This Daytona 24 class-winning BMW M8 GTE could be yours | GRR
For some people January is a tough month. It’s cold, dark, and with Christmas over there isn’t necessarily all that much to get excited about. For motorsport fans though it’s a time of joy, because the racing world slowly winds into life once again, and kicking things off is the Rolex 24 at Daytona.
The 54th running of this iconic race in Florida was, as always, spectacular and brutal in equal measure, with ferocious battles up and down the field, from DPi and LMP2 at the top to GTLM and GTD behind. In GTLM it was BMW who came out on top, John Edwards, Augusto Farfus, Jesse Krohn and Chaz Mostert triumphant in their M8 GTE just seconds ahead of two Porsche 911s and a Corvette C8.R. And now, quite surprisingly, BMW is selling that very car, fully functioning and ready to run. This doesn’t happen very often.
The #24 M8 GTE started out in sixth place, behind the sister #25 M8, two Corvettes and two Porsches. After an hour the M8 was up to second, and five hours in with the sun setting it was in the lead. Through the night the M8 stayed near or at the front, and even with a brake change as the sunlight returned it was clear BMW had the pace and only Porsche could get anywhere close. The final two hours saw some superb Porsche and BMW duels, but it was the M8 that took the chequered flag first.
From Daytona the #24, chassis 1809, scored five podium finishes to help bring BMW and BMW M Team RLL take the Michelin Endurance Cup and second place in the GTLM Driver, Team and Manufacturer standings. It even raced at the Rolex 24 again the following year, finishing third.
Quite the history, then, which makes it all the more surprising BMW is parting company with this piece of IMSA history. “I only need the fingers on one hand to count the few factory race cars that have left the ownership of BMW in recent years,” says Thomas Plucinsky, BMW USA’s Classic Manager. “The BMW M8 GTE represented a money-is-no-object factory GT race car. It is truly an engineering masterpiece.”
Why the sale? Eight chassis were raced by BMW M Team RLL in the GTLM class in 2018, 2019 and 2020. BMW has decided it will keep two running cars with spares, chassis 1809 will be sold and a further two running cars will be kept for now but “may be sold in the coming years”. It’s 1809 that has the best racing history, though, which is why it was on display at the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion at Laguna Seca, for racers and owners alike to see this special machine in the metal and, potentially, think about buying it.
“The new owner of BMW M8 GTE No. 1809 will be the steward of a very important piece of BMW history in America,” says Plucinsky, “and can count on support from BMW in the years to come to ensure its condition and value are maintained at the highest level.”
The car’s most recent outing was at Palm Beach International Raceway in February, a test to make sure it was running perfectly before being announced for sale. The man behind the wheel was Bill Auberlen, a driver with more races in a BMW than anyone else in the world, 518 in total, and more IMSA victories than anyone else, too, a whopping 65.
The price? Well BMW hasn’t said, but as well as the car the lucky owner will get engineering notes, a package of press and marketing materials, tools, spares, an extra set of wheels and consumables, and access to BMW support and new and used parts in the future. The cherry on top, though, is the 2020 Rolex 24 Trophy. Imagine having that on your office desk, and the car tucked away in the garage?