Safety cars are an integral piece of motor racing, so much so that a lot of racing series have gone the route of building specific safety cars exclusively for their use. The Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters (DTM) - that’s the German Touring Car Masters - has unveiled their official safety car for the 2012 race season and to no one’s surprise, they picked a local vehicle in the BMW M3.
The M3 DTM Safety Car is actually based on the M3 GTS and just like any other safety car used for racing purposes, this one was specially modified by BMW M GmbH with plenty of enhancements, including unique bodywork painted in Aline White with a special safety car livery, a modified CFRP engine bonnet with vents, a slew of BMW M Performance Accessories on the gurney and flaps, a new orange roof light unit, and a new set of 19" competition wheels wrapped in 255/35 and 285/30 tires with a fixed-caliper system and Stahlflex brake hoses. Meanwhile, the interior of the M3 DTM Safety Car gets new Recaro seats, three and six-point harnesses, and a new steering wheel straight out of the BMW M Performance Accessories catalog.
Under the hood, the M3 DTM Safety Car is powered by a 4.4-liter V8 engine that produces 450 horsepower at 8,300 rpm and is mated to a 7-speed M dual-clutch transmission with Drivelogic capabilities. These figures allow the car to hit 0-60 mph in just 4.4 seconds with an impressive top speed of 189 mph.
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02.22.2012 @ 01:22