Geneva Motor Show: BMW unveils Z4 M Coupe racing version

[geast]

MW took the wraps off its latest customer-racer in Geneva - the BMW Z4 M Coupe! Although the press release makes no mention of the coupe's North American racing future, rumors have been circulating the American Le Mans Series paddock that BMW's factory-supported PTG team is contempolating switching from the M3 to a Z4 M Coupe for one of its two GT2S-class cars part-way through the season. By the look of things, it appears safe to say that the rumor just became a fact.

Interested in adding the word 'privateer' to your resumé? That'll be € 250,000 (plus VAT). That's almost $300,000 U.S.D., yankee.

More pictures and the press release after the jump.




Official BMW Press Release:
BMW Z4 M Coupé as motor racing kit.


The first BMW two-seater for Nordschleife fans and international customer teams.

Munich/Geneva, 27th February 2006. Unveiling in Geneva: On the occasion of the Automobilsalon, Prof Dr Burkhard Göschel, BMW Group Board Member Purchasing and Development, introduced a new racing car for customer motor racing. The Motorsport Version of the BMW Z4 M Coupé, which has already made a big impression as a production model, is the first two-seater BMW Motorsport offers for customer teams. When it came to the development, BMW faced a huge challenge: The car had to have what is needed to race successfully on the world's most demanding and spectacular racetrack, the Nürburgring's famous Nordschleife. The new motorsport coupé can be used by private BMW customer teams in the German Endurance Championship and in the Nürburgring 24-Hour Race.

The power unit of the beefy coupe is a BMW Motorsport designed 3.2-litre in-line 6-cylinder engine delivering about 400bhp, with the suspension area in particular benefiting from the knowledge gained from the successful BMW M3 GTR project.

With its varied component ranges, BMW Motorsport and BMW Racing Parts Distribution offer customer teams a new technology platform for use in many miscellaneous international racing and club sport series, with the Nordschleife enthusiasts not being the only interested party, as the brawny coupe also represents the perfect car for use in the Belgian Belcar series and other, non-European, endurance series.

The kit can be ordered from May 2006 at BMW Motorsport and will be available for an estimated € 250,000 (plus VAT).

Technical Data BMW Z4 M Coupé Motorsport Version

Length: 4415 mm
Width: 1880 mm
Wheelbase: 2493 mm
Front & Rear Overhang: 865 mm/774mm
Rear Wing Width: 1504 mm
Front & Rear Ground Clearance: 80 mm/90 mm
Front & Rear Tyres: Michelin 27/65-18, 28/71-18
Front Brake: Grey cast iron disc dia. 380 mm / 6 pot fixed calliper
Rear Brake: Grey cast iron disc dia. 320 mm / 4 pot fixed calliper
Drive Line: sequential 6-speed gearbox, sintered clutch
Engine Layout: six cylinder in line
Cylinder Capacity: 3246 cc
Bore x Stroke: 87 x 91 mm
Compression Ratio: 12,5:1
Max. Power: approx. 400 PS at 8200 rpm
Max. Torque: approx. 400 Nm at approx. 5750 rpm
Max. Revolutions per minute: 8400 rpm
Cylinder block: one-piece construction
Crankshaft: forged steel part
Piston: forged slipper skirt piston
Con-rod: Steel
Cylinder head: Aluminium, four valves per cylinder
Valve train: Two chain driven overhead camshafts with variable valve timing
Intake System: Six single throttle valves, Carbon fibre Air box with resonance induction optimised inlet pipes
Exhaust System: Multiple pipe manifold with silencer and catalytic converter
Lubricating System: Wet Sump Lubrication
Cooling System: Water / Air cooler
Flywheel: Steel
Fuel System: Inlet-Pipe Injection, one Injector per Cylinder, 5 bar injection pressure
Fuel: 5-star lead-free petrol, ROZ min=98
Fuel Tank Volume: 120 litres
Minimum Weight: 1200 kg in Nürburgring Specification

Engine Management System: BMW Motorsport ECU406 with two powerful microprocessors, Ethernet Interface and four CAN busses; Cylinder selective optimized Injection and Ignition; Pit-Speed-Limiter; Quick-Shift; Engine Log Book; Electronic Throttle Control; VANOS Control; Race ABS; Traction Control.
Energy Management: Distribution and Control of the electric energy through the BMW Motorsport POWER400 Control Unit; Networking of all Sensors and Actuators through a CAN Bus.
Electric loom: Weight optimised

Ignition coils: Six high performance pencil-type ignition coils with integrated ignition driver.

Sparkplugs: NGK high performance Sparkplugs

Instruments: Free programmable LCD Display with integrated shift lights

Steering-wheel: multiple function Steering-wheel with Quick-Release mechanism and display control

[euro96]

its about time. woot

[jav3]

Thanks!!

[BLAZEDe30]

sweeeeeet !!

[Sour_Kraut]

I think I would eat it because it looks so tasty.