BMW GTP
mid engine, longitudinally mounted | |||||||||
| Transmission | Hewland 5 Speed LSD | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weight | 908 kg (2,001.8 lb) | ||||||||
| Tires | Goodyear Eagle | ||||||||
| Competition history | |||||||||
| Notable entrants | BMW North America | ||||||||
| Notable drivers | Davy Jones John Andretti David Hobbs John Watson | ||||||||
| Debut | 1986 Grand Prix of Miami | ||||||||
| |||||||||
| Teams' Championships | 0 | ||||||||
| Constructors' Championships | 0 | ||||||||
| Drivers' Championships | 0 | ||||||||
The BMW GTP was an
turbocharged straight-four engine
. Like the F1 cars that used the M12 engine, the BMW GTPs were fragile, and often retired from races; however, when they did complete a race, the BMW GTP was usually classified in the overall top ten. For longevity purposes in endurance races, it usually ran around 800 hp (597 kW; 811 PS). However, in qualifying trim, 1,400 hp (1,044 kW; 1,419 PS) was feasible; combined with the aerodynamics the And the drag coefficient reached 0.21 and the top speed reached 450 km/h
Design and development
In 1986,
middle in a longitudinal fashion.[1] It had ventilated disc brakes all around, and used Goodyear Eagle tires.[1]
Racing history
BMW North America attempted to debut the car at the
Watkins Glen Grand Prix, with the same two-car entry that had competed at the Grand Prix of Miami; this time, both cars held together, with Jones and Andretti taking fifth, a lap ahead of Watson and Hobbs, who took sixth.[6]
At the
New York 500, Watson and Hobbs retired after 67 laps, and were classified in 21st, and 11th in the GTP category; however, Jones and Andretti won the race by just over 24 seconds, and took the fastest lap in the process.[10] The penultimate round of the season, which was the Columbus Grand Prix, saw both cars retire within the space of four laps; Jones and Andretti after 70 laps, which saw them classified 26th overall, and 15th in the GTP category, whilst Watson and Hobbs lasted the extra four laps, and were classified two places ahead overall and in class.[11] Things improved at the Daytona Finale, which was the final round of the IMSA season; Jones and Andretti lasted for 83 laps before retiring, and were classified in 20th overall, and tenth in the GTP category, whilst Watson and Hobbs finished the race and were classified ninth overall, and seventh in class, after 91 laps.[12] In the driver's championship, Andretti was the highest classified BMW GTP driver; he finished 22nd, with 37 points, whilst Jones took 25th, and Hobbs and Watson shared 28th.[13] However, BMW withdrew from the IMSA GTP series at the end of the season.[2] The car's career had not quite ended, however; BMW entered two cars at the opening round of the ADAC Würth Supercup season in 1987, which was held at the Nürburgring; however, they never actually competed in the race, and the BMW GTP was never used again.[14]
References
- ^ a b c d e "1986 BMW GTP". Supercars.net. Retrieved 20 September 2013.
- ^ a b c d e f "BMW GTP". IMSA History. Archived from the original on 20 September 2013. Retrieved 20 September 2013.
- ^ "Miami Grand Prix 1986 – Photo Gallery". Racing Sports Cars. Retrieved 20 September 2013.
- ^ "Miami Grand Prix 1986 – Race Results". Racing Sports Cars. Retrieved 20 September 2013.
- ^ "Road Atlanta 500 Kilometres 1986 – Race Results". Racing Sports Cars. Retrieved 20 September 2013.
- ^ "500 mile Watkins Glen 1986 – Race Results". Racing Sports Cars. Retrieved 20 September 2013.
- ^ "Portland 300 Kilometres 1986 – Race Results". Racing Sports Cars. Retrieved 20 September 2013.
- ^ "Sears Point 300 Kilometres 1986 – Race Results". Racing Sports Cars. Retrieved 20 September 2013.
- ^ "Road America 500 Miles 1986 – Race Results". Racing Sports Cars. Retrieved 20 September 2013.
- ^ "Watkins Glen 500 Kilometres 1986 – Race Results". Racing Sports Cars. Retrieved 20 September 2013.
- ^ "Columbus 500 Kilometres 1986 – Race Results". Racing Sports Cars. Retrieved 20 September 2013.
- ^ "Daytona Finale 3 Hours 1986 – Race Results". Racing Sports Cars. Retrieved 20 September 2013.
- ^ "IMSA Camel GTP Championship 1986". Driver Database. Retrieved 20 September 2013.
- ^ "All Results of BMW GTP". Racing Sports Cars. Retrieved 20 September 2013.
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