Back in July 2011, BMW pulled the covers off of the BMW M3 DTM Concept Car, a vehicle that was to be the basis of the actual racer that will compete in the 2012 DTM season. Just a few short months later, the German automaker has officially revealed the actual M3 DTM in all its M Performance regalia.
During the official unveiling, BMW Motorsport Director Jens Marquadt talked about the process that went into building the race car. "The car’s aerodynamics were developed in close collaboration with the engineers from series production," he said. The BMW Group boasts impressive resources in this field and the wind tunnels are ultra-modern. This – and the Title Partner BMW M Performance Accessories – shows that the entire company is behind the 2012 DTM project and is working hard towards it."
As far as appearances go, the M3 DTM Race Car was inspired by the original M3 cars that raced in the ’old DTM,’ particularly the white finish with red and blue decals running all around the car. "The design is both traditional and modern in equal measures," Marquadt pointed out. "It shows our roots, but in a contemporary style."
The BMW M3 DTM is expected to carry a powerful V8 engine that has been equipped with an air restrictor to deliver 480 horsepower, hit 0-60 mph in just three seconds, and carry a top speed of 186 mph.
Despite already being unveiled, the M3 DTM Race Car will only begin its first full DTM season next year under the banner of three racing teams: BMW Team RBM, BMW Team RMG, and BMW Team Schnitzer.
Both the Subaru and Toyota versions of the FT-86 will be making their world debut in December at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show, but Toyota will be utilizing their ingenious marketing strategies to unveil a race version of the FT-86. The car will make its debut at the German VLN series on the Nürburgring race track, similar to how they revealed the Lexus LF-A race car. It’s becoming sort of like a tradition of sorts for Toyota and Lexus to race with prototypes.
The FT-86 race car will be similar to the production model, but with a few changes to make it appropriate for the race track, including a huge rear wing, a roll cage for maximum protection, and improved performance. This means that the car we will be seeing at the Nurburgring will look almost the same as the one expected to arrive in December. All we need to do is train our eyes to strip away the livery so we can get a clear view.
We will have more details about this car after the official qualification tomorrow.
UPDATE 10/14/2011 : Fresh off the press, we have some new spy shots of the Toyota FT-86 Race Car as it qualifies itself around the Nurburgring. We also have some closeups of the racer from the pits, where the exterior and interior details are shown off in full glory. Enjoy!
The last time Toyota competed in the 24 Hours of Le Mans was back in 1999 when their racing car - the GT-One - successfully established a new race lap record, but also suffered a tire puncture in the final hour of the race. Thirteen years later, Toyota is announcing that they will be returning to the famous race in 2012, along with their new LMP1 race car. Their new racer’s chassis was designed, developed, and produced by Toyota Motorsport in Germany, and comes equipped with a hybrid petrol powertrain engineered by Toyota in Japan.
Tadashi Yamashina, Toyota Motor Corporation Senior Managing Officer and Toyota Motorsport Chairman, said: "Toyota has entered Le Mans before, but by using our hybrid technology this time will be a completely new challenge. We want to write a new chapter in the history of the Le Mans 24 Hours, as in the FIA World Endurance Championship, through our use of hybrid technology."
If the design of Toyota’s new LeMans racer looks a bit familiar to you, it’s because it looks eerily similar to their all electric EV Racer that just established a new record for electric cars at Nurburgring. Electric vehicles are not a part of LeMans, but we can’t imagine that the EV Racer wasn’t a point of inspiration for the Toyota LMP1 Race Car.
The Toyota LMP1 Race Car will make its racing debut at the 24 Hours of Le Mans on June 16th and 17th, 2012.
UPDATE 01/19/12: The first photos of Toyota’s hybrid LMP1 race car has finally surfaced on the Web. It’s right in line with what the initial sketch looks like, except that it comes with all the aerodynamic bells and whistles of a true LMP1 racer.
Both the Subaru and Toyota versions of the FT-86 will be making their world debut in December at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show, but Toyota will be utilizing their ingenious marketing strategies to unveil a race version of the FT-86. The car will make its debut at the German VLN series on the Nürburgring race track, similar to how they revealed the Lexus LF-A race car. It’s becoming sort of like a tradition of sorts for Toyota and Lexus to race with prototypes.
The FT-86 race car will be similar to the production model, but with a few changes to make it appropriate for the race track, including a huge rear wing, a roll cage for maximum protection, and improved performance. This means that the car we will be seeing at the Nurburgring will look almost the same as the one expected to arrive in December. All we need to do is train our eyes to strip away the livery so we can get a clear view.
We will have more details about this car after the official qualification tomorrow.
The run up to one of our favorite auto shows has begun and we’re already getting a few looks at some of the cars that are expected to be in attendance.
One of the early reveals is the Kia Rio B-Spec Race Car, the Korean automaker’s very first B-Spec offering. The car was developed by Kinetic Motorsports and will be unveiled at SEMA in a month’s time.
For their part, Kia may not have the same cache as the likes of Toyota and Honda in B-Spec racing, but that certainly doesn’t mean that they’re not looking at breaking into the scene like gangbusters.
The car itself already comes packed with plenty of technical and mechanical modifications, complete with a fully decked red-and-white racing livery, a new suspension set-up comprising of a MacPherson strut front suspension and torsion beam rear axle, a roll cage, and plenty of additional racing safety equipment.
As for the powertrain, the car is expected to carry the same engine set-up as its stock counterpart. What that means is that the Rio B-Spec Race Car will carry a 1.6-liter direct-injection four-cylinder engine that produces 138 HP and 123 lb-ft of torque. Kinetic Motorsports will also leave open the option of tweaking the output to squeeze in as much extra horsepower as it could within the rules.
"With the rapid development of the Kia Racing program and the launch of the 2012 Rio five-door, we have a unique opportunity to introduce Kia to a new and passionate racing community," said Michael Sprague Kia Vice President of Marketing and Communications.
UPDATE 11/02/11: This review has been updated with official photos from Kia
UPDATE 11/09/11: We have added new images of the Kia Rio B-Spec Race Car from its debut at the SEMA Show.
