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BMW M Team WRT is about to give the updated BMW M Hybrid V8 its first taste of IMSA competition, with an official test at Daytona International Speedway. The hybrid prototype arrives in Florida wearing a sharpened new look and, for the first time, its revised headlights. Across two packed days of running, the car will share the infield and banking with IMSA regulars as six BMW M works drivers rotate through the cockpit of the pair of cars.
The Daytona test is the first public outing for a package of changes aimed at boosting both performance and durability across long-distance programmes. Aerodynamic tweaks include a more compact kidney grille and a reworked front splitter, both designed to manage airflow and keep key components cool over long stints. The new headlights are more than a styling flourish; their upgraded beam pattern and output are engineered to cut through the darkness during the long night phases of races such as the Daytona 24 Hours, Le Mans, Sebring, Petit Le Mans and the FIA WEC rounds in Qatar and Bahrain, giving drivers clearer reference points in poorly lit sections.
There is also a clear visual link to BMW’s latest GT machinery. Yellow elements within the headlight units echo the current BMW M4 GT3 EVO and M4 GT4 EVO racers, as well as the latest CS road models from BMW M. At the same time, the illuminated kidney grille – BMW Iconic Glow – ensures the prototype is instantly recognisable even at full speed in the dark. Together, these features give the M Hybrid V8 a distinct night-time presence that ties it directly to the wider BMW M family.
On track, BMW M Team WRT will use five test sessions to get up to speed with IMSA procedures and to learn how the updated car behaves around Daytona’s unique mix of banking and infield corners. Although the Belgian squad already knows the M Hybrid V8 well from its FIA WEC campaigns, it will lean on the experience of BMW M Team RLL to smooth the transition into the American series. Between them, Philipp Eng, Robin Frijns, Kevin Magnussen, René Rast, Dries Vanthoor and Marco Wittmann will share driving duties in cars 24 and 25. For BMW M Motorsport, this test is a crucial first step in turning the latest technical updates into lap time before the season’s opening 24-hour showdown.
