When BMW came up with the original 8 Series in the late 80s, the M Division hesitated to place its badge on the Grand Tourer and ultimately steered clear of the move, stating that the sheer weight and size of the vehicle would fall in line with its pure driving principles. Nowadays, though, the German engineers are determined to work their magic and overcome limitations of the kind, which is why the new 8 Series family is set to receive the full M treatment.
So far, we've only met the 8er Coupe and Cabriolet, with the m850i xDrive being the provisional range-topping version. However, the M Performance models will be topped by M8 monsters next year.
You see, the upcoming M8 sub-range will include the Coupe, the Cabriolet and the Gran Coupe - you can check out a piece of footage showing a prototype of the M8 GC at the bottom of the page.
The footage shows the BMW M8 Gran Coupe test car doing its thing on the Nurburgring. With the test car being pushed hard, we can see the vehicle fighting to keep the body in check through the aggressive turns of the Green Hell.
In standard trim, the 2020 BMW M8 will be animated by a twin-turbo 4.4-liter V8 with 600 horsepower on tap. Nevertheless, the Competition model will take the output to 625 horses, while also delivering slightly sharper handling.
And here's to hoping that the 2018 M5's intelligent AWD hardware, which allows the driver to switch to RWD mode when the need for shenanigans kicks in, will make its way into the M8.
Until the heavy camouflage on the prototypes starts to fly way, we'll remind you that the German automotive producer has already delivered the M8 Gran Coupe Concept, which is a sight for sore eyes.
In his quest to bring you the most impressive automotive creations, Andrei relies on learning as a superpower. There's quite a bit of room in the garage that is this aficionado's heart, so factory-condition classics and widebody contraptions with turbos poking through the hood can peacefully coexist. Full profile
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