What's all this about?
The BMW M8.
The M8?!
Yup, you read that right. No sooner has BMW announced it is reviving the 8 Series badging, it then goes and gives us a sneak preview of the M8 ahead of the 2017 Nürburgring 24-hour race.
Wow! What do we know about it?
Very little at the moment, but our sources tell us that its running gear is very, very similar to that found in the new M5. So that means a twin-turbocharged 4.4-litre V8 with trick four-wheel drive and somewhere in the region of 620hp. And, having stood next to the car as it took to the track for an M Corso parade lap ahead of the German endurance race, we can affirm it sounds absolutely bloody marvellous with a nice, hard-edged exhaust note and a meaty V8 growl. From the outside, the forced induction has not spoiled the noise.
What else can you glean?
Well, there are some interesting details. For a start, it's a big, imposing car in the metal, even when camouflaged with that eye-twisting black-and-white wrap so beloved by the manufacturers. The M8 makes the outgoing M6 look dainty, although we do like the proportions of the newcomer. And there's a neat bit of convex design on the rear shoulders that apparently is an aerodynamic touch (presumably gleaned from ideas BMW developed when working on the i8), which negates the need for a big rear spoiler on the boot; albeit the demo car wore a discreet little lip item on its rear deck lid.
Anything else?
Not beyond what you can see from the display car, which has 'classical' M features such as large front air intakes, bigger brakes and the quad exhausts. Which, as we've already affirmed, sound properly naughty.
Any words from BMW?
Frank van Meel, president of M Division and the man who rode shotgun in the M8's parade lap, said: "The conception and development of the standard BMW 8 Series and the M model run in parallel. 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."
Matt Robinson - 27 May 2017