We’ve seen plenty of safety cars in the past but never usually this small. The latest is the new 2011 BMW 1-Series M Coupe, which has been enlisted by the MotoGP motorbike race series to keep things on track.

The 1-Series M Coupe Safety Car is a one-off built by BMW’s M Division specifically for this race series. According to its creators, only the 340 horsepower twin-turbocharged six-cylinder engine and the rest of the drivetrain were taken over unchanged from the production model.

In the interests of weight optimization, the BMW Safety Car comes with a carbon fiber bonnet featuring additional large air vents, as well as polycarbonate side and rear windows. A special lightweight titanium race exhaust system was also fitted, as is a boot lid spoiler and adjustable rear wing.

The interior has been fully stripped apart from two racing bucket seats with 6-point safety belts, an M steering wheel in Alcantara, a full roll-cage and a fire extinguisher.

The BMW 1-Series M Coupe first appeared as a safety car at the MotoGP season opener in Qatar this past weekend. Note that this year marks the 13th year of BMW’s partnership with the series.

For more information on the regular production 2011 BMW 1-Series M Coupe, click here.