BMW
From BMW Press Release
BMW RETURNS TO ALMS WITH THE LATEST GENERATION BMW
M3
BMW of North America to partner with Rahal Letterman
Racing for 2009 season
BMW presented the racing version of the new BMW M3
at the Chicago Auto Show. Powered by a 485 bhp eight
cylinder engine, this impressive race car has been
designed to compete in the American Le Mans Series
(ALMS) beginning in 2009. The car is based on the
fourth generation of the BMW M3, the
high-performance sports car produced by BMW M GmbH.
BMW Motorsport Director Mario Theissen says: "With
the sporting genes of the production BMW M3 being
clearly evident, developing a racing version of the
car was the next logical step. The fact that the
road-going vehicle is fitted with a V8 engine as
standard provided us with an ideal base. However,
the BMW M3 is more than a race car, it has achieved
legendary status amongst race fans across the globe.
I am convinced that this unique story of the BMW M3
racing cars will now be expanded upon by the
addition of further chapters."
BMW's 2009 entry into the American Le Mans Series
will be driven by a partnership between BMW of North
America, LLC and Rahal Letterman Racing, co-owned by
US motorsport legend Bobby Rahal.
"We are very pleased to be returning to the American
Le Mans Series with our latest generation BMW M3,"
states Tom Purves, Chairman and CEO, BMW of North
America. "Sports car racing has been part of BMW of
North America's history practically from day one.
Just two weeks after the company was incorporated in
March 1975, a BMW CSL won the Twelve Hours of
Sebring. We are confident that the fourth generation
M3 will continue the legacy of its two predecessors
which combined to win six manufacturer's
championships over nine seasons in US sports car
racing. As it has been in the past we believe the
ALMS is the ideal venue to showcase the potential of
the newest BMW M3."
Echoing that sentiment Bobby Rahal adds, "BMW has an
illustrious racing heritage. Rahal Letterman Racing
is eagerly anticipating, not only becoming part of
that heritage, but helping to enhance it. Our
dedication to this project will be without equal and
we look forward to racing at the front of the grid
with BMW in the years to come."
Martin Birkmann, Motorsports Manager, BMW of North
America, adds: "We are very excited to announce our
return to the American Le Mans Series with the 4th
generation M3 at the same time as the road car hits
the BMW showrooms. We are also excited about our
partnership with Rahal Letterman Racing. The ALMS
offers racing where we can compete against the
finest and most renowned automotive brands from
Europe and the US. Motorsport is deeply ingrained in
the BMW DNA and we are pleased to partner with an
organization which shares that same heritage. Rahal
Letterman Racing is the perfect partner to be behind
the wheel of our new BMW M3 racing effort."
The BMW M3 Race Version: Sportiness personified.
In the course of developing the race version of the
BMW M3, BMW's engineers were faced with an ambitious
task: to improve upon the sportiness of an already
sporting car. A better base would, though, be
difficult to find. In standard form the vehicle
delivers powerful dynamics and sporting aesthetics.
Thanks to an eight cylinder engine producing 414
bhp, BMW's customers are provided with a unique
driving experience.
Those engine blocks, cast in BMW's light alloy
foundry in Landshut - the very source of BMW's
Formula One castings - selected for race duty need
to withstand even more power: the BMW P65 race
engine delivers 485 bhp.
In order to enable the BMW M3 to make full use of
this performance on the race circuit, the experts in
Munich have not concentrated solely on the engine,
but have race-tuned the chassis as well. The race
version of the BMW M3 is wider and significantly
lighter than its production equivalent, enabling it
to perfectly transmit the power of its V8 to the
track. Widespread use of carbon-reinforced plastic
(CRP) provides proof of substantial weight
reduction. As with the production version, the race
car's roof is manufactured from this high-tech
material.
The race version of the BMW M3 is clearly aimed at
the top echelon of motorsport. As such, it is no
surprise to discover that in the course of its
development, begun in mid-2007, numerous Formula One
techniques were applied. These include computational
fluid dynamics (CFD) and wind tunnel analyses, both
of which have ensured the best possible aerodynamic
package for the BMW M3.
