The BMW M Hybrid V8 has arrived in North America and will race in the GTP Class.
BMW M are going all out on their 50th anniversary. They have just shown their BMW M Hybrid V8 in North America with its full racing colours for the first time. The vehicle was shown at the Petersen Museum in LA.
The BMW M Hybrid V8 is the first prototype vehicle developed by BMW M Motorsport in 25 years. It will compete in the GTP class of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship next year.
Besides showing the car for the first time, BMW M also announced their driver lineup for the race: Connor De Phillippi, Philipp Eng, Augusto Farfus, Nick Yelloly.
The livery itself was quite a talking point. It represents a significant departure from the heritage-based ‘Icons of IMSA’ camouflage. It features iconic M colours and the M logo in fractal blocks. The design also features ‘Mbedded’ references to the BMW logo as well as blue and purple elements to signify the electrical element of the hybrid powertrain. There is also a matte black extension ahead of the cockpit and beneath the driver’s side of the windscreen. Most of the other black areas of the car will be in unfinished carbon fibre.
Other aspects of the design that were seen for the first time include the laser-lit kidney grilles. The lighting here comes from Swiss company L.E.S.S., and uses a new approach to LED lighting. It features nano-active optical fibres that are triggered by a laser for an ultra-bright and uniform light from a small form factor. It also saves weight and energy.
From the side, a sort-of shark nose design becomes more apparent and there’s a boomerang-shaped guide vane behind the front arch reminiscent of the BMW M4’s air breather.
Here are some specifications for the BMW M Hybrid V8 race car:
| Type | V-shaped Otto four-stroke twin-turbo engine |
| Capacity | 3,999 cc |
| Number of cylinders | 8 |
| Cylinder design | Cast aluminium cylinder block and cylinder head, cylinder lining as iron layer in LDS procedure |
| V angle | 90 ° |
| Bore | 93 mm |
| Stroke | 73.6 mm |
| Cylinder spacing | 102 mm |
| Valves per cylinder | 4 |
| Engine speed | max. 8,200 rpm |
| Output (regulated) | approx. 640 hp |
| Torque | approx. 650 Nm |
| Injection | High-pressure direct injection at 350 bar |
| Oil system | Dry sump system with six-cell oil drain pump and oil tank |
