MotoGP is the pinnacle of motorcycle circuit racing; there's no question about it. It's what F1 is to automobile guys, that is, if your idea of entertainment is seeing some of the best riders from around the world pass within inches of each other at 200 miles per hour, all while carefully balancing what's essentially an engine with two wheels. It takes years of experience, decades of dedication, and a natural-born talent for high-performance riding. Naturally, BMW, the official safety car partner for twenty years now, needs a car that's as awesome as the race-bred bikes that run laps around the world's best tracks. 

Gallery: BMW M8 MotoGP Safety Car

The BMW M8 MotoGP Safety Car is the flagship of the entire safety car fleet, and is based on the recently launched M8 Competition. According to Markus Flasch, president of BMW M, the BMW M8 and the BMW M8 GTE endurance race car were developed in parallel. “That’s why it was a logical step for us to choose the BMW M8 Competition as a basis for our new MotoGP safety car. Even in its production version, this high-performance automobile is suited to the racetrack. With its innovative technical features, it is yet another example of our quest to keep pushing the limit upwards. With the BMW M8 MotoGP Safety Car, we are really excited to present a new, powerful lead car for the top tier of motorcycle racing,” he says. 

The M8 safety car's performance is improved by way of numerous parts that can also be retrofitted on the M8 production model. Of course, it has to be lightweight, aerodynamic, and still be amazing to look at. The addition of a light bar, special racing features, and safety equipment are the final touches to this 625 bhp beast. The beating heart is a twin-turbo V8 with an eight-speed automatic transmission, complemented by an all-wheel drive system, allowing the M8 to accelerate from 0 to 62 miles per hour in just 3.2 seconds. 

Source: BMW

Gallery: BMW M8 MotoGP Safety Car