With the 2021 season set to debut on March 28 in Qatar, the Bavarian manufacturer’s M division, the official safety car supplier for the competition for over two decades, has just revealed its all-new fleet.
Final preparations for the 73rd season of the MotoGP World Championship are well underway. All twelve teams are ready for the Grand Prix of Qatar, which will take place on March 28 on the Losail International Circuit.
We know the rider and calendar changes, so we weren’t expecting any new announcements, but BMW M decided to treat us with a pleasant surprise, revealing its new fleet of safety vehicles.
The German manufacturer’s high-performance BMW M division has supplied the "Official Car of MotoGP" since 1999, a partnership through which the carmaker provides various vehicles for the competition, including safety cars.
This season BMW M decided to go all out, unveiling not just one but three safety car models and one spectacular safety bike, much to the delight of the brand’s fans.
Photo: BMW AG
“The safety car fleet is the focal point of our involvement in the MotoGP and we are very proud to be starting the season with four new vehicles for the first time in our 20-year history as ‘Official Car of MotoGP’,” said Markus Flasch, CEO BMW M GmbH.
The cars that will debut in Qatar are the new M3 and M4 Competition models, and if those two weren’t cool enough, the manufacturer also fitted safety car equipment on the breathtaking M5 CS, the crown jewel of the M division and the most powerful mass-produced BMW ever.
Even though the production versions of these awesome vehicles have been designed with high-performance and racetrack capabilities in mind, they received several modifications to adapt to life as a safety car. Those include light bars, flashing headlights, quick-release hood latches, and emergency power shutoffs.
Photo: BMW AG
Both the M3 and M4 were also fitted with modified exhaust systems, and the latter received additional four-point sports harnesses and had its rear seat removed to make room for a massive rollbar.
Compared to previous models, which sported a classic motorsport white paintwork with BMW M liveries, the newest members of the safety car fleet use exclusive colors borrowed from the range available on the production versions.
The M3 Competition Sedan features a Frozen Grey Dark Metallic paint job, the M4 Competition Coupe comes in Sao Paulo Yellow, while the M5 CS boasts a Frozen Deep Green Metallic finish. All three cars also come with big "Safety Car" decals on both sides and the hood, accompanied by MotoGP logos.
Photo: BMW AG
Besides the three gorgeous M cars, the manufacturer revealed an additional safety bike, the new M 1000 RR, which is the first M model from BMW Motorrad.
It comes in white with the legendary M color accents, a livery it will also use in the Superbike World Championship, a competition where the new bike is set to debut in May.
BMW has also announced that its MotoGP fleet will expand starting with the first European race of the season, the Grande Premio de Portugal scheduled for April 18.
These four newly revealed vehicles will be joined by two additional M8 Competition Coupe and an M8 Competition Gran Coupe safety cars along with an X5 M Medical Car and another M 1000 RR safety bike.
Vlad's first car was custom coach built: an exotic he made out of wood, cardboard and a borrowed steering wheel at the age of five. Combining his previous experience in writing and car dealership years, his articles focus in depth on special cars of past and present times. Full profile
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