fail to capture the correct level of concavity, a key design element of the real 2002 E46 M3 GTR’s wheel design.
The rear of the 2002 E46 BMW M3 GTR in Forza Motorsport also presents a collection of errors. Notably, the game inexplicably replaces the factory carbon fiber rear spoiler with a standard E46 M3 lip, despite the correct GTR spoiler being available as a customization option within the game. Further down, the rear bumper appears overly large in comparison to the rest of the car’s body, disrupting the intended proportions. Even the exhaust tips are incorrectly positioned. Adding to the list, the taillights are rendered with surprisingly low quality, and the reverse/fog light sections are erroneously colored red instead of the correct white. These cumulative rear-end issues strongly suggest that the in-game GTR model is simply a modification of the standard, flawed E46 M3 model, rather than a dedicated, accurate representation of the GTR Strassenversion.
Given the significance and prestige of the 2002 E46 BMW M3 GTR Strassenversion, and BMW’s own collection of display models, it is reasonable to propose that Turn 10 Studios consider borrowing an actual car for a comprehensive 3D scan. Both the GTR Strassenversion and the standard E46 M3 models in Forza Motorsport would greatly benefit from a complete rescan to rectify these long-standing inaccuracies and deliver the level of detail and authenticity that players expect.
