Right now, BMW’s buyer racing program is well-known and revered — you could possibly pretty name it a touchstone of the model. Nevertheless it wasn’t all the time that method. Since 1972, BMW Motorsport has constructed buyer race automobiles, however most weren’t fitted to North America because of differing rules. Guidelines and restrictions usually 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 help factory-built racers. However racers within the U.S. weren’t sure to the homebrew strategy perpetually. In 2013, issues modified drastically.
Official BMW race automobiles discovered their method Stateside when longtime BMW racer Will Turner imported two used Z4 GT3s, prompting BMW NA to help them. Turner wasn’t actually somebody BMW might ignore; Turner Motorsport had already received six skilled championships. Most impressively, these wins got here from the cockpit of race-converted road automobiles, quite than automobiles with any form of manufacturing facility backing or help. BMW was snug with the danger — in spite of everything, it was “simply” two full blown race automobiles — and prompted the corporate to develop the beginnings of what would change into a buyer racing help construction. The automotive’s success within the 2014 GTD class additional motivated efforts. Turner didn’t cease there; used Z4s had been seemingly simply the worth of admission. The true attraction was the M6 GT3. Extremely, Turner acquired the primary and second automobiles constructed, paying €379,000 for every in 2016.
The M235i Racing Units the Tempo and Paves the Approach Ahead
On the similar time, BMW Motorsport was growing the entry-level M235i Racing. It was meant as an inexpensive, turnkey race automotive. U.S. curiosity grew, notably from performance-oriented BMW dealerships, ten of which pledged help 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 Traditional BMW’s Toby Grahovec solely ending off-podium twice within the 12-race sequence.
The M235i Racing rapidly proved dependable, aggressive, and transformative — driving large adoption and revealing new challenges, reminiscent of adapting European race automobiles for warmer, higher-altitude American circuits. Possibly most significantly, it was actually inexpensive: in 2016, pricing was from $65,854. The success of the M235i program helped BMW globalize its customer-racing improvement and influenced the design of the M4 GT4, which was deliberately constructed on a U.S.-spec platform for simpler help. Robust demand adopted, with many groups progressing from the M235i to the M4 GT4, and ultimately to the brand new G82-based M4 GT3 launched in 2022.
Right now, BMW NA’s buyer racing ecosystem contains 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 position — reinforcing BMW’s efficiency identification as its manufacturing facility program focuses on hybrid prototypes. In accordance with BMW management, buyer groups racing BMW’s inline-six-powered GT automobiles ship a uniquely genuine model message amid a subject 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 identification — in North America and past.
Supply: BMW USA
