BMW has announced a move to ‘reintroduce’ a badge that never really existed in the first place, the M8.
Parallel with the introduction of the new 8 Series comes the modern version of what was once intended to be Munich’s fastest big-boy.
Originally conceived in the late 1980s, the BMW M8 suffered from development red lights. It would have cost 250,000 (just under $200,000 AUD at the time, almost $400,000 now) to buy one, so the bean counters at BMW killed it.
Now, BMW says the M8 will see the light of day, with a camouflaged version taking to the track for a display at the 24 Hours Nurburgring.
“The conception and development of the standard BMW 8 Series and the M model run in parallel,” says M Division president Frank van Meel.
“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.”
Munich also has a race-spec car underway, the M8 GTE, which BMW intends to enter in a LeMans comeback.
BMW Motorsport director Jens Marquardt says they won’t reveal images yet, but development is in full swing.
“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 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 January 2018.”
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