BMW goes to the famous Daytona Raceway to introduce the BMW Z4 GTE racecar that will compete in the 2013 American Le Mans Series. The new Z4 GTE is replacing the championship winning car M3 GT.

Car number 55 will be driven by Bill Auberlen (US) and ALMS rookie Maxime Martin (BE). Dirk Müller (DE) will contest all the races in the number 56 car. Joey Hand (US) and John Edwards (US) will alternate as the two-time ALMS GT champion’s driving partner. Edwards will stand in for Hand when he is unavailable due to his parallel commitment in the DTM. Jörg Müller (DE, #55) and Uwe Alzen (DE, #56) will bolster the squad at the endurance races at Sebring (US) and Road Atlanta (US).

2013 BMW Z4 GTE International Press Launch.

The BMW Z4 GTE will contest its first season in 2013. In July 2012, BMW Motorsport engineers in Munich (DE) began work on developing a GTE version of the BMW Z4 GT3, which would comply with ACO regulations. The BMW Z4 GT3 itself has enjoyed many years of success in high-class GT series around the world. The regulations stipulate that electronic aids that may be used on the BMW Z4 GT3, such as ABS and DSC, are not permitted on a GTE car.

The BMW Z4 GTE is considerably more compact than the BMW M3 GT. All the dimensions of the BMW Z4 GTE have been modified to comply with ACO regulations.

Stay tuned for further info on the new Z4 GTE as well as coverage from 2013 ALMS races.

BMW Z4 GTE Photo Gallery