It’s not very often that a partnership between and automaker and a race organizer lives and excessively long life, but it does happen. Take a look at the partnership between Dorna Sports – the organizer for MotoGP – and BMW.->ke178 A deal was signed between the two back in 1999 to have BMW cars and bikes as the official safety->ke2860 and medical vehicles for MotoGP racing. In 2006, BMW’s M division took the role of “Official car of MotoGP,” and since then, BMW M->ke546 cars have been at each MotoGP event.

Such a long and successful partnership is quite rare, but something tells me that success has something to do with BMW’s heritage and the fact that it puts a lot of time and effort into the safety and medical fleet for the MotoGP. Just take the 2016 BMW M2 MotoGP Safety car that you see in the image above. You might not realize it, but the car is transformed from a basic production car – one that is still wearing some camo at that – and is transformed by hand into the car it is today. The car is designed to be a safety car, but BMW goes a lot farther than that. Essentially, the M2->ke3901 gets a long list of add-ons that makes it suitable for full-out racing.

So with that said, it’s pretty clear that the M2 MotoGP Safety car is one special Bimmer. Let’s take a look at what goes into making the M2 safety car, and all the equipment that makes it ready for race day.

Continue reading to learn more about the BMW M2 MotoGP Safety Car.

What makes the BMW M2 MotoGP Safety Car special

Once the team of BMW M experts got their hands on the production M2, it took 10 weeks to transform it into the safety car. It all started by removing the rear sight and prepping the undercarriage. Later, supports for the roll cage, six-point harness, and fire extinguisher were added. Outside, the team had to add some aerodynamic components, specifically front and rear spoilers, to counteract the drag created by the light bar and mounting brackets on the roof.

By the time the project was done, there were a total of 12 BMW M Performance products added to the MotoGP safety car, including a M Performance exhaust system with carbon finishers, carbon side skirts, high-gloss black front grille, high-gloss black air breather, carbon mirror caps, front carbon blades, and a carbon rear diffuser. Other parts added to the exterior include the newly developed front flap underframe, carbon rear wing with closed mounts, BMW M Performance coilover suspension, Michelin Cup Tires, and LED lights in the front and rear. Needless to say, as far as the exterior goes, this baby is ready for the track.

On the inside, the team installed carbon fiber interior trim, stainless steel pedal pads and M Performance floor mats. Most of the interior trim and the steering wheel have been wrapped in beautiful Alcantara. In addition to that, there is also that massive roll cage and Recaro racing seats with Schroth belts. Because the safety car will be used in various countries, it has been fitted with a Fuel suction pump and a master cutoff switch for the battery.

Altogether, this interior and exterior package makes me wish I could own one of these safety cars. With 370 horsepower and 343 pound-feet of torque on tap, all the interior and exterior modifications, and all those M Performance parts, this is sure to make a great safety car. But, I bet it could negotiate some tight corners and hit that speed limiter pretty quickly if it were to be used for a purpose other than safety. After all, it is based on the M2 – a true driver’s car.

BMW M2

BMW launched the 2 Series in 2014 as a replacement for the 1 Series coupe. The M2 is essentially an M235i with some potent upgrades all the way around. It kicks out 365 horsepower and 343 pound-feet of torque from its 3.0-liter, inline six-cylinder engine. Maximum torque kicks in at a shockingly low 1,400 rpm, and power is routed to the wheels through a six-speed manual transmission. It’s essentially the M car we’ve been waiting for since the 1M was discontinued in 2012. The M2 starts out at $51,700 before options, taxes, and delivery. That’s really not a bad price when you look at the performance that comes from such a little car.

Read our full review on the BMW M2 here.