With the Le Mans 24 Hours in full swing, we figured now would be the right time to share some of the nerdy facts BMW revealed to us over the weekend. The M Hybrid V8, competing in the LMDh class, must be consistently fast on Circuit de la Sarthe while hunting for racing glory. Onboard telemetry reveals that the electrified machine reaches a speed of 211 mph (340 km/h) on the famous Mulsanne Straight.
But it takes more than top speed to win. BMW told us that for about half the race, the M Hybrid V8 averages more than 155 mph (250 km/h). It’s worth noting that the 4.0-liter twin-turbo engine powering M’s flagship race car isn’t shared with any road-legal model. The P66/3 has its roots in DTM, specifically in the M4 used during the 2017 and 2018 seasons. It produces around 640 hp and 650 Nm, though output is limited by regulations.
The M Hybrid V8’s engine alone has 4,306 parts and uses 1,006 different types of components. In its original DTM form, the engine was naturally aspirated before switching to forced induction. As for the electric motor, battery, and transmission, these crucial parts are shared with other race cars to comply with regulations. Everything was designed around a bespoke chassis supplied by Dallara. At Le Mans, the closed-cockpit BMW race car must have a minimum weight of 1,030 kilograms (2,270 pounds).
BMW didn’t have to build a street-legal homologation special. How cool would it have been if a road car had been mandatory? Porsche did it anyway, albeit as a one-off 963 RSP it unveiled just a few days ago. Toyota and Peugeot also considered road-going versions at one point. However, both ultimately abandoned the idea of putting a license plate on their endurance racers.
The M Hybrid V8 is currently only a factory-backed effort, but BMW M Motorsport chief Andreas Roos isn’t ruling out selling the hybrid endurance race car to private teams. BMW returned to Le Mans last year to repeat the V12 LMR’s 1999 triumph.
