First Look: 2016 BMW M6 GT3

Note: This is the first in a series of FIA GT3-specification race cars that will be eligible to compete in the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship GT Daytona class in 2016 and beyond.

With the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship adopting the full FIA GT3 rules for the GT Daytona (GTD) class in 2016, fans will be seeing a new variety of cars on the grid, beginning with the Rolex 24 At Daytona.IMSA, the TUDOR Championship sanctioning body, has allowed GT3-spec cars to race in the class previously if they were modified to IMSA rules. But 

by adopting the full FIA GT3 rules, it simplifies the process for teams to purchase and race cars that are eligible for dozens of racing series around the world. That has given manufacturers a solid financial reason to build GT3-spec cars to sell, and to maintain a steady supply of parts for the car, since the GT3 racers must be based on a production models. IMSA will retain the ability, to make small adjustments to the cars to ensure a level competition field. However, those adjustments will be consistent with methods other sanctioning bodies around the world use to maintain competitive balance, such as weight and air restrictors. And per FIA GT3 rules, driver aids such as antilock brakes and traction control will be permitted.Among the new GT3 models eligible for TUDOR Championship GTD competition in 2016: The BMW M6 GT3, based on the road-going M6 Coupe.Like the street M6, the M6 GT3 will use the road car’s 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8 engine. The car first hit the test track last February, with BMW factory driver Jörg Müller at the wheel. It was “a big moment for everyone who has worked so intensely and passionately on the development of the BMW M6 GT3 in recent months,” said BMW Motorsport Director Jens Marquardt.“This car incorporates all the experience we have gained in recent years on the endurance and GT racing circuits,” he said. “We are well on schedule with the development, and are confident we will be able to take to the track in 2016 with a package that is competitive from the outset. We still have a lot of work ahead of us, but I would like to take this opportunity to say a big thank you to everyone who has been involved with this fantastic project.”Müller was pleased with the first outing,“A roll-out is obviously just an initial performance test but, on the whole, everything was very good and we had no problems,” he said. “The engine really impressed me. It is powerful and has good torque, which is important for a car like this. I am confident that BMW Motorsport will provide its customers with a fantastic racing car, in the BMW M6 GT3.”BMW says the 4.4-liter V8 pumps out over 500 horsepower, with a total car weight of less than 2,900 pounds. It will use a transaxle with a six-speed sequential gearbox. The car’s aerodynamics were massaged in the BMW wind tunnel. The wheelbase is longer than the current BMW Z4 GT3.BMW also worked hard on the FIA-approved cockpit, which complies with the very latest safety standards. These include the roof hatch specified in the regulations, through which the driver’s helmet can be removed if necessary, as well as the safety seat, which also was developed by BMW Motorsport.The engineers also placed a lot of emphasis on efficiency, ease of maintenance and reliability, particularly crucial in long races like the Rolex 24.“The BMW M6 Coupe obviously provided us with a sensational base, on which to develop the new car,” said Marquardt. “That makes it twice as much fun for our engineers, working hand in hand with their colleagues at BMW M, to transform it into a car for the racetrack. We are hugely looking forward to the first race outing of the BMW M6 GT3 in 2016. I am sure we will continue to add chapters to our motorsport success story with this car.”