BMW i unveiled the new BMW i8 Roadster Safety Car for the ABB FIA Formula E Championship on the eve of the Monaco E-Prix. The car has been modified specifically for use at the racetrack and the design is based on its sister model, the BMW i8 Coupé Safety Car.
The new BMW i8 Roadster Safety Car is the latest addition to the fleet of BMW i Safety Cars. It is the first Safety Car in the world that can be used with an open cockpit. The most striking characteristics of the spectacular design are the rear wing and shortened front windscreen.
Technical modifications for use at the racetrack
Regarding stiffness the BMW i8 Roadster is the perfect basis for a Safety Car. No major modifications were necessary but there still have been some changes for the racetrack version. The most striking modification to the BMW i8 Roadster Safety Car is the front windscreen, which is shorter than the production model. This gives the car a more dynamic appearance.
Modifications necessary for its role of Safety Car have also been made. The light bar is mounted above the rear wing, making it easily visible from all angles in any race situation. The BMW i8 Roadster Safety Car also has a communication antenna and a GPS antenna, an extensive communication system in the cockpit, and a rear-view camera.
Design follows the lead of its predecessor
Another spectacular aspect of the new Safety Car is its livery design. It evolves the high-contrast BMW logo-inspired alternating blue and white schematic from the BMW iFE.18 and BMW i8 Coupe Safety Car into a decidedly expressive form suitable to open air mobility and the dazzling Monaco street racing context.
The signature BMW Group Motorsport matt black anti-reflective cockpit extension has been updated to be inclusive of passengers, who will take their place in the passenger seat during taxi rides. The resulting “winged“ graphic also mirrors the iconic door opening kinematic of the BMW i8 Roadster.
The BMW i Fleet
BMW i is “Official Vehicle Partner” of the ABB FIA Formula E Championship in Season 5. Spearheading the fleet are two Safety Cars: The BMW i8 Roadster Safety Car, which has been specially modified for use at the racetrack, and the BMW i8 Coupé Safety Car. The BMW i fleet also includes the BMW i3s as “Race Director Car” and the BMW 530e in its role as “Medical Car”.
Tags: BMW-i8-Roadster-Safety-Car
