Behind the Scenes: The BMW M2’s record lap on the Nordschleife.

30. Aug 2023

The engine’s running, the driver’s behind the wheel. As soon as he gives the sign, the crew are ready to whip the warmers off the tyres, turn the lever rods of the hydraulic jacks in sync to the left and put the BMW M2 back on its wheels so that it can get going. On a flying start on the Nordschleife of the Nürburgring. To go out and break records.

Time to go: All four men on the jacks raise an arm – the sign that the BMW M2 has been set down and the jacks are no longer under the vehicle. The record car is headed for the Nordschleife access. Right behind the BMW M2 is a second M automobile. The striking BMW M3 Touring in the extrovert Isle of Man Green Metallic paintjob is a so-called Rescue Vehicle with two fire extinguishers on board. If there was an accident, the driver would be able to help the record attempt car more quickly than the track marshals on foot.

“The perfect matching of suspension, engine, transmission and co is a series component of our vehicles: We achieve records in SPORT mode which was tuned to suit the Nürburgring.”

Klaus Huber, Head of Driving dynamics and setup at BMW M

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MONTHS OF PREPARATION.

There was a lot of preparation necessary to get to this sunny April day. From booking the Nürburgring to coordinating the vehicles. Another important point is the logistics – a whole heap of stuff had to be transported from Garching near Munich to the Eifel including wheels, tools, tyre-warmers and lots more besides. The first planning meetings were held months ago. Then, about two weeks before the big day it was crunch time when the vehicles took to the Nordschleife – albeit under bad weather conditions. “We had to keep waiting for dry spells and couldn’t complete a single timed lap”, says Jörg Weidinger. The development engineer is responsible for the overall set-up at BMW M. He’s also a practised record driver and will be behind the wheel today.

Apart from Jörg, there are seven other men on the operative team: a four-man crew who prepare tyres and vehicles and three technical directors. They’re responsible for the technical scrutineering of the vehicles and the coordination of the record attempts.

“100% SERIES VEHICLES.”

Today is all about records for series vehicles, something that BMW M takes very seriously: Even though the team could make changes to the vehicles within the regulations, they don’t. “Generally speaking, our credo for record runs is: We use 100% series vehicles that can be bought just as they are now”, says Klaus Huber, head of Driving dynamics and setup at BMW M. If for example a car goes for a record with a carbon roof and bucket seats, these must also be purchasable for this model. The Track tyres are also part of the BMW M original equipment.

20.832 kilometres

is the official length of the Nordschleife lap with a flying start.

THE PLACE IS BUZZING.

One day before the scheduled record attempt, things really get going. Most vehicles drive to the Eifel under their own steam, just like a real M automobile should: Besides their racetrack capability, they’re also perfectly suited to everyday use and long-distance cruising. Only top-secret models due to be launched shortly come under cover of a trailer. The destination however remains the same: the BMW M Test Centre at the Nürburgring. On record days, the workshop here is the control centre. 24 hours before an attempt the place is buzzing. All the hydraulic lifts are occupied, tool trolleys trundle noisily about, the typical squeal of rubber tyres on concrete floors can be heard everywhere. Final vehicle checks are made.