BMW is showing its latest BMW M safety car for the MotoGP series before it debuts at the season-opening Grande Premio de Portugal race weekend from the 24th to 26th of March. It marks the 25th season of BMW as the Official Car of MotoGP and the specialized M2 will be hard to miss in its BMW livery mixed with the giant MotoGP logo and a flashing light bar on the roof.

The 2023 season of Grand Prix motorcycle racing covers 21 tracks around the world and, starting this year, there will be a sprint race as well as the main race and qualifying, meaning the M2 safety car is going to get one hell of a workout. Also in support of MotoGP, the rider who posts the fastest qualifying time in each season is awarded a BMW M car.

Grand Prix motorcycle racing has gotten bigger and bigger since the MotoGP era started in 2002 to replace the 500cc class, but it has been around since the first organized race in 1949. Dorna Sports currently own the commercial rights.

"We are delighted to be joining BMW M in celebrating the 25th anniversary season of our partnership in 2023," said Carmelo Ezpeleta, CEO of Dorna Sports. "In BMW M we have had a strong partner at our side for a quarter of a century, a partner with whom we have enjoyed superb collaboration in many different areas. With the most innovative technologies, BMW M is taking care of safety in our sport for the 25th year now, and is a firm fixture in the MotoGP paddock with a wide range of activities. Here's to a fantastic anniversary season in 2023!"

BMW varies its MotoGP safety cars, and the M2 is a compact performance car with 460 hp generated from its turbocharged inline-six engine, and it needs to be fast to keep the bikes in check at a pace that keeps the tires and brakes warm.

"Since 1999 we have been striving to incorporate our values such as innovation, technology, emotion, and passion into our partnership with Dorna Sports as well," says Franciscus van Meel, CEO of BMW M. "Our new BMW M2 MotoGP safety car is just one example of this. With it we are continuing our tradition of putting the latest BMW M high-performance automobiles at the service of MotoGP safety. Be it the safety car fleet, the BMW M Award, or our many other activities in the top level of motorcycle racing - we are proud that Fascination M has become an important part of the MotoGP."