The New BMW M4 MotoGP Safety Car Looks Badass And Runs Awesome New Water Injection Tech

Ever since 1999, BMW M has been running safety cars at the top of the MotoGP field. For the 2015 season the M4 coupe has been given a serious aerodynamic makeover and a mean black-on-black M livery, as well as previewing a water injection system that’ll feature on future M Division cars.

This new water injection system is “designed to increase the performance and reduce the consumption of combustion engines” by cooling the temperature of the air sucked into the combustion chamber. Intercoolers do a good job of this, but have limited effectiveness dependant on the design and dimensions of the system, and the car’s aerodynamics. To get around this, M Division engines will inject a fine spray of water to significantly reduce the temperature of the combustion air.

The cooler air from the ‘charger reduces the chance of uncontrolled explosions in the combustion chamber, allowing the point of ignition to be brought closer to the optimum moment. Cooler air is also denser, increasing the oxygen content in the combustion chamber at the point of ignition, resulting in higher pressures during the combustion process. The process is more efficient and therefore more effective, resulting in better performance.

The M4 MotoGP Safety Car has a five litre tank of water in the boot, which feeds the system. During hard track driving, the water tank will need to be refilled regularly, however BMW reckons that under normal use, refills will only be needed every fifth time you stop for fuel. Should you run out of water, the engine will restrict the turbo pressure and ignition points to protect the engine.

Check out the video below for an awesome graphical representation of the system in action.