Intelligent control systems have been incorporated
throughout the BMW M3. The POWER400 control unit
actuates all the accessories fitted to the car, such
as lights, wipers, etc., via two bus systems.
Traditional relays and fuses are thus eliminated,
ensuring considerable weight saving, improved
reliability and ease of application. The functions
of the BMW P65 engine are managed by an ECU 408
electronic control unit, developed in-house by BMW
Motorsport. The software and applications, too, have
been developed by the experts in Munich.
An intensive test program, during which the
performance of the race car will be honed by BMW
Motorsport, looms for the BMW M3 over the coming
months. Development drivers will be BMW works
drivers Andy Priaulx (GBR), Jörg Müller (GER) and
Augusto Farfus (BRA), currently racing in the FIA
World Touring Car Championship (WTCC). The aim is,
after all, for the BMW M3 to be an immediate
front-runner upon its comeback to the American Le
Mans Series.
BMW Racing in North America
BMW's return to race track coincides with the fourth
generation M3's entry into North American showrooms,
a pattern familiar to those eager to follow the
newest chapter in BMW's storied racing history.
After the CSL's, the 70's ended with the 320 Turbo.
Known affectionately as the "Flying Brick" the
flame-throwing coupes delighted sports car racing
fans with their signature exhaust fire. The program
also added reams of data to BMW's turbocharging
technology, information that would help a
BMW-powered Brabham win the 1983 Formula One World
Championship.
In the late 1980's BMW of North America entered
IMSA's top prototype category with the BMW GTP. The
program netted only one win, but added incalculable
experience to the men and women responsible for
racing here in the US. When the second generation M3
debuted in 1995, the company was ready for a major
effort in production car racing that continued
through 2006 and the third generation M3.
When the checkered flag fell on the last race of the
2006 season, BMW of North America wrote the final
page of the most successful chapter to date of its
31-year motorsport story. From 1995 through 2006,
BMW of North America's M3 racing program drove to 53
wins in 118 races entered, adding 14 championship
trophies to corporate display cases and a shine on
the Roundel like never before.
Return to familiar territory.
BMW can look back on numerous successes and titles
in the ALMS. The BMW V12 LMR prototype won the
inaugural ALMS race in 1999 at the Twelve Hours of
Sebring. In 1999 and 2000 the BMW V12 LMR went on to
score six victories. For 2001 BMW switched to the GT
Class, winning everything in sight with the BMW M3
GTR, which was developed specifically for the ALMS:
BMW works driver Jörg Müller claimed the drivers'
championship, Team BMW Motorsport took the team
title and BMW won the manufacturers' championship in
the company's most important market.
BMW in the American Le Mans Series.
The American Le Mans Series is far from virgin
territory for BMW. During both 1999, the series'
inaugural season, and the following year, the
company celebrated major successes in North America.
Under the management of the Schnitzer Team's Charly
Lamm, five BMW drivers scored a total of six
victories with the 580 bhp BMW V12 LMR. In 1999 the
impressive BMW V12 LMR simultaneously won the very
race which served as inspiration for the ALMS: the
Le Mans 24 Hour Race.
In 2001 BMW deployed a new car. For the third ALMS
season a switch was made from the Prototype category
to the GT class using the BMW M3 GTR, a totally new
development powered by an eight cylinder engine
delivering 450 bhp. Two operations, Team BMW
Motorsport from Germany and the US-domiciled BMW
Team PTG, entered two cars each. The Team BMW
Motorsport entries were driven by Jörg Müller/JJ
Lehto and Fredrik Ekblom/Dirk Müller respectively,
with Hans-Joachim Stuck and Boris Said, and Niclas
Jonsson and Bill Auberlen doing driver duties in the
Team BMW PTG Team-entered cars.
