Former ALMS champ and sophomore BMW DTM driver Joey Hand is enjoying the transition from the BMW M3 to their new Z4.

Featuring striking liveries – one black and one white – the new cars were launched in Daytona earlier this year and will make their race debut this weekend at Sebring.

The BMWs qualified 8th and 9th in GT with BMW rookie Maxine Martin actually out-qualifying Hand on debut.

“We haven’t done a lot of laps with the Z4 yet. We did two days testing and the good thing is the first time I jumped in it I felt really good about it,” Hand said.

“I didn’t know what to expect but when I got out my first thought was it ‘still feels like a BMW’. It drives very similar to every other BMW we’ve had. I’m excited about that and for us now its about figuring it out.

“We had four years on the M3 and we had it pretty sorted out and now with the Z4 we just have to roll through some springs, dampers and of course working with Michelin tires for the first time.

“That’s a good thing. Of all the years I’ve driven I’ve never driven on Michelin before. I really liked it. From the driver’s standpoint it was really good. The thing now is working out how the car works with the tire.

“We have so much data from other stuff, but now we have to sort out what we can do, how far can we push this thing, what compounds do we run….all sorts of stuff.

“We feel good about where we are at right now, we just need to find some pace out of this thing.”