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Alex Zanardi back in the driver's seat with BMW

If there's ever been an inspirational story in the pantheon of motor racing history, surely it's that of Alessandro Zanardi. The Italian driver worked his way up the motor racing ladder, making it into Formula One and winning two CART championships for Chip Ganassi Racing back before the series re-merged into IndyCars. Tragedy struck in 2001 when he lost both his legs in a crash at the Lausitzring in Germany, but rather than accept his fate, Alex pushed on. Fitted with prosthetic limbs, he learned to drive a racing car with hand controls and got back in the driver's seat.
Zanardi drove for BMW in the European Touring Car Championship and then in the World Touring Car Championship that replaced it, landing on the podium several times despite his physical disadvantage. He left racing in 2009 to train for the Paralympics, winning two gold medals in London, but Alex apparently couldn't shake the racing bug. BMW modified one of its M3 DTM racers with hand controls for him to test later that year. And now he's returning to motor racing full time.
BMW has just announced that Zanardi will be driving a Z4 GT3 in the Blancpain Sprint Series, the successor to the FIA GT Series and short-distance counterpart to the Blancpain Endurance Series. The car has been modified with the hand controls the Bavarian automaker's racing department fitted to the aforementioned M3 DTM and will be fielded by the ROAL Motorsport team with which Alex challenged for the European Touring Car Championship last decade.

BMW showcases M2, M4 with M Performance Parts at SEMA

The halls of the Las Vegas Convention Center may be filled this week primarily with customized automobiles from one side of the Pacific or another. But that's not to say that European automakers can't come out to play too. Take these two custom rides from BMW, for example. They're each based on Munich's latest performance coupes, but taken further with the addition of extra M Performance parts. The larger, more potent, and more thoroughly revised of the two is based on the M4. For the SEMA show, the Bavarian automaker has fitted it with a carbon aero kit including new front elements, diffuser, and spoiler, as well as wing mirror caps. The side sills are done in plastic, and the grilles have been blacked out. The whole thing rides on a lowered coilover suspension, and features a new two-mode stainless-steel exhaust system with titanium silencer and carbon tips. Meanwhile, the interior is trimmed out in carbon fiber and Alcantara with new a steering wheel, shifter, pedals, and LED door projectors. The SEMA show also presents BMW with the opportunity to present its first M Performance parts for the new M2 coupe. The smaller model has been decked out with new grilles, carbon rear spoiler and mirror caps, as well as new suspension components and exhaust. The interior has similarly been done up with new control surfaces, carbon accents and Alcantara trim. Related Video: BMW at SEMA 2015. 03.11.2015 The Speciality Equipment Market Association (SEMA) in Las Vegas (Nevada, USA) is regarded worldwide as the leading trade show for customisation and sports tuning. The new products presented at SEMA to trade experts influence the entire scene and set trends. At this year's SEMA show from November 3rd to 6th 2015, BMW presents a selection of distinctively sports-oriented BMW M Performance Parts to the trade fair audience. Located on the lower level of South Hall (Stand 40247), trade fair visitors will see a BMW M Performance modified BMW M4 Coupe as well as the first BMW M Performance Parts for the new BMW M2 Coupe. What is more, the new "M Performance" inscription in dynamic technical design is to be seen on selected parts. The inscription reflects the increased dynamic flair of BMW M Performance as well as underscoring the essential functional orientation of all BMW M Performance Parts. Evidence of this is also to be seen in the new, extremely sporty parts and components with which BMW has fitted the demonstration vehicle.

BMW rethinks all-wheel-drive M cars

BMW M hasn't been able to decide whether it wants to jump on the all-wheel-drive bandwagon or not (with the exceptions of the X5 M and the X6 M, which are based on AWD architecture). That might be changing though, since M's president Friedrich Nitschke recently realized that 70 to 80 percent of Mercedes-Benz E63 AMGs are ordered with all-wheel drive. Earlier this year, Nitschke said that there were no new AWD M models planned, so this comes as somewhat of a surprise.
"On our cars we are thinking of all-wheel drive, but it won't come before we get the successor of the M5 and M6," Nitschke said in a Motoring report. "That's the timing and it's not practical to react in the current life cycles."
"On our cars we are thinking of all-wheel drive." - Friedrich Nitschke, BMW