What's the news?

BMW is celebrating its 16th year of supporting the MotoGP World Championship by providing an M4 Coupé in full safety car regalia for the 2014 season.

Exterior

BMW M has form here, as the Z4 M Coupé, 1 Series M Coupé and the old V8 M3 have all pounded various bike tracks as safety cars in previous years. Aside from the necessary 'Safety Car' transfers, tricolour M stripes and LED lights both at the front and on the roof, the MotoGP M4 features some choice additions from the M Performance range in carbon fibre. These include the aerodynamic front splitter and blade, the door mirror caps, rear boot spoiler, rear diffuser and the exhaust tips for the full titanium system the car possesses. There's also a black front grille and side skirts.

As well as the livery and LED banks, the MotoGP-specific additions outside include a motorsport bonnet lock, a main electricity cut-off for overseas transport and a fuel pump system that also allows for the M4's global travels.

Interior

The main alterations inside are that the rear seats have been junked for a roll cage, there's a fire extinguisher added and the front chairs are now Recaro racing buckets with Schroth harnesses. There's also a BMW M Performance steering wheel in Alcantara, which incorporates a race display too. Tasty.

Mechanicals

There are other cars in the BMW MotoGP fleet, including an M3 Saloon, an M5, a modified M6 and two M550d xDrive Tourings, but the 431hp, 550Nm M4 is the main star. Its twin-turbocharged straight-six can catapult it from 0-62mph in just 4.1 seconds, so it should be quick enough that the riders of the ferocious racing bikes don't get too bored when they have to follow it.

Anything else?

The 18-race MotoGP season begins in Qatar on March 23 and concludes on November 9 in Valencia, Spain. The British GP will be held at Silverstone on August 31.