After 12,000km of test driving, and in its final year of development, the BMW M4 GT3 has continued testing at the Spanish race circuits of Monteblanco and Almeria ahead of competing in the 2022 GT season for BMW M Motorsport teams.
During the intensive development program, the BMW M4 GT3 has spent an estimated 60 hours on track in the hands of several drivers to prove the vehicle’s driveability and reliability. The manufacturer has worked to reduce the lifecycle costs and maintenance requirements of previous models such as the BMW M6 GT3. Furthermore, the driveability of the race car is said to have been improved for professional and amateur drivers, and wet and dry grip has been refined.
Other improvements include the ability to make last-minute changes to the electronic control systems and sensors without physically connecting a laptop to the car. Instead, the M4 GT3 now utilizes a series of buttons on the multifunction steering wheel to make changes to settings quickly and efficiently.
Endurance runs and race simulations were conducted at the Spanish tracks, with Germany’s Martin Tomczyk and Jens Klingmann, and the UK’s Nick Yelloly, all spending time behind the M4’s wheel. At Almeria, several tire brands were also put to the test. Testing has been carried out in collaboration between BMW M Motorsport and the series developer BMW M.
“It is very easy and consistent to drive, which has a positive effect on tire wear, and we made progress with the development of lots of systems. Naturally, there are still lots of things to sort out, but the question marks are consistently being replaced with exclamation marks,” said Jens Klingmann following a week of testing in Almeria.
Nick Yelloly commented, “As someone who has competed in a lot of races in the BMW M6 GT3 in recent years, I noticed right away just how big a leap forward the BMW M4 GT3 will be. We tested both performance and consistency, and practiced pit stops and performed system checks. The BMW M4 GT3 drove well on all tire brands that we tried out so I’m very confident looking ahead to future race appearances. I can’t wait to get started.”
Alongside track testing and initial test races, the German manufacturer has used a series of test benches to carry out an array of tests on the entire car, including the measurement of performance, vibration, efficiency and roll resistance. Furthermore, the M4 GT3 powertrain has been subjected to engine test bench scenarios along with intensive wind tunnel and climate tunnel testing. An acoustic tunnel has been used to measure tuning and silencer performance to meet noise and emissions regulations. Further testing and development of the BMW M4 GT3 is expected during April and May.
