BMW Returns to Le Mans with the BMW M Hybrid V8: WEC involvement from 2024

[Jason]

BIMMERPOST NEWS

BMW M Motorsport returns to Le Mans with the BMW M Hybrid V8: WEC involvement from 2024.

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• From the 2024 season, the BMW M Hybrid V8 will compete in the FIA World Endurance Championship, as well as the IMSA series.
• This will mark the first time a BMW M Motorsport prototype has challenged for overall victory at Le Mans since the legendary BMW V12 LMR triumphed there 25 years ago.
• The BMW M Hybrid V8 successfully completed its roll-out on Monday, 25th July, in Varano, and now enters an intensive phase of testing.

Munich, Germany- July 26, 2022... BMW M Motorsport returns to the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) and the 24 Hours of Le Mans (FRA) in 2024. One year after its debut season in the North American IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship in 2023, the new BMW M Hybrid V8 will also take on the topclass opposition in the Hypercars category in the official FIA World Endurance Championship. On Monday, 25th July, the first BMW M Motorsport prototype since the legendary BMW V12 LMR completed its first laps at the roll-out in Varano de Melegari (ITA).

“The decision to run the BMW M Hybrid V8 in the IMSA series from 2023, and the WEC from 2024, is a milestone for the project,” said Franciscus van Meel, CEO of BMW M GmbH. “I sampled and marvelled at the extraordinary flair of the 24 Hours of Le Mans during my first term as CEO of BMW M so I am very excited to be challenging for overall victory as BMW M Motorsport again at this classic and in the whole World Endurance Championship for the first time for decades. The BMW M Hybrid V8 represents a turning point towards electrification for BMW M. The IMSA series in North America and the WEC, which takes place all over the world, are the perfect platforms, on which to use our prototype to show how exciting electrified BMW M cars will be in the future.”

Andreas Roos, Head of BMW M Motorsport, said: “Due to the very tight schedule for the LMDh project, the plan has always been to focus on one field of application in the first season in 2023. The IMSA series is perfectly suited for this. However, our mid-term goal was obviously to race on two fronts with the BMW M Hybrid V8, and also to use the major platform provided by the WEC and the 24 Hours of Le Mans. We are now working determinedly towards this, at the same time as our programme in North America. We took the next important step on Monday. The car successfully completed its roll-out at Dallara in Varano de Melegari. We now start the intensive test work before the race debut in January 2023 at Daytona.”

The BMW M Hybrid V8 not only used the Dallara test track for its first functional test, but also spends several days on the track there this week. BMW M works drivers Connor De Phillippi (USA) and Sheldon van der Linde (RSA) alternate at the wheel. “It’s been an honour and a pleasure to complete the first laps of the BMW M Hybrid V8”, said De Phillippi after Monday’s roll-out. “This was a historic day for BMW M Motorsport within the LMDh project. Step by step we went through all functions of the car and by the end of the day we were able to do some laps with nearly full power, which is a good result for a roll-out. A huge thank you to everybody working so hard for this project at BMW M Motorsport, BMW M Team RLL, BMW M Team RMG and Dallara!”

More European tests are scheduled for August before BMW M Team RLL and a crew of BMW M Motorsport experts start IMSA-specific preparations with testing in the USA from September. Over the course of the test phase, numerous BMW M works drivers will be at the wheel. Who occupies the cockpits for the 2023 IMSA season will be decided at a later date. The same goes for the operations team for the WEC and the drivers for the 2024 season.

The year after next, BMW M Motorsport returns to Le Mans with a prototype for the first time since 1999. Back then, Joachim Winkelhock (GER), Pierluigi Martini (ITA) and Yannick Dalmas (FRA) took overall victory after 24 hours of racing in the BMW V12 LMR. In the same year, the car also triumphed at the 12 Hours of Sebring (USA), where its successor, the BMW M Hybrid V8, will compete in 2023.

BMW Returns to Le Mans with the BMW M Hybrid V8

[DocWeatherington]

It would be awesome if BMW did test drives of these...a special track day for fans

I would jizz....



