BMW has shed more light into the powertrain that
motivates the M8 GTE race car. After more than 500 engine design drawings and
another 500 for the powertrain, BMW Motorsport’s most comprehensive project
since their DTM return in 2012 has resulted in the most efficient race engine
they’ve ever built.
Codenamed P63/1, the M8 GTE’s engine is based on the
twin-turbo S63T4 V8 engine which can be found in the latest BMW M5. Depending
on the specifications of the racing series, the engine is capable of delivering
between 500 and 600 horsepower.
Cast parts in the engine block and cylinder head are
left unmodified as instructed by the regulations, but the rest of the engine
uses 985 unique parts. Capacity is also reduced down to 4.0 liters from the
production unit’s 4.4 liters.
A flat crankshaft means that there’s now a regular
firing order which gives the engine a raw soundtrack while the geometry of the
combustion chambers was also modified to better suit the demands of racing.
The end result is a race engine with an efficiency
level of over 40 percent, making the P63/1 the most efficient engine BMW
Motorsport has ever built for a sports car and touring car racing.
BMW Motorsport also compliments the driveability of
the P63/1 by saying that is outstanding thanks to a completely new approach to
engine control that allows instant throttle response and linear power delivery.
The new BMW M8 GTE will compete in the FIA World Endurance Championship and the
IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship in 2018.