The debut season of the BMW M3 GTR rapidly became a
success story: BMW drivers mounted the top step of
the podium seven times, with six pole positions
falling their way. BMW works driver Jörg Müller
captured the drivers' title, Team BMW Motorsport
took team honors, and BMW the manufacturers'
championship. After a development program totalling
less than six months BMW was able to lay claim to no
less than three championships with the BMW M3 GTR.
Ultimately successful 2001 season does not start
according to plan.
The 2001 season did not, though, start according to
plan. At the opening race on 4 March in Fort Worth,
Texas, the BMW M3 as raced during the previous year
was deployed. Stuck and Said gave it their all, and
placed third for BMW Team PTG. Approximately two
weeks later things looked up: at the Sebring 12 Hour
Race in Florida the BMW M3 GTR celebrated its track
debut having undergone only cursory shakedown tests
due to time pressures. However, Müller and Lehto
immediately fired a shot across the bows of the
opposition: they crossed the finish line of the
classic race in third place, thereby ensuring BMW's
first podium place with the BMW M3 GTR. "That was
the car's first test drive under racing conditions,"
said team manager Charly Lamm.
Team BMW Motorsport thereafter crossed the Atlantic
in order to amass more experience by taking in two
European Le Mans Series events of 2.45 hour duration
each at Donington (Great Britain), and in Jarama
(Spain). Although the team suffered a double
retirement in England, the Jarama race ran totally
to plan: Team BMW Motorsport celebrated its first
one-two via Ekblom/Dirk Müller and Lehto/Jörg Müller.
They're unleashed.
After its European sojourn, Team BMW Motorsport
returned to the USA. Together with Team BMW PTG,
Charly Lamm's operation fought for points and
placings at California's Sears Point Raceway.
Lasting almost three hours, the race culminated in a
quadruple success for BMW: Lehto/Jörg Müller won
from Said/Stuck, with Ekblom/Dirk Müller and
Auberlen/Jonsson following them across the line. The
next race, at Portland, Oregon, saw Said/Stuck win,
with Team BMW Motorsport taking third and fourth
places.
The extent of the domination of the BMW teams became
clear during the final four rounds of the series: in
Mosport (Canada), Mid-Ohio and Laguna Seca Lehto/Jörg
Müller won from Ekblom/D Müller; the season finale,
the 'Petit Le Mans' at Road Atlanta, saw Auberlen/Said/Stuck
win. Dirk Müller and Jörg Müller placed second.
Thus the BMW teams ended the 2001 ALMS season with
four consecutive one-two victories. BMW drivers
mounted the top step of the podium seven times, with
Jörg Müller celebrating the most: he amassed 185
points to take the drivers' title by five points
from team-mate JJ Lehto. The teams' classification
was won by Team BMW Motorsport (184 points), with
BMW Team PTG placing third with 170. The
Manufacturers' Championship went to BMW with 198
points.
In total the BMW teams had contested ten races each.
For Team BMW Motorsport in particular, participation
in the series proved a major logistical challenge:
the team travelled nearly 7,000 miles within Europe
and a further 28,000 miles in North America as its
crew travelled from race to race. A regular paddock
and permanent workshop facilities were as sorely
missed as were home town comforts.
"The technicians, the teams and the drivers
performed magnificently," said BMW Motorsport
Director Mario Theissen after the season finale.
"The late project start, combined with the
logistical challenges of the North American races,
made it extremely demanding." The effort was,
though, justified: the BMW M3 GTR came through its
baptism of fire with flying colors.
