David Fazzino Posted February 1, 2014 Share Posted February 1, 2014 (edited) Curious were the factory "entry level" race car would be classified in GTS. 2530 lbs 333hp. Add 180 or so lbs for driver. GTS 4? I read somewhere it has a ZF 8 speed transmission? At $80k it is the same price as a Ford racing Mustang! from BMW Motorsport news: The newly-developed, entry-level racing car was presented to the international public for the first time at the “Las Vegas Motor Speedway”. Among those present was Martin Tomczyk, who will race for BMW Team Schnitzer in the 2014 DTM. He was also involved in the development of the new car. An interview with Martin Tomczyk. Martin, you were in Las Vegas for the official launch of the BMW 235i Racing. How was the reaction from the media? Martin Tomczyk: “The feedback was more than positive. The designers’ illustrations really whet the appetite, but the BMW M235i Racing actually looks even more impressive in the flesh. Most journalists would have preferred to have taken it straight out onto the track. I have already had that privilege – and it is great fun pushing this car to the limit.” Do you think this car will do well on the Nürburgring-Nordschleife? Tomczyk: “Of course. BMW and the Nordschleife go hand in hand anyway, and it is great to see a new car like this breathing new life into this long tradition. For those starting out in motorsport, it will be a joy to taken on the ‘Green Hell’ in the BMW M235i Racing. The new format of the BMW M235i Racing Cup is also extremely interesting – and exactly what BMW fans want to see at the Ring.” You are racing for BMW Team Schnitzer in the 2014 DTM. How are you approaching the season in a new team? Tomczyk: “I am really looking forward to the 2014 season. The Bavarian ‘trio’ of BMW Motorsport, BMW Team Schnitzer and myself is a nice combination. For this reason, I hope we are able to mix it with the front runners right from the word go. My goal remains to win the DTM title with BMW. I am really motivated to take another step towards this goal in 2014.” Edited February 3, 2014 by Guest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Michael G. Posted February 2, 2014 Members Share Posted February 2, 2014 It looks like the car gets to around 8.2 ratio which makes it GTS 5, unless the ballast added. Michael G. NE GTS Dir. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sfteague Posted February 3, 2014 Share Posted February 3, 2014 It looks like the car gets to around 8.2 ratio which makes it GTS 5, unless the ballast added. Michael G. NE GTS Dir. Assuming those horsepower numbers are at the wheels and not at the crank. It would actually fit fine in GTS4 if those are WHP numbers because I assume that would put the horsepower around 275 at the wheels if the crank is 333. It seems in that case, it might even be pretty good for GTS4 when wearing non-DOT race slicks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Michael G. Posted February 4, 2014 Members Share Posted February 4, 2014 Assuming the numbers are at a crank - wondering if the "factory race" car will be using the unmodified street engine - sounds doubtful at best - that what 333 would be - at the crank. I bet the numbers will be higher - 333 at the wheels sounds more likely… Michael G. NE GTS Dir. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
autodoctor911 Posted February 5, 2014 Share Posted February 5, 2014 why the automatic? If that 333Hp is at the crank, as most race car's advertised HP has been so far(not that it is necessarily very accurate), the automatic transmission should help sap some of that. That seems like a great price for a race ready car. The FIA fuel cell is a nice extra too. most cars in this class don't have to have one. I wonder what class in the USCR(former Grand am/ALMS) series this will fit into. Maybe BMW and some other sponsors might get together and start a one make series in the US. I wonder why the normal 6 speed wasn't used. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Fazzino Posted February 5, 2014 Author Share Posted February 5, 2014 I bet we see several at the Thunderhill 25hr race. They designed it with the ring in mind so they must have determined the 8 speed is optimum. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bmwjoon Posted February 5, 2014 Share Posted February 5, 2014 We just had this conversation on facebook. It's my understanding that BMW wanted to offer paddles but DCT isn't available on the 2 series. So they used the automatic and reprogrammed it. They mentioned stuff like over-rev protection but that wasn't the main reason for it. We would like to think that BMW wants to build this car for "club racers" but it's really for a spec series they are planning. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
autodoctor911 Posted February 5, 2014 Share Posted February 5, 2014 anyone seen any lap times reported yet? I wonder how far off they are from a 997 Cup? I bet that even if the power to weight is close, the BMW is going to be slower for a few years, till they do some more development. The 997 has had a lot of years of that already, and it was really a development of the 996 RSR to start with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bmwjoon Posted February 6, 2014 Share Posted February 6, 2014 This thing is nothing like a cup, half the price too. Same idea though. Have a spec series where people pay to play. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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