BmwM3

The BMW M3 is already one of Germany's best Autobahn burners, but U.S.-based tuning company Active Autowerke has taken BMW's pride-and-joy M car to the next level.

That's not a real Audi R8 pictured above. That's a 1:18-scale Kyosho die-cast model, fitted with a Modell-Lichtsystem (ML) illumination kit. The ML light packages can turn a model car with photo-realistic detail into something that's almost a smaller version of the real thing. On the BMW M3's lighting, for instance, the cornering lights illuminate when the model car's wheels are turned, and if you stomp on the tiny brake pedal, the taillamps light up.

Just a couple of years into its run, this is your slightly revised BMW M3, free of camo save for the taillights. The photog on the scene said there is nothing we should expect from the next Munich mauler save for new LED lamps in back and an updated interior. We speculate that cabin changes will include upgraded materials and lines that bring it closer to its recently unveiled siblings higher up the food chain. And that should be enough to keep everyone happy while BMW and M3 mavens focus on the M3 GTS.

Well that was fast. As well it should be. Because what you're looking at is the most hardcore roadgoing M3 to date. It's called the GTS - not, as had been previously speculated, the CSL, GT or GT4 Street - and after seeing a few spy shots and some speculated details, BMW has just released its first official information on the most extreme machine in its stable.

We're not sure what to believe anymore. A bit over a year ago, reports surfaced that BMW was planning a successor to the E90-generation M3 CSL, a highly coveted, track-focused version of its legendary sports coupe. Within a month, the Bavarian automaker had announced that it was canceling the program. And then these photos show up.

Ah, the Swedes, with their eye for tuning and their wide open spaces to run in. A gent named Johan stuck an M-Division S85 V10 in an E30 M3, and the results look nothing short of devastating. No surprise when you add Big Power + Light Car. Stack it up against a current M3 on a runway, and what you have is a cameraman trying to film a black speck in the distance. According to and M5Board forum user the M3 V10 got up to 288 km (179 mph) during the run. Follow the jump to watch the video and see it happen.

Autoblog reader Conor sent us this photo of Santa Monica Blvd. in Southern California where a billboard advertising the new Audi A4 has apparently been up for months. The ad throws down a gauntlet at the feet of BMW with an image of the new A4 and the statement, "Your move, BMW." Whether by design or by happenstance, the Munich-based brand recently made its move, hoisting up a billboard across the street that displays the high-performance M3 and the word "Checkmate." Ouch. We're sure Audi will have more to say when the RS4/5 arrives sometime in the near future, but for now, BMW appears to have the final word in this billboard chess match.

Ouch. After taking an off-track excursion and narrowly missing major guardrail contact, the driver of this BMW M3 tries to just power back onto the track. Not so fast says the berm as it totally tears up the undercarriage. The driver's miscalculation leaves this high-performance 3-series high centered and in need of a push, and the car likely sustained more damage before its wheels were once again solidly on tarmac. Check it out after the jump. Thanks for the tip, Fred!