The perfect example of synergies between real-world motorsport
and sim racing: the BMW M4 GT4.
the BMW M4 GT4
• BMW Motorsport SIM Racing introduced the BMW M4 GT4 on the
platforms iRacing and Assetto Corsa Competizione in 2020.
• Development of digital BMW M4 GT4 in extremely close
collaboration with BMW Motorsport engineers.
• Livery contest and virtual track day with the BMW M4 GT4 build
bridge to real-world racing.
• BMW SIM Cup finals and presentation of extensive BMW
Motorsport SIM Racing programme for 2021 at BMW SIM Live on 5th
December.
Munich. The BMW M4 GT4 played a leading role in the technology transfer
between real-world motorsport and sim racing in the 2020 season.
The introduction of the car on the simulation platforms iRacing and Assetto
Corsa Competizione is just as much a new dimension of creating synergies
between real-world and virtual racing as the livery contest and the virtual
track day with the BMW M customer racing car. BMW Motorsport SIM
Racing followed all these projects with intense media coverage.
“The BMW M4 GT4 is a superb example of what we mean when we emphasise that
the BMW Motorsport SIM Racing projects are also about synergies between realworld and digital racing. This pillar of our racing programme is self-contained, but
pays in to all of the BMW Group’s motorsport,” says Rudolf Dittrich, Head of BMW
Motorsport SIM Racing. “Building the bridge between real-world and digital racing
makes a great deal of sense in the case of a BMW M customer racing car such as the
BMW M4 GT4. Many customers have explicitly asked for this car to be implemented.
On the one hand, to have spectacular virtual races – particularly during the pandemic
– and on the other hand, to practice for the next real appearance at home, and in
doing so have almost exactly the same driving experience as in the real-world racing
car. Enabling a much larger customer base to test the BMW M4 GT4 virtually, and in
doing so to get a good initial impression, might result in one or more additional
interested parties in a real car. No doubt we will apply this principle again in future
projects with BMW racing cars.”
Development of the digital BMW M4 GT4.
The digital version of the BMW M4 GT4 made its debut on the simulation platform
iRacing at the start of June. Over the course of the year, the platform Assetto Corsa
Competizione also introduced the car. To make the driving experience as realistic as
possible for the sim racers, the BMW Motorsport engineers collaborated extremely
closely and transparently with the simulation platform colleagues.
In the case of iRacing, the developers received two large data packages of several
gigabytes from BMW Motorsport. Dittrich explained the process in a press release at
the end of May 2020 as follows: “The first package contained the CAD data with all
the specifications of the car parts. That is exactly the same data that a supplier gets
from us to produce the real component. iRacing also scanned a real car, in this case
the Turner Motorsport BMW M4 GT4. The second large data package contained all
the information on driving dynamics. We use the same data set to do simulate lap
times or to operate our BMW Motorsport simulator, for example. This data includes
damper curves, engine performance curves, axle kinematics, weight distribution,
aerodynamic values: any figures that we had calculated for the car we passed on to
iRacing. iRacing ended up knowing as much about the car as our customer teams
do.”
Virtual track day with the BMW M4 GT4.
To give potential customers the opportunity to experience the BMW M4 GT4 in the
race simulator, the first BMW Motorsport SIM Racing Track Day was held at the end
of June. A selection of BMW M customer racing drivers took to the track at the virtual
Nürburgring and received tuition from well-known “instructors”: BMW works driver
Philipp Eng, who enjoys great success in the simulator himself, and the three sim
racers Alexander Voß, Laurin Heinrich and Nils Koch. In addition to the pure driving
experience, the procedure during a race was also simulated, with free practice
sessions, qualifying and races. Instructors used a voice app to give the participants
valuable tips on set-up work with digital race cars.
“With their various commitments and activities, BMW has long demonstrated how
seriously they take the field of sim racing,” said Eng in the press release at that time.
“This event showed that once again. I think it’s great that customer teams and drivers
from the BMW Sports Trophy are also being given the opportunity to collaborate with
sim experts.”
BMW M4 GT4 livery contest.
In July 2020, BMW Motorsport SIM Racing announced the BMW M4 GT4 Livery
Contest with the tagline “THE FUSION OF REAL WORLD AND SIM RACING” – a
design competition in which entrants from the sim racing community were able to let
their creativity run free, and even have their dream design feature on the real-world
racetrack.
Chan Wen Bin prevailed over numerous rivals with his suggested design for the BMW
M4 GT4 and received a cash prize of 3,000 US dollars and the joy of having his
design used on a real racing car. The BMW M customer racing team FK Performance
contested the season finale of the DTM Trophy in Hockenheim with the BMW M4
GT4 in the winning design in November 2020.
The 27-year-old graphic designer from Malaysia won over not only the top-class jury
consisting of multi-media artist and BMW Art Car artist Cao Fei, Michael Scully
(Global Automotive Director @Designworks) and BMW works driver Bruno Spengler
with his design; BMW Motorsport fans also had the opportunity to vote for their
favourites via social media and influence the decision.
“With the BMW M4 GT4 Livery Contest we showed that in addition to racing drivers,
you can also integrate and speak to other communities, as well as support graphic
designers digitally via sim racing and make them more well known,” says Dittrich.
BMW SIM Live on 5th December 2020.
BMW SIM Live 2020, which will be broadcast from 4.00 PM CET on 5th December
via a livestream on the BMW Motorsport and BMW Esports channels, will include the
final races in the BMW SIM 120 Cup and the BMW SIM M2 CS Racing Cup. When
the season’s race winners come together they will be competing for a total prize fund
in excess of 25,000 euros.
BMW Motorsport SIM Racing will use the event framework to present its extensive
programme for the upcoming season. This will be expanded significantly in many
areas, to do justice to the momentum of the rapidly emerging digital racing sector.
Plans include the one-make cup competitions, hardware developments and
collaborations. BMW Motorsport SIM Racing will present several spectacular world
premieres in these areas at BMW SIM Live 2020.
Live streams of the BMW SIM Live 2020:
BMW Motorsport Youtube: https://b.mw/sim_live
BMW Motorsport Facebook: https://b.mw/sim_live_FB
BMW Motorsport Twitter: https://b.mw/sim_live_TW
BMW Motorsport Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/bmwmotorsport
BMW Esports Twitter: https://b.mw/esports_sim_live_TW
