BMW M3 Lime Rock Park Edition (2013)

The 2013 BMW M3 Lime Rock Park Edition is a 200-car US offering developed around the relationship between BMW and the Connecticut circuit. Its Fire Orange finish, selected performance equipment and edition identifiers form a defined package on the E92 M3 coupé.

Record: BMW-078 · Limited US market edition · Germany · 2013.

Specifications and rarity

An M3 edition linked to a Connecticut racing circuit

BMW announced it in July 2012 for the 2013 model year. The workbook’s 2012 date is retained as the announcement context, while the profile title and model-year field follow the factory’s explicit designation.

This is a track-themed customer edition, not a new race-car class or the M3 GTS under another name. The two cars share an orange visual association, but their mechanical briefs and production identities are different. The count of 200 applies to the original Lime Rock Park edition group.

The circuit relationship gives the name historical substance

BMW’s announcement describes collaboration with Lime Rock Park and circuit owner Skip Barber. Factory photographs document an evaluation prototype at the track, with Bill Auberlen involved in the programme.

That context explains why the circuit name appears on a road-car edition. The car commemorates a relationship between brand, venue and driving community, rather than claiming that a roadgoing M3 is mechanically identical to a professional racing machine.

The distinction also matters to the photographs. Images of the evaluation prototype document the edition’s development and specification, but they should not be described as pictures of a particular numbered customer delivery unless the source establishes that identity.

Fire Orange and a specific cabin combination

The factory specification pairs Fire Orange with Anthracite and Black cloth seating and Nappa leather trim. This combination differentiates the package from a car ordered with the same paint but another interior.

The carbon-fiber roof is retained, and the original announcement identifies Competition Package equipment. These choices give the edition a performance-oriented appearance and setup while preserving its role as a roadgoing M3.

A coherent edition identity comes from the combination. Paint, seat materials, equipment and factory records work together; no single photograph of an orange body can establish membership in the original 200-car offering.

Selected components rather than a new GTS engine programme

BMW lists an inconel-titanium exhaust muffler, carbon-fiber aerodynamic additions and an Alcantara-covered flat-bottom steering wheel. These are specific parts of the edition brief, rather than grounds to assign it the larger engine of the M3 GTS.

Materials such as titanium can be used where component mass and operating conditions matter, but the presence of one lightweight component does not by itself establish a complete vehicle weight reduction. This profile therefore avoids an unsupported edition weight claim.

The comparison with the GTS clarifies the distinction. The Lime Rock Park offering selects a track-associated equipment package for the US M3 coupé. The GTS is a separate development with a larger V8 and a more concentrated circuit configuration.

The numbered plaque defines a shared edition group

The factory announcement describes a numbered center-console plaque, a unique rear-quarter-window decal and a certificate of authenticity. These are useful identity features within the original offering.

A numbered group still requires a clear scope. Two hundred is the edition limit, not two hundred cars for every transmission or color. The original specification sets out the package as a single US-market series.

The profile does not convert that limit into a current census of remaining cars. Ownership and condition can change, while the historical allocation remains fixed. Keeping the two questions separate gives the rarity statement a documented basis.

Factory prototype photography and the customer edition

The supplied clean factory photographs come from evaluation of the edition prototype at Lime Rock Park. Their captions preserve that context, rather than presenting the photographed car as an individually numbered customer example.

Prototype evidence can be valuable when the factory explicitly identifies its relationship to the edition. It shows the intended appearance and physical project, while the production count still comes from the announcement’s customer-series statement.

The edition occupies its own place beside Frozen Gray and the DTM Champion Edition. Each translates a different market or commemorative brief into a defined factory package. Treating them as separate records preserves the reason each group exists and avoids conflating shared E92 hardware with identical edition identity.

Frequently asked questions

How many Lime Rock Park Editions were offered?

200 cars for the United States.

What is the correct model year?

2013; BMW announced the edition in July 2012.

What exterior color was used?

Fire Orange.

How was the edition numbered?

BMW describes a numbered center-console plaque and an authenticity certificate.

Is it an M3 GTS?

No. It is a separate US track-themed equipment edition of the E92 M3 coupé.

What do the supplied photographs show?

The factory evaluation prototype identified with the edition, not a claimed numbered customer delivery.

Explore related verified BMW profiles

• BMW M3 GTS E92 (2010)
• BMW M3 Frozen Gray US Edition (2011)
• BMW M3 DTM Champion Edition (2013)

Sources and photo credits

• BMW USA: 2013 M3 Lime Rock Park Edition announcement
• BMW USA: 2026 heritage display; Lime Rock proof-of-concept distinguished

Photo: BMW AG / BMW Group PressClub · Press/editorial use only. BMW-supplied press photograph under BMW PressClub terms. Original supplied photograph retained without local cropping or content alteration.

Photo: BMW AG / BMW Group PressClub · Press/editorial use only. BMW-supplied press photograph under BMW PressClub terms. Original supplied photograph retained without local cropping or content alteration.