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BMW F90 M5 Chosen As 2018 MotoGP Safety Car, Previews M5 M Performance Parts

Scheduled to premiere at the 2017 MotoGP season’s finale in Valencia, Spain, the all-new safety car of the premier class of Grand Prix motorcycle racing is the F90 M5. The mid-size sports sedan replaces the M2 and M4, which served MotoGP these past few years. Similar to its high-performance predecessors, the F90 M5 safety car differs from the standard model in more than one way.
BMW F90 M5 MotoGP safety car 24 photos
Photo: BMW
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Beyond the special livery, the 2018 BMW M5 MotoGP safety car previews a selection of M Performance parts that will be revealed in full at the 2017 SEMA Show in Las Vegas. The biggest difference can be seen up front, where the bumper features a lot of carbon fiber. Even the kidney grills can be specified in carbon fiber, giving the 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8-powered bruiser an even sportier look.

Many M Performance parts will be offered by BMW as retrofits, including the titanium exhaust system with carbon exhaust tips developed for use on the racetrack. Though similar, the MotoGP safety car prides itself on a one-off front splitter and race-spec hood latches. The bucket seats, meanwhile, are sourced from the M4 GTS. As for the overall design, BMW says the safety car is based on the M8 GTE that will debut next year at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

“Development never stands still in MotoGP, which is always pushing its limits further and further. The same is true for the BMW M GmbH - and the new M5 MotoGP Safety Car is an outstanding example of our pursuit of innovation and maximum levels of performance,” explains Frank van Meel, head honcho of the M division.

With the F90 M5, the Bavarian automaker would also like to point out that this is "the first safety car with innovative M xDrive technology." That’s half correct considering the X6 M paced the Laguna Seca MotoGP race in 2009, but there’s a notable difference between xDrive and M xDrive. And that is, M xDrive can be configured to send all of the engine’s goodies to the rear wheels.
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About the author: Mircea Panait
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After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well.
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