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BMW M8 GTE to Make Racing Debut at Daytona

Rolex 24 Daytona, the opener of the 2018 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, will mark the racing debut of BMW's M8 GTE, the German manufacturer announced today. The car, designed explicitly for GT racing, is the precursor of the soon to be street-legal 8 series.
BMW M8 GTE 7 photos
Photo: BMW
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According to the official statement, the M8 GTE “was designed and built specifically as a GTE specification racing car.” What's interesting is that the model has been developed in conjunction with its roadworthy version, a car that BMW promises to come with “the minimum number of compromises and maximum performance.”

The M8 GTE is powered by a 4.0-liter (limited by GT regulations), eight cylinder TwinPower turbo engine that cranks out 500 hp. The engine works in conjunction with a six-speed sequential motorsport gearbox, operated via an electric paddle shift system. The body is made of composite materials paired with a carbon core.

BMW Team RLL will be the first to drive the race cars in the new season in what is expected to be a warmup for the German manufacturer's return to the 24 hours Le Mans race, after a 7 years hiatus. The endurance race takes places this weekend, 27-28 January.

“The BMW M8 GTE is the only entirely new car in the GTLM field this year and we believe it has a great deal of potential.”
Bobby Rahal, Team Principal BMW Team RLL said in a statement.

As for the production version, the 8 series is expected to employ pretty much the same powerplants available for the 7 Series. The engine range will probably start with the 3.0 liter six-cylinder variant and will end with the 4.4-liter, 600 hp V8. An even more powerful, 6.6-liter twin turbo V12 is also rumored to make it into production, as well as a plug-in hybrid derived from the current 7 Series.

The 8 Series is expected to be launched towards the end of 2018.
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About the author: Daniel Patrascu
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Daniel loves writing (or so he claims), and he uses this skill to offer readers a "behind the scenes" look at the automotive industry. He also enjoys talking about space exploration and robots, because in his view the only way forward for humanity is away from this planet, in metal bodies.
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