BMW M Hybrid V8

BMW M Hybrid V8

The No. 15 M Hybrid V8 at the 2024 24 Hours of Le Mans
Category	LMDh
Constructor	BMW M (Dallara)
Designer(s)	Michael Scully (Global Automotive Director, BMW Designworks) Hussein Al-Attar (Lead Exterior Designer) Maurizio Lesciutta (Project Leader, LMDh) Ulrich Schulz (Head of Drivetrain Design)
Predecessor	BMW V12 LMR
Technical specifications
Chassis	LMP2-based carbon fiber monocoque
Engine	BMW P66/3 3,999 cc (244.0 cu in) 90° V8 twin-turbocharged, 32-valve, DOHC
Torque	650 N⋅m (479 lb⋅ft)
Electric motor	Rear-mounted 50 kW (68 PS; 67 hp) spec MGU supplied by Bosch
Transmission	Xtrac P1359 7-speed sequential manual
Power	477 kW (649 PS; 640 hp) (combustion engine only) 500 kW (680 PS; 671 bhp) (combined)
Weight	1,029 kg (2,268.6 lb)
Fuel	TotalEnergies (WEC) VP Racing Fuels (IMSA)
Lubricants	Shell
Brakes	Brembo
Tyres	Michelin slicks with OZ one-piece forged alloys, 29/71-18 front and 34/71-18 rear
Competition history
Notable entrants	/ BMW M Team RLL BMW M Team WRT
Notable drivers	Philipp Eng Nick Yelloly Marco Wittmann Augusto Farfus Colton Herta Connor De Phillippi Kevin Magnussen
Debut	2023 24 Hours of Daytona
First win	2023 Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen
Last win	2024 IMSA Battle on the Bricks
Last event	2025 Rolex 6 Hours of São Paulo
Races Wins Podiums Poles F/Laps 35 2 11 4 1

The BMW M Hybrid V8 is a sports prototype racing car designed by BMW M and built by Dallara. It is designed to the Le Mans Daytona h (LMDh) regulations, and debuted in the 2023 IMSA SportsCar Championship at the season-opening 24 Hours of Daytona. It marks BMW’s first return to the top-flight of sports prototype racing since the BMW V12 LMR in 1999. The car also participates in the FIA World Endurance Championship from 2024 onwards.

In June 2021, BMW formally announced they would join IMSA’s GTP class in 2023, using an LMDh-compliant racing design. 3 months later, it was confirmed BMW would work with Dallara as their chassis supplier, making BMW the first manufacturer in the LMDh ruleset to select Dallara as their partner. A partnership with Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing to campaign the cars in IMSA was announced in November 2021, continuing a relationship that began with the BMW M3 GT2 in 2009. The M Hybrid V8’s engine is a twin-turbocharged V8, which is a development of the engine found in the BMW M4 DTM during 2017 and 2018, paired with the standardised hybrid parts provided by Williams Advanced Engineering, Bosch and Xtrac. In August 2022, it was announced BMW would bring the car to the FIA World Endurance Championship as well, operated by Team WRT.

The M Hybrid V8 completed its first shakedown at Varano de Melegari at the end of July 2022 followed by testing at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, Watkins Glen International, Road Atlanta, and Sebring International Raceway.

The BMW M Hybrid V8 completed its global racing debut at the 2023 24 Hours of Daytona with Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, racing alongside Acura, Cadillac, and Porsche, who had also debuted new sports cars as part of the Le Mans Hypercar and LMDh regulation changes replacing DPi as the top class. Both cars suffered technical problems throughout the course of the race related to the hybrid system, brakes, and electrics, though one of the entires, the #24 car, did well enough to finish within the top 6. In the following race at the 2023 12 Hours of Sebring, Connor De Phillippi, Sheldon van der Linde, and Nick Yelloly in the #25 car recovered from a brake change in the final two hours and took advantage of a late-race incident where the Acura of Filipe Albuquerque and the Porsches of Mathieu Jaminet and Felipe Nasr collided, ultimately finishing 2nd overall.

Another podium followed at the 2023 Grand Prix of Long Beach. De Phillippi in the #25 car had fought for the podium positions against the #7 Porsche and the #10 Acura, eventually passing the Porsche and finishing in 2nd overall, taking advantage of another position after Ricky Taylor crashed on the penultimate lap.

