Today, the BMW Rahal Letterman Racing Team began the 2010 American Le Mans season with a new livery on both BMW M3 racing cars, helping to tell BMW’s worldwide Story of Joy. The 2010 BMW M3 GT debuted at the traditional pre-season ALMS Winter Test in Sebring, Florida. The new livery features words and phrases emblematic of the spirit of the campaign, which was launched in North America on February 12th during coverage of the Opening Ceremony of the XXI Winter Olympic Games.

“Story of Joy” introduces a new creative aesthetic characterized by strong, colorful images often conveying people and their experiences with the subtlest of references to BMW products punctuated by various three-word headlines leading off with “Joy Is…”
“These days, there isn’t much chance for a winter break but our crew certainly earned what little vacation time they got,” said Martin Birkmann, BMW of North America Motorsport Manager. “Now, since the turn of the new year we’ve been getting ready to start what we expect will be a great second season. Car construction is complete, testing has begun, and everyone is excited. We look forward to giving BMW fans a good show at the Winter Test and of course the legendary 12-Hour event next month. For 2010, we have created the Joy livery as a special tribute to our most enthusiastic fans, as they have helped us define the joy of driving and racing in the US for 35 years.”

“In the spirit of the new BMW philosophy, all of us at the team share tremendous joy in getting the 2010 season underway,” said Bobby Rahal. “While we certainly had a successful inaugural season in 2009, everyone connected with the program has kept pushing throughout the winter months to make the BMW M3 the best car it can possibly be, and striving to meet the standards of excellence that are associated with BMW and Rahal Letterman Racing.”

2010 will see the return of BMW’s celebrated inaugural-season pilots, with Bill Auberlen and Tommy Milner sharing the No. 92 M3, and Joey Hand with Dirk Müller co-driving the No. 90 M3. For this two-day test at Sebring, BMW Motorsport driver Dirk Werner has been invited to assist.

In its 2010 season, BMW of North America celebrates the 35th anniversary of the company’s March 1975 incorporation, as well as its first major sports car racing victory, the 12 Hours of Sebring, also in March of 1975.
In 2010, the season-opening 12 Hours of Sebring will be held on Saturday, March 20th.

From our friends over at bmwblog.com

Source>>Exclusive: BMW Rahal Letterman unveils M3 racing cars for 2010 ALMS Season

 

Rahal Letterman Racing :: American Le Mans Series

BMW presented the racing version of the new BMW M3 at the Chicago Auto Show. Powered by a 485 bhp eight cylinder engine, this impressive race car has been designed to compete in the American Le Mans Series (ALMS) beginning in 2009. The car is based on the fourth generation of the BMW M3, the high-performance sports car produced by BMW M GmbH.

BMW Motorsport Director Mario Theissen says: “With the sporting genes of the production BMW M3 being clearly evident, developing a racing version of the car was the next logical step. The fact that the road-going vehicle is fitted with a V8 engine as standard provided us with an ideal base. However, the BMW M3 is more than a race car, it has achieved legendary status amongst race fans across the globe. I am convinced that this unique story of the BMW M3 racing cars will now be expanded upon by the addition of further chapters.”

The BMW M3 Race Version: Sportiness personified.
In the course of developing the race version of the BMW M3, BMW’s engineers were faced with an ambitious task: to improve upon the sportiness of an already sporting car. A better base would, though, be difficult to find. In standard form the vehicle delivers powerful dynamics and sporting aesthetics. Thanks to an eight cylinder engine producing 414 bhp, BMW’s customers are provided with a unique driving experience.

Those engine blocks, cast in BMW’s light alloy foundry in Landshut – the very source of BMW’s Formula One castings – selected for race duty need to withstand even more power: the BMW P65 race engine delivers 485 bhp.

In order to enable the BMW M3 to make full use of this performance on the race circuit, the experts in Munich have not concentrated solely on the engine, but have race-tuned the chassis as well. The race version of the BMW M3 is wider and significantly lighter than its production equivalent, enabling it to perfectly transmit the power of its V8 to the track. Widespread use of carbon-reinforced plastic (CRP) provides proof of substantial weight reduction. As with the production version, the race car’s roof is manufactured from this high-tech material.

The race version of the BMW M3 is clearly aimed at the top echelon of motorsport. As such, it is no surprise to discover that in the course of its development, begun in mid-2007, numerous Formula One techniques were applied. These include computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and wind tunnel analyses, both of which have ensured the best possible aerodynamic package for the BMW M3.

Intelligent control systems have been incorporated throughout the BMW M3. The POWER400 control unit actuates all the accessories fitted to the car, such as lights, wipers, etc., via two bus systems. Traditional relays and fuses are thus eliminated, ensuring considerable weight saving, improved reliability and ease of application. The functions of the BMW P65 engine are managed by an ECU 408 electronic control unit, developed in-house by BMW Motorsport. The software and applications, too, have been developed by the experts in Munich.

Technical Specifications of the M3 Race Version.

