This week brought an interesting development. BMW officially dropped an all-new concept vehicle on us. Dubbed the 8-Series, it is a follow up to the legendary 1990s big body coupe.
Looking a bit like a Bavarian mated with an Aston Martin Vanquish, it seems to have the Spies split when it comes to liking the design versus being put off by it. But that news was just the start.
That's because today the company revealed that it will be producing a tarted up version. That's right. The BMW M8 is here, well, sort of. While BMW has, predictably, remained mum on critical details, we can see some M details in its design.
Obviously it will have its own unique facade, larger wheels and tires, a big brake kit with blue-painted calipers, a rear lip spoiler and a diffuser element with a quad-tipped exhaust. That shouldn't come as much of a surprise.
What is a bit of a shock though is that BMW is planning on taking this car racing. In its announcement, the company makes it clear there will be an M8 GTE and it will be running at Le Mans. Look for its debut at the Daytona 24 hour race in January 2018.
BMW's press release follows:
The BMW M8 is the icing on the cake of the sporty BMW 8 Series line-up.
Munich, Germany – May 27th, 2017...Alongside the ongoing development of the standard 8 Series, the engineers at BMW M are also working flat out on the M model. A fully camouflaged, early prototype of the future BMW M8 will be unveiled in a driving presentation as part of the support programme for the Nu?rburgring 24-hour race. Classical M features like larger air intakes, modified brakes and a sports exhaust with four tailpipes hint at the significantly boosted power and dynamic potential of the car and whet the appetite for a driving experience of intense emotional richness.
“The conception and development of the standard BMW 8 Series and the M model run in parallel,” explains Frank van Meel, President BMW M Division. “The future BMW M8 will build on the genes of the 8 Series and augment its DNA with added track ability and generous extra portions of dynamic sharpness, precision and agility. It all flows into a driving experience that bears the familiar BMW M hallmarks and satisfies our customers’ most exacting requirements.”
Development is also underway of a race-spec car – the BMW M8 GTE – to spearhead the return of BMW Motorsport to Le Mans: “The BMW M8 GTE development programme for our Le Mans comeback is in full swing,” says BMW Motorsport Director Jens Marquardt. “Developing a new racing car is always exciting, and in the case of the BMW M8 GTE the anticipation is that much greater still. We can’t reveal any pictures yet, but I can promise you that the BMW M8 GTE will look spectacular. We are planning an initial roll-out for the first half of this year and are looking at giving the car its race debut in the Daytona 24 Hours in late January 2018.”