BMW Motorsport showed its new M8 GTE race car in motorsports livery at the Frankfurt International Motor Show on September 12. The car had been shown before in camouflage on the track; this was the first time that it appeared in motorsport colors.
The new car, which is being tested this year, will run in 2018 in the FIA World Endurance Series, including the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and in the IMSA WeatherTech Series in the US. BMW Team MTEK, which has been testing the M8 GTE, will run two cars in WEC. The team that will run the car in IMSA has not yet been disclosed; BMW Team RLL, which runs BMW’s current IMSA program, is a contender.
BMW motorsport director Jens Marquardt said, “The BMW M8 GTE is our new GT flagship and will go head to head with the strong opposition in this sector. For us, the presentation of the uncamouflaged car at the IAA is the next important step on the road to our first race outing, which we plan to be the 24 Hours of Daytona in 2018. The FIA WEC and the IMSA series in North America are a top competitive environment for our new challenger. With the BMW M8 GTE, we are bringing cutting-edge technology to the top international class of GT racing, while at the same time tying in with our tradition at Le Mans. The development of the BMW M8 GTE is on schedule, and we can hardly wait to see the car challenging for victories in 2018.”
The technical specs that BMW has released are presented below.
A link to the video of the rollout at the Frankfurt show from BMW Group Sport’s Facebook page appears here. Be forewarned; there are over two minutes of music before the rollout begins, and the audio track features English over German. Still, the presentation provides BMW fans with a taste of what they will see next year.—Brian S. Morgan
BMW M8 GTE: Technical Details.
Dimensions
Length without rear wing: 4,980 mm
Width without mirrors: 2,046 mm
Width with mirrors: 2,224 mm
Height: 1,212 mm (variable)
Wheelbase: 2,880 mm
Engine
Model: V8 engine with BMW TwinPower
Turbo Technology
Capacity: 3,981 cc
Number of cylinders: 8
V angle: 90°
Bore: 89 mm
Stroke: 80 mm
Cylinder spacing: 98 mm
Engine speed: approx. 7,000 rpm
Body
• Composite body with carbon core and DMSB-approved safety roll cage
• CFRP outer shell with quick-change concept
Chassis
• Double wishbones on front and rear axle
• Four-way adjustable shock absorbers at front and rear
• Anti-roll bars with quick adjustment
Power Transmission
• Six-speed sequential motorsport gearbox
• Electric paddle shift system
• Limited slip differential
• CFRP drive shaft
• Sachs carbon-fiber clutch
Electronics
• BMW Motorsport in-house developed software functions for engine,
gearbox and driver assistance
• Steering wheel with 16 buttons and seven dials
• Rear-view camera system with object recognition
• High-performance headlights with OSRAM LED elements
• Live telemetry system for vehicle monitoring
Wheels/Tires
• BMW Aero rims: 12.5x18 inch on the front axle, 13x18 inch on the rear axle
• Michelin tires: 30/68 R18 on the front axle, 31/71 R18 on the rear axle
