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2013 BMW Z4 GTE

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 (ÚS), 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' (ÚS).

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.

2013 BMW Z4 GTE '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 (ÚS) on Monday, and were welcomed that evening at a dinner in the Crowne Plaza Úniversal 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 (ÚS) and ALMS rookie Maxime Martin (BE). Dirk Müller (DE) will contest all the races in the number 56 car. Joey Hand (ÚS) and John Edwards (ÚS) 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 Úwe Alzen (DE, #56) will bolster the squad at the endurance races at Sebring (ÚS) and Road Atlanta (ÚS).

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 ÚSA 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.

Source - 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.

2013 BMW Z4 GTE 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.

2013 BMW Z4 GTE
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.

Source - BMW

Related Reading : BMW Z4 History

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....
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