High performance serving safety: the new BMW M8 MotoGP™ Safety Car.

Spielberg. BMW M GmbH presents the new spearhead to the MotoGP Safety Car fleet: the BMW M8 MotoGP Safety Car. The 625 hp lead car is based on the BMW M8 Competition (combined fuel consumption: 10.6 – 10.5 l/100 km*; combined CO₂ emissions: 242 – 238 g/km*), which made its world debut at the BMW Group #NextGen at BMW Welt in Munich at the end of June. The new BMW M8 MotoGP Safety Car will make its first appearance this weekend, at the MotoGP Grand Prix at the Red Bull Ring in Austria.

Innovative high-performance automobiles for the safety of the top tier of motorcycles is the principle that has guided BMW M GmbH for more than 20 years as partner of MotoGP organiser Dorna Sports and ‘Official Car of MotoGP’. The Munich-based company has provided the official MotoGP Safety Car fleet since 1999 and the BMW M8 MotoGP Safety Car is the latest highlight in a long line of high-powered lead cars.

“The BMW M8 and the BMW M8 GTE were developed in parallel, and these racing genes distinguish the BMW M8 models in all areas,” said Markus Flasch, President of BMW M GmbH. “That’s why it was a logical step for us to choose the BMW M8 Competition as a basis for our new MotoGP safety car. Even in its production version, this high-performance automobile is suited to the racetrack. With its innovative technical features, it is yet another example of our quest to keep pushing the limit upwards. With the BMW M8 MotoGP Safety Car, we are really excited to present a new, powerful lead car for the top tier of motorcycle racing.”

The M power under the bonnet comes from the most powerful engine ever developed for a BMW M GmbH car. The high-revving V8 unit with M TwinPower Turbo technology develops 460 kW/625 hp. The high-performance power unit teams up with an eight-speed M Steptronic transmission with Drivelogic, and the engine’s power is channelled to the road via the M xDrive all-wheeldrive system. One of the features that stands out in particular is a newly developed integrated braking system, an M-specific version of which presents the driver with two different brake pedal feel settings.

The precise interaction between powertrain, chassis technology and aerodynamics has been carefully honed over the course of intensive testing at the BMW Group’s test track near Miramas in southern France, the winter testing centre in Arjeplog, Sweden and the Nürburgring’s Nordschleife circuit, along with other race circuits. Experience collected from the development of the BMW M8 GTE racing car also played a role in the configuration process. The performance-focused character of the engine, transmission and chassis allows the new BMW M8 Competition to power from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 3.2 seconds.

Painstaking manual work at the BMW M Manufaktur in Garching converted the high-performance base car into the BMW M8 MotoGP Safety Car, preparing it to appear as the course car in the world’s fastest motorcycle racing series. This process included the addition of numerous BMW M Performance Parts, many of which are available as retrofit parts for the BMW M8 production model. These emphasise the sporty appearance of the Safety Car and meet all the functional requirements for aerodynamics, cooling and lightweight construction. The transformation of the BMW M8 Competition to a MotoGP Safety Car was completed by the inclusion of special racing features and the necessary safety equipment.

Modifications for the BMW M8 MotoGP Safety Car.

• BMW M Performance titanium sport exhaust system*
• BMW M Performance carbon tail pipe finisher*
• BMW M Performance floor mats
• BMW M Performance carbon engine cover
• BMW M Performance carbon rear diffusor
• BMW M Performance steering wheel pro (with M Performance carbon cover and M Performance shift paddles)
• BMW M Performance carbon air breather side grill
• BMW M Performance carbon side skirts
• BMW M Performance logo decals
• Bonnet with ‘motorsport lock’
• Fuel suction pump
• Battery master switch
• Flashing corona headlight rings
• LED lights on the roof with bracket
• Front grille LED flasher
• RECARO racing seats with Schroth belts
• Roll cage
• Fire extinguisher with bracket
• Michelin Cup tyres
• Red foiled kidney grille
• Front spoiler with frozen black paint finish
• BMW floating hub cap
• BMW valve caps with M logo
• BMW M8 GTE rear wing
• Side skirts foiled black
• MotoGP livery
• Customised carbon flaps
• Light control panel

* not available in Europe

For more information about BMW M GmbH and the involvement as the ‘Official Car of MotoGP’, see: www.bmw-m.com

BMW M GmbH.

BMW M GmbH is a 100 per cent subsidiary of BMW AG. With its products and services in the business areas of BMW M Automobiles, BMW Individual, M Sports Options and Packages, BMW Driving Experience as well as Rescue and Operational Vehicles, it is geared towards customers with particularly high aspirations in terms of the performance, exclusivity and individual style of their vehicle. Based in Munich, the company was founded in 1972 as BMW Motorsport GmbH. Since then, the letter M has become synonymous all over the world for racing success and for the fascination of high-performance sports cars for road use.