Back in October last year, German carmaker BMW slipped under the spotlight the new and mighty M2. It’s been five months since that time, and we’re now less than a month away from the first examples actually hitting dealerships’ shelves, and here is the first factory-tuned variant of the high-performance machine.
Don't get all worked up, though, as this one sadly is not meant for the masses, and the only place we’ll get to see and enjoy, from a distance, is on the tracks of the 2023 MotoGP championship whose inaugural race is just a couple of weeks away. That’s because this souped-up vehicle will be used by MotoGP officials as the competition’s safety car.
I think we can all agree the M2 is spectacular even in its stock form, but now that it has all the bells and whistles required of a safety car, and that incredible BMW M livery we’re all so fond of, it’s even more spectacular.
Compared to its road-going siblings, this M2 was equipped with all sorts of specialized gear. On the outside we get, aside from the obvious and standard color scheme in red, white, blue and black, a roof bar holding emergency lights, backed by two smaller, bumper-mounted lights up front.
The car’s mirrors got a carbon fiber coating, and a diffusor was also installed. At the back there’s a rear wing now, fitted there for both visual kicks and, you know, just in case the M2 driver decides to go for a fast spin around the track.
Photo: BMW
The interior of the Bimmer is modified as well, with Recaro seats with a 6-point racing harness taking the place of the usual bits of hardware. A roll bar wraps around the interior of the cockpit to keep the occupants safe in case of an emergency.
Nothing has changed under the hood, where the safety car packs the same engine as all other new M2s: the TwinPower turbo in-line 6-cylinder engine rated at 460 hp.
The M2 safety car will make its debut on the track during the MotoGP season opener taking place on the weekend of March 24 in Portugal. BMW tells us the decision to go for an M2-based car for this purpose was taken not only as a means to boost once more the public’s interest in the new car, but also to highlight the fact this is the 25th year BMW is the official safety car supplier for the world’s most important motorcycle racing series.
As usual, it will not be the only Bavarian product involved in MotoGP this year, as several other BMW cars are used for safety, medical and official. Why, there are even several BMW M 1000 RR safety bikes ready for duty this season.
Daniel loves writing (or so he claims), and he uses this skill to offer readers a "behind the scenes" look at the automotive industry. He also enjoys talking about space exploration and robots, because in his view the only way forward for humanity is away from this planet, in metal bodies. Full profile
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