Weight 2,745 lbs./1245 kg
Tank capacity: 23.7 gallons/90 Liters
Chassis/body: Unitary construction steel body with welded safety cell made of extremely rigid precision steel tubing; safety fuel tank in CRP sandwich tray; pneumatic four-stamp jack system

Aerodynamics: Front fenders, rear apron, hood, roof, trunk lid, rear wing, front wings, and flared rear wheel arches in CRP
Transmission: Carbon fiber clutch with hydraulic central slave cylinder;

6-speed sequential racing transmission with straight-cut, unsynchronized gears;

additional oil/air cooler; quick shift system with ignition cut-out controlled by shifting force; mechanical limited slip differential with additional oil/air cooler

Front axle: Based on production version, with increased wheel caster angle, enlarged track width and enhanced wheel camber; five-way adjustable shock absorbers; tubular stabilizer bar

Rear axle: Based on production version, with enlarged track width and enhanced wheel camber; five-way adjustable shock absorbers, tubular stabilizer bar

Front brake system: Six-piston aluminum brake calipers, inner-vented grey-cast iron brake disks 15.0 in./380mm in diameter
Rear brake system: Four-piston aluminum brake calipers, grey-cast iron brake disk, 13.1 in./332mm in diameter
Steering: Rack and pinion steering with electro-hydraulic power
Wheels: Aluminum wheels, 18 inches

BMW P65 Engine.

Type: Eight cylinder, V-configuration
Capacity: 3999 cc
Bore x stroke: 92 x 75.2 mm/3.62 x 2.96 in.
Max. output: approx. 485 bhp
Max. torque: approx. 368 lb-ft/500 Nm
Cylinder block: Aluminum cylinder block construction with bed plate lower section
Crankshaft: Steel crankshaft
Pistons: Forged skirt pistons
Conrods: High-performance steel
Cylinder head: Aluminum DOHC (Double Over Head Camshaft); four valves per cylinde

Valve train: Four overhead chain-driven camshafts, valve actuation via rocker arms
Intake system: Eight throttle valves, made of CRP with load-charge optimized ram tubes

Exhaust system: Headers, mufflers
Fuel system: Single cylinder multi-point injection
Lubrication: Dry sump lubrication
Cooling: Water/air cooler and oil/water heat exchanger

Electrics/Electronics.

Engine management: BMW Motorsport ECU 408 with two high-performance micro-processors; Individual cylinder injection and ignition; BMW Motorsport Lambda Controller; Pit speed limiter, Quick Shift function;

Engine data memory system

Energy management: Electric energy management and monitoring with BMW Motorsport POWER400 control unit,

networking of all sensors and actuators through bus system

Wiring harness: Weight optimized

Ignition coil: Eight high-performance pencil coils with integrated ignition drivers

Spark plugs: High-performance spark plugs

Cockpit: Free programmable LCD Display with integrated shift indicators
Steering wheel: Quick release multi-function steering wheel w/ integrated display unit
Steering: Rack and pinion steering with electro-hydraulic power
Wheels: Aluminum wheels, 18 inches

 

That looks seriously awesome. I think BMW will have a great season this year.

 

M3 racing cars contribute to the Story of Joy
Monday, the BMW Rahal Letterman Racing Team began the 2010 American Le Mans season with a new livery on both BMW M3 racing cars, helping to tell BMW's worldwide Story of Joy. The 2010 BMW M3 GT debuted at the traditional pre-season ALMS Winter Test in Sebring, Florida. The new livery features words and phrases emblematic of the spirit of the campaign, which was launched in North America on February 12th during coverage of the Opening Ceremony of the XXI Winter Olympic Games.

"Story of Joy" introduces a new creative aesthetic characterized by strong, colorful images often conveying people and their experiences with the subtlest of references to BMW products punctuated by various three-word headlines leading off with "Joy Is…"

"These days, there isn't much chance for a winter break but our crew certainly earned what little vacation time they got," said Martin Birkmann, BMW of North America Motorsport Manager. "Now, since the turn of the new year we've been getting ready to start what we expect will be a great second season. Car construction is complete, testing has begun, and everyone is excited. We look forward to giving BMW fans a good show at the Winter Test and of course the legendary 12-Hour event next month. For 2010, we have created the Joy livery as a special tribute to our most enthusiastic fans, as they have helped us define the joy of driving and racing in the US for 35 years."

"In the spirit of the new BMW philosophy, all of us at the team share tremendous joy in getting the 2010 season underway," said Bobby Rahal. "While we certainly had a successful inaugural season in 2009, everyone connected with the program has kept pushing throughout the winter months to make the BMW M3 the best car it can possibly be, and striving to meet the standards of excellence that are associated with BMW and Rahal Letterman Racing."

2010 will see the return of BMW's celebrated inaugural-season pilots, with Bill Auberlen and Tommy Milner sharing the No. 92 M3, and Joey Hand with Dirk Müller co -driving the No. 90 M3. For this two-day test at Sebring, BMW Motorsport driver Dirk Werner has been invited to assist.

In its 2010 season, BMW of North America celebrates the 35th anniversary of the company's March 1975 incorporation, as well as its first major sports car racing victory, the 12 Hours of Sebring, also in March of 1975.

In 2010, the season-opening 12 Hours of Sebring will be held on Saturday, March 20th.

American Le Mans Series - News

 

YouTube - Frontstretch-ALMS Sebring Winter Test 2010

 

Those new LMP whatevers are slow.

 

The new LMPC ORECA FLM09 prototype cars aren't to bad. Their lap times weren't to far off from the GT2 field during the winter tests at Sebring.

Some more info:
New for 2010, the FLM09 has a minimum weight of 900 kilograms and produces approximately 430 hp. The FLM09 features a full carbon fiber chassis, carbon brakes, and an Xtrac sequential gearbox with paddle shifting. All LMPC cars will race on single-supply Michelin tires.

http://www.americanlemans.com/index_news.php?n=14391

 

Thank you for proving my point.

 

BMW will have their hands full with the Corvette's

 

The GT2 class will kick ass in 2010! Nice group of cars. The Jag still has some work to do. They're off the pace. Anyone know why the C6.R's didn't test at Sebring this week?