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BMW will return to top-flight racing next year by participating in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship North America with its new M Hybrid V8. Confirming what motorsport fans want to hear, M boss Franciscus van Meel has announced hybrid race cars will also compete in the World Endurance Championship starting in 2024. That includes taking part in what is arguably the most prestigious endurance race – the 24 Hours of Le Mans. .
To celebrate the announcement of its WEC entry, BMW has released new images of the M Hybrid V8 at Varano de Melegari where it completed its launch on the Dallara test track. There is still a lot of work to be done until January 2023 when his racing debut will take place at Daytona. Additional European tests are scheduled for August before work begins on IMSA-specific tweaks in the United States from September.
38 Photo
The M Hybrid V8 with its ultra-wide kidney grille will be powered by a new P66/3 engine that traces its origins in DTM, specifically the naturally aspirated P66/1 used by the M4 DTM during the 2017 and 2018 seasons. The 4.0-liter unit has gained a pair of turbochargers. and it can spin up to 8,200 rpm while making 640 hp and 650 Nm (478 lb-ft) of torque, but that is subject to regulations.
There’s a lot to drive in the M Hybrid V8 as it will serve as a spiritual successor to the V12 LMR, which won at Le Mans in 1999. The LMDh engine will face stiff competition in endurance racing as it will fight the likes of the Porsche 963, Acura ARX-06, and Cadillac Grand Touring Prototype Hypercar.
BMW’s WEC commitment comes at a time when the M division is celebrating 50 years of prolific presence on the road and track. So far in 2022, the “world’s most powerful letter” has been used not only for the M Hybrid V8 and M4 GT4, but also for road machines such as the M3 Touring and M4 CSL.
Later this year, the modern CSL 3.0 will pay homage to the special namesake homologation of the early 1970s.
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