The new BMW M5 is yet to reach customers worldwide but BMW plans to tease us with a proper racer in the shape of the BMW M5 MotoGP Safety Car. BMW has been the partner of MotoGP for about two decades now and every year, the Bavarian manufacturer unveils a new M model all dressed up and good to go to work as a Safety Car. This time, it’s the brand new M5’s turn to wear strobe lights and wicked decals.
The new BMW M5 MotoGP Safety Car will debut at the MotoGP season finale in Valencia, Spain (10th to 12th November) and will spearhead the Safety Car fleet in the 2018 season. “A MotoGP Safety Car faces enormous challenges. It is vital to lead a field of unique, high-performance race prototypes safely through all sorts of conditions,” said Frank van Meel, President of BMW M GmbH.
“Innovative motorsport technology is an essential part of this. The new BMW M5 forms the perfect basis for a safety car, as its technical features ensure perfect handling, even at the limits of driving dynamics – on the road and on the racetrack. Development never stands still in MotoGP, which is always pushing its limits further and further. The same is true for the BMW M GmbH – and the new M5 MotoGP Safety Car is an outstanding example of our pursuit of innovation and maximum levels of performance,” added Van Meel.
Painstaking manual work at the BMW M Manufaktur in Garching converted the high-performance base car into the BMW M5 MotoGP Safety Car, preparing it to appear as the course car in the world’s fastest motorcycle racing series. This process included the addition of numerous BMW M Performance Parts, many of which are available as retrofit parts for the BMW M5 production model.
These emphasize the sporty appearance of the Safety Car and meet all the functional requirements for aerodynamics, cooling and lightweight construction. They include various carbon components such as side sills, rear diffuser, rear spoiler, front kidney grille, door mirror caps and air breather slats. The BMW M Performance sport exhaust system is made of titanium, with carbon exhaust tips, and has been designed specially for use on the racetrack.
The transformation of the BMW M5 to a MotoGP Safety Car was completed by the inclusion of special racing features and the necessary safety equipment. The front splitter is a prototype developed specifically for the BMW M5 MotoGP Safety Car. The bonnet latches are taken directly from racing. The bucket seats have been taken straight from the BMW M4 GTS while the flat light bar on the roof uses modern LED technology. It is controlled via a specially-developed cockpit panel. Another important signalling system is provided by the flashing front lights, consisting of blue LED lamps in the front grills and flashing corona rings for the headlamps.
