BMW Motorrad also introduced its first M bike.
In quick succession, two of the world’s premium automakers have unveiled their latest safety cars that will do duty on the biggest Formula 1 stages. First, there was Aston Martin’s stunning Vantage safety car and DBX medical car, followed quickly by an updated look for the Mercedes-AMG GT R safety car.
It’s now BMW’s turn, but the Munich-based company’s latest reveals are not for the F1 circuit, but the MotoGP World Championship. Since 1999, BMW M has served as the Official Car of MotoGP. Now, three new safety cars and one new safety bike have been unveiled. The safety cars are a BMW M3, an M4, and an M5 CS – the latter was recently unveiled as the fastest and most powerful production BMW M car ever.
Hopefully, that M3/M4 grille doesn’t give any of the bikers heart palpitations. The three cars were joined by the BMW M 1000 RR safety bike, which becomes BMW Motorrad’s first M model. This is also the first time that the automaker has unveiled a new safety bike and three new safety cars.
BMW’s 2021 safety car fleet will expand next month with the addition of another safety bike, an M8 Competition Gran Coupe safety car, and an X5 M medical car. BMW said that as the production safety cars were fundamentally conceived as sporty, high-performance models, they didn’t require extensive modifications for their duties in the MotoGP World Championship.
Some of the upgrades include flashing front lights and quick-release hood latches, while the M4 Competition safety car has had its rear seat removed. For this model, a four-point sports harness and a roll bar have been equipped.
BMW has been more adventurous with the color palette than before, dispensing with the usual motorsport white. Instead, the M3 is finished in Frozen Grey Dark metallic, the M4 is painted in searing Sao Paulo Yellow, and the M5 CS gets a Frozen Deep Green metallic hue. The 2021 MotoGP World Championship gets underway on 28 March in Losail for the Grand Prix of Qatar.
