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There’d likely be no BMW without motorsports, asserted the German maker’s CEO, Helmut Panke, during a Geneva preview, Monday night. The automaker used the event to display its latest entry into the demanding Formula One series, as well as this version of the Z4 M Coupe. The track-ready version will make a whopping 400 horsepower out of its 3.4-liter in-line six. Expect the automaker to produce only a few hundred, according to company officials, with some expected to go to the U.S. when production begins mid-year. Whatever series it participates in, Panke said it is critical for the automaker to dominate. “BMW could not be the dynamic, most performance-focused car company if we weren’t involved in motorsports,” he insisted. “Step-by-step, we would lose our identity.
dc