DEBUT FOR THE BMW Z4 GTE AND THE NEWLY STRUCTURED BMW TEAM RLL

•Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts on board as Premium Partner again in 2013

Daytona (US), 12th February 2013. BMW is embarking on a new chapter of its motorsport commitment in North America: after four successful years with the BMW M3 GT, the new BMW Z4 GTE will take over at the head of the manufacturer's campaign in the 2013 American Le Mans Series (ALMS). On Tuesday, BMW Motorsport and BMW Team RLL presented the car and drivers for the new season at the 'Daytona International Speedway' (US).

Supported by Premium Partner Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts, guests from around the world were given the opportunity to inspect the BMW Z4 GTE at close hand, talk to those responsible for the team, and experience the iconic racetrack in Florida from the cockpit, courtesy of taxi rides with the BMW ALMS drivers.

'As we approach the start of the ALMS season in mid-March, so the anticipation is gradually rising,' said BMW Motorsport Director Jens Marquardt. 'All of us at BMW Motorsport and BMW Team RLL are very curious to see how the first few races pan out with the new BMW Z4 GTE. We are setting out on a development year, but are very confident we have once again developed a car that has the potential to win races and titles in the form of the BMW Z4 GTE. Seeing our drivers at this event, you could tell how much they are looking forward to the first race in Sebring. I would also like to say a big thank you to our Premium Partner Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts for its fantastic support here in Daytona.'

Team Principal Bobby Rahal added: 'Obviously I am very excited to enter this new year with the BMW Z4 GTE. There is a lot of enthusiasm in the team for the new car. Certainly there will be a development period involved but ultimately I see no reason why we can't be competitive with the great competition that exists in the GT category in the ALMS. Although this might be a development year in many respects, the level of driver talent we have on the team – including the two new exciting additions with Maxime Martin and John Edwards – I think that ultimately we can have success and do much as we did in 2009, the first year of the BMW M3 GT, and work hard toward achieving maximum results in its first year. One aspect of the launch that is very exciting is not just the introduction of the BMW Z4 GTE and our drivers, but also the collection of historic cars that were the cars that began the success story of BMW in North American racing.'

The guests had travelled to Orlando (US) on Monday, and were welcomed that evening at a dinner in the Crowne Plaza Universal Orlando by Jens Marquardt, Ludwig Willisch, President and CEO of BMW of North America, BMW Team RLL Team Principal Bobby Rahal and BMW NA Motorsport Manager Gordon McDonnell. On Tuesday, the ALMS drivers took them on a series of taxi rides in historic BMW racing cars. This was followed by the unveiling of the BMW Z4 GTE.

BMW Motorsport also announced the driving pairs for the coming season. Car number 55 will be driven by Bill Auberlen (US) and ALMS rookie Maxime Martin (BE). Dirk Müller (DE) will contest all the races in the number 56 car. Joey Hand (US) and John Edwards (US) will alternate as the two-time ALMS GT champion's driving partner. Edwards will stand in for Hand when he is unavailable due to his parallel commitment in the DTM. Jörg Müller (DE, #55) and Uwe Alzen (DE, #56) will bolster the squad at the endurance races at Sebring (US) and Road Atlanta (US).

The BMW Z4 GTE will contest its first season in 2013. In July 2012, BMW Motorsport engineers in Munich (DE) began work on developing a GTE version of the BMW Z4 GT3, which would comply with ACO regulations. The BMW Z4 GT3 itself has enjoyed many years of success in high-class GT series around the world. The regulations stipulate that electronic aids that may be used on the BMW Z4 GT3, such as ABS and DSC, are not permitted on a GTE car.

The BMW Z4 GTE is considerably more compact than its successful predecessor, the BMW M3 GT. All the dimensions of the BMW Z4 GTE have been modified to comply with ACO regulations. The new car took to the racetrack for its maiden test outing in the second half of January. BMW Team RLL was integrated in the process throughout the entire development period. Engineers from the USA travelled to Munich in December to play their part in the assembly of the BMW Z4 GTE.

The car is not the only important new thing BMW Team RLL can look forward to in the coming season: Michelin is the new Tyre Partner of BMW Motorsport in the ALMS. In contrast, Premium Partner Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts is something of a constant. The successful cooperation will continue in 2013. Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts belongs to the InterContinental Hotels Group. IHG maintains, runs and owns over 4,400 hotels and more than 658,000 rooms in approaching 100 countries.

by BMW

BMW ALONG 4 ‘Z' RIDE

Distinctive and bold, BMW's new Z4 GTE has high standards to match given the manufacturer's recent history in the American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón.

