BMW APPROACHES 78th LE MANS WITH CONFIDENCE
2010-06-05 16:43:11 Author: admin Source:
BMW will line up at the endurance classic on the “Circuit de la Sarthe” with two BMW M3 GT2 racing cars specially adapted to comply with the GT2 regulations. One of these is the 17th BMW Art Car, which was designed by American Jeff Koons and unveiled in Paris (FR) recently.
Already in its fourth generation, the BMW M3, the high-performance sports car developed by BMW M on the 3 Series Coupé platform, demonstrates impressive sportiness – regardless of whether the BMW M3 Coupé for road traffic, the BMW M3 GTS for club racing events, or the BMW M3 GT2 at endurance races and GT classics.
Its P65 eight-cylinder engine with 4.0-litre capacity produces 420 bhp, include eight individual throttle valves receiving intake air via a system made of carbon fibre with load-charge optimized ram tubes. Additionally, the BMW P65 has a steel crankshaft, forged skirt pistons, high-performance steel conrods and a dry sump lubrication system. In all, its power output has been upgraded to achieve 500 bhp.
Due to this the M3 GT2 is able to perform the sprint from 0 to 100 km/h in 3.42 seconds. With 500 ccm per cylinder and the stroke to bore ratio of 72.5 x 92 millimetres, the engine fulfils the ideal conception of demanding engine designers. The cylinder block is designed with a bed plate lower section and made of a special aluminium alloy. The unit’s dimensions, capacities, number of components and extremely light weight make it the perfect engine to use on the race track.
Intelligent control systems are at work in the M3 GT2. Via two bus systems, the POWER400 control unit actuates all the accessories fitted to the car, such as lights, wipers, etc. Traditional relays and fuses are thus eliminated, ensuring considerable weight saving, improved reliability and ease of application. The functions of the P65 engine are managed by an ECU408 electronic control unit, developed in-house by BMW Motorsport.
The ECU408 monitors the “Quick Shift” function of the six-speed sequential gearbox on the M3 GT2, which suppresses the ignition when changing gear, thus allowing even faster gear changes. The compact transmission unit is positioned on the rear axle to allow optimal weight distribution. The front and rear axles on the M3 GT2 have an increased wheel castor angle, enlarged track width and greater wheel camber than the series version. The shock absorbers can be adjusted five ways and tubular stabilizer bars can be used to set up the car for a specific track.
The use of high-tech carbon fibre reinforced plastics (CFRP) played a crucial role in the car achieving an ideal weight of 1,245 kilograms in the GT2 category. As well as the roof of the BMW M3 GT2, the front and rear aprons, bonnet, boot lid, rocker panel, doors, front wing, and flared rear wheel arches are also made of carbon fibre.
The aerodynamics of the BMW M3 GT2 were fine-tuned using computational fluid dynamics (CFD). It was also possible to optimize the geometry and kinematics of the chassis and determine the most efficient locations for attachment points on the axles. .
On the track, the drivers are strapped into a new safety seat, using a six-point belt. In the case of an accident, seat and driver can be lifted out of the car through the roof. In addition, the drivers are protected by HANS (Head-and-Neck Support), energy-absorbing foam in hollow sections, and crash pads in the doors.
Brakes on the M3 GT2s have a fixed-calliper design, consisting aluminium brake callipers (six pistons on the front wheels and four pistons on the rear wheels). The inner-vented grey-cast iron brake discs on the M3 GT2 have a diameter of 378 mm at the front and 355 mm at the rear.
Lastly, these M3 GT2 are shod in Dunlop high-performance racing 18-inch tyres, which optimally transfer the acceleration and braking torque to the track and are able to withstand extreme lateral forces.
Edited/Images: BMW
