[Auto] First Development BMW M4 GT3 Rolled Out

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BMW had the first rollout test of their new for 2022 M4 GT3 last Saturday in Dingolfing, Germany.

BMW works driver Augusto Farfus undertook a day of initial testing and systems checks ahead of the car’s first track test at BMW’s test centre at Miramas in Southern France next week.

BRA) heralded the next phase of preparations, taking the new car out onto the streets for the first time. Despite facing many challenges, the BMW M4 GT3 has so far completed all the development steps according to plan and will travel to Miramas (FRA) for initial tests next week.

The new GT car will replace the BMW M6 GT3 from the 2022 season.

“It is always an emotional moment when a newly-developed BMW race car takes to the track for the first time,” said BMW Motorsport chief Jens Marquardt. “This time, however, I am particularly proud. Given the difficult conditions of the past few months, it is quite remarkable that we have managed to implement our development programme as planned, and whilst complying with the BMW Group’s strict safety and hygiene regulations throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, have managed to stick to the date originally envisaged for the rollout of the BMW M4 GT3. I’d like to say a big thank you to everyone who has shown such commitment and the passion we have become accustomed to in the face of the extraordinary challenges faced in recent months, and who have overcome these challenges imperiously. Thanks to the very close and intensive collaboration with our colleagues at BMW M GmbH, we have been able to use the basis provided by the new BMW M4 production model to develop a race car that has everything it needs to continue the successful history of BMW Motorsport as a new GT icon.”

Markus Flasch, CEO of BMW M GmbH: “With every BMW M4, we are taking motor racing technology to the streets. That is particularly true of the new BMW M4 Coupé, which forms the perfect basis for the race car. The straight six-cylinder engine with M TwinPower turbo technology and high-rev concept is used in both the production car and the race car. Our engineers designed the power unit from the outset with performance characteristics derived straight from the world of motor racing. We are confident that this approach will pay dividends in terms of performance and driving pleasure for both our GT3 customer teams at the racetrack and for our customers who purchase a new BMW M4 or BMW M3.”

The BMW M4 GT3 will contest its first races, in development trim in 2021 before being offered for customer saes for 2022.

“It was fantastic and a great honour for me to be able to drive the first few metres in the new BMW M4 GT3,” said Farfus after the rollout. “I have been involved in the development of several BMW race cars and am always particularly pleased to be a part of such an important project. Although our main job during the rollout is to perform functional tests, I had a good feeling in the car from the outset and am already looking forward to the tests scheduled for the coming months.”

The development process began back at the start of 2019 with CFD computer simulations. The engine, generating more than 500 hp, took to the test stand in Munich in February, while initial tests were performed in the BMW Group wind tunnel from the middle of the year, using a 60-percent scale model of the car. The first test chassis of the BMW M4 GT3 was produced at the BMW Group plant in Regensburg in early 2020. After that, the test car used for the rollout was assembled within roughly six weeks in the BMW Motorsport workshop.