Right this moment, BMW’s buyer racing program is well-known and revered — you can pretty name it a touchstone of the model. Nevertheless it wasn’t all the time that manner. Since 1972, BMW Motorsport has constructed buyer race automobiles, however most weren’t suited to North America on account of differing rules. Guidelines and restrictions typically vacillate wildly from their European counterparts. For years, U.S. privateers needed to convert road automobiles into race automobiles as a result of BMW NA lacked the infrastructure to assist factory-built racers. However racers within the U.S. weren’t certain to the homebrew strategy ceaselessly. In 2013, issues modified drastically.
Official BMW race automobiles discovered their manner Stateside when longtime BMW racer Will Turner imported two used Z4 GT3s, prompting BMW NA to assist them. Turner wasn’t actually somebody BMW may ignore; Turner Motorsport had already received six skilled championships. Most impressively, these wins got here from the cockpit of race-converted road automobiles, slightly than automobiles with any type of manufacturing unit backing or assist. BMW was snug with the danger — in any case, it was “simply” two full blown race automobiles — and prompted the corporate to develop the beginnings of what would grow to be a buyer racing assist construction. The automotive’s success within the 2014 GTD class additional motivated efforts. Turner didn’t cease there; used Z4s have been seemingly simply the worth of admission. The actual attraction was the M6 GT3. Extremely, Turner received the primary and second automobiles constructed, paying €379,000 for every in 2016.
The M235i Racing Units the Tempo and Paves the Method Ahead
On the similar time, BMW Motorsport was creating the entry-level M235i Racing. It was meant as an reasonably priced, turnkey race automotive. U.S. curiosity grew, notably from performance-oriented BMW dealerships, ten of which pledged assist and curiosity to the product. BMW NA labored to safe EPA approval and adapt the automotive for Pirelli World Problem competitors in 2016. The M235i Racing took house the gold, with Basic BMW’s Toby Grahovec solely ending off-podium twice within the 12-race sequence.
The M235i Racing rapidly proved dependable, aggressive, and transformative — driving vast adoption and revealing new challenges, comparable to adapting European race automobiles for warmer, higher-altitude American circuits. Perhaps most significantly, it was actually reasonably priced: in 2016, pricing was from $65,854. The success of the M235i program helped BMW globalize its customer-racing growth and influenced the design of the M4 GT4, which was deliberately constructed on a U.S.-spec platform for simpler assist. Sturdy demand adopted, with many groups progressing from the M235i to the M4 GT4, and finally to the brand new G82-based M4 GT3 launched in 2022.
Right this moment, BMW NA’s buyer racing ecosystem consists of GT3, GT4, and entry-level M2 Racing fashions competing throughout IMSA, GTD, and different sequence. Supported by devoted technical employees and 16 Motorsport Facilities, buyer racing now performs a significant advertising and marketing position — reinforcing BMW’s efficiency id as its manufacturing unit program focuses on hybrid prototypes. Based on BMW management, buyer groups racing BMW’s inline-six-powered GT automobiles ship a uniquely genuine model message amid a area dominated by V8s. What started as a workaround for decided privateers has developed right into a thriving, world-class ecosystem. Buyer racing arguably defines BMW’s racing id — in North America and past.
Supply: BMW USA
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