√Exclusive photos from the unveil of the BMW M Hybrid V8

24 Sep, 2022 Post a Comment

The Petersen Museum in Los Angeles hosted last night the unveil of the BMW M Hybrid V8. The new and exciting racing car was the subject of countless teasers over the last few months, but it was now the time to reveal its last secrets. And one of them was the official racing livery. While the prototypes featured a funky, yet cool camo, this new livery brings even more excitement to the unique design. The M Hybrid V8 racing car was unveiled in front of BMW M CEO Franciscus van Meel, Head of BMW M Motorsport Andreas Roos, IMSA President John Doonan, and the owners of BMW M Team RLL, Bobby Rahal, David Letterman and Patrick Lanigan.

Inspiration from M Vision Next

The stunning paint job features a deconstructed M logo and colors to form abstract triangular pattern across the racing car’s body design. The design also features “Mbedded” references to the BMW logo, and utilizes both blue and purple elements to pronounce the natural colors of electricity. There are also plenty of Easter eggs waiting to be discovered. Additionally, the works livery carries a matte black extension ahead of the cockpit beneath the driver’s side of the windscreen.

But of course, it was the light show that stole the show. Pun intended. The laser-lit kidney is inspired by the equally stunning BMW M Vision Next. In true BMW fashion, the kidney follows the “form over function” philosophy by helping with cooling, aerodynamics and downforce. And if the kidney grille was not enough to remind us of their roots, BMW also used signature twin headlights on each side. The M Vision Next was also the inspiration behind these lights.

Out back, the massive diffuser sweeps up into the taillights, a one piece design with angular shapes. The massive diffuser reminds us that this racing car means business, while the rear wing builds up the much needed downforce. Even the Hofmeister kink makes an appearance along the window showing that BMW tries to stay true to their icons.

V8 Hybrid with 697 horsepower

Speaking of BMW staying true to their core philosophy – transferring tech from the track to the road – the BMW M Hybrid V8 uses the same drivetrains as the upcoming XM, naturally with the required racing changes. The internal combustion engine has its origins in the P66/1 unit used by the M4 DTM in the 2017 and 2018 seasons. It has gone through major changes by adopting a twin-turbo setup compared to its original naturally aspirated configuration used in the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters.

For the LMDh race car, the engineers not only had to develop a new combustion engine but also add the necessary hybrid hardware to meet the series’ regulations. Specifically, all prototypes will be fitted with an electric motor from Bosch, a battery pack developed by Williams Advanced Engineering, and an Xtrac transmission. The new twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8 develops approximately 697 horsepower (640 regulated) and 650 Newton-meters (478 pound-feet) of torque.

Next outing for the BMW M Hybrid V8 is scheduled next week at Petit Le Mans, while the official race debut will take place in January 2023 at the Daytona 24 Hours. The highly awaited head-to-head with Porsche will continue in 2024 with the Le Mans 24 Hours. The team will run two full-time cars in IMSA GTP, driven by Connor de Phillippi, Philipp Eng, Augusto Farfus, and Nick Yelloly. Colton Herta, a reigning LMP2 winner in class at Daytona, will also join the team.