March 86G
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| Category | IMSA GTP Group C | ||||||||
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| Constructor | March Engineering | ||||||||
| Predecessor | March 85G | ||||||||
| Successor | March 87G | ||||||||
| Technical specifications | |||||||||
| Chassis | Aluminium monocoque, reinforced at key points with carbon fibre honeycomb, and a steel tube sub frame | ||||||||
| Engine | BMW M12/14 2 litre turbo straight-four, Buick 3 liter turbo V6, Buick 4.5 liter naturally aspirated V6, Nissan VG30ET V6 mid engine, longitudinally mounted | ||||||||
| Transmission | Hewland 5 Speed LSD | ||||||||
| Competition history | |||||||||
| Notable entrants | BMW North America, Nismo Racing, Momo Course, Hoshino Racing, Hasemi Motorsport, HP Racing, Conte Racing, Person Racing Team | ||||||||
| Notable drivers |
Davy Jones John Andretti David Hobbs John Watson |
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| Debut | 1986 Grand Prix of Miami | ||||||||
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| Teams' Championships | 0 | ||||||||
| Constructors' Championships | 0 | ||||||||
| Drivers' Championships | 0 | ||||||||
The March 86G was a Group C and IMSA GTP sports racing car built by March Engineering. Built as simply a chassis with no engine, it was branded as one of three cars, the BMW GTP, the Buick Hawk or the Nissan R86V depending on which engine was placed in the chassis and which team was running it. There were a number of subtle bodywork changes to reflect the manufacturer which ran the car.
11 of the chassis were built, four sold to BMW, five to Nissan and a remaining three were sold to private teams affiliated with Buick. The car was used from 1986 until early 1989, scoring one race victory in the hands of the BMW team in 1986, and 5 pole positions in the hands of Nissan.
Unlike normally done with yearly-updated racing chassis, the 86G found a lot of use after the 87G model was released, the Buick Hawk being developed in 1987, the Pearson Racing Team, Hoshino Racing Team and Hasemi Motorsport using their older R86V cars in the 1987 JSPC season, the Person Racing Team updating the car to a March 88S in 1988 and Nissan Motorsport themselves modifying two cars to R88C designation in 1989, with varying degrees of longevity and success.
Chassis 86G-1 through 86G-4 were purchased by the BMW IMSA team and renamed the BMW GTP. The cars were entered in the 1986 IMSA GTP season and were driven by Davey Jones and John Andretti in car number 18 and John Watson and David Hobbs in car number 19.
BMW North America attempted to debut the car at the 1986 24 Hours of Daytona, which opened the IMSA GT season; however, a fire during a Road Atlanta test left the only completed car too badly damaged to race. Instead, the BMW GTP made its debut at the Grand Prix of Miami, with Davy Jones and John Andretti driving one car, whilst David Hobbs partnered John Watson in the other. Although the Jones/Andretti car crashed out after 41 laps, resulting in the pair being classified in 25th, Hobbs and Watson brought their car home in ninth, having completed 122 laps. At the 12 Hours of Sebring, BMW North America attempted to run three cars, but they withdrew after Bobby Rahal's car was involved in a big accident. Only one car was entered at the Grand Prix of Atlanta, which Watson drove; the car lasted just one lap before retiring, resulting in Watson being classified 23rd overall, and 15th in the GTP category. Following the stream of mechanical failures experienced by both the BMW GTP and the Brabham BT55 F1 cars, BMW withdrew from the Lime Rock Grand Prix. They returned for the Watkins Glen Grand Prix, with the same two-car entry that had competed at the Grand Prix of Miami; this time, both cars held together, with Jones and Andretti taking fifth, a lap ahead of Watson and Hobbs, who took sixth.
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