The car was announced to be under development, through a press release in October 2015, following the announcement and unveiling of the BMW M6 GT3,[3] although few of the car's technical specifications were revealed.

[4] The car was based on the BMW M6 GT3, and the car had its initial shakedown and testing conducted by BMW Team RLL, at the Sebring International Raceway, in Florida, during early November 2015.

[5] The car had its race debut at the 2016 24 Hours of Daytona with BMW Team RLL.

The BMW M6 GTLM was built and developed by BMW Motorsport in Germany, the new-generation GT contender marked a significant departure from its predecessor, the Z4 GTE, both in appearance and performance, with virtually zero carryover between the two cars.

[7] The BMW M6 GTLM would be eligible for competition in only the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.