GT Racing News: BMW Ditches Rimstock for BBS Wheel Rims Amidst Technical Issues
According to BMW Motorsport boss Andreas Roos, the Bavarian marque has officially switched to wheel rims supplied by German auto parts maker BBS, replacing the problematic Rimstock products.
The decision was prompted by the technical anomalies and problems experienced at the beginning of 2023, which were compounded by Rimstock’s bankruptcy filing last year. A cracked wheel rim at Oschersleben, which forced factory driver Rene Rast out of the 2023 DTM season-opener, played a significant role in the move to BBS.
“Otherwise, we wouldn’t bring a new rim into the field,” stated Roos.
Initially, BMW attributed the issues to the high demands of the Nurburgring Nordschleife, but the Oschersleben incident forced a rethink. Since then, the team has been working behind the scenes to find a solution, with the new BBS product now ready for use.
The original plan was to introduce BBS-supplied wheel rims in 2025, coinciding with the upgrade to the BMW M4 GT3 Evo. However, the plan was accelerated by a year in response to the problems. Interestingly, BBS’ wheel rims were already being used on M4 GT3s raced in Japan’s Super GT series since the car’s debut in 2022, but BMW has further refined the parts for widespread use this year.
BMW had to complete a post-homologation change with the FIA to introduce the new BBS rim to the M4 GT3, a common practice in GT3 racing. Wheel mounts also had to be adapted in response to the new rims.
The change comes as a relief to BMW’s customer teams, who had been forced to undergo rigorous testing on race weekends to sort out defective rims. They have praised BMW for quickly reacting to the problem and finding a solution in such a short span of time, especially considering the widespread use of the M4 GT3, with 40 units sold worldwide since its launch three years ago.
“Hats off, because six months is not a long time when it comes to the topic of supply chains,” praised one team member. “In addition, the rims must be made available to everyone by then.”
This development is significant in the GT racing world, particularly in the context of the Dakar Rally 2024, where reliability and performance will be crucial for competitors. The Porsche 911 Dakar, for instance, will be looking to capitalize on its impressive performance in previous Dakar Rally events.
Stay tuned for more GT racing news and updates from the world of car racing.
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