During the recent Industry Pool at the Nurburgring, BMW let the M850i prototype do a little more than the usual testing. This video shows the next Bavarian flagship doing some drifting/power sliding.
While BMW is working on an M8 and even a Gran Coupe version, the M850i will be the most potent version available after the June launch. It's already been revealed that the model is equipped with a 4.4-liter twin-turbo producing 530 HP and 750 Nm of torque.
Those numbers place it close to the old M6, and with the help of xDrive, it will undeniably accelerate faster.
That's not the full extent of the technology package this coupe offers. Torque vectoring, for starters, will help deliver the power where it's needed. For the sake of comfort, the M850i will also have one of those fancy active anti-roll bars as Bentley uses. So it's still a great GT, even though the M configuration is firm enough to drift on the Nurburgring.
We also think it sounds brilliant, much better than the other V8-equipped M Performance model, the M550i. Finally, BMW has figured out that this is just as important as going fast.
Other engines will also be available with the 8 Series, but we kind of stopped talking about them because they're less powerful. The best ones to have at launch are the 3-liter-equipped 840i and 840d. Not everybody wants the M look and a track-focused coupe.
The body kit has already been detailed in the leaked patent images we recently covered. Check them out, as BMW is making significant changes to the grille design.
This being a shared session, other manufacturers have prototypes alongside the M850i. Right behind it is the next Mercedes-Benz GLE-Class, which will compete with the X5. There's AMG with a more track-focused GT R. But is that an old Mazda3?
Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida. Full profile
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