It’s here! The BMW M Hybrid V8 will be the LMDh (Le Mans Daytona h) prototype used by BMW M Motorsport in the 2023 IMSA series. The newly designed, newly named prototype race car comes from the collaborative creative design and engineering efforts of BMW M Motorsport, Designworks, and Dallara.
Designworks, a BMW Group company based in California, showcases 50 years of M on the car’s body by using images of past BMW race cars, such as the 1976 3.0CSL, the 1981 M1/C, the 1978 320i Turbo, the 1986 GTP car, the E36 M3 GTS-2, the Z4 GTLM, and the M8 GTE. The overall design gives the appearance of an M-inspired camouflage theme, which, according to BMW, creates “a graphic mosaic which obscures the shape of the BMW M Hybrid V8 to maintain competitive IP during development testing.” It really showcases the M brand’s history in North America.
Dallara, an Italian race car manufacturer, worked with the M Motorsports team to develop a competitive and aerodynamic design that is unmistakably BMW. Personally, I love the wide kidney grille, especially when compared to the alternative.
After congratulating the teams on their design success, CEO of BMW M GmbH Frank van Meel said, “It clearly carries the genes of BMW M. I can hardly wait to see the BMW M Hybrid V8 on the track soon.”
That makes two of us! In the meantime, see the gallery of images that BMW has released of the new BMW M Hybrid V8, coming soon to an IMSA race near you.—Mike Bevels
Images courtesy of BMW