At the 2023 Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen, the #25 M Hybrid V8 fought for the lead during the course of the race against the #6 Porsche, #31 Cadillac, and #60 Acura. Through a better strategy, De Phillippi was able to take the lead with 40 minutes remaining, but was beat to the finish by Jaminet in the #6 Porsche, who overtook De Phillippi in the final minutes prior to the race ending behind the safety car. Following a post-race penalty against the #6 Porsche for illegal skid block wear, the #25 BMW inherited the race win, a maiden victory for the M Hybrid V8. The win marked BMW’s first victory in a sports prototype since the 2000 American Le Mans Series at Silverstone. Two more podiums followed for the #25 car at the 2023 Chevrolet Grand Prix, taking advantage of an alternative strategy, and the 2023 IMSA Battle on the Bricks, where the #25 car was able to jump the #31 Cadillac in the final round of pitstops.

Outside of competition, BMW completed a series of tests with Team WRT at MotorLand Aragón and Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps in preparation for the 2024 FIA World Endurance Championship.

BMW officially joined the FIA World Endurance Championship in 2024. Their lineups consisted of Raffaele Marciello, Dries Vanthoor, and Marco Wittmann in the #15 car, and Robin Frijns, René Rast, and Sheldon van der Linde in the #20 car. WRT were able to score in the car’s first outing at the 2024 Qatar 1812 km, with the #20 car finishing 10th overall. BMW returned to the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2024, marking the first time the German marque competed in the top class of the endurance race in 25 years, when they won previously with the BMW V12 LMR at the 1999 24 Hours of Le Mans. Ahead of the race, the #20 M Hybrid V8 became the 20th car to be part of the BMW Art Car project, adapting the Everywhen painting by Ethiopian-American visual artist Julie Mehretu. The M Hybrid displayed strong qualifying pace, however, faced trouble in the race, with neither cars making it to the finish. The team’s first WEC podium came at the 2024 6 Hours of Fuji, where the #15 crew finished 2nd overall.

Jesse Krohn replaced Augusto Farfus in the full-time seat in the #24 car for 2024 IMSA SportsCar Championship, the latter moving to BMW’s LMGT3 program in WEC. The M Hybrid cars were in the midfield in the opening stages of the season but gradually increased in pace, culminating in a 1-2 finish at the 2024 IMSA Battle on the Bricks in Indianapolis, securing the M Hybrid’s second victory in either series.

Kevin Magnussen returned to sports car racing and joined BMW for 2025, competing primarily in the 2025 FIA World Endurance Championship replacing Marco Wittmann, and also participating in the IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup rounds of the 2025 IMSA SportsCar Championship. Vanthoor was promoted to a full-time Hypercar seat in IMSA, replacing Krohn.

In the first stage of their IMSA campaign, the M Hybrid V8 scored four consecutive pole positions between the season opener at the 2025 24 Hours of Daytona and the fourth round at the 2025 Monterey SportsCar Championship with Dries Vanthoor behind the wheel. The #24 crew finished on the podium in the third and fourth rounds at Long Beach and Laguna Seca. In their WEC campaign, the M Hybrid V8 equalled its best finish in the series, the #20 crew finishing 2nd overall at the 2025 6 Hours of Imola.

BMW announced that they would split from Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing at the end of the year and extend their partnership with Team WRT to race in both the 2026 FIA World Endurance Championship and 2026 IMSA SportsCar Championship.

(key) Races in bold indicates pole position. Races in italics indicates fastest lap.

