The BMW M2 Competition race car made its competitive
premiere this Saturday, August 3, at the VLN’s fifth race of the season on the
Nürburgring Nordschleife. Still wearing a full body camouflage, the racer completed the 6 hours
endurance race, but the result was nothing to write home about. The successor
to the M240i Racing crossed the finish line second-to-last in a
not-too-flattering 109th place.
Obviously, that’s because BMW Motorsport’s purpose
was not to win the race but continue the development of the car in racing
conditions. Wearing starting number 160, the car was helmed by BMW Motorsport
Junior driver Beitske Visser and Jörg Weidinger, a test and development
engineer at BMW M GmbH and BMW Sports Trophy competitor for many years.
The M2 Competition racer ran in the SP8T class,
which also included the Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT4 and Mercedes-AMG GT4.
Interestingly, that’s different to the CUP5 in which the M240i Racing Cup took
part.
The photos reveal the racing aerodynamic package
featuring a front splitter and massive fixed rear wing, a hood vent, as well as
two additional scoops under the headlights. Other details unique to this car
include the motorsport rims and tires, as well as the racing suspension that
keeps the car glued to the tarmac.
The photos also award a look inside the cockpit
which is as expected. There’s a butterfly steering wheel with a carbon fiber
core and Alcantara-clad grip area, complete with buttons and paddle shifters,
as well as an additional carbon fiber center console that brings essential
controls closer to the driver. The interior is stripped out of all unnecessary
things and features a roll cage, two Recaro bucket seats and a fire
extinguishing system.
BMW is developing two versions of the new
entry-level race car, the Racing and the Clubsport. Both should feature a
race-spec version of the 3.0-liter twin-turbo straight-six which makes 410 PS and 550 Nm of torque in the road car. First deliveries are
scheduled for the second quarter of 2020.
