M4 DTM Champion Edition Boasts BMW Racing Pedigree

MUNICH – Following the adage “Win on Sunday, sell on Monday,” German automaker BMW unveils a superfast version of its M4 Coupe to celebrate clinching this year’s Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters domestic racing championship.

The BMW M4 DTM Champion Edition model will be built in limited, as-yet-unspecified numbers. It draws on motor-racing technology for drive and suspension and is designed to mimic the looks of the DTM racing cars built by BMW Motorsport.

It will boast a tuned version of its straight 6-cyl. 3.0L engine raising horsepower from 431 to 500 and torque from 406 lb.-ft. (550 Nm) to 443 lb.-ft. (600 Nm). The motor employs water-injection technology, previously seen on the BMW M4 GTS, to cool combustion chambers, raising its thermally related performance limits 16% over the production model.

The racetrack refugee breaks the 0-62 mph (100 km/h) barrier in just 3.8 seconds on its way to what BMW calls a limited top speed of 190 mph (306 km/h).

Available only in Alpine White, the car’s design includes aerodynamic carbon components such as front splitter, aero flicks positioned ahead of the front wheel arches, exterior mirror caps, side skirt attachments and rear diffuser.

A radical weight-saving exercise sees the hood, roof, instrument panel support and rear diffuser made from carbon fiber-reinforced plastic while the end mufflers of the double-flow sports exhaust system features two pairs of tailpipes made of titanium.

It’s shod with Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 high-performance tires, 265/35 R19 at the front and 285/30 R20 at the rear, designed specifically for track day use, and brakes are M carbon-ceramic discs. The individually adjustable 3-way coilover suspension units are mechanically adjustable both for rebound and damping.

Inside there are just two front M Carbon bucket seats covered in Alcantara/Leather Merino while behind a white rollbar replaces rear seats found in the standard car. Alcantara lines the whole cabin and a M Sports steering wheel features a gray “12 o’clock” marker.

Despite the sports environment there’s plenty of technology including BMW’s Professional Navigation system, air conditioning, adaptive LED headlights with glare-free high beam assistant, OLED taillights, front and rear park assist as well as automatically dimming interior and exterior mirrors.

“Congratulations to Marco Wittmann, his team RMG and the entire crew from BMW Motorsport,” says Frank van Meel, president of BMW M, the automaker’s high-performance and racing division.

“We have the pleasure of honoring Marco’s performance by producing a BMW M4 DTM Champion Edition in 2016 to mark his winning the DTM driver’s title. Never before has one of our edition models been so closely linked to motor racing.”

Prices have not been announced.