BMW shows the first competition version of its new 3-series

BMW's next World Touring Car Championship (WTCC) contender was unveiled at the Frankfurt Show, quietly hidden away at one end of the BMW 'building' out of the limelight taken by the new Z4 Coupe. Based on the latest version of the 3-series saloon, the competition 320si is an offshoot from the special edition showroom 320si model on sale later in the year and is designed with the intention of winning next year's FIA WTCC.

As such it complies to the FIA Super 2000 regulations and will go on sale to customer race outfits, meaning the 320si will appear in a host of national domestic series as well as the WTCC and there is even the possibility of works entries in the series. Over 100 racing versions of the previous generation 3-series have been sold and BMW Motorsport boss Mario Thiessen is keen to continue the traditional success of BMW tin tops with BMW's current 3-series currently set to win both driver's and manufacturer's titles in this year's series.

An inline four-cylinder 2-litre engine producing 275bhp in race trim powers the lightweight 1,140kg race car. The production version will feature the same configuration albeit with significantly less power, likely to be closer to 150bhp. Also fitted to the race car, but unlikely to make production, are gargantuan 332mm brake discs gripped by four-pot callipers at the front complemented by 280mm discs and two-pot callipers at the rear.

What may make the production version are the beefed up looks with the rear spoiler, front and rear bumpers and broader wheelarches. The production 320si goes on sale this winter with the race version making its debut early next year.