24 hours of racing action are over, yet the thrill still remains. BMW Motorsport returned to the endurance classic in the Eifel region after a five-year break. It was the first 24-hour race for the BMW M3 GT2, the successor to the BMW M3 GTR, with which BMW Motorsport celebrated consecutive one-twos at the Nürburgring in 2004 and 2005. The BMW M3 GT2 followed on seamlessly from those successes and came through its baptism of fire in the "Green Hell" with flying colours: driven by Jörg Müller, Augusto Farfus, Uwe Alzen and Pedro Lamy, the car performed magnificently and emerged triumphant from one of the most challenging circuits in the world.

An impressive fight back saw the second BMW M3 GT2, car number 26, driven by Dirk Werner, Dirk Müller, Andy Priaulx and Dirk Adorf race through the field to finish in seventh in front of 220,000 spectators. A crash, while swerving to avoid a collision, resulted in the four drivers losing an hour in the pits early on in the race and dropping back to 182nd. In cool, but dry conditions, car number 26 worked its way back up the field lap by lap. The drivers’ fighting spirit was ultimately rewarded.

The two private BMW Z4 GT3 cars with numbers 76 and 69, run by Schubert Motorsport and Dörr Motorsport respectively, rounded off an excellent overall result for BMW by finishing in fourth and ninth. In addition to the win, BMW teams secured ten class wins at the Nordschleife. These results have further strengthened BMW’s position as the most successful manufacturer in the history of the race. Of the 198 cars lining up for this year’s event, 63 were BMWs.

BMW Motorsport Director Mario Theissen said: "That was a fantastic return for us at the 24-hour race here on the Nürburgring-Nordschleife. This win reminds me of the triumph in Le Mans in 1999. I have never known excitement like I experienced today. After some of our direct rivals fell by the wayside, our victory was also hanging by a thread. At about 12.00 the winning car developed a gearbox problem, resulting in the loss of one gear. Shortly after 13.00 other gears gradually gave up. It was a masterful performance how Jörg Müller and Uwe Alzen brought the car home in first place in this crucial phase. The tension was enormous for all of us, so the relief was all the greater when the car crossed the finish line. I must say a big thank you to every single member of the team. Everyone worked perfectly together. Thanks also to our loyal fans, who have taken us to their hearts after a five-year break and given us such great support."

When over 200 cars pit themselves against the challenges posed by one winding 25.378-kilometre track, every motorsport fan knows: It is time for the 24-hour race at the Nürburgring. BMW Motorsport competed with two BMW M3 GT2 cars in the 38th running of this endurance classic. After triumphant, back-to-back one-twos in 2004 and 2005, Team BMW Motorsport returned to the Nordschleife to add a new chapter to the brand's success story in this marathon event.

The BMW M3 GT2 car with number 25 on its flanks went on to celebrate BMW’s 19th overall victory. Jörg Müller, Augusto Farfus, Uwe Alzen and Pedro Lamy won after 154 laps. After an impressive chase the second BMW M3 GT2, driven by Dirk Werner, Dirk Müller, Andy Priaulx and Dirk Adorf, took seventh place at the flag in front of 220,000 spectators.

Over 20 kilometres long, opened on 27th September 1925, first race on 19th June 1927 – those are the naked facts. However, it is not the facts that make the Nordschleife so captivating, but rather the emotions. Any driver who wins at this circuit is assured of a place in motorsport history. Even today, many famous drivers have victories on the Nordschleife to thank for a large part of their fame.

The Nordschleife is the toughest circuit in the world – and that is why BMW puts every new production car to the ultimate test there. As a partner of Nürburgring GmbH, the brand has a modern test centre at the foot of Nürburg castle. The Nürburgring is like a second home for what is probably the best-known BMW Driver Training base, with its extensive programme teaching participants how to drive safely and in a sporting manner. The Nürburgring “Erlebniswelt” in the Start/Finish area features the world's only permanent exhibition of BMW racing cars. You can quite literally experience the allure of the Nordschleife as a passenger in the BMW Ring-Taxi – the 507 bhp BMW M5 is driven by experienced racing drivers and instructors.

A look at the success story of BMW at the Nürburgring——19 overall victories and over 100 class victories to date.

No other manufacturer has left such an impressive mark on the 24-hour race at the Nürburgring as BMW. The total currently stands at 19 victories – eight of which were one-twos. Overall, BMW cars have claimed over 100 class victories in the 38 races staged to date. With ten class victories in one year (2010), BMW holds yet another record.

In 1970, BMW was the first entry in the winners’ list at the Nürburgring 24 Hours, when Clemens Schickentanz and the young Hans-Joachim Stuck triumphed in a BMW 2002 ti. In 1998, Andreas Bovensiepen, Marc Duez, Christian Menzel and Stuck achieved the first victory for a diesel engined-car: the BMW 320d. In 2010, driving a BMW M3 GT2, Jörg Müller, Augusto Farfus, Uwe Alzen and Pedro Lamy celebrated BMW’s latest overall victory in this classic event.

A glance at the records shows that one BMW victory seldom comes alone. The latest run of victories consisted of two in a row (2004/2005), while the longest series lasted five years (1994-1998). From 1989 to 1998, BMW won nine out of the ten 24-hour races held in the Eifel Mountains. Only Porsche managed to interrupt this run in 1993. The BMW brand’s greatest dominance dates back to 1970 and 1971. In these two years, four of the best five cars bore the BMW logo.