After the BMW Z4 GT3 crowned its final major appearance at the Total 24 Hours of Spa with victory for BMW Sports Trophy Team Marc VDS, the anticipation among BMW Motorsport and its customer teams is now rising ahead of the arrival of the BMW M6 GT3. The new car will take over as the manufacturer’s figurehead on the GT racing scene, and will do battle for victory and titles in many racing series around the world. The car features thoroughbred racing technology: the BMW M6 GT3 has incorporated many findings from BMW Motorsport’s works projects – while at the same time ensuring reasonable costs for customers.
Just days after the BMW Z4 GT3’s final grand hurrah in the Belgian region of the Ardennes, new details of the car’s successor have now been released. On this day, the BMW M6 GT3 will be presented for the first time in a BMW Motorsport racing design, without camouflage livery, at the International Motor Show (IAA) in Frankfurt am Main (DE).
“Confirmation of the price of the BMW M6 GT3, and the announcement of the official sales launch on 15th September are further important steps on the road to the first race outing next year,” said BMW Motorsport Director Jens Marquardt. “We remain completely on schedule with the development of our new figurehead on the GT racing scene. The basic work of the past few months is now followed by a period of fine-tuning. After all, our approach is to provide our customers with a competitive car from the word go. Presenting the BMW M6 GT3 in a racing design for the first time at the IAA in Frankfurt will be a special moment.”
When it comes to performance, the BMW M6 GT3 is uncompromising: the 4.4-litre V8 engine with M TwinPower Turbo technology, which has only been slightly modified compared to the production engine, generates up to 585 hp, depending on the classification. The entire car, including its self-supporting steel chassis, the welded FIA-approved safety cell, the carbon fibre crash structure at the front and carbon fibre reinforced plastic crash element at the rear, weighs less than 1,300 kilograms. The BMW M6 GT3 also sets new benchmarks when it comes to driveability, ergonomics and safety. It already goes beyond the GT3 regulations for 2016.
“At the recent tests I was really impressed with the driveability of the BMW M6 GT3,” said Andy Priaulx (GB), one of the BMW works drivers who continuously optimised the car out on the test track. “It’s really a big step forward compared to the BMW Z4 GT3 – and we have recently seen in Spa that this car is already operating at a very high level. The rate of development of the BMW M6 GT3 has been amazing. Most of all, the reliability of the car already looks more than promising. The BMW M6 GT3 has real potential – and I simply cannot wait to race it.”
Press release and photo BMW Motorsport