The car publicly premiered last week at Daytona International Speedway, making it the first ALMS GT car to lap Daytona's high banks in advance of the 2014 combined championship of the ALMS and the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series. It races for the first time in less than a month at the 61st Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Fueled by Fresh from Florida.

Based off the GT3-spec Z4, the Z4 GTE has changes including the removal of electronic aids such as ABS and DSC, to go along with wider wheel arches at both the front and rear of the car. It's also considerably smaller than the departing M3, particularly in the driver's greenhouse area, to fall in line with the production Z4.

Inevitably, some growing pains will follow throughout the learning and development process. Still, there's no reason to think the Z4 can't star in its debut season.

For BMW's most recent set of 'firsts,' BMW Team RLL premiered the M3 in 2009 and scored its first win in dominant fashion at Road America, a 1-2 finish led by longtime factory drivers Bill Auberlen and Joey Hand.

Massive gains followed in 2010. The team repeated its Road America win but BMW scored 10 podiums (of a possible 27 positions) and secured the GT manufacturer and team titles. Considering that year was the first with Corvette in the class full-time – along with added depth from Ferrari, Porsche, Ford and Jaguar – it was no small accomplishment.

The package was near perfect in 2011. Wins in the first three races, 11 podiums and seven poles meant this was pretty much the fastest car, and it culminated in a sweep of the GT driver, manufacturer and team championships.

There were only two wins last year in the M3's fourth and final season, as the car struggled for outright pace, and the competition made package improvements. Still, the tenacity and determination was there, as evidenced by Hand's winning efforts in the closing stages at Sebring to hold off the AF Corse Ferrari F458 Italia driven by Olivier Beretta. And – surprise, surprise – BMW also won its third race at Road America in four years.

Entering the Z4, the first GT3-derived car adapted into the ALMS GT class, showcases BMW's commitment for a several-year period. If it follows the same trajectory, expect the Z4 to secure its first win this year and appear on the podium at a regular clip. A championship challenge isn't out of the question.

Driver-wise, three of the four primary drivers from 2012 are retained in Auberlen, Hand and Dirk Mueller. Fellow American John Edwards steps into Hand's seat during the Californian's DTM weekend clashes, while Belgian youngster Maxime Martin has the potential to surprise this year. Martin finished second in the 2012 Blancpain Endurance Series, where he won twice and scored three podiums in the GT3-spec Z4.

Where BMW has always succeeded in its ALMS tenure has been from a strategy standpoint, team principal Bobby Rahal is among the best at calling things on the fly and adjusting mid-race to put his cars in contention if they aren't the fastest out there. That alone is an indispensable resource that carries over year-to-year.

The other change, beyond the car, is a switch to Michelin as its new tire technical partner. After years of working to beat Michelin in the highly competitive class, BMW now links up with them in what should be a very potent combination.

Despite the substantial changes, the BMW Team RLL program is still of a high enough quality to contend on a regular basis with its new Z4 bullet.

by BMW

A rear-wheel drive sports vehicle, the BMW Z4 was known as the E85 in roadster form, and E86 in coupe form. Replacing the BMW Z3, production began in 2002. The Z4 was much larger than its predecessor and featured a significantly stiffer chassis. Originally only available as a roadster, in 2006 a coupe version was finally released. Built in Spartanburg, South Carolina, the BMW Z4 has been in production since the 2003 model year. The Z4 is BMW's only two-seat sports car.

The BMW-Z4 was designed by Danish BMW-designer Anders Warming. Warming was later famed with creating the Mille Miglia Concept vehicle with many of the similarities from the Z4. Considered to be one of the more unique sports vehicles currently available, the Z4 features an exquisite inline six-cylinder engine, and fabulous styling. The Z4 is famed for its excellent handling and steering and it counters with a light curb weight.

Available as a roadster with a convertible top or a fixed-roof coupe, the BMW Z4 featured the traditional front-engine/rear-drive layout, an elongated hood (that some consider ‘shoe-like' in appearance) and rearward positioning of driver and passenger. To add tension to the Z4's shape, the car showcased an extremely chiseled exterior design.

The original BMW Z4 from 2003 through 2005 was broken down inti either 2.5i or 3.0i. The 3.0i used a 3.0-liter straight six-cylinder engine that achieved 225 hp, while the 2.5i had a 2.5-liter, inline six-cylinder engine that achieved 184hp. Available transmission were a five-speed manual that was standard on the 2.5, a six-speed manual that was standard on the 3.0, a five-speed automatic or a six-speed Sequential Manual Gearbox that was featured on the M3. Only a few small updates were made over these years, but not enough to differentiate one model from another.

