Filed under: Motorsports (http://www.autoblog.com/category/motorsports/), Performance (http://www.autoblog.com/category/sports/), BMW (http://www.autoblog.com/category/bmw/), Specialty (http://www.autoblog.com/category/special-limited-editions/)
http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/04/bmw350r630-1270656733.jpg (http://www.autoblog.com/gallery/gsr-autosport-bmw-350r/#32)
GSR Autosport BMW 350R - Click above to watch the progress of the build

Formula DRIFT is recognized as the North American professional drifting championship series. Autoblog has been invited behind-the-scenes with GSR Autosport, and their driver Michael Essa, as the team builds, tests and campaigns a V10-powered BMW 350R during the 2010 racing season. This is the second installment in our series (see Part 1 (http://www.autoblog.com/2010/04/05/gsr-autosport-bmw-350r-part-i-we-help-build-a-formula-drift-r/)) as we follow the team throughout the creation, testing and race season.

Armed with a 2008 BMW (http://www.autoblog.com/make/bmw/) 335i coupe, a shattered BMW M5 (http://www.autoblog.com/model/m5) and boxes of components stacked around the shop, the team gets busy tearing the near-perfect 3 Series (http://www.autoblog.com/model/3+series) apart. The bumpers, doors, hood and trunk go first, followed by the glass sunroof and remaining sheet metal on the roof (hundreds of spot welds must be painstakingly drilled out). The stock twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter N54 is carefully removed and put aside. The interior is completely gutted and the heavy glass front, side and back windows are cut out. The chassis sits bare on the cold concrete shop floor.


Gallery: GSR Autosport BMW 350R (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/gsr-autosport-bmw-350r/low/)
http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/04/bmw350r01_thumbnail.jpg (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/gsr-autosport-bmw-350r/low/)http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/04/bmw350r02_thumbnail.jpg (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/gsr-autosport-bmw-350r/low/)http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/04/m5back_thumbnail.jpg (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/gsr-autosport-bmw-350r/low/)http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/04/m5front_thumbnail.jpg (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/gsr-autosport-bmw-350r/low/)http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/04/bmw350r12_thumbnail.jpg (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/gsr-autosport-bmw-350r/low/)
Continue reading GSR Autosport BMW 350R: Part II - We decimate a 335i and a Formula Drift racecar materializes (http://www.autoblog.com/2010/04/07/gsr-autosport-bmw-350r-part-ii-we-decimate-a-335i-and-a-formu/)
GSR Autosport BMW 350R: Part II - We decimate a 335i and a Formula Drift racecar materializes (http://www.autoblog.com/2010/04/07/gsr-autosport-bmw-350r-part-ii-we-decimate-a-335i-and-a-formu/) originally appeared on Autoblog (http://www.autoblog.com) on Wed, 07 Apr 2010 14:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds (http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/).


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