BMW M has announced two new M4 Competition models for drifting brothers Elias and Johannes Hountondji, ahead of the 2021 Drift Masters European Championship. The Driftbrothers will be taking their new weapon to the grid for the first time when the season kicks off on July 10 at Greinbach, Austria.
The cars were built in collaboration with BMW M and the Red Bull Driftbrothers, the latter of which was responsible for tuning the straight-six engine. It now makes 1,050 hp and 1,300 Nm of torque, easily doubling the stock 510 PS, 650 Nm output of the S58B30T0 3.0 litre twin-turbo mill.
BMW M CEO Markus Flasch said: “I am deeply impressed with what the Red Bull Driftbrothers have managed to coax out of our vehicles and wish both of them every success for the start of the season. The result also shows how good a basis the BMW M4 Competition provides for motorsport use.”
“From the start of its development, we had designed the production vehicle to also form the basis for our GT icon, the BMW M4 GT3, which we officially presented during the 24-hour race at the Nürburgring almost two weeks ago,” Flasch added. The M4 GT3 can be purchased by privateer teams for around RM2 million.
Commenting on the capability of the S58 engine, Elias Hountondji said: “It is by nature a genuine racing engine in a road-legal car, so to speak. When you look at each component of this engine, it is clear that many engineers have put a lot of thought into creating an optimal design.” Not much details have been released on what the brothers did with the engine, but a lot of emphasis was put on cooling.
BMW M’s role in this is to optimise the M4 Competition’s aerodynamics for drifting. The kidney grille has been redesigned to optimise supply of cool air to the engine, and there’s also a new front splitter, tailgate spoiler, side coverings for the rear diffuser, and side sills. These were manufactured exclusively at BMW M Prototype Construction. A bonnet air scoop can be added in the future if the need arises.
The Red Bull Driftbrothers have been participating in the Drift Masters European Championship since 2018, and they will take on more than 40 other top drivers from Europe, the USA and the Middle East. The Hountondji pair are ranked among the top drivers in the drifting scene, and have won the 2017 King of Europe champion and vice champion.
“It was a great honour for us to collaborate with experts from the design and prototype construction departments. With their help we were able to implement our ideas perfectly,” Johannes Hountondji said.
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