BMW has been racing the M Hybrid V8 since the 2023 competitive season. It debuted in IMSA last year and in 2024 it’s also fighting in WEC. The company’s flagship race car is exclusively a manufacturer-backed program but that could change in the future. While BMW M Team RLL operates the race car in North America and BMW M Team WRT in WEC, customer teams are not ruled out.
In an interview with SportsCar365, Head of BMW M Motorsport Andreas Roos hinted the M Hybrid V8 could eventually become a customer car. “We will not close the door, definitely not.” However, it’s not going to happen overnight. The company’s racing division wants to dot the i’s and cross the t’s before pulling the trigger: “But let’s say it has to be where we feel very comfortable and where our potential customer can feel that he is comfortable to do it.”
The motorsport brass hinted clients have already made inquiries about purchasing the M Hybrid V8. However, Andreas Roos suggested it won’t happen for the next couple of years. “To be honest, when you want to do it in 2026, you have to start already now.” In other words, the M Hybrid V8 is unlikely to race in the hands of a customer team sooner than 2027.
In a week from today, on May 21, BMW will unveil a different M Hybrid V8. The official #20 Art Car designed by Julie Mehretu will premiere at the Centre Pompidou in Paris. The endurance race car’s biggest test so far is scheduled for June 15-16. It will compete at the 24 Hours of Le Mans where the V12 LMR triumphed 25 years ago. That one too received the special treatment as the #15 Art Car, penned by Jenny Holzer.
As much as we’d like to see a street-legal hypercar based on the M Hybrid V8, BMW hasn’t said a word about doing a road car.
Source: SportsCar365