Year	Entrants	Class	Drivers	No.	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	Pts.	Pos.
2023	BMW M Team RLL	GTP			DAY	SEB	LBH	MON	WGL	MOS	ELK	IMS	PET	2341	8th
			Philipp Eng	24	6	8	4	5	8	8	9	10	8
			Augusto Farfus		6	8	4	5	8	8	9	10	8
			Marco Wittmann		6	8							8
			Colton Herta		6
			Connor De Phillippi	25	9	2	2	9	1	3	10	3	7	2687	6th
			Nick Yelloly		9	2	2	9	1	3	10	3	7
			Sheldon van der Linde		9	2							7
			Colton Herta		9
2024	BMW M Team RLL	GTP			DAY	SEB	LBH	LGA	DET	WGL	ELK	IMS	ATL	2537	7th
			Philipp Eng	24	8	6	6	9	7	5	7	1	4
			Jesse Krohn		8	6	6	9	7	5	7	1	4
			Augusto Farfus		8	6							4
			Dries Vanthoor		8
			Connor De Phillippi	25	7	4	9	7	10	6	10	2	10	2392	8th
			Nick Yelloly		7	4	9	7	10	6	10	2	10
			Maxime Martin		7	4							10
			René Rast		7
2025	BMW M Team RLL	GTP			DAY	SEB	LBH	LGA	DET	WGL	ELK	IMS	ATL	875*	3rd*
			Philipp Eng	24	4	12	3	3	5	8
			Dries Vanthoor		4	12	3	3	5	8
			Kevin Magnussen		4	12
			Raffaele Marciello		4
			Sheldon van der Linde	25	7	5	5	4	7	Ret				832*	6th*
			Marco Wittmann		7	5	5	4	7	Ret
			Robin Frijns		7	5
			René Rast		7
Sources:

* Season still in progress.

(key) Races in bold indicates pole position. Races in italics indicates fastest lap.

Year	Entrants	Class	Drivers	No.	1	2	3	4	5	Pts.	Pos.
2023	BMW M Team RLL	GTP			DAY	SEB	WGL	PET		25	7th
			Philipp Eng	24	6	8	8	8
			Augusto Farfus		6	8	8	8
			Marco Wittmann		6	8		8
			Colton Herta		6
			Connor De Phillippi	25	9	2	1	7		29	5th
			Nick Yelloly		9	2	1	7
			Sheldon van der Linde		9	2		7
			Colton Herta		9
2024	BMW M Team RLL	GTP			DAY	SEB	WGL	IMS	ATL	25*	7th*
			Philipp Eng	24	8	6	5	1
			Jesse Krohn		8	6	5	1
			Augusto Farfus		8	6
			Dries Vanthoor		8
			Connor De Phillippi	25	7	4	6	2		30*	5th*
			Nick Yelloly		7	4	6	2
			Maxime Martin		7	4		2
			René Rast		7
2025	BMW M Team RLL	GTP			DAY	SEB	WGL	IMS	ATL	9*	4th*
			Philipp Eng	24	4	12	8
			Kevin Magnussen		4	12	8
			Dries Vanthoor		4	12
			Raffaele Marciello		4
			Robin Frijns	25	7	5	Ret			8*	6th*
			Sheldon van der Linde		7	5	Ret
			Marco Wittmann		7	5
			René Rast		7
Sources:

* Season still in progress.

(key) Races in bold indicates pole position. Races in italics indicates fastest lap.

Year	Entrants	Class	Drivers	No.	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	Points	Pos
2024	BMW M Team WRT	Hypercar			QAT	IMO	SPA	LMN	SAO	COA	FUJ	BHR	64	5th
			Raffaele Marciello	15	14	DSQ	Ret	Ret	9	8	2	5
			Dries Vanthoor		14	DSQ	Ret	Ret	9	8	2	5
			Marco Wittmann		14	DSQ	Ret	Ret	9	8	2	5
			Robin Frijns	20	10	6	13	NC	14	13	Ret	Ret
			René Rast		10	6	13	NC	14	13	Ret	Ret
			Sheldon van der Linde		10	6	13	NC	14	13	Ret	Ret
2025	BMW M Team WRT	Hypercar			QAT	IMO	SPA	LMN	SAO	COA	FUJ	BHR	74*	5th*
			Kevin Magnussen	15	4	6	10	17	17
			Raffaele Marciello		4	6	10	17	17
			Dries Vanthoor		4	6		17	17
			Robin Frijns	20	7	2	Ret	16	5
			René Rast		7	2	Ret	16	5
			Sheldon van der Linde		7	2		16	5

* Season still in progress.

• 
  Distinctive BMW kidney grills with lighting
• 
  Raffaele Marciello driving the No. 15 car at the 2024 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps
• 
  The No. 20 BMW Art Car livery at the 2024 24 Hours of Le Mans
• 
  Car No. 20 at the 2025 6 Hours of Imola.
• 
  Car No. 24 at the 2023 24 Hours of Daytona.
• 
  Nick Yelloly driving the No. 25 car at the 2023 Roar Before the Rolex 24
• 
  The No. 25 car at the 2023 12 Hours of Sebring

• BMW M Hybrid V8 official booklet