iRacing’s Season 3 2026 development update confirmed the BMW M2 Racing (G87) as a new car for the upcoming build, arriving as free base content. Every active subscriber gets access to it without an additional purchase on launch day. The M2 Racing is a production-based competition car derived from the current-generation BMW M2, making it one of the more practically grounded race cars iRacing has added to the free tier in recent memory.
What the BMW M2 Racing Is
The G87 designation identifies this as the current generation M2, which BMW launched in 2022. The M2 Racing version is a lightly modified production car built for club racing and amateur motorsport, using a controlled version of the road car’s turbocharged inline-six and running on control tires with minimal aerodynamic additions beyond a rear wing and front splitter. In real-world competition it appears in the Nurburgring Endurance Series, VLN, and similar club-level events across Europe.
That positioning in club and production racing is relevant for iRacing, where the car slots into the amateur and entry-level road racing tiers. It is not a GT3 or prototype-level car, and it does not compete at the top end of the road racing ladder. It gives drivers who are developing their skills a fresh platform to compete on that has a distinct real-world identity, and it gives experienced drivers a new machine to try without reaching for their wallet.
Why Free Pricing Matters
Free cars in iRacing see immediate widespread adoption because the access barrier is completely removed. When a free car enters the game, every driver on the platform can race it from day one, which means race lobbies fill faster, the safety rating pool for that car is larger, and a genuine community forms around it more quickly than paid content typically allows. The M2 Racing joining the free tier also gives iRacing a road car that sits between the basic entry-level machines and the more expensive GT vehicles in terms of performance and character. For drivers working through their road racing licenses on slower cars who are not yet ready to purchase a GT3, the M2 Racing offers a natural next step at no additional cost.
When to Expect It
The BMW M2 Racing is confirmed for the Season 3 build, expected to go live in the coming weeks. No specific license level requirement or official series placement has been announced yet, but given the car’s real-world role in club racing and its production car roots, road course racing is the most likely home. iRacing typically announces series placements and schedule details in the days leading up to a build launch.