Much like the Z3, the Z4 featured a strut type front suspension, while its rear suspension was completely different and was based on that of the E30 BMW 3-Series. The Z4 also featured a much more conventional multi-link suspension, rather than a semi-trailing arm suspension.

The 200 BMW Z4 was available in two trim levels, the 3.0i and 3.0si. The 3.0i featured 17-inch wheels, antilock brakes, power mirror and windows, stability control, manually operated seats and vinyl upholstery. Standard, the 3.0-liter inline six-cylinder engine was rated at 215 hp; the six-speed manual transmission was also standard, while a six-speed automatic is optional. The 3.0si came with 18-inch wheels, several improved interior updates and a 255-hp 3.0-liter inline six. Both trim levels offered a variety of option, these included a Premium package with a power-operated top, and a Sport package that was designed to improve the car's handling capabilities. It added stiffer and lower suspension, larger wheels with run-flat tires, BMW's Vehicle Stability Control system; Dynamic Driving control. The BMW Z4 coupe is only available in the 3.0si trim.

The Sport package isn't needed though for a rewardable driving experience, the BMW Z4 offers that no matter what. The coupe had an advantage over the roadster in the terms of handling because of its additional body rigidity.

A choice of four straight-six engines were available on the BMW Z4, the 2.2 L, 2.5 L, 3.0 L and 3.2 L, all are variants of the BMW M54 engine. A 2.0 L straight-4 engine was available in the European market. Not available in the U.S. the 2.2 L, 170 bhp version could achieve 100 km/h in 7.7 seconds. The 2.5 L engine could achieve 192 bhp at 6,000 rpm. With a manual transmission, it is rated at 6.8 seconds at 62 mph. Weighing 2,932 lbs with a manual transmission is 66lbs lighter than the 3.0 L version. The 3.0 L was capable of 231 bhp at 5,900 rpm and its straight six could achieve a 62 mph in just 5.9 seconds. The 3.2 L reached 330 bhp at 7,900 rpm and had 262 lb/ft of torque at 4,900 rpm.

A Bangle-designed concept coupe version of the Z4 was introduced at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 2005. A company announcement was made on November 22, 2005 that the coupe would be available for delivery in the U.S. by June 2006, along with the return of the M Coupe. On April 4, 2006, production began at the Spartanburg, SC BMW plant, and the production vehicles were unveiled at the New York Auto Show in April 2006.

The BMW Z4 was also available in an M-powered version. This was the most powerful car of the Z4 lineup and it featured a naturally aspirated, inline six cylinder engine that was used in the third generation of the M3. The Z4 M produced 340 bhp at 7,900 rpm and 270 lb/ft of torque. With a top speed of 250 km/h, the M could achieve 0-100 km/h in just five seconds. The M Roadster also shares its 6-speed Getrag 217 manual gearbox with the M3.

For 2006, the Z4 was extensively updated and because of this, all models from '06 on were even more improved and a better choice for buyers. BMW installed its new N52 I-6 engines in all of the Z4 line. Mid-year in 2006 BMW released the coupe body steel, both the 215-hp and 255-hp engines, and the six-speed automatic. The N52 featured a magnesium block construction which consisted of an aluminum interior for the cylinders, along with an outer magnesium block.

To achieve increased performance, this engine featured BMW's Valvetronic variable valve timing system, which is incredibly more powerful through the middle of the rev range, and also improved handling and turn-in due to the decreased weight over the nose of the car. Other updates included a retuned standard suspension that improved ride quality, a higher final-drive ratio that only improved acceleration, additional braking functionality for the stability control system, new wheel designs, minor interior trim revisions and updated front and rear styling. The brakes size was also increased on the 3.0si models for 2006.

The Z4 3.0i Roadster released in 2008, when equipped with the optional Sport package, came complete with wheels very similar to the original Z4 Coupe concept vehicle.

According to the Auto Press, the 2008 BMW Z4 ranks 7 out of 8 Luxury Sports Cars, this analysis is ranked on 24 published reviews and test drives, along with an extensive review of reliability and safety data. The '08 Z4 3.0si was a two-seat hatchback coupe that came with a 3.0-liter inline six-cylinder engine and a manual transmission. Automatic transmission is optional, and the Z4 was also available as a convertible.

On August 27 2008, the Z4 line ended its production in North America at its Spartanburg, SC plant. Production has been shifted to the Regensburg, Germany plant for the its next-generation model, the E89.

by Jessican Donaldson