Looking forward to the hybrid and tech advances making it to production cars too.

Congrats BMW and best wishes toward the series.

[NightWriter]

I approve. As does Mr. West, I presume

[Chihuahua]

At least they're functional...

[eljay]

Now, THAT'S a front grille I like. And after a long while, I am not being sarcastic. I do like it.
On the road cars, they should stretch the kidneys horizontally and not vertically like their recent design direction.

The whole car looks fantastic. Best of luck to the team.

[Tecnniqe]

Yeah when I heard these news I was happy that it seems like BMW is focusing more on Motorsport again, something I've felt they've been slowly falling out of.

Good news, at last

[mookie45]

Need sound vids!

Can't wait to see it at the Rolex next year 😃

[adc]

They wanted to inaugurate the car on the 50th anniversary year, 2022. But the car will only race in 2023. No biggie.

Biggest disappointment is it will miss the 100th anniversary of LeMans in 2023. Other big brands won’t miss that one, and it seems BMW just chickened out because of the intense competition. Quel dommage…

[AndrewC1989]

Originally Posted by NightWriter

I approve. As does Mr. West, I presume

That doesn't look like Kanye

[jdhiro]

I really hope that face trickles down to M street cars.

[Tag]

Originally Posted by eljay

Now, THAT'S a front grille I like. And after a long while, I am not being sarcastic. I do like it.
On the road cars, they should stretch the kidneys horizontally and not vertically like their recent design direction.

The whole car looks fantastic. Best of luck to the team.

Agreed. The grilles are wide, but not tall; which in turn makes the entire car look lower and wider. Always a winning combo.

[Drj161]

Originally Posted by eljay

Now, THAT'S a front grille I like. And after a long while, I am not being sarcastic. I do like it.
On the road cars, they should stretch the kidneys horizontally and not vertically like their recent design direction.

The whole car looks fantastic. Best of luck to the team.

Like the z4m40i. I really like the front. The stacked headlights give it a bit of a Porsche feel which looks really good on the z4 too. I just wish they made a proper hardtop coupe. Would definitely prefer that over the current 4 and 2.

[FC05]

Originally Posted by Tecnniqe

Yeah when I heard these news I was happy that it seems like BMW is focusing more on Motorsport again, something I've felt they've been slowly falling out of.

Good news, at last

Originally Posted by Tecnniqe

Yeah when I heard these news I was happy that it seems like BMW is focusing more on Motorsport again, something I've felt they've been slowly falling out of.

Good news, at last

Agree.
That's what I think, great to see BMW M back to major racing events with full support from M work team. It's been awhile now since they withdrew from F1 and seemed like they pulled out from motorsport to cut expenses and maximize profits by selling cars, glad they are back and hopefully dedicate to motor racing again after all this is where M all began.

[FrankMstein]

One guy looks like Jason Statham.

[BRAKE!]

Those grills look absolutely terrible. Gosh, what is up with this obsession of gigantic grills? I feel like bmw decided to emphasize the wrong aspect of their front fascia. There are manufacturers like Audi who can pull off huge grills but the BMW kidney grills just doesn’t lend itself to looking good while getting big.

[sahajesh]

They should have given the grills a black rim, not white.

It looks like someone used the draw straight line feature in PowerPoint, looks pretty bad.

[Mastakko]

Is there a link for this release, I'm trying to download the images and it's not working

[antzcrashing]

Awesome, now get into F1

[bimmerBiz]

Hybrid V8 coming to the next M5!!!! <3

[[/:\] GP9000]

Originally Posted by Mastakko

Is there a link for this release, I'm trying to download the images and it's not working

https://www.press.bmwgroup.com/deuts...24?language=de

There you go! (Its German, but you'll get the pics)

[[/:\] GP9000]

I'd be interested in the platform of this machine? Is it something build up from the ground by BMW M? Indeed design-wise its a looker, but that doesn't make it any faster. Or?

[dezzracer]

Originally Posted by Chihuahua

At least they're functional...