BMW must modify car for LeMans
BMW announced plans last weekend to contest the French endurance race with the GT2-spec M3 that Rahal Letterman Racing ran in the 2009 American Le Mans Series. That car is homologated for use in U.S. and Asian series that run under the Automobile Club de l’Ouest rules, but is not cleared to race in the 24 Hours or the Le Mans Series in Europe.
ACO sports manager Vincent Beaumesnil said significant changes would have to made to the car before it could be homologated for Europe. He said it “would have to be a different car."
Asked about the extent of any changes, Beaumesnil said: “We have had a request from BMW, but it is too early to speak about it."
A BMW statement declared that it was “in positive discussions with organizers and governing bodies regarding the approval of the car." But a company spokesman acknowledged the likelihood of the M3 undergoing revisions before it was cleared to race in Europe.
“The car will have to be modified," he said. “It will not be a new car, but there will be changes that have a little bit of an influence on performance." AutoWeek.com