Having completed a multitude of test programs at racetracks in Europe where important data was obtained to iron out any initial problems, the BMW M Hybrid V8 will now undergo testing in the USA, beginning in September 2022. The car will continue to be prepped ahead of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship starting in Daytona, Florida, in January 2023.
During testing in Italy and Spain, engineers placed a focus on system checks and the first performance-related topics. The vehicle was put through its paces in a wide range of weather conditions, including tests carried out at night.
Since beginning testing BMW has reported that, overall, the M Hybrid V8 didn’t suffer from any fundamental problems, only small issues which have now been identified and adapted for upcoming tests.
To date, BMW M works drivers Connor De Phillippi (USA), Sheldon van der Linde (South Africa), Marco Wittmann (Germany), Augusto Farfus (Brazil), Nick Yelloly (UK) and Philipp Eng (Austria) have all helped conduct vehicle testing.
Starting in September 2022, the teams of BMW M Motorsport and BMW M Team RLL will conduct further testing programs at circuits across the USA, with performance and reliability being a key focus ahead of the 24 Hours of Daytona.
“The first weeks of testing with the BMW M Hybrid V8 went well,” said Andreas Roos, head of BMW M Motorsport. “We have completed a lot of kilometers, during which we uncovered the first weaknesses, which are totally normal with a new car, and we have solved some of them already.
“Furthermore, it was important to get feedback from as many drivers as possible, in order to get a good early impression of how our prototype handles. Their response has been very positive in this early stage – everyone is impressed by the potential that our LMDh car is already showing. That will follow in the coming months. We laid a good foundation during the tests in Europe. Now we enter the next development stage in the USA.”
BMW M Motorsport will present the race livery of the BMW M Hybrid V8 on September 22, 2022, at an event at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles, California.
