BMW confirms M4 DTM for next season

Tue, 20 Aug 2013

Fans of BMW performance had two events to keep an eye on this weekend: the reveal of the M4 Concept at Pebble Beach, and the efforts of the Bavarian automaker's DTM teams at the Nurburgring. What ties them together, however, is what BMW has in store for next year.

The German carmaker has confirmed that it's already working on a new M4 DTM to campaign in the highly-competitive touring car series starting next season. It didn't reveal any details, but we can expect the M4 to make the same jump to competition spec as the M3 did before it. And with some success, we might add: successive versions of the M3 have won 48 DTM races over the years, starting with the checkered flag which Harald Grohs claimed at Hockenheim in 1987 through to the same race which Augusto Farfus won earlier this year. After taking home the title for BMW in its first year back in DTM last season, Bruno Spengler also won at the Red Bull Ring in Austria two months ago, but the Bimmer teams seem to be having a bit of trouble defending its title against fresh assaults from Audi and Mercedes.

BMW undoubtedly hopes the new M4 DTM will help it turn another new leaf, and we're looking forward to seeing how it all shapes up. Read more in the press release below.

BMW lines up in the 2014 DTM season with the BMW M4 DTM.

Nürburgring (DE)/Pebble Beach (US), 18th August 2013. While the four BMW DTM teams are hard at work preparing for the seventh race of the season at the Nürburgring, visitors to the automobile weekend in Pebble Beach, over 9,100 kilometres from the "Green Hell", were treated to an exciting glimpse of the future: it was there that BMW M GmbH launched the BMW Concept M4 Coupé, an innovative high-performance sports car based on the new BMW 4 Series. This model also provides the first taste of the BMW M4 DTM, with which BMW Motorsport will compete in the popular touring car series next year.

"We are all really looking forward to the new BMW M4 DTM," said BMW Motorsport Director Jens Marquardt. "The BMW Concept M4 Coupé certainly looks fantastic. So will our DTM car for next season – I can already promise all the fans that much. The BMW M3 DTM won the title at the first attempt in 2012. We obviously want to follow on from this success with its successor. However, it will still be quite a while until we get to see our new DTM racing car for the first time."

"A year ago we celebrated the 40th anniversary of BMW M and the 25th birthday of the BMW M3 in style, with Bruno Spengler winning the DTM race," said Dr. Friedrich Nitschke, President of BMW M GmbH, in Pebble Beach. "With the launch of the BMW Concept M4 Coupé, we are now laying the foundation for a new era, both on the road and on the racetrack. The reactions to the Concept Car have so far been overwhelming. It is almost a matter of course to use it as the basis for a motorsport version. The DTM is obviously the ideal platform for this step. All fans of BMW M and the DTM certainly have good reason to start looking forward to 2014."

So far, the BMW M3 has 48 DTM wins to its name. Harald Grohs (DE) scored the first victory in Hockenheim (DE) in 1987. The latest success came courtesy of Bruno Spengler (CA) at this year's race in Spielberg (AT). The BMW M3 has also picked up victories in many other series and at racing events around the world, earning its place as the most successful touring car of all time.

About the DTM.
The German Touring Car Masters – DTM for short – is the most popular touring car series in the world. Last season, over 650,000 spectators flocked to renowned racetracks in Germany and around Europe to watch the ten races live. The series pits the three premium automobile manufacturers BMW, Audi and Mercedes-Benz against each other in a sporting contest. BMW fielded its first works teams from 1984 to 1992, during which time it claimed 49 race victories and won the Drivers' Championship on three occasions (1984, 1987 and 1989). In 2012, the manufacturer returned to the DTM with the BMW M3 DTM, three teams and six drivers. BMW promptly won five races and topped the driver, team and manufacturer standings at the end of the season.

The 2013 DTM calendar once again consists of ten races. The schedule includes four trips abroad, to Brands Hatch (GB), Spielberg (AT), Moscow (RU) and Zandvoort (NL). The season traditionally ends in Hockenheim (DE) on 20th October. This season sees BMW line up with an even stronger contingent of four teams and eight drivers. The car charged with defending the team's hat-trick of titles is once again the BMW M3 DTM. TV station ARD is broadcasting each qualifying (14:40 to 15:50) and every race (13:15 to 15:00) live. Tickets for all the DTM races are available here: http://www.bmw-motorsport.com/de/fan-area/dtm-tickets.html

By Noah Joseph