Alastair's BLE 2 Blog

Ally Evans

BMW will once again serve as the Safety Car for MotoGP events, but this time, the X6M was shown the door while the new 1-Series M Coupe was dressed up to play the part.

The BMW Safety Car is a one-off model built especially for this race series, with only the twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six with 340 horsepower and drivetrain being kept from the original model. The goal for the transformation of the car was weight loss. The M Coupe Safety Car received a carbon fiber reinforced bonnet with additional large air vents and polycarbonate side and rear windows. A lightweight titanium race exhaust system was also used to reduce the car’s overall weight. On the boot lid, there is an adjustable rear wing to provide the requisite downforce, while the aerodynamically honed front apron features an additional splitter integrated on the underside of the apron.

For the BMW 1-Series M Coupe to fully cope with the track life, it received a high performance suspension system with an adjustable race track set-up, a sport tuned chassis, and special 19" wheels with tires measuring 255/35 at the front and 285/30 at the rear. The original brakes from the 1-Series have also been replaced by a six-piston fixed-caliper racing brake system.

The interior has also been adapted for the race series. A rollover cage was bolted behind the B-pillar and new front racing bucket seats were put in as standard with 6-point safety belts. The M steering wheels has also been modified with Alcantara dressing. Additional weight was shed with the removal of the rear seats.