BMW i8 Coupé Safety Car: a hybrid sports car, safety car for Formula E

The BMW i8 Coupé Safety Car makes its debut as the Formula E safety car at the Mexico City ePrix.

Could there be a better car than the BMW i8 to act as Safety Car in Formula E? Without a doubt, the hybrid sports car from BMW fits perfectly with the values this competition conveys.

For its launch and debut at the fourth ePrix of the season, held in Mexico City, the BMW i8 Safety Car has not needed many changes. The 374 hp of its hybrid propulsion system are certainly enough to set the necessary pace should it need to intervene during a race. Let’s recall that the BMW i8 uses an 143 hp electric motor, alongside a three-cylinder petrol engine that delivers 231 hp.

Track-ready

What the BMW i8 Coupé Safety Car does receive are the safety modifications typical of a track car, such as the installation of a roll cage and fire suppression system in the cabin, where the sports seats from the BMW M4 GTS are fitted. It also adopts a fixed rear spoiler made of carbon fibre and a front splitter, as well as the necessary safety lights on the roof. The chassis receives a sport setup, and BMW M carbon-ceramic brakes are fitted as well.

The design was developed jointly by the BMW Motorsport and Formula E teams, always seeking to reflect the design language that BMW uses in its electric racing single-seater, the BMW iFE18.

“As with the BMW iFE.18, the first priority when designing the Safety Car was the view of the car from above,” explains Michael Scully, Head of Design at BMW Motorsport. It makes sense: after all, spectators watch the cars from the stands, at an elevated position. For the BMW i8 Coupé Safety Car, an asymmetrical design has been used, playing with the colours blue, white and purple.