50 YEARS IN ONE DESIGN.
50 YEARS IN ONE DESIGN.
The fascinating livery of the BMW M Hybrid V8 anniversary car, which will be presented to the public at this year's 12 Hours of Sebring in the state of Florida, is a tribute to 50 Years of BMW of North America, says BMW M Head of Design, Michael Scully, as BMW AG started its business activities in the USA with a wholly-owned subsidiary half a century ago. To get BMW of North America the attention it deserved from the outset, BMW Motorsport entered a racing team with two BMW 3.0 CSL in the US IMSA GT series. A plan that paid off when the BMW team already won the second race of the season - the 12 Hours of Sebring in 1975.
Further victories came during that season, followed by five decades of triumphs in North American motorsport and the establishment of BMW as a premium brand in the US market. The milestones of this 50-years spanning success story in the USA can be found in the form of symbols and graphics in the spectacular livery which will be presented in Sebring – the place where it all began.
Our 2025 GTP livery is a timeline-based homage to 50 Years of BMW North America. Starting with BMW North America’s March 15th, 1975, inception, we’ve profiled some of our most formative continental milestones in chronological order, beginning at the front of the car and moving through time toward the rear.
Head of Design, BMW M
MILESTONES ON FOIL.
MILESTONES ON FOIL.
As BMW M Head of Design Michael Scully points out, the iconographic narrative at the front of the BMW M Hybrid V8 begins with the start of BMW of North America's business activities and the victory at the 12 Hours of Sebring 50 years ago. Due to the significance of this triumph, the track map of Sebring in BMW M colours traverses the entire front half of the anniversary car. Other significant BMW M specific North American moments are profiled throughout with sequential text callouts.
In the side view, the iconic M stripes start with the original M colours of light blue, purple and red, then evolve to light blue, dark blue and red in the mid-90s, and finally break into bold, more fractal shapes toward the rear.
Coinciding with the GTP car’s electrified BMW M hybrid powertrain, the colour purple reemerges at the rear of the livery together with blue as a signifier of the natural colours of electricity – thereby completing BMW M’s journey in North America: from purple to blue and back to purple.
50 YEARS AT A GLANCE.
The #25 and #24 BMW 3.0 CSL during their victorious run at the IMSA GT, 1975.
12H SEBRING – 50 YEARS AFTER.
Marking the 50th anniversary of this historic triumph at the 12 Hours of Sebring in 1975, BMW North America's journey has not just come full circle on the livery of the anniversary car, but also in reality. In the second race of the IWSC, BMW M Team RLL, Paul Miller Racing and Turner Motorsport are competing with two BMW M Hybrid V8 and three BMW M4 GT3 EVO to kick off the next 50 years of BMW M motorsport success in North America.