BMW Group in America
BMW of North America, LLC has been present in the
United States since 1975. Rolls-Royce Motor Cars NA,
LLC began distributing vehicles in 2003. The BMW
Group in the United States has grown to include
marketing, sales, and financial service
organizations for the BMW brand, the MINI brand, and
the Rolls-Royce brand of Motor Cars; DesignworksUSA,
an industrial design firm in California; a
technology office in Silicon Valley and various
other operations throughout the country. BMW
Manufacturing Co., LLC in South Carolina is part of
BMW Group's global manufacturing network and is the
exclusive manufacturing plant for all Z4 models and
X5 Sports Activity Vehicles and the upcoming X6
Sport Activity Coupe. The BMW Group sales
organization is represented in the U.S. through
networks of 338 BMW passenger car centers, 335 BMW
Sports Activity Vehicle centers, 142 BMW motorcycle
retailers, 82 MINI passenger car dealers, and 30
Rolls-Royce Motor Car dealers. BMW (US) Holding
Corp., the BMW Group's sales headquarters for North,
Central and South America, is located in Woodcliff
Lake, New Jersey.
Information about BMW Group products is available to
consumers via the Internet at:
www.bmwgroupna.com
www.bmwusa.com
www.bmwmotorradusa.com
www.miniusa.com
www.rolls-roycemotorcars.com
Technical Specifications BMW M3 Race Version.
Weight: 2,535 lbs./1150 kg
Tank capacity: 29 gallons/110 Liters
Chassis/body: Unitary construction steel body with
welded safety cell made of extremely rigid precision
steel tubing; safety fuel tank in CRP sandwich tray;
pneumatic four-stamp jack system
Aerodynamics: Front fenders, rear apron, hood, roof,
trunk lid, rear wing, front wings, and flared rear
wheel arches in CRP
Transmission: Carbon fiber clutch with hydraulic
central slave cylinder;
6-speed sequential racing transmission with
straight-cut, unsynchronized gears;
additional oil/air cooler; quick shift system with
ignition cut-out controlled by shifting force;
mechanical limited slip differential with additional
oil/air cooler
Front axle: Based on production version, with
increased wheel caster angle, enlarged track width
and enhanced wheel camber; five-way adjustable shock
absorbers; tubular stabilizer bar
Rear axle: Based on production version, with
enlarged track width and enhanced wheel camber;
five-way adjustable shock absorbers, tubular
stabilizer bar
Front brake system: Six-piston aluminum brake
calipers, inner-vented grey-cast iron brake disks
15.0 in./380mm in diameter
Rear brake system: Four-piston aluminum brake
calipers, grey-cast iron brake disk, 13.1 in./332mm
in diameter
Steering: Rack and pinion steering with
electro-hydraulic power
Wheels: Aluminum wheels, 18 inches
BMW P65 Engine.
Type: Eight cylinder, V-configuration
Capacity: 3999 cc
Bore x stroke: 92 x 75.2 mm/3.62 x 2.96 in.
Max. output: approx. 485 bhp
Max. torque: approx. 368 lb-ft/500 Nm
Cylinder block: Aluminum cylinder block construction
with bed plate lower section
Crankshaft: Steel crankshaft
Pistons: Forged skirt pistons
Conrods: High-performance steel
Cylinder head: Aluminum DOHC (Double Over Head
Camshaft); four valves per cylinder
Valve train: Four overhead chain-driven camshafts,
valve actuation via rocker arms
Intake system: Eight throttle valves, made of CRP
with load-charge optimized ram tubes
Exhaust system: Headers, mufflers
Fuel system: Single cylinder multi-point injection
Lubrication: Dry sump lubrication
Cooling: Water/air cooler and oil/water heat
exchanger
Electrics/Electronics.
Engine management: BMW Motorsport ECU 408 with two
high-performance micro-processors; Individual
cylinder injection and ignition; BMW Motorsport
Lambda Controller
Pit speed limiter, Quick Shift function; Engine data
memory system
Energy management: Electric energy management and
monitoring with BMW Motorsport POWER400 control
unit, networking of all sensors and actuators
through bus system
Wiring harness: Weight optimized
Ignition coil: Eight high-performance pencil coils
with integrated ignition drivers
Spark plugs: High-performance spark plugs
Cockpit: Free programmable LCD Display with
integrated shift indicators
Steering wheel: Quick release multi-function
steering wheel w/ integrated display unit
Courtesy Serious Wheels