Nother CarGuy

BMW revealed the new safety car for Formula E, a specially modified i8 Roadster, on the eve of the Monaco E-Prix. The new safety car has been modified extensively and specifically for use on the race track, with its design based on the i8 Coupe Safety Car. The biggest visual highlights of Formula E’s newest safety car are the shortened windscreen and the new rear wing; moreover, the new BMW i8 Roadster is the world’s first safety car that can be used with an open cockpit. Compared to the standard production model, the i8 Roadster safety car sits 15mm lower to the ground, wears a FIA-approved roll bar, a new front splitter and of course the mandatory light bar, which is mounted above the rear wing for better visibility. Other modifications include the addition of communication and GPS antennas, a rear view camera and more. No changes were announced in the plug-in hybrid powertrain, which utilizes a 228hp 1.5-liter three-cylinder petrol engine with a 141hp electric motor for ...

Mercedes has been supplying F1 with official safety cars for over 20 years now, with all of them being eminently fast and powerful. This one however is the most powerful yet. It’s a new Mercedes-AMG GT R that’s been outfitted to set the pace this year, replacing the GT S that has filled the position until now. The top version of Affalterbach’s dedicated sports car packs the same 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 as so many other AMG-tuned models. But in the GT R, it’s tuned to deliver 577 horsepower and 520 lb-ft of torque. That’s enough to send the Porsche 911 rival rocketing to 60 in 3.5 seconds. Like most other pace or safety cars, this one’s been fitted with all manner of extra equipment. There’s racing harnesses, a roll cage, radio communication equipment, and flashing lights. The GT R also bears the series’ new logo on its hood and doors. “I am very much looking forward to my new company car,” said F1’s official safety car driver Bernd Mayländer. “It is an absolute h...

Following a preview last year, BMW has released new details about the M5 MotoGP safety car. Set to enter service this weekend at the Losail International Circuit in Qatar, the safety car features a unique livery, a roll cage and seats from the M4 GTS. The model has also been equipped with an assortment of carbon fiber M Performance Parts including the grille, mirror caps, rear diffuser and rear spoiler. Designers also installed a titanium sports exhaust system with carbon fiber tips. The styling changes don’t stop there as the model has a prototype front splitter which has been designed specifically for the safety car. Other notable changes include an LED light bar and blue emergency lights in the grille. Like the standard model, the safety car has a 4.4-liter M TwinPower Turbo V8 engine which develops 600 PS (441 kW) and 750 Nm (553 lb-ft) of torque. It is connected to an eight-speed automatic transmission and an all-wheel drive system that enables the sedan to rocket from 0-...

Following the recent launch of the BMW M5, the German automaker has unveiled the MotoGP Safety Car version, set to premiere at the championship’s final round in Valencia, Spain. The specially-equipped M5 will be used throughout the 2018 season and replace the current BMW M2 Safety Car used. Compared to an entry-level M5, the MotoGP Safety Car comes equipped with all the available M Performance Parts, including carbon fiber on the side skirts, rear diffuser, rear spoiler, front kidney grille and wing mirror caps. Additionally, it includes a titanium M Performance exhaust system, carbon fiber tips, a bespoke front splitter, bonnet latches and seats from the M4 GTS. Additionally, the car has been equipped with an LED light bar on the roof, blue LEDs in the front grilles and flashing headlights. As with any other 2018 M5, power comes from a twin-turbocharged 4.4-liter V8 with 600 hp and 750 Nm of torque. When paired with the all-wheel drive M xDrive system, this allo...

The FIA has revealed that safety cars could become autonomous in the future. During an interview with Motorsport, the head of technical development for the sport, Marcin Budkowski, said that discussions have been held about a driverless safety car created to promote self-driving technologies. “Let me give you an example, but it is not the only one: we have spoken about an unmanned safety car. It would promote a technology about which there is a bit of scepticism and, instead, it could be shown that it works. “The safety car driver would no longer be essential, because it would leave the controls to the computer. But we must be aware of the attraction of [F1] race cars without drivers: the engineers would love it, but not the fans,” Budkowski said. Despite his openness to implementing self-driving technologies into the sport, Budkowski cited the upcoming Roborace championship as an example that autonomous championships probably won’t spark the interest of fans but that they c...