Munich. Next year is set to be a good year for private BMW
drivers and teams who battle for race wins and titles around the
world. BMW is offering customers with a passion for grassroots
motorsport and club racing a global service and technical support.
Furthermore, the model range is being successively renewed. Leading
the way in 2020 is a new entry-level race car, based on the BMW M2
Competition (combined fuel consumption in l/100 km: 10.0–9.8;
combined CO2 emissions in g/km: 227–224), which is
equally suited to racing at club and professional levels.
The successor to the BMW M240i Racing, is currently being developed
and tested. The focus is on easy handling – with the highest technical
quality and maximum safety. The first cars are to be delivered at the
start of the second quarter of 2020. A maiden test under race
conditions is planned for round five of the VLN Endurance Championship
at the Nürburgring (GER) on 3rd August 2019.
The BMW M2 Competition is setting fresh benchmarks in the compact
high-performance sports car segment. It’s powered by a six-cylinder
in-line engine with M TwinPower Turbo Technology, based on the power
unit from the BMW M3/M4, with three-litre cubic capacity, delivering
410 bhp with a peak torque of 550 Nm. Creating a race version of this
model was a logical step.
Furthermore, the Customer Racing service concept is to be expanded by
building and developing competence centres in the USA and Asia. To
achieve this, experienced partners will be commissioned to support
teams at a local level with a high degree of motorsport expertise.
On the distribution and service side, dealers with a focus on
motorsport will be established around the world. They will offer
optimal customer care, in line with BMW’s high standards, thanks to
special training. This new area offers the ideal entry opportunity for
BMW drivers who have, for example, fallen in love with motor racing
whilst on BMW Driving Experience training courses.
“Our new offering will allow us to bring motorsport even closer to
our customers in the future,” said Markus Flasch, President of BMW M
GmbH. “With the new entry-level model, based on our BMW M2
Competition, we are showing a strong commitment to Customer Racing in
general. At the same time, we are also starting to establish the BMW M
club racing sector. Future BMW M special editions will be particularly
relevant in this regard. The presence on the club racing scene sees us
close the gap between our motorsport training courses within the BMW
Driving Experience and grassroots racing series. With our dealers
focussing on motorsport, which we plan to establish around the world,
and the additional competence centres, we want to offer the best
possible service and a professional supply of spare parts outside of
Europe, as well as efficient customer care on a local level –
regardless of whether the customer in question is an entry-level
driver or a professional.”
BMW Group Motorsport Director Jens Marquardt added: “It is fantastic
to be able to take BMW’s Customer Racing programme to the next level
with the new club racing sector, as well as the associated setting up
of global service and distribution structures. Customer racing at BMW
has arguably never been as diverse as it will be from next season.
With the new entry-level model – the successor to the BMW M240i Racing
– we are, on the one hand, offering our grass-roots customers
continuity. On the other hand, we are also addressing a new target
group with the club level variant.”