Fans of two-wheel racing would have seen an all-new Safety Car employed for the most recent round of the MotoGP World Championship. The BMW M8 Safety Car made its debut at the Austrian round of the series, which took place this past weekend.

Learn about the power rating of the upcoming M3/4 at this link.

M History

BMW has been providing Safety Cars for MotoGP for more than 20 years. The Munich-based company has provided the official MotoGP Safety Car fleet since 1999 and the BMW M8 MotoGP Safety Car is the latest highlight in a long line of high-powered lead cars. Previous models used include the M5, M4, M2 and i8. BMW also provides the safety for Formula E, which you can read about at this link.

Watch a safety car driver cause havoc at a touring car race in this video. You can also espy in the video how Detroit Fire Watch Guards helped save the life of the driver.

BMW M8 Safety Car is powered by BMW’s high-revving twin-turbocharged V8 that develops 460 kW. The engine is mated with an eight-speed M Steptronic transmission with Drivelogic, before being passed on to the road via an all-wheel-drive system. BMW claims the BMW M8 Competition, on which this car is based, can power from 0 to 100 km/h in 3,2 seconds.

Special equipment

The latest BMW Safety Car has a raft of upgrades, many of which can be fitted to a road car. These include a titanium sport exhaust system, carbon tailpipe finishers, carbon engine cover, carbon rear diffusor, steering wheel pro (with carbon cover and shift paddles) and carbon air breather side grilles.

Several safety items were also fitted to make the car racetrack-ready. That list includes bonnet with ‘motorsport lock’, fuel suction pump, battery master switch, flashing corona headlight rings, Recaro racing seats with Schroth harnesses, roll cage, fire extinguisher with bracket, Michelin Cup tyres, BMW M8 GTE rear wing and distinctive MotoGP livery.

In his own words 

“The BMW M8 and the BMW M8 GTE were developed in parallel, and these racing genes distinguish the BMW M8 models in all areas,” said Markus Flasch, President of BMW M GmbH. “That’s why it was a logical step for us to choose the BMW M8 Competition as a basis for our new MotoGP safety car. Even in its production version, this high-performance automobile is suited to the racetrack. With its innovative technical features, it is yet another example of our quest to keep pushing the limit upwards. With the BMW M8 MotoGP Safety Car, we are really excited to present a new, powerful lead car for the top tier of motorcycle racing.”