The BMW M8 GTE has been granted increased turbo boost levels at higher rev ranges and an additional two liters of fuel capacity in advance of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Series’ test days at Sebring on February 20-23.
Before the Daytona race in January, where the Team RLL M8 GTEs finished seventh and ninth in the GTLM class, BMW had indicated that it believed the M8s had not been dealt with fairly in the series’ Balance of Performance the process. They indicated at Daytona that they were in negotiation with IMSA to address the situation. The increased boost levels at 5000 rpm and above and the increased fuel capacity represent IMSA’s first response to BMW. As part of the change the M8 GTE also receives boost reductions at lower revs. The Porsche 911 RSR also received an additional two liters of fuel capacity, but no boost changes. The Ford GT that dominated Daytona received a two liter decrease in fuel capacity. The M8s’ fuel capacity is now 95 liters, the largest in the class. Porsche is at 94 liters and Ford is at 89.
The GTD class M6 GT3, run in the series by Turner Motorsport, received a two-liter fuel capacity increase, as did the Acura NSX, one if its GTD competitors. Two additional GTD competitors, the Audi R8 LMS GT3 and the Lamborghini Huracan GT3, received an additional three liters of fuel. The M6 GT3’s fuel capacity is now 108 liters, the largest in the class along with the Aston Martin V12 Vantage GT3. Despite its three-liter increase in capacity, the Lamborghini, the GTD class winner at Daytona, has a capacity of 95 liters, among the lower levels in the class. The Lamborghini was also given an additional 1.0 mm intake restriction.
Additional BoP changes are possible after the February tests and before the 12 Hours of Sebring on March 17. —Brian Morgan
