The first newly developed BMW M4 GT4s have been delivered. After completing around 30,000 test kilometres, numerous hours in the wind tunnel, extensive application drives and successful test outings in race conditions, the first models were received by their new owners around the globe on Wednesday. The delivery in Europe was part of an exclusive customer event at BMW Welt in Munich (GER), where the BMW M4 GT4 was the first race car to be handed over to new owners. The first customers in North America, Asia and Australia will also receive their cars. This sees the latest addition to the BMW Motorsport range of products with customers earlier than planned, and which is now ready to take to the track.
“Today is a very special day for us. After intensive months of testing and development, the BMW M4 GT4 is now officially ready to race,” said BMW Motorsport Director Jens Marquardt. “I’m particularly pleased that we were able to deliver the first models to our customer teams at such an early stage. This means that our customers are now able to test the BMW M4 GT4 thoroughly and familiarise themselves with the car. This has laid the foundations to successful customer racing outings. We are pleased with the GT4 car in every respect so far. The interest and demand from customer teams around the world has been incredibly high from the start. This acclaim makes us feel very positive. The production model BMW M4 Coupé provides the BMW M4 GT4 with a very strong basis, and we are extremely confident that the race car will become a guarantee of success for our customers. We wish our customer teams the very best of luck for the next race season.” (fuel consumption BMW M4 Coupé combined: 9.5 – 8.3 l/100 km [29.7 – 34.0 mpg imp], CO2 emissions combined: 218 –194 g/km).
Some long-standing BMW Motorsport customers were invited to BMW Welt to receive their new race car as part of an exclusive event. After the official vehicle handover, everyone sat down to eat lunch together. Afterwards, the cars were loaded onto the expectant trailers and trucks and taken away. In North America, Australia and Asia the first BMW M4 GT4s will also be presented to customer teams. There are no more obstacles in the way of the first customer race outings on the track.
Customer teams involved in development.
It wasn’t just the entire expertise of BMW Motorsport that went into the development of the car; with Schubert Motorsport, Walkenhorst Motorsport and Sorg Rennsport, various long-standing, experienced BMW customer teams were involved in the construction of the vehicle in line with the specific requirements of privateers, in terms of easy maintenance and cost efficiency. Successfully, the GT4 car was convincing on its initial outings in race conditions in terms of both performance and reliability.
The BMW M4 GT4 was tested by numerous BMW works drivers, junior drivers and customer racing drivers with different specifications on a wide range of racetracks, to adapt all technical applications such as the stability systems, DSC and ABS to race requirements in as much detail as possible.
Numerous endurance tests mastered successfully.
The result speaks for itself: In their first outing in the BMW M4 GT4, the two BMW Motorsport Juniors Beitske Visser (NED) and Dennis Marschall (GER) won at the “Circuit de Catalunya” (ESP) a few weeks ago as part of the GT4 European Series Southern Cup.
The BMW M4 GT4 mastered the ultimate endurance test at the 24-hour race at the Nürburgring (GER) on the Nordschleife: Dirk Adorf (GER), BMW Motorsport Junior Ricky Collard (GBR), Jörg Weidinger (GER), test and development engineer at BMW M GmbH and a successful competitor in the BMW Sports Trophy over many years, and the British motorsport journalist Jethro Bovingdon demonstrated the reliability of the BMW M4 GT4 in an impressive manner. It was as part of the endurance classic that BMW Motorsport Director Jens Marquardt started the sales phase for the latest addition to the BMW range of products.
The following teams will receive their cars:
Europe:
Team Securtal Sorg Rennsport (GER)
Team RN Vision STS (GER)
Team Gamsiz Motorsport (BEL)
3Y Technology (FRA)
North America:
Turner Motorsport (USA)
BimmerWorld Racing (USA)
Samantha Tan Racing (CAN)
Fast Track Racing (USA)
Australia/Asia:
BMW Team SRM (AUS)
Team KATO RACING by Tony Longhurst (AUS)
Team AAI Motorsports (TPE)
Kent Baigent (NZL)
Source. BMW
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