BMW took to YouTube and Facebook Monday to unveil its new Formula E race car—the iFE.20—to be campaigned by its works BMW i Andretti Motorsport team in the upcoming season of the all-electric race series. This will be BMW's second season in Formula E.
Each Formula E entry utilizes a spec chassis and aerodynamics package, so there really wasn't anything left to the imagination ahead of the iFE.20's unveiling aside from its livery, which wasn't present when the car was spotted during its shakedown sessions in April.
BMW went with its reliable blue-over-white scheme, with touches of purple on the monocoque and aero where the blue meets white and black.
The series also mandates a spec battery unit, so BMW is left only with control over the cooling system, rear frame, rear suspension, dampers, software, on-board electronics and wiring, and the bits that power the rear wheels—certainly not trivial components, but not a complete car, either.
The accompanying video is sure to annoy with its social media influencers, but it does list some stats for the race car. It is 203.1 inches long, 69.7 inches wide, and just 41.3 inches tall. It has to weigh at least 1,984 pounds, and it can make a maximum of 335 horsepower. That might not seem like all that much, but it's enough to launch the car from 0-60 mph in just 2.8 seconds.
Like several other manufacturers, BMW will be directly involved with the team running its vehicles, allowing its engineers to work in real time to develop its systems in a competitive environment.
BMW iFE.20 Formula E race car
BMW iFE.20 Formula E race car
BMW iFE.20 Formula E race car
"We will continue to use Formula E as a platform to present innovations in electric mobility, autonomous driving and other BMW Group cutting-edge fields to the general public," said BMW Group Motorsport Director Jens Marquardt.
BMW will see competition from Mercedes-Benz and Porsche for the first time this season, joining factory works teams from Audi, Jaguar, and Nissan. DS, Mahindra, Nio, Penske and Venturi (which will also compete in Mercedes-Benz's Silver Arrow race cars) will also field entries in partnership with various powertrain manufacturers.
The 2019-2020 season of Formula E kicks off Nov. 22-23 with the Ad Diriyah ePrix in Saudi Arabia.
Check out the video above for more information from Marquardt and head of BMW Motorsport design Michael Scully, as well as insights from this season's drivers Alexander Sims and rookie Maximllian Gunther.
