BMW announced today that the BMW M240i Racing model, used in various motorsport competitions as a customer racing car by private companies, will be retired next year. However, there’s a successor in the works, based on the BMW M2 Competition. The car is now being developed and tested and will be unveiled in 2020, with full support from BMW for global racing events. The car will also be suitable for clubsport levels, not just professional racing.
The M2 Competition racing car will be focused on easy handling, according to BMW. The first cars will be delivered at the start of the second quarter of 2020. A maiden test under race conditions is planned for round five of the VLN Endurance Championship at the Nürburgring on 3rd August 2019. Furthermore, the Customer Racing service concept is to be expanded by building and developing competence centers in the USA and Asia.
“Our new offering will allow us to bring motorsport even closer to our customers in the future,” said Markus Flasch, President of BMW M GmbH. “With the new entry-level model, based on our BMW M2 Competition, we are showing a strong commitment to Customer Racing in general. At the same time, we are also starting to establish the BMW M club racing sector. Future BMW M special editions will be particularly relevant in this regard.”
BMW Group Motorsport Director Jens Marquardt added: “It is fantastic to be able to take BMW’s Customer Racing program to the next level with the new club racing sector, as well as the associated setting up of global service and distribution structures. Customer racing at BMW has arguably never been as diverse as it will be from next season. With the new entry-level model – the successor to the BMW M240i Racing – we are, on the one hand, offering our grass-roots customers continuity. On the other hand, we are also addressing a new target group with the club level variant.” Unfortunately, there are no pictures of the car available so far but, I guess it’s safe to assume it will have an empty cabin, a huge roll cage and mean aero bits on it once it comes out.
