When positions and points are on the line in the championship races of the International German Motorcycle Championship (IDM), a very special car is in action: a high-performance BMW M4 GTS. Serving as the safety and medical car, it is staffed by a doctor and drives at the back of the field during the formation lap of each race so it can quickly respond in the event of an accident. During the race, the IDM Safety Car waits in the pit lane for its call to action.
High-performance special-edition models have a decades-long tradition at BMW M GmbH. One example is the BMW M4 GTS, limited to 700 units. To impressively demonstrate the performance capabilities of this high-performance sports car, BMW M once chose the DTM as a high-profile stage. And now, the BMW M4 GTS is the official safety car for the IDM in the 2021 season.
The demands placed on a lead car like this are high. The IDM Safety Car is designed for high-performance driving on circuit tracks and delivers the power needed to maintain speeds during race conditions. The BMW M4 GTS already meets these requirements in its standard configuration. Under the hood is a 3.0-liter inline six-cylinder turbocharged engine. Thanks to innovative water injection, engine output has been increased by 69 PS to 500 PS. Maximum torque has risen from 550 to 600 Nm. The M4 GTS accelerates from a standstill to 100 km/h in just 3.8 seconds and has a top speed of 305 km/h (electronically limited). “We would like to thank BMW and look forward to enjoying the IDM Safety Car,” says Bert Brandenburg, member of the Executive Board of Motor Presse Stuttgart and Head of the Event & Corporate Publishing division.