German automaker BMW M (Motorsports) has developed BMW M3 Pickup, featuring 420 horsepower from a high-revving V8 engine and a rear-axle load capacity of up to 450 kg.

The new vehicle completed extensive test and set-up drives on the Nürburgring’s Nordschleife in advance of its global unveiling this month.

The BMW M3 Pickup demonstrated its dynamic potential on the North Loop of the Nürburgring. Official lap times have not yet been released, but the needle in the dial vouched for a top speed of 300 km/hr, a statement said.

Measurements in the wind tunnel at the BMW Group’s aerodynamic test centre showed a Cd factor on a par with that of the BMW M3 Coupé.

The kerb weight of the world’s fastest pickup undercuts that of the BMW M3 convertible by around 50 kg. Removing the Targa roof shaves off a further 20 kg while at the same time lowering the car’s centre of gravity.

Said to hold up to 20 standard 46-inch golf bags, the load bed of the BMW M3 Pickup is clad in high-grade structured aluminium sheeting and provides the biggest cargo capacity ever offered on a BMW M vehicle, according to the statement.

However, the BMW M3 Pickup will retain its status as an exclusive one-off, the statement said.

It is earmarked for use as a workshop transport vehicle for BMW M, it added. – TradeArabia News Service