Heavily based on the M4 GTS – Australia’s 25-unit allocation of which is sold out at $295,000 plus on-roads – the M4 GT4 will cash in on what BMW calls “a boom” in affordable motorsport activities worldwide.

Munich has released only a teaser sketch of its big-winged two-door coupe racer painted in classic M livery, as it completes testing throughout 2016 ahead of a 2018 season debut.

BMW M6 GT3 rear

BMW tags the M4 GT4 as a “close-to-production” vehicle that “continues the long and successful tradition of BMW in customer racing” as a successor to the M3 GT4, and no doubt Porsche’s racing version of the Cayman GT4 is the target.

BMW M4 GTS front

“It offers affordable motorsport with cars of technical high-quality and … we see enormous potential around the world for privateer BMW teams for whom the BMW M4 GT4 is an option.

BMW M6 GT3 2016 side

At this stage BMW predicts the M4 GT4 will make its racing debut at the 24 Hours of Dubai in January 2018.