BMW is not the manufacturer with the highest volume of vehicles on the DTM grid. In fact, the Bavarian firm is far from the deployment of Mercedes or Audi. However, the Munich house is facing a more critical project than that of its German rivalsnot least because the new BMW M4 GT3 makes its debut this season. Walkenhorst Motorsport and Team Schubert are the two teams in charge of managing the four new wedge GT3 that will compete in the German series during the sixteen races that make up the 2022 DTM.
The four BMW M4 GT3 that will compete in the DTM and the rest of the units intended for other GT3 series are built in the BMW M workshops, in Garching, near Munich. An iconic place for racing lovers and BMW fans, even more so now than BMW M has taken over the racing activities of BMW Motorsport, now integrated into this ‘M’ division. Francius Van Meel is in charge of the entire BMW M division and of the tasks of preparing the BMW M4 GT3 for its racing debut.
With everything, the BMW M4 GT3 is not only a product of BMW M and the Garching workshops, as Hans Rahn, Head of Prototyping at BMW M, explains: “Racing cars have not been built here for quite some time. I think the last ones were the touring cars derived from the E36 range. With everything, the BMW M4 GT3 is not built here exclusively. The base of the models comes from the BMW factory in Dingolfing. They are then sent to Regensburg to build the security cage. Only then the montage starts here».
The assembly process of the M4 GT3 is hypnotic to say the least: «Mechanics go from car to car instead of moving them in different stations. The work is divided into the pre-assembly phase, front part, rear part, wiring, air intakes and fire extinguishing system. Each part has a unique QR code that places it in a specific production lot and determines which mechanic installs the part. A new generation model that debuts with the BMW M4 GT3 to ensure the highest quality standards.
The installation of the engines has its own moment and protocol: «We have a six-cylinder in-line engine, without vibrations. It is an engine 40 kilograms lighter than the one we use in the BMW M6 GT3. By having dry sump lubrication, the propeller can ride in a lower position, offering a lower center of gravity and better balance. With everything, the installation process is complexso that in the end it allows us to insert work phases and have each car at a different stage of assembly to ensure that everything is done as stipulated and on time.”
Photos: DTM